Koh Rawi

Koh Rawi is an uninhabited island inside Mu Ko Tarutao National Park, a short boat ride from Koh Lipe, with clear water and reef patches close to shore that make it a regular stop on Tarutao day-trip itineraries. There’s no jetty village, no resort, and no fresh water source open to visitors — everything here is undeveloped park land.

The island’s coastline mixes sandy coves with rocky headlands; boats generally beach or moor off the main bay on the east side, where the reef starts just offshore. Snorkelling here depends on conditions and season — coral cover in this part of the park has been affected by past bleaching events like much of the Andaman, so expect a mix of healthy and recovering coral rather than one unbroken reef. Reef fish, and occasionally sea turtles, are reported by operators running trips through the area, though sightings aren’t guaranteed on any given day.

Watch out: Koh Rawi isn’t a solo-access island — there’s no scheduled ferry, and DNP does not permit unsupervised landings outside organised tours or a park-issued permit, so you’ll need to book through a boat operator or dive shop based in Koh Lipe or Pak Bara.

Because the island is inside a national park, the same rules apply as elsewhere in Tarutao: no removing coral or shells, no littering, and reef-safe sunscreen is strongly encouraged given the coral stress the park already deals with. Camping isn’t set up on Koh Rawi itself — overnight stays in the park mean pitching at the ranger stations on Koh Tarutao or Koh Adang instead.

Insider Tip: book a smaller-boat or private charter trip out of Koh Lipe rather than a big multi-stop group tour if snorkelling quality is the priority — you’ll spend longer in the water and less time waiting for a crowd to reboard.

Pair a Koh Rawi stop with Koh Adang’s viewpoint trail or a look at Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach on Koh Lipe the same trip — most tour boats out of Lipe combine two or three park islands in a single day.