Ko Lanta Yai ( th, เกาะลันตาใหญ่) is an island in the

Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...

off the west coast of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, between the

Phi Phi Islands The Phi Phi Islands ( th, หมู่เกาะพีพี, , ) are an island group in Thailand between the large island of Phuket and the Straits of Malacca coast of Thailand. The islands are administratively part of Krabi Province. Ko Phi ...

and the mainland. It is administratively part of Krabi Province, most of which is on the mainland. Together with neighboring Ko Lanta Noi, which forms Ko Lanta archipelago and several other islands it forms the amphoe of Ko Lanta District. The island is long and wide, with an area of , and a small portion of it belongs to the Mu Ko Lanta National Park. The area was designated as the 62nd national park of Thailand in 1990. Recently, it has become well known, especially in Sweden. The island is relatively less developed with most of the accommodation available being basic bamboo huts. In 2015, a new bridge was built connecting it to the island of Ko Lanta Noi. There are very few paved roads on the island, mostly in the north, and they deteriorate gradually towards the south. Ban Saladan, the main town and port, is at the northern tip of the island and is served by ferries from Krabi,

Phuket Phuket (; th, ภูเก็ต, , ms, Bukit or ''Tongkah''; Hokkien:普吉; ) is one of the southern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands of ...

, and Phi Phi. The main beaches are on the western shores of the island, the largest being Klong Dao, Pra-Ae (Long Beach), and Klong Khong Beach. There are other, much less accessible, beaches at the southern end. Lanta escaped the worst of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Although there was widespread devastation along the west coast, significantly fewer injuries and fatalities were reported in comparison to the Phi Phi Islands. It is thought 11 people lost their lives. Assisted by tourists, most businesses were up and running within a few days.Lonely Planet

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* {{coord, 7, 35, N, 99, 03, E, region:TH_type:isle, display=title Lanta Yai Lanta Yai Geography of Krabi province