Koh Lanta sights
Lanta Old Town
The island's historic east-coast port (Baan Si Raya), a row of weathered teak shophouses on stilts over the sea where Chinese traders, Muslim fishers, and Urak Lawoi sea gypsies have long mixed. Now home to seafood restaurants, cafés, and craft shops.
About
Lanta Old Town, officially Baan Si Raya, is the historic heart of Koh Lanta, on the quieter east coast facing the mainland. Long before the west-coast beaches drew tourists, this was the island's main port and administrative centre — a sheltered harbour where Chinese merchants, Muslim fishing families, and the indigenous Urak Lawoi 'sea gypsies' lived and traded side by side, a multicultural mix still reflected in the town today. Its main street is a photogenic row of century-old wooden shophouses, many built on stilts out over the water, their weathered teak fronts now housing seafood restaurants, cafés, guesthouses, and shops selling local crafts, hammocks, and batik. It's a lovely, low-key place to wander for an hour or two, eat fresh seafood on a deck over the sea, and get a feel for the island's history and the cultures that shaped it — a complete contrast to the resort strips on the other coast.
Good to know
Opening hours and entry fees vary by season — check before you visit.