Town in Krabi Province

Ao Nang and Railay

Ao Nang is a resort town and one of the ten subdistricts (tambon) of Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand.

Get in

Getting to Ao Nang and Railay

Krabi International Airport is about 40 minutes away by car. The local airport limo monopoly charges a fairly steep 600+ baht for a transfer (up to four persons). Many hotels will arrange a pickup at similar prices on request. Travel time is about half an hour. Local shuttle buses—really just converted pickup trucks (songthaew)—run from Ao Nang to Krabi (60 baht) and from Krabi to the airport (50 baht).

01
Krabi Bus Terminal
In Krabi, buses use the bus terminal at Talad Kao, about 5 km north of town centre.

See

Worth seeing

01
Fossil Shell Beach

Eat

Where to eat

Ao Nang restaurants are, in general, outrageously expensive. You will pay double or triple the price in Krabi town to eat here—main courses are about 150 baht—and seafood very much more (starts at 250 baht). If you are after cheap food, look for the street stalls or restaurants at either end of Ao Nang. The Burger King is open 24/7 in high-season.

01
Ao Nang Landmark Night Market
4203 road.
02
Wednesday Evening Market
Wednesdays 16:00-20:00.
03
Night
4203 road.
04
Ao Nang Mosque Market
420/14-15 4203.
05
Street
4203 road (next to esan food & cooking).

How locals move

Getting around Ao Nang and Railay the local way

Ao Nang is reached by white songthaew or airport bus from Krabi town, and is the launch point for the longtail boats that are the only way into Railay and Ton Sai, which have no road at all.

01
Ao Nang beach longtails to Railay, Ton Sai and Phra Nangboat
Ao Nang beach to Railay West, Ton Sai and Ao Phra Nang (Pranang Cave beach)
Where
There is no pier. Buy a numbered ticket at one of the boat co-operative kiosks, then wait until your boat number is called. The kiosks sit at the east end of Ao Nang beach where Ao Nang Road first meets the sand, at the west end of the beach, and at the Wan Sai restaurant on the east end of Nopparat Thara beach. You then wade out several metres to board, so put your shoes and anything electronic somewhere you do not mind getting wet, and carry your own bags through the surf. Railay West is about 10 to 15 minutes, Ton Sai is on the same boat and gets dropped on the way, and Phra Nang is about 20 minutes. Railay has no road access of any kind, so this boat, or the one from Ao Nam Mao, is the entire transport system.
When
All day, roughly 08:00 to 18:00 in the high season, but a boat leaves only when it is full. Wikivoyage's Rai Leh page puts the minimum at 8 people, its Ton Sai page at 10 to 12; either way, in high season expect about 20 minutes to fill a boat and considerably longer in low season
Fare
100 baht per person in daylight and close to double after 18:00; one Wikivoyage page still quotes 80 baht by day. To leave straight away you charter the boat and pay roughly the price of ten tickets, about 800 to 1,000 baht. The year these figures were last checked is not confirmed, so treat them as the order of magnitude rather than today's number
Takes
10-15 minutes to Railay West and Ton Sai, about 20 minutes to Phra Nang
Season
Year-round, subject to weather. In the May to October monsoon the co-operative shifts many departures to Ao Nam Mao on the sheltered side
Booking
None. Buy the ticket at the kiosk, pay cash, wait for your number
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · railay.com (2026-09) · confidence high
02
Ao Nam Mao pier longtails to Railay Eastboat
Ao Nam Mao pier, about 6 km east of Ao Nang on Route 4204, to Railay East
Where
Ao Nam Mao is a proper concrete pier rather than a beach launch, on the mangrove side of the headland past Shell Cemetery. Any Ao Nang taxi or a hired scooter will get you there. Because it faces the sheltered water it keeps running when the Ao Nang beach boats are being thrown around, and it runs far later into the night. You land on Railay East, the mangrove side, and walk five minutes across the peninsula to Railay West. Tiger Line and Andaman Wave Master both use this pier under the name Krabi (Ao Nammao), which is worth knowing when a ferry ticket says Krabi and you assume it means the town.
When
On demand through the day and, according to railay.com, until around midnight all year
Fare
Charged per person on the same co-operative basis as the Ao Nang boats, with a per-boat charter if you do not want to wait. No current posted tariff for this pier could be confirmed
Takes
About 15 minutes
Season
Year-round, and the recommended route in the May to October monsoon
Booking
None, pay at the pier
Sources: railay.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · tigerlineferry.com (2026-09) · confidence medium
03
White Krabi Town to Ao Nang songthaewsongthaew
Krabi bus terminal at Talad Kao and Krabi town centre to Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara, via Klong Jilad pier, Sai Tai and Ao Nang Junction
Where
Krabi's songthaews are colour coded by route and the Ao Nang one is white, with the destination written in English on the side. Catch it outside the bus terminal, or in town at the 7-Eleven on the corner of Soi 8 and Maharaj Road, or by the Vogue department store on Maharaj Road; the ones coming from the bus terminal stop at the 7-Eleven for about ten minutes. Going the other way, stand on the beach side of Ao Nang's beach road, not the inland side, which feels wrong because Krabi is behind you. Press the buzzer for your stop and pay the driver as you get off. Ignore the taxi drivers who intercept minivan passengers 75 m short of the bus station and quote 400 baht for the same trip.
When
Every 10 minutes or so through the day, every 30 minutes from 18:00 to 22:00 in high season; daylight hours only in low season
Fare (2016)
60 baht until 18:00 and 80 baht between 18:00 and 22:00; shorter hops inside Ao Nang from 20 baht. The 60 baht figure carries a February 2016 date on Wikivoyage and is repeated undated elsewhere
Takes
About 45 minutes end to end
Season
Year-round, with a shorter evening service in low season
Booking
None, flag it down
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium
04
Krabi airport bus to Krabi town, Ao Nang and Nopparat Tharashuttle bus
Krabi International Airport to Krabi town and the ferry terminal, then Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara
Where
Buy a ticket at a counter in the arrivals hall; several operators sell the same air-conditioned bus and the departures are timed to meet flights. It runs airport to Krabi town, then the ferry terminal, then on to Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara, and it will drop you at your hotel door if you tell the driver the name when you board. Coming back, you can either call the hotline the day before for a hotel pickup or wait at one of the four marked stops in Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara, one of which is in front of McDonald's; tickets are sold on the bus or at any of the ticketing shops. Note the two-stage alternative: the local songthaew network will also get you there for less, but it goes airport to Krabi and then Krabi to Ao Nang and takes close to two hours.
When
Throughout the day, timed to arriving flights
Fare
Around 150 baht per person to Ao Nang and about 90 baht to Krabi town. The year of both figures is not confirmed, so check the counter price on the day
Takes
About 1 hour to Ao Nang
Season
Year-round
Booking
Buy at the airport counter on arrival; hotline booking a day ahead for the return pickup
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · railay.com (2026-09) · confidence medium
05
Fixed-price airport taxi and shared minivanprivate hire
Krabi International Airport to Ao Nang, Krabi town or Ao Nam Mao
Where
There are booths inside the terminal selling authorised taxis at a fixed, prepaid price: you pay inside and are pointed at a driver waiting outside, so there is no negotiation and no meter. The same booths sell seats in shared minivans, which is the cheaper middle option between the taxi and the shuttle bus. Hotels will arrange a pickup at about the same money. Going on to Railay, the taxi can only take you as far as Ao Nang beach or Ao Nam Mao pier; the last leg is always a boat.
When
On demand, whenever flights land
Fare
Roughly 600 baht to Ao Nang for up to four people and about 350 baht to Krabi town. Wikivoyage describes the airport limousine monopoly as charging 600 baht and up. The year of both figures is not confirmed
Takes
About 30 to 40 minutes to Ao Nang
Season
Year-round
Booking
Pay at the counter in arrivals; hotel pre-booking also possible
Sources: railay.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium
06
Nopparat Thara and Railay East ferry to Ko Phi Phiferry
Nopparat Thara pier (Ao Nang) and Railay East floating pier to Ton Sai pier, Ko Phi Phi
Where
This is the big island-hopper that Ao Nang people still call the Ao Nang Princess, run by Ao Nang Travel and resold through Seatran Discovery. It sails from the national park pier at Nopparat Thara, which is a couple of kilometres west of Ao Nang beach and not the same place as the longtail kiosks, then calls at the Railay East floating pier 15 minutes later before running out to Phi Phi. Any travel agent in Ao Nang, Railay or Ton Sai sells the ticket, usually with a hotel pickup thrown in. Going the other way there is one afternoon sailing back from Ton Sai. From Krabi town the equivalent boat leaves from Klong Jilad pier, not from the old Chao Fah pier in the centre, and is cheaper.
When
One sailing each way daily on the operator's schedule: 09:30 from Nopparat Thara and 09:45 from Railay East, returning 14:30 from Ton Sai
Fare (2026)
650 baht one way from either Nopparat Thara or Railay East to Ko Phi Phi. The Krabi town alternative from Klong Jilad pier is 450 baht in standard class and 900 baht in first class on Andaman Wave Master's 09:00 and 13:30 ferries
Takes
2 hours from Nopparat Thara, 1 hour 45 minutes from Railay East
Season
Sold year-round on the operator's own booking system
Booking
Online with the operator or over the counter at any agent; buy the day before in high season
Sources: seatrandiscovery.com (2026-09) · seatrandiscovery.com (2026-09) · andamanwavemaster.com (2026-09) · confidence high
07
Andaman speedboat network from Nopparat Thara and Railay Eastspeedboat
Nopparat Thara pier and the Railay East floating pier to Ko Lanta, Ko Jum, Ko Yao Noi, Ko Yao Yai, Ko Ngai, Ko Mook, Ko Kradan, Ko Lipe and Phuket Rassada
Where
Bundhaya and Tiger Line both run the Andaman chain out of Nopparat Thara and Railay East, and this is how you get south to the Trang islands or Ko Lipe without going back through Krabi town. Tiger Line's Ao Nang pickup point is the bus station, not the beach. The useful thing about these operators is that they publish which routes are seasonal: Ao Nang and Railay to Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and Phuket run all year, while Ko Jum, the Ko Yaos, Ko Ngai, Ko Mook, Ko Kradan and Ko Lipe only run inside a window that opens around 15 October or 1 November and closes between 4 and 20 May. Book the far southern legs a day or two ahead, because one missed boat can cost you a day.
When
Daily in the published season, typically one departure each way per route; several a day on the Phi Phi and Lanta legs
Fare (2026)
Bundhaya's published from-fares: Ko Lanta 1,250 baht, Ko Jum 900 baht, Ko Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai 650 baht from Ao Nang and 800 baht from Railay, Ko Ngai 1,650 baht, Ko Mook and Ko Kradan 2,000 baht, Ko Lipe 2,400 baht, Phuket Rassada 1,090 baht, Phi Phi 1,000 baht
Takes
1 hr 10 min to Ko Lanta from Railay, 1 hr 30 min from Ao Nang; 1 hr to Ko Jum; 5 to 6 hours to Ko Lipe
Season
Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and Phuket all year. Ko Jum, Ko Yao Noi, Ko Yao Yai, Ko Ngai, Ko Mook, Ko Kradan and Ko Lipe seasonal, roughly 15 October or 1 November to 4 or 20 May depending on the route
Booking
Online with the operator, or through any Ao Nang or Railay agent
Sources: bundhayaspeedboat.com (2026-09) · tigerlineferry.com (2026-09) · confidence high
08
Lomprayah bus and catamaran to the Gulf islandscombined transfer
Ao Nang hotel pickup to Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao, by coach across the isthmus then catamaran
Where
Sold as one ticket that you cannot unbundle. The Ao Nang pickup point is the McDonald's by the Avani hotel; there are separate pickup points for Ao Nam Mao, Klong Muang and Krabi town if you are not staying on the beach. The coach runs across to the Gulf coast and you join the Lomprayah catamaran there. It is the only same-day way from the Andaman side to Ko Tao, and the live booking system will tell you how many seats are left, which matters in December and January.
When
Two departures daily, 07:20 and 10:45, year-round
Fare (2026)
1,300 baht adult and 650 baht child one way, Ao Nang to Ko Tao
Takes
About 7 hours to Ko Tao on the 07:20 (arriving 14:15)
Season
Year-round on the operator's system
Booking
Book ahead online or through an agent; the pickup needs your hotel name
Sources: lomprayah.com (2026-09) · confidence high
09
Low season: what still runs and what does notservice status
Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara, Ao Nam Mao and Railay, May to October
Where
The thing people get wrong about Krabi's low season is that they assume everything stops. It does not. The longtails to Railay and Ton Sai keep running all year, because Railay has no alternative, but the co-operative moves departures from the exposed Ao Nang beach to the sheltered Ao Nam Mao pier when the swell gets up, and the wait for a boat to fill gets much longer because there are fewer people. The ferries are the part that thins out: the Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and Phuket links stay open all year, but the operators' own published windows close the Ko Jum, Ko Yao, Ko Ngai, Ko Mook, Ko Kradan and Ko Lipe speedboats from around early May to mid or late October. Individual sailings are called off by the harbourmaster on the day when the sea is rough, so an agent's timetable in June is a statement of intent. Boats between Ton Sai and Railay generally do not run at night in any season.
When
The monsoon runs roughly May to October, with the heaviest weather in July to September
Fare
Not a priced service
Season
May to October
Booking
Nothing to book. Keep a spare day either side of a flight
Sources: bundhayaspeedboat.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · railay.com (2026-09) · confidence high
10
Railay to Ton Sai on foot, and the tidewalking trail
Railay West to Ton Sai, and Railay East to the Diamond Cave jungle path
Where
Whether you walk or take a boat between Railay and Ton Sai is decided entirely by the tide. At low tide you scramble around the rocky outcrop at the north end of Railay West into Ton Sai in about 20 minutes. At high tide that route is under water, so you take the path from the south end of Ton Sai beach up over the headland and come out on the north side of Railay West, also about 20 minutes but with a proper climb. The third option, longer but smoother, goes inland from Ton Sai past Wee's Climbing School and comes out on Railay East near Diamond Cave in about 50 minutes. None of them is sensible at night without a torch and all of them are slippery after rain. There is also a trek from Ao Nang to Ton Sai of about 1.5 hours, but people on it are regularly set on by macaques and it is no route to carry luggage.
When
Whenever the tide allows; the short scramble is low tide only
Fare
Free
Takes
20 minutes on either short route, 50 minutes on the jungle path, 1.5 hours from Ao Nang
Season
Year-round, but the paths are treacherous in the wet months
Booking
None
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high
11
Ao Nang scooter hire, and tuk-tuks inside the resortscooter hire
Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara, Klong Muang, Ao Nam Mao and the road to Krabi town
Where
Rental shops line the main strips in Ao Nang and you can have a bike within minutes. It is the cheapest way to reach the places the songthaew does not serve: Ao Nam Mao pier for the Railay boats, Shell Cemetery, Klong Muang and the hot springs inland. A scooter is useless for Railay itself, which has no roads, so leave it in Ao Nang. For short hops inside Ao Nang there are tuk-tuks, which since around 2019 have asked a flat 100 baht for a trip inside the resort and about 400 baht for the whole vehicle to Krabi town, against 60 baht a head on the songthaew. Shops usually want a cash deposit rather than your passport; decline any that insist on keeping the passport.
When
Shops open daily through the day
Fare (2019)
150 to 200 baht for 24 hours for a reliable automatic scooter. Tuk-tuks quote about 100 baht inside Ao Nang and 400 baht for the vehicle to Krabi town, figures dated to the 2019 high season on Wikivoyage
Takes
Ao Nang to Ao Nam Mao about 15 minutes, to Krabi town about 40 minutes
Season
Year-round; riding in the monsoon downpours is genuinely dangerous
Booking
Walk in
Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

Not yet confirmed: The brief describes the Ao Nang longtail co-operative as having one fixed per-person price and a minimum-passenger rule. Both are real but the numbers disagree between sources: Wikivoyage's Rai Leh page says 100 baht and a minimum of 8 passengers, its Ton Sai page says 100 baht and a boat full of 10 to 12, and its Ao Nang page still says 80 baht by day and 100 baht after 18:00. None of the three carries a date. Ask at the ticket kiosk at the east end of Ao Nang beach, or at the Wan Sai restaurant kiosk on Nopparat Thara, for the posted tariff and the current minimum.; Pier fees could not be confirmed. No tariff for a landing or terminal charge at Nopparat Thara pier, the Railay East floating pier or Ao Nam Mao was found on an operator or Thai government page, and the ferry operators' own booking pages do not itemise one. The likely holders of the answer are the Krabi Marine Office of the Marine Department and the Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park office that runs the Nopparat Thara pier; ask at the ticket window before you buy.; The national park entry fee charged on arrival at Ko Phi Phi, which applies to anyone taking the Ao Nang or Railay ferry there, could not be confirmed from an official source in this pass. portal.dnp.go.th serves over HTTP/1.1 but the fee schedule page was not located; dnp.go.th itself is behind a bot wall.; Krabi airport shuttle bus and fixed-price taxi fares are quoted here from Wikivoyage and railay.com, neither of which dates the figure. The Department of Airports minisite for Krabi and krabiairportthai.com both failed to resolve, and krabiairportonline.com is an advertising shell with no fares. Check the counter price in the arrivals hall.; Correction to the brief: Songserm's published time-table.json now covers only the Gulf routes between Surat Thani, Don Sak, Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao. It carries no Krabi, Ao Nang or Phi Phi route, so it is not a source for these waters. Raja Ferry likewise only serves the Don Sak crossings and Boonsiri is Trat, Ko Chang and Cambodia, so neither touches Krabi.; Correction to the brief: Andaman Wave Master lists Ao Nang (Nopparat Thara Beach) and Krabi (Railey East Floating Pier) as stations but returns no timetable from either, in high season or low. It sells the Krabi Klong Jilad to Phi Phi ferry instead and treats Ao Nang and Railay as pickup add-ons.; Ferries from Ao Nang or Railay to Ko Jum were not found on the Seatran Discovery resale index; only Bundhaya publishes them, and only inside a seasonal window. A direct Ao Nang to Ko Lanta sailing is likewise speedboat-only on the operators checked, despite Wikivoyage describing a twice-daily public ferry at around 200 baht. That 200 baht figure could not be confirmed with any operator and should not be relied on..

The field note on Ao Nang and Railay reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.