--- title: "Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang: ferry options (2026)" description: "Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang in 2h30–3h50 by bus, from ฿240 one way — 8 options with operators, frequency and 2026 fare bands." url: https://bestofthailand.org/routes/phuket-to-krabi locale: en --- # Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang: ferry options (2026) 8 ways to make this trip, from ฿240 one way, and 2h30–3h50 on the quickest, direct. Below: what each costs, who runs it, how often it goes and the pier or station it actually leaves from. Fares checked 7 September 2026 and quoted as one-way bands per adult. They move with season, fuel and demand — the flight bands move fastest of all. Our pick for time Bus 2h30–3h50 · ฿300–฿750 · Minibus 1996, RTC Transport Our pick for budget Minivan ฿240–฿450 · 2h40–3h20 · Shared minivan operators ## All options **Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang: every option with mode, time, fare, operators and frequency** | Option | Time | Fare | Operators | How often | Change | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bus | 2h30–3h50 | ฿300–฿750 | Minibus 1996, RTC Transport | Frequent, roughly 06:00–22:30 | Direct | | Minivan | 2h40–3h20 | ฿240–฿450 | Shared minivan operators | Frequent through the day | Direct | | Flight + Flight | 3h30–5h45 | ฿1,800–฿6,700 | Thai AirAsia, Thai Vietjet, Nok Air, Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion Air | 30-plus departures a day across both Bangkok airports · Roughly 15 departures a day | via Bangkok | | Speedboat / catamaran + FerryDry season, roughly November–April | 3h45–6h40 | ฿1,650–฿2,400 | Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club, Bundhaya Speed Boat, Ao Nang Travel and Tour, Lanta Petpailin | Morning departures around 08:30, 10:00 and midday · Several daily in high season, reduced May–October | via Koh Lanta | | Ferry + Ferry | 4h–6h50 | ฿1,150 | Andaman Wave Master | Several sailings a day from Rassada pier · Two or three sailings a day from Klong Jilad pier | via Koh Phi Phi | | Ferry + MinivanDry season, roughly November–April | 6h15–10h15 | ฿1,050–฿1,550 | Lanta Petpailin, Ao Nang Travel and Tour, Phi Phi Cruiser, Chaokoh Travel Center, Shared minivan operators from Krabi town and Ao Nang | Departures around 08:30, 11:00 and 13:30 from Rassada · Several a day, year-round | via Koh Lanta | | Flight + Bus + ferry (one ticket) | 8h40–12h40 | ฿3,300–฿6,800 | Bangkok Airways, Phantip Travel, Seatran Discovery | One or two direct flights a day, seasonal · One or two combined departures a day, morning | via Koh Samui | | Bus + Flight | 14h05–18h05 | ฿1,600–฿4,600 | Sombat Tour, Phuket Central Tour, Thai AirAsia, Thai Vietjet, Thai Lion Air, Bangkok Airways | Evening departures from Sai Tai Mai · Roughly 15 departures a day | via Bangkok | ## Booking notes ### Bus · 2h30–3h50 · ฿300–฿750 86km by road around the bay. The bus is the one most people take; the ferry between the two takes five hours and stops at Phi Phi, so it's a sightseeing route rather than a transfer. ### Minivan · 2h40–3h20 · ฿240–฿450 Cheaper than the bus and it will pick up at hotels and the airport. The trade is the usual one: nine people, one aisle, no luggage hold. ### Flight + Flight · 3h30–5h45 · ฿1,800–฿6,700 Phuket → Bangkok: The most competitive domestic route in the country, which is why the floor sits under ฿1,000 outside holidays. Phuket airport is 32km north of Patong — budget an hour and ฿200–800 for that transfer on top. Bangkok → Krabi & Ao Nang: Usually a little cheaper than Phuket and much closer to Ao Nang, Railay and the Lanta and Phi Phi piers. If the Andaman islands are the plan rather than Patong, this is the better arrival. ### Speedboat / catamaran + Ferry · 3h45–6h40 · ฿1,650–฿2,400 Phuket → Koh Lanta: Half the time of the ferry for close to double the fare. In choppy water the speedboat is the rougher ride, not the smoother one. Koh Lanta → Krabi & Ao Nang: Klong Jilad pier to Saladan. High season is roughly October to April; through the monsoon the minivan is the leg that keeps running. ### Ferry + Ferry · 4h–6h50 · ฿1,150 Phuket → Koh Phi Phi: ฿700 adult is Andaman Wave Master's own published fare. Rassada pier is 30–40 minutes from Patong by road, which people routinely forget when timing the last boat. Koh Phi Phi → Krabi & Ao Nang: ฿450 adult, published by the operator — ฿250 less than the same crossing from Phuket, and shorter. If Phi Phi is the target, arriving at Krabi airport beats arriving at Phuket's. ### Ferry + Minivan · 6h15–10h15 · ฿1,050–฿1,550 Phuket → Koh Lanta: Three and a half to five hours, usually with a Phi Phi stop where you change boats. Dry-season service; November to April is when the timetable is full. Koh Lanta → Krabi & Ao Nang: Runs whatever the sea is doing, which is the whole argument for it. Our source still describes two short vehicle-ferry crossings on the way in; bridge work has been under way on that link, so check on the day rather than assuming either version. ### Flight + Bus + ferry (one ticket) · 8h40–12h40 · ฿3,300–฿6,800 Phuket → Koh Samui: The only quick way to swap coasts. Everything else — coach across the peninsula, or a flight via Bangkok — costs a day or a connection. Koh Samui → Krabi & Ao Nang: Ferry to Donsak, coach across the peninsula, arrive Krabi in the late afternoon. It's the standard way to swap coasts without flying, and it eats a full day whichever operator sells it. ### Bus + Flight · 14h05–18h05 · ฿1,600–฿4,600 Phuket → Bangkok: Twelve to fourteen hours for a fare that a flight booked in advance regularly beats. It exists, it's cheap in the last-minute case, and almost nobody should choose it over the plane. Bangkok → Krabi & Ao Nang: Usually a little cheaper than Phuket and much closer to Ao Nang, Railay and the Lanta and Phi Phi piers. If the Andaman islands are the plan rather than Patong, this is the better arrival. ## Both ends of the trip ### Phuket Connected to the mainland by bridge, so it works as an airport hub as much as a beach. Airport HKT: The Andaman's main gateway, with the widest low-cost domestic and regional network in the south. Phuket is driest Nov–Apr and wettest May–Oct on its own monthly rain-day normals. [Phuket weather](https://bestofthailand.org/weather/phuket) · [Phuket guide](https://bestofthailand.org/guide/phuket) ### Krabi & Ao Nang Limestone cliffs, Railay's climbing beaches and the pier for Phi Phi and Lanta. Airport KBV: Cheaper than Phuket on most Bangkok routes and closer to Railay and the four-island boats. Krabi & Ao Nang is driest Nov–Apr and wettest May–Oct on its own monthly rain-day normals. [Krabi & Ao Nang weather](https://bestofthailand.org/weather/krabi) · [Krabi & Ao Nang guide](https://bestofthailand.org/guide/krabi) ## Frequently asked questions **How long does it take to get from Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang?** 2h30–3h50 on the quickest option we hold — bus with Minibus 1996. The slowest of the 8 options here takes 14h05–18h05, so the spread between them is about 12h55. Times are for the scheduled leg and exclude the transfer at either end. **How much is Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang?** From ฿240–฿450 one way by minivan, checked 7 September 2026. The quickest option costs ฿300–฿750 and saves about 15min, so the gap between them is ฿60 against roughly that much time. That band comes from a dated route listing rather than a published tariff, so treat it as indicative. **What is the cheapest way from Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang?** Minivan at ฿240–฿450, run by Shared minivan operators. It takes 2h40–3h20 against the quickest option's 2h30–3h50, and runs frequent through the day. **Does the Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang route run all year?** Not every leg of it. 3 of the legs behind these options carry a season note — Phuket to Koh Lanta by speedboat / catamaran: Dry season, roughly November–April · Koh Lanta to Krabi & Ao Nang by ferry: Full timetable roughly October–April; reduced May–October · Phuket to Koh Lanta by ferry: Dry season, roughly November–April. At least one option on this page runs year-round, so the route itself does not close — but the choice narrows in the monsoon. **Where does the Phuket to Krabi & Ao Nang service leave from, and how often does it run?** 86km by road around the bay. The bus is the one most people take; the ferry between the two takes five hours and stops at Phi Phi, so it's a sightseeing route rather than a transfer. Frequent, roughly 06:00–22:30. ## Going the other way, or further The return trip is on the [Krabi & Ao Nang to Phuket](https://bestofthailand.org/routes/krabi-to-phuket) page — fares are the same in both directions on almost every leg here, but the timetables are not. To string this hop into a longer trip with a pace check, use the [route planner](https://bestofthailand.org/routes?stops=phuket,krabi&nights=3,4), and see the [island comparison](https://bestofthailand.org/islands) for which coast is dry in the month you are travelling. ## Sources - [Bookaway Phuket–Krabi route listings](https://www.bookaway.com/routes/thailand/phuket-to-krabi) — aggregator listings, not a published tariff. - [12go.asia route listings (band from what was on sale, not a tariff)](https://12go.asia/en/thailand) — aggregator listings, not a published tariff. - [FerrySamui Phuket–Koh Lanta route page](https://www.ferrysamui.com/route-phuket-koh-lanta.html) — a dated route reference. - [Thailand Boat Tickets Krabi–Koh Lanta guide](https://thailandboattickets.com/en/guides/krabi-to-koh-lanta) — a dated route reference. - [Andaman Wave Master published adult fares](https://www.andamanwavemaster.com/) — the carrier's own fare board. Checked 7 September 2026. Every figure on this page is a range, because every one of them moves. Best of Thailand https://bestofthailand.org/routes/phuket-to-krabi Scan or type the address for opening hours, phone numbers and the map.