Krabi has no metro and not even a railway line — and it doesn't matter. Longtail boats run to Railay for about ฿100–150, songthaews link Krabi Town and Ao Nang for ~฿50–60, and island boats leave every morning. The one thing to know before you book: Railay is reachable by boat only, and each base gives you a different trip.
If you're used to hopping on a metro in Bangkok to get anywhere, here's the first thing to know: Krabi has no metro, and the railway doesn't even reach the province — the nearest train stations are over in Trang and Surat Thani. Everything here moves on wheels, on boat hulls, and on your own two feet across the sand. It sounds chaotic, but once you catch the rhythm it's easier — and more fun — than you'd expect.
The true star of Krabi is the longtail boat, above all the Ao Nang↔Railay run that goes all day for around ฿100–150 per person. It isn't just one option among many — it's the only way in, because Railay is walled off by limestone cliffs that no road can cross. Backing it up are the white songthaews (passenger pick-up trucks) running Krabi Town↔Ao Nang for about ฿50–60, plus ferries and speedboats heading out to Phi Phi, Hong Island and the 4-Island circuit. Grab exists but with few cars, and anyone who wants to drive can rent a scooter or a car.
One thing is worth settling before you tap "book" on a hotel: each of Krabi's bases gives you a different trip. Ao Nang is the walkable hub with the boats on its doorstep, Railay is a world with not a single vehicle, and Krabi Town is the budget-friendly road-and-boat hub. This guide walks through every way to move around Krabi — longtails, songthaews, island boats, and the honest fine print on renting — then helps you pick the right base from day one.
Cheap, frequent, and they reach places cars can't — master this pair and most of the province opens up.
Krabi's basic formula is easy to remember: songthaew on land, longtail on water. The songthaew shuttles you between Krabi Town and Ao Nang; the longtail takes over from the beachfront, carrying you to Railay and the nearby bays. Both cost from pocket change to low hundreds of baht, are paid in cash on the spot, and need no advance booking.
This is the first skill to pick up in Krabi. Buy a ticket at the counter on the Ao Nang beachfront and board straight off the sand. The standard fare is around ฿100 per person by day and about ฿150 after dark, and the ride to Railay West takes roughly 10–15 minutes. Boats leave once about 6–8 passengers have gathered — from mid-morning to mid-afternoon you'll barely wait. In a hurry, or travelling as a group? Charter the whole boat (negotiate at the pier).
A second useful route: Chao Fah pier in Krabi Town → Railay East, about ฿150 and ~45 minutes — handy if you're staying in town. Know that boarding is a wet affair: you wade through shallow water, so wear strapped sandals and stash your phone in a dry bag first. Read the full picture in our Railay Beach guide.
The white songthaews are the province's main public transport, running between Krabi Town and Ao Nang throughout the day. The fare is about ฿50–60 per person and the trip takes ~30–40 minutes. Catch one around Maharat Road in town, or flag one down anywhere along the route. It calls at Nopparat Thara beach before cruising the Ao Nang strip — press the buzzer or tap the roof when you want off.
The honest part: after sunset the trucks thin out fast, and evening fares can creep up. If your plan is dinner in town and a late return to Ao Nang, count on a fixed-price taxi or Grab for the way back rather than waiting for a songthaew that may not come.
Krabi's transport runs on cash. Longtail tickets are bought at the beach counter, songthaew fares go straight to the driver as you hop off, and scooter deposits are settled in notes. Keep small bills — ฿20, ฿50, ฿100 — on you at all times, because breaking a ฿1,000 note at a pier or on a songthaew is a struggle.
Works for longtails, songthaews, markets and beach stalls alike. Carry plenty of ฿20/50/100 notes; exact change is even better.
Hotels, tour counters and many cafés take cards or Thai QR payments — but boats and songthaews are often cash-only, so don't rely on plastic alone.
Island ferries and full-day tours can be booked online in advance and paid by card — useful in high season when seats sell out early.
ATMs and banks line Krabi Town and the Ao Nang strip. Foreign cards pay a fee of roughly ฿220 per withdrawal — take out larger sums, less often.
Honestly, cash in your pocket and a small dry bag are the two things that make boat days run smoothest — tickets are bought at the pier, change comes back as coins and notes that don't enjoy salt water, and a signal bar in the middle of the sea is not something to hang your day's plan on.
The islands are why most people come. Big ferries leave Klong Jilad pier in Krabi Town for Phi Phi, about 2 hours each way (roughly ฿350–500 one way, varying by season and operator). Speedboats and full-day tours — the 4 Islands, Hong Island, Phi Phi — depart from the Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara side instead: faster, pricier.
In the monsoon months, roughly May–October, the sea gets rougher and some days tours reroute or cancel — check conditions and confirm with the operator day by day. Browse the whole island menu in our Krabi island hopping guide and Phi Phi day trip from Krabi, or compare boats and tours ahead of time on Klook.
Grab works in the Krabi Town, Ao Nang and airport zones. The upside is a price shown before you book and in-app card payment. The catch: far fewer cars than Phuket or Bangkok. Evenings, rainstorms and high season can mean long waits or no driver at all. It earns its keep when you're hauling luggage, heading home late, or just done with negotiating.
Local taxis and the beachfront charter cars work on fixed quoted prices — there's no meter. Agree the fare before you get in, every time. And remember that anything across water — Railay or the islands — is beyond every car's reach; it's back to the boats for those.
Scooter rentals are everywhere in Ao Nang and Krabi Town at about ฿200–300 a day; cars run around ฿800–1,200. Renting starts to pay off the moment you head inland — Tiger Cave Temple, the Emerald Pool and hot springs — places no public transport reaches.
Straight talk on safety: roads outside town are curvy and hilly with fast-moving traffic, rain turns them slick, and tourist scooter crashes are genuinely common here. Wear a helmet every ride, carry a licence that's valid for what you're driving, and read the insurance terms before you sign. If you've never ridden a scooter before, don't make Krabi your first lesson — a charter car or a day tour is the safer call.
The Ao Nang beachfront is a seaside strip of roughly 2 km where restaurants, tour counters, the longtail boarding points and most hotels sit within walking range of each other. An evening stroll from one end to the other, grazing as you go, is half the point of staying here. See what's where in our Ao Nang guide.
As for Railay — there isn't a single vehicle on it. Footpaths link Railay West, Railay East, Phra Nang and Tonsai within 10–20 minutes of each other, and Krabi Town's riverside and market blocks are easy on foot too. Carry a hat, water and sunscreen: the southern sun is no joke, especially at midday.
Krabi isn't one town — it's a town, a beach strip and a peninsula stitched together by road and boat. Settle this before you book a hotel and everything else gets easy.
If you remember one thing from this page, make it this: Krabi Town and Ao Nang sit about 20 km apart, and Railay can only be reached by boat. No rail line strings these places together, so choosing your base decides where your hours go. Stay in Ao Nang and the boats are a five-minute walk away; stay in town and rooms cost less but every morning starts with a songthaew ride; stay on Railay and you get the cliffs at sunrise — at the price of a boat for every entrance and exit.
| Area | Getting in / out | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang | Songthaew from town ~30–40 min · longtail + tour piers right on the beach | The main tourist base · fully walkable strip · easiest boat access |
| Railay | Longtail boat only, ~10–15 min from Ao Nang | Cliff views · climbers · couples after quiet · island feel without the ferry |
| Krabi Town | Hub for songthaews, boats and vans · near Chao Fah and Klong Jilad piers | Budget stays · night markets · local pace · onward connections |
| Nopparat Thara / Klong Muang–Tubkaak | Mostly resort shuttles, rental cars or charter taxis | Quiet resorts · families · honeymooners who don't need the bustle |
| Krabi Airport (KBV) | Shared van ~฿150 · taxi ~฿350–600 · ~30–40 min to Ao Nang | Arrivals and departures — ~15 km from town |
Good news here: Google Maps works fully in Thailand — driving routes, restaurant pins, reviews and opening hours all behave. The one world it can't see is the boats: longtail departures, sea conditions and the day's ferry schedule live at the pier counters and your hotel desk, not in the app.
Reliable for driving, walking and finding places around town and Ao Nang. Download the offline map of Krabi before any boat day, since signal at sea and on the small islands comes and goes. For remote nature spots, some pins drift — cross-check recent reviews before committing to a long ride.
Put Grab on your phone before arriving — it earns its place the moment you're carrying bags or out late. Mobile signal is solid in town, Ao Nang and Railay, but fades at sea and on the smaller islands. Sort out a Thai SIM or eSIM before you head for the coast — see the options in our Thailand SIM & eSIM guide.
If we had to boil it down to two points: one — pack for a life that runs on boats. Small cash notes for boat and songthaew fares, strapped sandals that can wade, and a small dry bag for your phone and passport — because boarding a longtail genuinely means walking through shallow water. Travellers who arrive prepared glide through day one; the rest spend it drying out their pockets.
Two — settle the base question before you book. Ao Nang if you want easy boats and restaurants on foot; Railay if you want cliffs at your door and accept that everything moves by boat; Krabi Town if budget and local flavour lead. Switching bases mid-trip in a place where luggage rides boats is nobody's idea of fun — choosing right once beats moving twice.