How to get to Krabi, Ao Nang and Railay from Koh Samui - UPDATED 2023 The Fastest, Cheapest and Best Way to Travel!
The South of Thailand is scattered with beautiful islands and many popular tourist destinations. A favourite of these is Koh Samui which is a serene island with beaches, viewpoints and nature that you just cannot find anywhere else.Â
Once enjoying this large island many people carry on their journey further South towards the other popular destinations of Krabi which is exactly what we did in 2023.
Many people also choose to travel to Ao Nang or Railay in Krabi and we have details of that too.Â
Below we will explain everything you need to know for your journey.Â
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Fastest Way to Travel?
Both Koh Samui and Krabi have small airports that accept many flights daily making them very accessible.Â
Of course the most expensive and fastest way is going to be to fly from Samui Island Airport to Krabi Airport which takes around an hour. The price is around $70 but can fluctuate a lot depending on season and flight operator.
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Cheapest Way to Travel?
If you decide to choose a more budget-friendly option then the combination of boat and bus is going to be the best choice for you. The best way that we recommend is to book a package that includes all of the transfers in one price.
We booked via our hostel a package which included a bus to the port, then a boat followed by another bus to the stop in Krabi which was our final destination.Â
We paid 400 Baht ($12) each which was a very reasonable price considering the miles that are covered.
What to Expect?
If you are travelling further to Ao Nang or Railay then the start of the journey will be exactly the same and only when you reach Krabi will you split off to reach your final destination. Such as by getting another bus and boat.
The first part of the journey is to leave your hotel in Samui to get to the Port; we were picked up by a minibus and the journey only took around 40 minutes. This could be shorter or longer depending where on the island you are staying.Â
The journey was seamless and we made one quick stop at the travel office so the driver could hop out to sort out everyone’s tickets ready for the boat.
We arrived at Nathon Pier and waited a couple minutes until we were told to get on the boat as it was leaving soon. We scanned our tickets and got on, it was so simple; the pier was very well organised and the process was not stressful at all.Â
The boat was in fact a large ferry which was very spacious and clean. On board there were multiple toilets which were clean too, this is not very common on most boats in Thailand.Â
There was also a Cafe that was selling snacks like crisps and confectionery items plus coffees and teas. You could also get a 45 minute foot massage on the boat for 300 baht if you wanted an activity to make the time go faster.
The boat ride itself was very smooth and you could hardly feel the boat moving, we were very happy about this.Â
It lasted around 1 hour and we arrived promptly at the Don Sak Pier in Surit Thani.
It was very easy to find our coach that was going to take us to Krabi. We got on the coach and waited for a long time for it to fill up as other boats were arriving with more people travelling to Krabi.Â
After a little while we set off making one stop on the way at a service station where you could go to the bathroom and buy some snacks and drinks.
The ride lasted around 4 hours and was quite comfortable as the coach was relatively new. You could recline the seats in order to rest and we had plenty of legroom.Â
Finally, we arrived at the bus stop in Krabi Town and got off, the stop was in a good central location in Krabi and we could walk to our hotel which was a bonus for us.
What to Expect?
This is a pretty long journey with multiple stops so it is important to prepare yourself and make sure you have everything you need:
- Food and Drinks – Along the way you will make a few stops but just in case you do not fancy anything being sold it is good to pack a few snacks just in case, at least bring some water to stay hydrated
- Sarong or Blanket – The air-conditioning on buses in Thailand can be quite harsh so bringing a small blanket is good especially if you are likely to get cold
- Entertainment – Something to keep you entertained such as a book, downloaded TV show or whatever you enjoy to help waste the timeÂ
- Travel Sickness Tablets – If you are prone to motion-sickness then we highly advise taking some tablets to help as it will not be a very comfortable journey if you are feeling ill the entire time
Conclusion
There are many ways to get to Krabi from Koh Samui and it is up to you if you want to choose the most expensive but fastest option; to fly, or the slowest but cheapest option; buses and boats. Our recommendation is to book a package deal to include all of the transfers as this is the easiest way to travel. If you are heading to Ao Nang or Railay then the journey starts the same but you have to add on a bus or bus and boat to reach your final stop.
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