Many people that fly to Krabi Airport are looking to get themselves straight to the stunning coastline, and one of the most popular places to stay in Krabi is the beachside town of Ao Nang.
In this blog post, we will show you how to get from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang in the fastest, cheapest or most comfortable way.
Ao Nang is around 27kms from Krabi Airport and all of your transport options are by road as there is no rail link between the two.
Bus from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang
Journey time: At least 1 hour | Cost: 150 Bhat per person
The shuttle bus between Krabi and Ao Nang is a popular option for travellers on a budget. Buses generally leave around once an hour but there is no set schedule as they will leave sooner if they are full. They run between around 8 am and 8 pm.
There is no set route that the buses follow, and rather than dropping you at a bus station, they will ask you where you are going and drop you at, or close to, your hotel.
This is a pretty good service for a bus and means that you won’t have to drag your luggage too far or pay extra for a tuk-tuk to your hotel.
It does also mean that the journey times can be long if your hotel happens to be the last one that they drop off at.
You should expect the journey to take at least an hour from Krabi airport to Ao Nang.
The bus should go straight to Ao Nang from the airport but occasionally you may be taken to Krabi town first which adds to the journey time and may mean you have to switch buses.
You can buy your bus tickets from booths in the arrivals hall inside the airport. There are several booths, they all sell tickets for the same bus at the same price which is currently 150 Bhat per person.
We Love Krabi!
It is a big province and we have written a few handy guides to the region. A good place to start is by reading our guide of where to go in Krabi for an overview of the best places to visit. There are some amazing islands to visit like Koh Lanta and our favourite, Koh Ngai.
Krabi features in our Thailand itinerary and we have an itinerary for Krabi (which includes Railay Beach). Family travellers should also check out our guide to Krabi with kids.
Taxi from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang
Journey time: 30 minutes | Cost 600 baht
One of the quickest and most convenient ways to get to Ao Nang from Krabi Airport is to take a taxi.
These are easy to arrange when you arrive at the airport as there are booths inside the airport selling tickets for authorised taxis. You buy the ticket inside and will be pointed to a driver waiting outside who will take you to your destination in Ao Nang.
All of the official taxis offer pre-paid, fixed-rate fares which is great when you are tired having just arrived on a flight. You don’t need to worry about haggling over the price or insisting that the metre goes on.
The taxi from Krabi airport to Ao Nang cost is 600 baht. A minivan for up to 8 adults costs 1050bhat
Both of these work out to be quite good value compared to the bus if you are travelling as a family or small group.
Occasionally you might see a metered taxi outside the airport, these will generally charge you a flat fee of 500 baht so you can save a little bit of money if you are prepared to look around.
Private Airport Transfer Krabi to Ao Nang
Journey time: 30 minutes | Cost under 600 baht
A great alternative to arranging a taxi on arrival is to pre-book a private transfer by car. If you book online in advance you can get a great price (slightly cheaper than a taxi) and have the reassurance that someone will be waiting for you when you arrive at the airport.
Book your airport transfer here
Krabi Airport Car Rental
Journey time: 30 minutes | Check Price
If you plan to explore the area while you are in Krabi, it could be worth getting a rental car at the airport. This will give you the flexibility to travel wherever and whenever you like. There is a range of international firms such as National, Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Budget who have booths in the airport. But if at all possible you should book in advance (even the day before) as you will get massive savings.
RentalCars.com is the easiest way to find the best deals
Ideally, you should have an International Driving Permit, but normally you will be fine with any drivers licence that is written in English.
The Cheapest way to get from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang
Journey time: Over 60 minutes | Cost 80 baht
If you are looking to save as many baht as possible, the cheapest way to get from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang is to catch a songthaew.
To do this you should leave the airport, cross the road outside and wave down a songthaew to Krabi Town.
From there you can transfer to a white songthaew to Ao Nang. All together it should cost 80 baht so it works out cheaper than the bus but is likely to be more time-consuming.
Returning from Ao Nang to Krabi Airport
Getting back to the airport is pretty much the same options as above but in reverse. We have had more than our fair share of stressful journeys to the airport so we recommend that you do this journey by car which should only take 30 minutes.
You can pre-book a transfer here or your hotel should be able to arrange something for you.
Krabi Airport is small and you should easily get through security in an hour and a half but it’s worth making sure you have enough time to get there as you never know what might happen. (We nearly missed a flight in Italy when a protest march had closed off all but one very hard to find road that went into the back of the airport).
You can catch the bus but it will pick people up from all over and it goes into Krabi Town on the way. The journey time is usually around an hour and a half.
Service times are irregular, starting from 6am, but we would only risk the bus option for flights that leave in the afternoon or later.
Hotels in Ao Nang
Aonang Cliff Beach Resort
Set in a gorgeous location surrounded by lush green hills, Aonang Cliff Beach Resort has a great range of comfortable rooms. They have rooms for all budgets from doubles to 1 or 2 bed villas with private pools. The hotel enjoys amazing views over the sea that are best enjoyed from the fabulous infinity pool or rooftop bar.
The resort is well located just 5 minutes from the beach and town centre, but inside it is a quiet oasis.
Phu Pha Aonang Resort & Spa
Phu Pha Aonang Resort & Spa offers great value accommodation with wooden bungalow-style rooms set in lush gardens that teem with huge butterflies. In amongst the flowers and plants in a lovely swimming pool.
The buffet breakfast here is fabulous, especially the pancakes. They also serve good food in the restaurant throughout the day.
If you are looking for relaxation you will enjoy the on-site sauna and massage parlour.
Check availability for your dates
Getting to Ao Nang from Krabi Airport – Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about getting from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang and now have a good idea of how to do this journey. It is always good to know in advance what your options are, especially as you might be arriving tired after a long journey.
There is no need to worry though, all options are relatively quick and straightforward. For extra peace of mind and to ensure that everything goes smoothly, we recommend booking a private transfer.
Where next? Check out our guide to Railay Beach, and how to get from Ao Nang to Railay Beach
Bellissima guida scritta molto bene
Grazie!
thanks for sharing the information
Really this is a very useful blog.
Thank you
Thanks, this is just the info i needed to plan my journey!
Glad we could help! I always like to plan journeys from an airport properly. It’s so easy to get confused or ripped off otherwise!
Thanks, I was worried about this journey but now I know exactly what to expect and how I will go!
Happy to help!