Krabi to Phi Phi

The fastest way and the easiest way

The quickest Krabi to Phi Phi crossing is a speedboat from Railay East or Ao Nang, 30 to 50 minutes. From Krabi Town the speedboats take about an hour and the big ferries about two. The boats, times and fares are below (checked October 2026).

The ferry is the cheap, steady ride, with room for bags and a deck to sit out on. The speedboat halves the time but bounces on a rough day. The easiest of all is your own boat from the beach near your hotel, on your times. Ask Tanner which suits your group.

The ferry

The Krabi to Phi Phi ferry leaves Klong Jilad pier, just outside Krabi Town. Songserm sails at 9am and Andaman Wave Master at 9am and 1:30pm, about 2 hours to Tonsai pier, from ฿490. A cheaper ferry leaves at 10:30am, with an extra 3pm sailing in December.

Klong Jilad is about 20 km from Krabi airport, around 30 minutes by car. Insider tip: the 1:30pm boat is the last ferry most of the year, so a late flight in means the speedboat or your own boat. Ask Tanner to time the car to the boat.

Can you go from Ao Nang to Phi Phi?

Yes, and it's quicker than from town. From Nopparat Thara pier in Ao Nang, Bundhaya's speedboat leaves at 10:10am and 2:40pm and takes about 50 minutes. The Ao Nang Princess ferry leaves at 9:30am and takes about 2 hours.

From Railay, boats stop at the Railay East floating pier: Bundhaya's speedboat takes about 30 minutes. Insider tip: staying in Railay, you're the closest of anyone to Phi Phi. Ask Tanner to pick you up from the beach.

Is the speedboat worth it?

For most groups, yes. The Krabi to Phi Phi speedboat cuts the trip to under an hour, and Krabi Town has several speedboats a day between 9:15am and 4pm. On a rough day it's bumpy; the ferry is slower and steadier.

Your own speedboat sets the times and the stops, and turns the day into a party on the water. Insider tip: on your own boat there's no last-boat rush, so stay for the sunset. Ask Tanner to quote it.

The park fee and Maya Bay

Every foreign adult pays the national park ฿400 in cash, and children ฿200, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Department of National Parks say. There's also a ฿20 island fee in cash when you land at Tonsai pier.

Maya Bay closes from 1 August to 30 September every year. When it's open you can wade at the beach but not swim. Insider tip: carry the fees for everyone in small notes; card won't do at the pier. Ask Tanner to put the bay on your route.

Can you do it as a day trip?

Yes. A Krabi to Phi Phi day tour by shared speedboat, with hotel pickup, lunch and four or five stops, starts at about US$33 plus the park fee (checked October 2026). Or take your own boat, on your route and your times.

Your own boat is quoted for your group, the day and the route, and we add the party: the DJ and the open bar. The public boats are dry: since 12 May 2026, alcohol is banned at public piers and on public passenger boats, under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee's notice (checked November 2026). The rule names public boats, not private charters. Plan it with Tanner.

Getting back to Krabi

Ferries leave Tonsai for Klong Jilad at 10:30am and 3:30pm, with a cheaper one at 1:30pm. The Ao Nang Princess leaves Tonsai at 2:30pm and reaches Ao Nang about 4:30pm. Speedboats run back to Krabi Town, Ao Nang and Railay from about 8:45am to 5pm.

Rough seas can cancel boats in the monsoon months. Insider tip: book the return when you book the trip out, so the van is at the pier when you land. Ask Tanner to hold both.

How far it is

Klong Jilad to Tonsai is about 38 km in a straight line. Ao Nang and Railay are closer, 30 to 60 minutes by speedboat.

See Phuket to Phi Phi, Phi Phi to Koh Lanta and Krabi to Railay. Ask Tanner to string the islands together.

The day on your own boat

The crossing is the start of the day, not the whole of it. On your own boat, the bar opens once you're aboard and the DJ plays on the way out.

On top of the boat you add a DJ at ฿8,000, the open bar at ฿1,500 a guest, and the ฿400 park fee each guest pays on landing. The boat itself is quoted for your route.

Tanner's pick: twelve of you, take your own speedboat from Ao Nang. You set the stops, and nobody waits for a ferry back. Ask Tanner for the route.

Krabi to Phi Phi in short

• What it is: a 30-minute to 2-hour boat ride across the Andaman Sea; there's no road.

• Fastest: a speedboat from Railay East, about 30 minutes.
• Cheapest: the Klong Jilad ferry, about 2 hours, from ฿450.
• Last boats out: the 1:30pm ferry and the 4pm speedboat from Krabi Town.
• Fees: the ฿400 park fee and the ฿20 island fee, both in cash.
• For a group: your own boat, on your route and your times.

Checked October 2026.

When to go

November to April is the dry season around Krabi, with January and February the driest. October is the wettest month, and May to October swells can delay boats.

Take the first boat of the day for a quieter island before the day tours arrive. See every route on Getting around Thailand, and the Krabi nightlife guide and Phi Phi. Plan it with Tanner.