Ao Nang nightlife
In short
Ao Nang nightlife is a beach evening: sunset on the sand, the night market, a fire show, then Center Point.
Street scorecard
How Ao Nang scores
Top marks for price and an easy beach evening, lower for staying late. Here's the strip in five lines.
- Volume
- Loud enough on the strip and in Center Point, quiet a block away.
- Price
- Night-market plates from about ฿70; beach-club drinks cost more.
- Crowd
- Travellers from everywhere, walking from one bar to the next.
- Late
- Krabi isn't on TAT's 4am list, so the strip winds down well before the big-city clubs.
- Safety
- Busy and easy-going. Watch your drink and don't swim at night.
The walk by time of night
The walk, hour by hour
Sunset on the sand, dinner at the market, fire on the beach, a band, then Center Point, and the car at the end.
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
The Last Fisherman Bar at the quiet south end is the golden-hour spot; Sands Beach Club at Centara Ao Nang opens its evening session at 6pm.
Be here: A table on the sand, facing the sunset.
The bars
The bars and clubs worth it
The Ao Nang bars worth your time: two beach clubs, a beach shack, a band bar, a bar complex and a night market. Want a first-floor table at Reeve for the fire show? Ask Tanner.
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
Tables on the first floor over Ao Nang beach, open 8am to midnight, with a fire show on the sand later in the evening. Arrive early evening for a front table.
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
Centara Ao Nang's beach club, with sea views, barbecued seafood and cocktails. The resort lists it open 11am to 5:30pm and 6pm to 11pm.
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
A beach bar at the quiet southern end of Ao Nang Beach, a short walk from the strip, open 11am to 10pm. Go for golden hour and arrive before sunset for the best tables.
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
A live cover band playing pop-rock classics, daily 3pm to 1:30am. Drinks cost a little more than on the beach.
Live rock and pop covers
AIPhoto: AI-generated image
A three-storey complex of bars just off the beach road, with live music at Smile Bar and a cabaret show. The busiest corner of Ao Nang after dark.
Live music and a cabaret show
Photo: Somerset999, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Food stalls every day in the evening, busiest after dark. Thai dishes are cheap and it's cash only.
Insider tips
What the regulars know
Three things that save money or the evening.
Is the night market open every day?
Yes. The Ao Nang night market opens every day in the evening and is busiest after dark. Most stalls take cash only.
Your car takes the group there for dinner, then back down to Reeve Beach Club for the fire show. See what else to do in the day in our things to do in Krabi guide.
See the whole Krabi night in our Krabi nightlife guide. Railay is a longtail ride away: see our Krabi to Railay guide, and for where to stay, our Krabi pool villas. Planning a weekend? See our Krabi bachelor party plan, or ask Tanner to build the whole trip.
Ao Nang or Phuket?
Phuket wins for big clubs and a late finish; Ao Nang for an easy beach evening with a fire show. Ao Nang isn't a Bangla Road, and it isn't trying to be.
See both side by side in our Phuket vs Krabi guide. Ask Tanner which one fits your group.
Fire shows and beach bars
- Go to:
- Ao Nang
A big club until 4am
- Go to:
- Phuket's Bangla Road
A sunset under the cliffs
- Go to:
- Railay, then back to Ao Nang
A live band and a late round
- Go to:
- Boogie Bar and Center Point
- Ao Nang beach road and Center Point, Krabi
- Sunset, then the bands after dark
- Krabi isn't on TAT's 4am list; Boogie Bar runs to 1:30am
- The fire show on the sand
- Night-market dishes about ฿70 to ฿100
When is Ao Nang busiest at night?
Come for sunset, eat by 7pm, and be at Reeve for the fire show after dark.
For the season, Krabi is driest from November to April, January and February most of all, and October is the wettest month.
Ask Tanner which week suits your group.
Is Krabi Town worth a night out?
Krabi Town, about 20 minutes from Ao Nang, is the local side: quieter, Thai-run bars and street food by the river.
- Go for: a Thai beer garden and street food with locals, away from the tourist strip.
- Skip: the fire show; Ao Nang's is the one to see.
- Then: back to Ao Nang for the last round in Center Point.
For where to base the group, see our where to stay in Krabi guide: most groups stay in Ao Nang and ride in. Ask Tanner to add the town to your night.
Is Ao Nang safe at night?
Yes, for a group that keeps an eye out: the strip is busy and easy-going. Watch your drinks, the dark beach and the bill.
- Drinks: buy your drinks at the bar and keep an eye on them.
- The beach: it's poorly lit, so don't swim at night.
- Bills: check the bill before you pay; the market wants cash.
- Where to walk: stay on the lit beach road and in Center Point; the sand itself is dark after the fire shows end.
- Getting back: agree the songthaew or tuk-tuk fare first, or keep your own driver waiting on the beach road.
- Help: your host is one call away, and the Tourist Police are on 1155.
Ask Tanner to keep the car close all night.
Ao Nang at night: staying safe
Buy drinks at the bar and keep an eye on them
Don't swim at night: the beach is poorly lit
Stay on the lit beach road and in Center Point
Check the bill before you pay
The night market opens in the evening and wants cash
Agree the songthaew or tuk-tuk fare first
Tourist Police: 1155
Your host is one call away
Checked Nov 2026
What does a night in Ao Nang cost?
Want the group's evening priced in one go? Ask Tanner.
Night-market dinner
- Cost:
- Cheap Thai dishes, cash only
Reeve Beach Club
- Cost:
- Mid-range; front daybeds carry a set spend, set at the door
Boogie Bar
- Cost:
- Drinks a little dearer than the beach
A first-floor table at Reeve
- Cost:
- Ask Tanner, and it's held for the fire show
Getting home
- Cost:
- Your car, waiting on the beach road
Ao Nang nightlife in short
- What it is: Ao Nang nightlife is a beach strip in Krabi: beach clubs, a night market, fire shows, live bands and the bars of Center Point.
- The order: sunset on the sand, dinner at the night market, a fire show after dark, a band, then Center Point.
- The night market is open daily, in the evening.
- Krabi isn't on TAT's 4am list; Boogie Bar closes at 1:30am.
- Krabi Town, about 20 minutes away, is the local side.
- The best things to do in Ao Nang after dark are free: the sunset and the fire show. See Krabi villas for the base.
Checked October 2026.
Tanner's offer
The plan for a group
Sunset to the last round: Railay for the sunset and a longtail back before the shared boats stop, the night market by 7pm, the fire show at Reeve after dark and the band at Boogie Bar. Then Center Point for the last round. Your car waits on the beach road and takes everyone back to the villa. Plan it with Tanner, and he holds a first-floor table at Reeve.
Plan it with Tanner →
Written by Tanner Altman · Updated 7 November 2026
Questions
Ao Nang questions
Does Ao Nang have good nightlife?
Yes, for a beach night: bars on the beach road, fire shows on the sand, live bands at Boogie Bar and the bars of Center Point. For big clubs, go to Phuket.
Where do you go at night in Ao Nang?
The beach road for the bars and the fire shows, the night market for dinner, Boogie Bar for a band, and Center Point for the last round.
What time do bars close in Ao Nang?
Earlier than Bangkok or Phuket: Krabi isn't on TAT's list of 4am areas. Boogie Bar, one of the late ones, closes at 1:30am, and the strip is quiet soon after.
Is there a nightlife street in Ao Nang?
Not a Pattaya-style one. Looking for an Ao Nang walking street? The beach road strip is it, with Center Point, three floors of bars just off the road, as the late corner.
Where is the fire show in Ao Nang?
On the sand below the beach bars. Reeve Beach Club puts on a fire show later in the evening; arrive early evening for a first-floor table.
How much is a beer in Ao Nang?
Night-market food is cheap, about ฿70 to ฿100 a dish, and beach-club drinks cost more. Ask Tanner to have the first round waiting at Reeve.
What is the best club in Krabi's Ao Nang?
Ao Nang has no big club. The late crowd ends up in Center Point, three floors of bars with live music at Smile Bar and a cabaret show. For a big club, go to Phuket.
Is the Ao Nang night market every night?
Yes. The Ao Nang night market opens every day in the evening and is busiest after dark. Most stalls take cash only, so bring baht for the group.
When is the best time of year for Ao Nang nightlife?
November to April, Krabi's dry season, with January and February the driest. October is the wettest month, and the strip is busiest in the dry months.
Is Ao Nang nightlife good for a bachelor party?
Yes, for a relaxed one: boats by day, then a fire show, a live band and Center Point at night. See our Krabi bachelor party plan, and ask Tanner to build the weekend.
Getting home
Getting there and home
Ao Nang is about 20 minutes from Krabi Town, and the evening is on foot along the beach road, with a short ride up to the night market. Songthaew or tuk-tuk: agree the fare before you get in. Railay: shared longtails from Ao Nang beach run until about 6pm; see our Krabi to Railay guide. Your own car: a luxury van (Alphard) for up to 4 from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, or a party van for bigger groups. It drops you on the strip and waits. Ask Tanner, and it's there when the bars close.
Plan it
Plan it with Tanner
Are you in Thailand now?
Sources
- Background: Visit Thailand Today, Ao Nang Landmark Night Market and Krabi guides
- Background: Hotels.com, Ao Nang nightlife (Boogie Bar, Center Point)
- TAT News: Entertainment venues in Thai tourist destinations to open until 4 am (15 Dec 2023; Krabi not listed), checked November 2026
- Background: Khaosanroad.com, Ao Nang beach bars (hours, daybed spend)
Credits: top photo by Photo: Maksym Kozlenko / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.