Where to stay in Krabi

Pick the area by the trip

The best area to stay in Krabi depends on the trip: Ao Nang for the bars and boats, Railay for the cliffs, Klong Muang and Tubkaek for quiet luxury, and Krabi Town for a local, low-cost base.

Railay is 10 to 15 minutes from Ao Nang by shared longtail, a beach set under limestone cliffs, the Tourism Authority of Thailand says (checked November 2026); Klong Muang and Tubkaek are the quiet beaches up the coast to the north. Ask Tanner which one fits your group.

For the bars: Ao Nang

For the bars, stay in Ao Nang, the most popular base for a first visit, with its bars, restaurants and night market on one busy strip.

Evenings start at the Ao Nang night market, which opens in the evening, then move to the bars around Centre Point in the heart of Ao Nang. Krabi isn't one of the 4am areas, so bars and restaurants usually close by 2am; more in our Krabi nightlife guide.

It's a beach-town evening, not a big-club one. For the biggest parties, take the boat to Phi Phi; see our Phi Phi guide. Ask Tanner for the bar to start at.

First time in Krabi

For a first visit, stay in Ao Nang: it has the most hotels, food and bars, and the boats to Railay, Phi Phi and the Hong Islands leave from its beach.

Ao Nang is about 25 km from Krabi airport, about 35 minutes by car (Google Maps, checked November 2026), and the airport's new passenger terminal opened on 23 September 2026, the Krabi Provincial Public Relations Office says. The Ao Nang boats leave from the beach or, at low tide, from Nopparat Thara pier.

Book near the beach road, so the group can walk to the bars and the longtails; ask Tanner for three hotels to choose from.

Ao Nang or Railay?

Ao Nang is better for a group that wants bars, food and easy transport; Railay is better for scenery and a quiet evening.

Railay has no roads in: it's boat-only, and you step off the longtail into the shallows, so pack light; our Krabi to Railay guide has the details.

Railay has laid-back restaurants and bars, not much more, so most groups stay in Ao Nang and take a day or a sunset at Railay. See our Railay Beach guide. Ask Tanner to hold a longtail for the sunset run.

Klong Muang and Tubkaek: quiet luxury

Klong Muang and Tubkaek are the quiet beaches north of Ao Nang, with big resorts, calm sand and little nightlife.

Klong Muang suits couples and families, and Tubkaek is the most secluded: Amari Vogue sits right on Tubkaek Beach, about 40 minutes by road from Krabi Town.

Stay here for the pool and the view, and ask Tanner to have the car take you into Ao Nang after dark.

The best 5-star stays

For Krabi luxury resorts, look beyond the busy strip: Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve near Tubkaek, holds Three MICHELIN Keys, one of six hotels in Thailand with the top rating in the MICHELIN Guide's 2026 hotel list (17 September 2026; checked November 2026).

Rayavadee has pavilions on the Phra Nang peninsula, reached by boat; Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has 54 pavilions and villas near Tubkaek Beach; Banyan Tree Krabi has 72 suites and villas, each with a private pool; and the Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort is on Klong Muang.

Tanner's pick for a couple: Rayavadee. For a group of eight or more, a pool villa beats any of them. Ask Tanner which suits your dates.

Krabi Town: the local base

Krabi Town has no beach, but it has local markets, a riverside walk and the lowest prices in Krabi.

It works for a short stay, or a group on a budget with day trips planned, and the airport is 12 km away. For the beach and the bars, Ao Nang is a short drive. Ask Tanner to have a driver ready for the day trips.

Hotel or pool villa?

A group of 8 or more is happiest in a pool villa: one roof, one pool, and the party stays at home.

Pool villas start from ฿18,500 a day, and the big group villas sit around Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Tubkaek; our Krabi villas page has them.

A hotel works for a small group that wants to walk to the bars in Ao Nang. Ask Tanner which villa sleeps your group.

How long to stay

A week lets you split the stay between beaches and islands; for a group trip, five days covers the best of it.

That's two evenings out, a boat day to the islands and a day by the pool. See things to do in Krabi for the days, and Koh Lanta for a slower island stay. Ask Tanner to split the week for you.

When to go

Krabi is driest from December to March, and October is the wettest month.

From May to October, the rainy season, some boat days can't run, so we keep a spare day in the plan. Ask Tanner which week is best for yours.

What twelve of you really spend

Twelve friends, three days in a group pool villa near Ao Nang: about ฿55,500 for the villa.

That's one roof, one pool and the bars a short ride away.

Tanner's pick: for 8 or more, take the villa near Ao Nang and keep Railay for a sunset by longtail.

Insider tip: the shared longtails from Ao Nang run about 8am to 6pm, so for a Railay sunset ask Tanner for a private boat back.

Where to stay in Krabi in short

• First time: Ao Nang, for the bars, the night market and the boats.

• Scenery: Railay, boat-only, 10 to 15 minutes by longtail from Ao Nang.
• Quiet luxury: Klong Muang and Tubkaek, north of Ao Nang.
• On a budget: Krabi Town, with local markets and the lowest prices.
• Big groups: a pool villa around Ao Nang, Klong Muang or Tubkaek.
• Best months: December to March, the driest stretch.

Checked November 2026.

How we plan the stay

Pick the area for the evenings you want, then the bed, then the cars.

A Krabi airport transfer to Ao Nang covers about 25 km (see our Krabi airport transfer guide). A luxury van for up to 4 runs from ฿6,500 for 10 hours, with a party van for up to 10 and a coach for 20 or more.

Add a boat day with our Krabi yachts, or see our Krabi bachelor party. Plan it with Tanner, and he sends back the bed, the boats and the evenings for your group.