Travel from Surat Thani to Krabi

To get from Surat Thani to Krabi you have four options: 1. private minivan, 2. public minivan, 3. private bus, and 4. public bus. The quickest you can do the journey is around 3 hours, and the slowest is around 4 hours 30 minutes.

Travel Options from Surat Thani to Krabi

Ticket prices from Surat Thani to Krabi range from 140 to 500 Thai Baht.

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Option 1: Private Minivan from Surat Thani to Krabi

The Phantip Travel Company operates 6 minivan services a day from Surat Thani direct to Krabi Bus Terminal. From Krabi Bus Terminal it’s easy to travel by local shared taxi and private taxi to Ao Nang or Ao Nammao Pier for travel to Railay.

• Cost: 310 THB
• Journey Time: 3 hours 00 minutes
• Private Minivan departure and arrival times:

• Arrival point: Krabi Van terminal, at Krabi Bus Station.

Option 2: Public Minivan from Surat Thani to Krabi

In theory this is the quickest option at 3 hours travel time, and a cost of around 250 THB per person. You can turn up and buy a ticket for travel throughout the day at any one of the many travel agents located on the Talad Mai Road in the centre of Surat Thani.

• Cost: 250 THB
• Journey Time: 3 hours

Minivans in Thailand tend to travel at higher speeds than buses, which is why they do the journey more quickly.

However, there is something to bear in mind with the minivans: the overall journey can end up taking longer than the public or private bus routes. It depends on how long the minivan takes to pick up enough customers to make the journey financially viable. If you are unlucky you will spend an hour or more first going around the suburbs of Surat Thani, then to the university, and then onto other smaller towns collecting customers before the minivan actually sets off on its way to Krabi. If you are going to use to a minivan it might be an idea not to agree to buy the ticket until you can see that the minivan is relatively full and therefore ready to embark on the journey. If this sounds like too much hassle then take the bus.

• Location of the Minivan Ticket Offices in Surat Thani:

• Arrival point: The bus terminal at Talaat Kao, 4 km from Krabi town.

Option 3: Private Bus from Surat Thani to Krabi

• Please Note: This service is not currently operating.

The very reliable Phantip Travel Company has 5 daily departures from their office on Talad Mai Road (between Talad Mai Alley 8 and Talad Mai Alley 10) in Surat Thani city centre to Ao Nang beach. The cost per person is 500 THB booked in advance on the internet. The journey takes a fairly standard journey time of 3 hours 50 minutes including a comfort break during the journey.

• Cost: 500 THB
• Journey Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
• Private Bus departure and arrival times:

• Location of the Departure Point in Surat Thani for the Private Bus:

• Arrival point: Ao Nang, near MacDonald’s.

• Departures from Surat Thani train station:

There is also a single departure from Surat Thani Train Station once a day at 08.00 with the Phantip Travel Company. It arrives at 11.00 and costs 250 THB per person. The arrival point for this service is Krabi Bus Terminal.

Option 4: Public Bus from Surat Thani to Krabi

The public bus is inexpensive at around 140 THB per person and about the same time journey time as the private bus, around 4 hours 30 minutes, but it is not bookable in advance over the internet. However, you can turn up at the bus station (Talad Kaset 2) which is located in Surat Thani city centre down Talad Mai Alley 33, which is just off the Talad Mai Road. You can normally just turn up at the bus station a few minutes before it departs and buy a ticket.

• Cost: 160 THB
• Journey Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Public Bus departure and arrival times: Buses normally depart hourly, on the hour, from 06.00 until 17.00.
• Arrival point: The bus terminal at Talaat Kao, 4 km from Krabi town.
• Location of Talad Kaset 2 Bus Station in Surat Thani:

Arrival at Krabi Bus Station

All three transport options connect you to the main bus station (in Talaat Kao), about 4 km from Krabi town. From there it is a 16 km journey to the main beach of Ao Nang, and further to Railay Beach or islands such as Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi.

Unlike other resort destinations such as Phuket, there is an inexpensive local Songthaew (converted pick up truck) service which runs from Talaat Kao, the main bus station, into Krabi Town and onwards to Ao Nang. The Songthaew service runs from 06.30 to 18.00 every day with departures every 10 minutes at a cost of 50 THB per person to Ao Nang. From 18.00 to 21.00 the service is less frequent (every 30 minutes) and costs 60 THB per person.

After 21.00 you will have to take a taxi or motorbike taxi, and it is difficult to travel much further than Ao Nang. If you are planning to go to Railay beach or the islands of Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta do yourself a favour and stay in a hotel in the night market area of Krabi town and finish your journey the next day. The night market near the river in Krabi town is well worth a visit and has some great food to eat.

Location of Krabi Bus Station

• Address: Pak Nam, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000

Route from Surat Thani to Krabi

• Distance by road from Surat Thani to Krabi: 156 Kilometres
• Driving time from Surat Thani to Krabi: 1 hour 57 minutes

Route from Krabi Bus Station to Krabi Town

• Driving by road from Krabi Bus Station to Krabi Town: 3.9 kilometres
• Driving time from Krabi Bus Station to Krabi Town: 7 minutes
• Transport options from Krabi Bus Station to Krabi Town: motorbike taxi or shared taxi