Krabi travel information: what to settle before you go

Most of what goes wrong on a Krabi trip comes from the sea. The coast faces west onto the Andaman, the southwest monsoon arrives from that side, and almost every day out, from Railay to the islands, starts on a boat. So this page starts with the season, the boats and the national parks, and only then turns to the airport, the visa, money, health and the rules.

Everything here was checked in October 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so; where a figure is a rule of thumb from travel guides rather than an official number, we say that too. Fees, closures and fares change: check them on the day.

Skip to the short answer

The short answer

If the sea matters to you, come between about November and April. The official averages are driest in January and February, and the boats to Koh Lanta run mostly from November to April. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rougher sea: Krabi stays open, but any boat can be cancelled on a bad day, and a few places close on fixed dates, Maya Bay among them from 1 August to 30 September.

Before you fly, fill in the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, and check your visa-free stay: since 15 September 2026 it is 30 days, not 60, for France, the United States and the other countries on the list. Carry cash for park fees and longtails, do not drink the tap water, and leave the vape at home: it is illegal in Thailand.

The best time to visit Krabi, month by month

Krabi in the rainy season: what stays open

When to go

Krabi has two seasons. The dry season runs from about November or December to March or April; the southwest monsoon from about May to October. In 2026 the Thai Meteorological Department declared the start of the rainy season on 15 May, and its bulletins still described the monsoon as active over the Andaman Sea at the end of August.

The Thai Meteorological Department's official averages for Krabi, for the period 1981–2010, are the ones below. Newer averages for the Krabi station were not available when we checked.

The month strip we show elsewhere on this site, from dry season to monsoon, is a rule of thumb drawn from these averages, not a forecast. Averages describe a typical year, not the week you will get: look at the forecast in the days before you travel, and leave a spare day if one boat trip matters to you.

What each month changes at sea and on the beach

Boats and tides

Almost every day out in Krabi starts on a boat, and the boats depend on the sea. In the monsoon the Andaman can raise waves of 2–3 metres, and on some days the Krabi harbour authority stops boats from going out at all. Island tours keep running in the rainy season, but any departure can be cancelled.

Railay. There is no road. Longtails run from Ao Nang Beach to Railay West, where you wade ashore, and from Ao Nam Mao and Krabi Town to Railay East, where you step onto a floating pontoon. In the monsoon, the crossing from Ao Nam Mao, on the sheltered side, is described as the most reliable.

Phi Phi. Ferries and speedboats leave from Klong Jilad pier, near Krabi Town, and from Nopparat Thara pier, next to Ao Nang. Guides give about 2 hours by ferry and about an hour by speedboat. From Ao Nang the service runs all year, with fewer departures in the low season and cancellations when the sea is rough.

Koh Lanta. The boats from Klong Jilad, and most boats from Ao Nang, run only from November to April. All year round, you can go by van and a vehicle ferry from the Hua Hin pier on the mainland (not the resort town of the same name, which is far away), about 2–3 hours from Krabi Town. The contract for a bridge to the mainland was signed on 31 August 2026; it is not expected to open before about 2029.

Phuket. A ferry links Rassada pier on Phuket with Klong Jilad in about 2 hours, leaving Phuket in the morning. By road, a van takes about 3–5 hours, depending on traffic and pickups.

The tide. The tide changes the coast more than most visitors expect. At low tide the sea pulls back from Ao Nang Beach and you walk out across wet sand to the longtail; Railay East turns to mudflat; and the sandbar of Talay Waek, between Koh Tup, Chicken Island and Koh Mor, only appears at low tide. The times change every day: go by a tide table, not by a fixed hour someone gives you.

How to get to Railay, and back with your luggage

The tide on the island days

National parks: closures and fees

Most of the islands, and part of the coast, are inside national parks. The parks do not close as a whole for the monsoon: a few places close on fixed dates, set every year by the Department of National Parks, and the rest stays open, subject to the sea. The dates below come from the department's table dated 7 January 2026. The dates of 16 May to 15 October that you may read elsewhere come from the Similan and Surin parks further north (which close from 16 May to 14 October), not from the Krabi parks.

The entry fee is usually not included in the price of a tour. It is paid in cash on the day, to the rangers or at departure: keep your ticket on you for the day. For Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh and Bamboo Island the fee is 400 baht per foreign adult and 200 baht per foreign child, as of October 2026, and landing at Ton Sai pier on Phi Phi Don costs a separate 20 baht cleaning fee. For the four islands, the Hong Islands and Koh Rok, sources disagree on the amount: check it on the booking page or at the pier.

Closures and fees, island day by island day

Getting to Krabi and the airport

Krabi International Airport (KBV) is east of Krabi Town. Sources disagree on how far it is from the centre: about 7 km by one measure, about 12 km by road according to guides. Ao Nang is about 25–30 km away by road.

Flying from Bangkok. The flight takes about 1 hour 20 to 1 hour 35, and there are many flights a day. From Don Mueang (DMK), Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air fly to Krabi; from Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia and Thai VietJet.

Overland from Bangkok. Overnight buses from Bangkok's Southern bus terminal take about 11–14 hours. Krabi has no railway station: the night train goes to Surat Thani, and a van covers the rest, for a journey of about 16–18 hours door to door.

From the airport to Ao Nang by bus. A scheduled bus runs from the airport to Ao Nang roughly every hour in the daytime, for about 150 baht per person according to guides from 2025 and 2026, and takes about 1–1.5 hours with its stops. We could not confirm the name of the service, so do not rely on a brand name you read online.

By taxi. The taxi counter at the airport works on fixed prices, but we found no official price list, and the fares guides quote vary by up to double. Read the price shown at the counter and agree it before you get in.

Getting around

On land, Krabi gets around by shared pickup, taxi and rented scooter.

Songthaews. The white shared pickups between Krabi Town and Ao Nang cost about 60 baht, according to guides. Check the fare before you get on.

Scooters. You need your home motorcycle licence and an international driving permit that covers motorcycles: a permit for cars only is not enough. Helmets are compulsory for the rider and the passenger. Guides report fines of about 500–1,000 baht per offence, and travel insurance often does not pay if you were riding without a valid licence.

Visa and arrival card

30 days, not 60. Since 15 September 2026, the visa exemption for tourists from 60 countries, France and the United States among them, gives 30 days, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Many pages still say 60 days: they are out of date. Travellers who entered before that date keep the 60 days given for that stay, according to travel sources.

Extending your stay. The 30 days can be extended once, by 30 days, at an immigration office, for about 1,900 baht, at the officer's discretion.

Entering by land. Visa-exempt entries by land are limited to two a year.

The arrival card. Every foreign visitor, by air, land or sea, must fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) in the 3 days before arrival. It is free, and the only official site is tdac.immigration.go.th: sites that charge for it are not official.

Money

The currency is the Thai baht. Cash still does much of the work in Krabi: the longtail counters on Ao Nang Beach take cash, the national park fees are paid in cash, and so are the small charges at the Phi Phi viewpoints.

Cash machines. Thai cash machines usually charge foreign cards about 220 baht per withdrawal, and some showed 250–350 baht in 2026, so fewer, larger withdrawals cost less. If the machine offers to convert the amount into your home currency, decline.

Tipping. Not compulsory. In a restaurant that does not add a service charge, about 10% is usual.

Health and safety

Tap water. Do not drink it. Drink bottled or filtered water.

Jellyfish. Box jellyfish are found off this coast, more often in the monsoon, when the wind and currents bring them closer to shore. If you are stung, pour vinegar on the sting for at least 30 seconds, never fresh water or alcohol, and call 1669 for an ambulance.

Red flags. The national park raises them in wind and swell, and they mean swimming is dangerous that day. Rip currents are common in the monsoon: when a flag is up, stay out, even if others swim.

Steep trails. The Railay viewpoint trail is a climb on ropes and red mud. Skip it with young children, after rain, at night or in flip-flops.

Jellyfish, red flags and where to swim

Before you try the Railay viewpoint trail

Rules that catch visitors out

Vapes. E-cigarettes are banned in Thailand: importing, selling and possessing them. Enforcement was stepped up in 2025, and the fines are heavy.

Cannabis. Since 26 June 2025, cannabis is for medical use only, with a Thai prescription, and smoking it in public is prohibited.

Alcohol. Shops can sell alcohol from 11 am to midnight: the old break from 2 pm to 5 pm has gone, permanently since 29 May 2026. Sales are still restricted on Buddhist holy days, and the legal drinking age is 20.

Temples. Cover your shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off before you go in.

Tiger Cave Temple: the climb and the rules

Plugs and power

Thailand runs on 230 V (often given as 220 V) at 50 Hz. Sockets take type A, B, C and O plugs, and many accept more than one kind.