Last checked: 17 October 2026, by Jules Ashby. Boat fares and times come from Travelfish (updated 23 Feb 2026) and Thailand Longtail’s Ao Nang to Railay guide. Beach and access notes come from Wikivoyage’s Rai Leh and Ton Sai pages. Hotel stars, scores, room counts and transfer charges come from each hotel’s Agoda listing on 17 Oct 2026.
Railay has no road, so the side of the peninsula you sleep on decides your beach, your boat and how far you drag your bag. Railay West is the swimming beach with the big resorts. Railay East faces the mangroves and has more of the smaller hotels. Phra Nang has one hotel, Rayavadee, and Tonsai is a separate cove for climbers. This page compares them, explains the boat with luggage, and lists 12 hotels with their Agoda data. It doesn’t print nightly rates, which change daily.
Quick facts
- The boat from Ao Nang: ฿100 per person one way, 10 to 15 minutes, 08:00 to 18:00, leaving when about eight passengers are aboard (Thailand Longtail, Travelfish).
- Arrival: Ao Nang boats land on the beach at Railay West, Tonsai or Phra Nang, and you wade ashore. Boats from Ao Nammao and Krabi Town use a floating pier off Railay East (Travelfish).
- Walking: 5 to 10 minutes between any two points on Railay, except Tonsai, which is a longer hike or a short boat ride (Wikivoyage).
- Swimming: Railay West and Phra Nang, yes. Railay East, no: it’s the mangrove side (Wikivoyage).
- Hotel transfers: nine of the 12 hotels here list an airport transfer on Agoda, from ฿1,200 (Sunrise Tropical) to ฿2,200 (Bhu Nga Thani).
Railay East vs West vs Tonsai
| Railay West | Railay East | Phra Nang | Tonsai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The beach | White sand and shallow water; the north end is best for swimming | Mangrove shore, muddy, not for swimming or sunbathing | Fine white sand at the southern tip, excellent for swimming | Swimmable most of the month; rocky at low tide for about ten days a month |
| Boat arrival | Ao Nang longtails land on the sand; wade ashore | Floating pier for boats from Ao Nammao and Krabi Town | Ao Nang longtails can drop you here; wade ashore | Ao Nang longtails stop here; a five-minute longtail to Railay at high tide |
| On foot | 5 to 10 minutes to East or Phra Nang | 5 to 10 minutes to West or Phra Nang | 5 to 10 minutes to East or West | About 20 minutes around or over the headland to Railay West, depending on the tide; the trail from Railay East is not advised with luggage |
| Hotels | Mid-range to high-end | Budget to mid-range, plus restaurants and bars | Rayavadee only | Inexpensive rooms, popular with climbers and backpackers |
| On this page | Railay Bay, Sand Sea, Railay Village | Bhu Nga Thani, Avatar, Railay Princess, Sunrise Tropical, Rapala Rock Wood, Railay Phutawan | Rayavadee | Tinidee Hideaway, Tonsai Bay Resort |
Sources: Wikivoyage, Rai Leh and Ton Sai; Travelfish for the piers. Wikivoyage adds that none of the walking routes to Tonsai is possible at night without a torch, and that the jungle paths can be slippery after rain.
Which side a hotel is on comes from its Agoda map position and listed address. If you came for the beach and want to swim before breakfast, pick Railay West or Phra Nang. If you are happy to walk five or ten minutes, Railay East has more choice, including a 2-star with a pool.
Getting there with luggage
There are three public boat routes onto Railay. Which one suits your bags depends on whether you mind wading.
| From | Fare | Times | Where it lands | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang beach | ฿100 per person | 08:00 to 18:00, leaves when about 8 are aboard | Railay West, Tonsai or Phra Nang; wade ashore, shin-deep | Thailand Longtail, Travelfish |
| Ao Nang, after dark | ฿150 per person in high season, or a private boat | Until midnight in high season | As above | Travelfish |
| Ao Nammao pier | ฿80 per person | 08:00 to 18:00 in high season; the last boat can leave as early as 12:00 in low season | Floating pier off Railay East | Travelfish |
| Krabi Town pier | ฿150 per person | High season: 08:30, 10:00, 12:30, 14:30; back from Railay 09:30, 11:00, 14:00, 17:00 | Floating pier off Railay East | Travelfish |
Sources: Thailand Longtail, Ao Nang to Railay and Travelfish, Railay transport, both read on 17 Oct 2026.
With a suitcase. Wikivoyage warns that boarding at Ao Nang means walking several metres into the surf, depending on the tide, and advises not bringing more luggage than you can carry a few metres into the sea. Thailand Longtail says to expect shin-deep water at Railay West and to wear sandals. The paths on Railay are bumpy, with no cars and nothing to wheel a case on, so a bag you can carry is easier than a roller.
Ao Nammao in low season. Travelfish prefers Ao Nammao, on the calmer eastern side, as the more reliable route in low season. Ao Nang boats stop when the sea is rough, and on a very low tide or in stormy weather the Ao Nang departures can move to Nopparat Thara Pier (Thailand Longtail).
Private boats. The two sources differ on the after-dark price from Ao Nang: about ฿600 for a whole-boat charter (Thailand Longtail) or ฿800 for a private boat (Travelfish). Travelfish puts a private boat to or from Krabi Town at about ฿1,200.
Hotel transfers. Nine of the hotels below list an airport transfer on Agoda, from ฿1,200 to ฿2,200. That costs more than doing it yourself, but it means someone else handles the boat and the bags. Travelfish says travel agents sell a shared boat-and-van transfer from Railay to the airport for around ฿400 per person. For all the routes, see getting around Krabi and Krabi airport transfers.
The 12 hotels compared
| Hotel | Side | Stars | Distance to Agoda’s Railay Beach marker | Airport transfer (Agoda) | Score (reviews), 17 Oct 2026 | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railay Bay Resort & Spa | West | 4 | 0 m | ฿2,100 | 8.3 (15,426) | Check price |
| Sand Sea Resort | West | 4 | 30 m | ฿1,800 | 8.5 (10,948) | Check price |
| Railay Village Resort & Spa | West | 4 | 40 m | ฿1,600 | 8.4 (3,467) | Check price |
| Rayavadee | Phra Nang | 5 | 400 m (Phra Nang Cave 240 m) | ฿1,295 | 9.4 (3,013) | Check price |
| Bhu Nga Thani Resort & Villas | East | 4 | 400 m | ฿2,200 | 8.7 (3,923) | Check price |
| Avatar Railay (adults only) | East | 3 | 440 m | Not listed | 9.1 (3,461) | Check price |
| Railay Princess Resort & Spa | East | 4 | 350 m | ฿1,500 | 8.4 (9,001) | Check price |
| Sunrise Tropical Resort | East | 4 | 300 m | ฿1,200 | 8.3 (2,321) | Check price |
| Rapala Rock Wood Resort | East | 2 | 630 m | Not listed | 8.6 (2,516) | Check price |
| Railay Phutawan Resort | Inland, north of East | 3 | 520 m | ฿2,000 | 9.0 (5,386) | Check price |
| Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach | Tonsai | 3 | 470 m | Not listed | 9.1 (1,021) | Check price |
| Tonsai Bay Resort | Tonsai | 3 | 430 m | ฿1,800 | 8.4 (2,290) | Check price |
Agoda measures to one “Railay Beach” point, so the distances show how far each hotel is from the main West beach, not from its own shore. “Not listed” means the hotel doesn’t publish that charge on Agoda. Agoda shows the live nightly rate for your dates.
Railay West: on the swimming beach
All three West-side resorts are 4-star, list a pool, and sit 0 to 40 m from the beach marker. This is the side where the Ao Nang boat lands, so the walk with bags is shortest.
- Railay Bay Resort & Spa: 141 rooms, opened 1996, 0 m from the marker, with a private-beach flag. The most reviewed hotel on Railay, at 8.3 from 15,426 reviews. Our Railay Bay page
- Sand Sea Resort: 171 rooms, opened 1993, 30 m from the marker, 8.5 from 10,948 reviews, the best West-side score.
- Railay Village Resort & Spa: 50 rooms, opened 2007, 40 m, also with a private-beach flag. Smaller than the other two.
Check Railay Bay · Check Sand Sea · Check Railay Village
Phra Nang: Rayavadee
Rayavadee is the only 5-star on the peninsula and the only hotel at Phra Nang, which Wikivoyage describes as a fine white-sand beach that is excellent for swimming. Agoda lists 101 rooms, opened in 1994, 240 m from Phra Nang Cave, and a 9.4 score from 3,013 reviews, the highest on this page. The airport transfer is ฿1,295.
Check prices for Rayavadee on Agoda · Our Rayavadee page
Railay East: more choice, a short walk from the sand
Wikivoyage describes Railay East as the mangrove side, with plenty of restaurants and bars and budget to mid-range rooms. All six hotels below list a pool on Agoda, which matters more here because the shore in front isn’t for swimming.
- Bhu Nga Thani Resort & Villas: 4-star, 60 rooms, opened 2008, address on Railay East. 8.7 from 3,923 reviews; transfer ฿2,200.
- Avatar Railay: 3-star and adults only, on East Railay. 9.1 from 3,461 reviews, the best score on this side.
- Railay Princess Resort & Spa: 4-star, 124 rooms, opened 2004. 8.4 from 9,001 reviews; transfer ฿1,500.
- Sunrise Tropical Resort: 4-star, 40 rooms, opened 2002. The lowest listed transfer here, ฿1,200.
- Rapala Rock Wood Resort: 2-star with a pool, 8.6 from 2,516 reviews. The lowest star rating on this page. Our Rapala Rock Wood page
- Railay Phutawan Resort: 3-star, 44 rooms, opened 2007, inland on the hill north of Railay East. 9.0 from 5,386 reviews; transfer ฿2,000.
Check Bhu Nga Thani · Check Avatar · Check Railay Princess · Check Sunrise Tropical · Check Rapala Rock Wood · Check Railay Phutawan
Tonsai: the climbers’ cove
Wikivoyage describes Tonsai as inexpensive accommodation and rock climbing, popular with backpackers and climbers, and “relatively rough around the edges” compared with Railay and Ao Nang. There is no easy overland access: Ao Nang longtails stop here (฿100, about 10 minutes), and the trails from Railay East and Ao Nang are not recommended with luggage. Neither Tonsai hotel lists a pool on Agoda.
- Tinidee Hideaway Tonsai Beach: 3-star, 20 rooms, flagged beachfront with a private beach. 9.1 from 1,021 reviews.
- Tonsai Bay Resort: 3-star, 72 rooms, opened 2003. 8.4 from 2,290 reviews; transfer ฿1,800.
Check Tinidee Hideaway · Check Tonsai Bay Resort
For what to do on the peninsula, see the Railay Beach guide.
Railay vs Ao Nang
Railay puts you on the beaches before the day boats arrive. Ao Nang has more hotels, roads and the boat pier on your doorstep. The Ao Nang vs Railay guide and where to stay in Krabi set out the trade-off, and Ao Nang hotels and Krabi beachfront hotels cover the mainland options.
How we checked
- This guide is researched from sources, not from stays. On 17 Oct 2026 we read Travelfish's Railay transport page (updated 23 Feb 2026), Thailand Longtail's Ao Nang to Railay guide, and Wikivoyage's Rai Leh and Ton Sai pages.
- We pulled Agoda's public property data for 28 hotels listed as Railay or nearby. We kept the 12 that Agoda places on Railay, Phra Nang or Tonsai within about 650 m of its Railay Beach marker and that score 8.3 or higher from 1,000+ reviews. Hotels sold as "Railay" that Agoda places in Ao Nang were left out.
- Side of the peninsula comes from each hotel's Agoda coordinates and address. Stars, scores, room counts, opening years, pools and transfer charges come from the same data. Every booking link was matched to the right hotel ID on 17 Oct 2026.
- We don't print nightly rates, because they change daily.
FAQ
How do you get to Railay Beach hotels?
By longtail. From Ao Nang beach it’s ฿100 per person one way, 10 to 15 minutes, 08:00 to 18:00, and you wade ashore at Railay West. From Ao Nammao (฿80) and Krabi Town (฿150), boats use a floating pier off Railay East (Travelfish, Thailand Longtail).
Is Railay West or Railay East better for hotels?
Railay West is the swimming beach, and its three resorts sit 0 to 40 m from the sand. Railay East is the mangrove side, not for swimming, with more hotels and a 5 to 10 minute walk to Railay West or Phra Nang.
Can I take a suitcase to Railay?
Yes, but you carry it. Ao Nang boats land on the beach and you step into shin-deep water, and the paths on Railay are bumpy with no cars. Wikivoyage advises not to bring more than you can carry a few metres into the sea. A hotel transfer (฿1,200 to ฿2,200 on Agoda) takes care of the boat and bags.
Do Railay hotels have pools?
Ten of the 12 hotels here list a pool on Agoda, including all three on Railay West, Rayavadee and the six on Railay East. The two Tonsai hotels don’t.
Is Tonsai part of Railay?
It’s the next cove around the headland from Railay West. Wikivoyage says a five-minute longtail links the two, which you need at high tide, or you can walk around or over the headland in about 20 minutes. Ao Nang longtails also stop at Tonsai.
Ready to book: our top 3
| Pick | Why | Score (reviews) | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Sea Resort | Railay West, 30 m from the beach marker, best West-side score | 8.5 (10,948) | Check price on Agoda |
| Rayavadee | The only hotel at Phra Nang, 5-star | 9.4 (3,013) | Check price on Agoda |
| Avatar Railay | Railay East, adults only, with a pool | 9.1 (3,461) | Check price on Agoda |
Hotel data comes from each hotel’s Agoda listing on 17 October 2026 and may change. This page contains affiliate links: if you book through them, Krabi Pointer may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See the affiliate disclosure.
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