Ao Nang, Railay, Krabi Town, Klong Muang and Tubkaek are different holidays. What changes is the walk to a swimmable beach, and how you reach the boats and the airport. The table below puts numbers on both. Railay’s numbers include the boat, because there’s no road in.
Quick facts
Checked 12 October 2026.
- Best place for a first trip: Ao Nang. Hotels on this page are within 690 m of Ao Nang Beach. Agoda lists airport transfers of ฿800 to ฿1,200.
- Best scenery: Railay, boat only. The shared longtail from Ao Nang is ฿100 one way, about 10 to 15 minutes, and runs 08:00 to 18:00.
- Budget hotels: Krabi Town, about 11 km from Ao Nang Beach. The lowest airport transfer on this page is ฿600.
- Island park fee: foreign adults pay ฿400 at Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, which covers Phi Phi and the Four Islands stops. Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand, checked 12 Oct 2026.
Hotel distances, transfer fees and scores are from each hotel’s Agoda listing on 12 Oct 2026. The longtail fare matches the posted Ao Nang rate reported by Travelfish and Thailand Longtail, both checked the same day. If the beach itself is the point of the hotel, use the beachfront shortlist and best beaches. Families: family resorts. The top of the market: luxury resorts. Named rooms: Ao Nang hotels and Railay beach hotels. Pool villas: private pool hotels.
The six bases, measured
| Base | To the beach | To Ao Nang Beach | Airport (Agoda estimate) | Airport transfer (Agoda) | Getting to Railay | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang | 50–690 m (Ao Nang Beach) | 0 | 35–47 min | ฿800–1,200 | Longtail club 20–470 m away; ฿100, 10–15 min | First trip, island tours, food |
| Railay | 10–520 m (Railay Beach) | 2.1–2.6 km by sea | 45–70 min | ฿1,295–2,200 | You’re there; last shared boat out about 18:00 | Scenery, climbing |
| Ao Nam Mao | 440 m to Ao Nammao Pier | 3.96 km | About 35 min | ฿800 | Boats from Ao Nammao Pier | Quiet, close to Railay |
| Krabi Town | No beach | 10.9–11.3 km | 15–30 min | ฿600 | Road to Ao Nang, then boat | Budget, transport |
| Klong Muang | 220 m–1.18 km (Klong Muang Beach) | 7.0–8.4 km | 40–45 min | ฿1,200–2,000 | Taxi to Ao Nang, then boat | Resort stays |
| Tubkaek | Private beaches at resorts | 9.9–10.1 km | 40–45 min | ฿1,500–2,800 | Taxi to Ao Nang, then boat | Luxury, quiet |
Ranges span the hotels we checked in each base (listed below). Agoda’s distances are straight-line to its map pin for each beach. Transfer fees are the hotels’ own published airport-transfer charges.
Ao Nang or Railay? The numbers side by side
These are the deciding numbers for the “Ao Nang or Railay” choice:
- The boat. Shared longtails from the south end of Ao Nang beach cost ฿100 one way (฿200 return) and take 10 to 15 minutes. They run 08:00 to 18:00 and leave when about 8 passengers are aboard. After 18:00 a whole-boat charter is about ฿600 (thailandlongtail.com). At low tide, departures can move to Nopparat Thara Pier.
- The transfer. Agoda lists airport transfers of ฿1,295 to ฿2,200 for the Railay hotels below, against ฿800 to ฿1,200 for Ao Nang.
- Breakfast. If not included, Railay ranges from ฿350 (Sand Sea, Railay Village, Phutawan) to ฿2,000 (Railay Bay) and ฿3,000 (Rayavadee). Ao Nang’s 3- and 4-star hotels charge ฿350 to ฿650, and 5-star Hotel Adam ฿1,100.
- Evenings. Railay is quiet after the last shared boat at about 18:00. Ao Nang keeps going.
A common plan is to base yourself in Ao Nang and visit Railay by day, or to split the trip with two nights on Railay. Railay itself is covered in the Railay Beach guide.
18 hotels by base
| Hotel | Base | Key distance (Agoda) | Score (reviews), 12 Oct 2026 | Price context | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Seeker Krabi Resort | Ao Nang | Ao Nang Beach 630 m | 9.0 (12,508) | 233 rooms; breakfast ฿600; transfer ฿900 | Check price |
| Centara Ao Nang Beach Resort | Ao Nang | Beach 50 m; longtail club 470 m | 8.9 (2,935) | Private beach; breakfast ฿650 | Check price |
| Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang | Ao Nang | Longtail club 210 m | 8.8 (2,565) | Kids’ club, water park; breakfast ฿412 | Check price |
| Hotel Adam Krabi | Ao Nang | Beach 690 m | 9.4 (2,573) | 5-star, opened 2024, 74 rooms | Check price |
| Kokotel Krabi Ao Nang | Ao Nang | Longtail club 20 m | 8.8 (5,686) | 3-star, 72 rooms; breakfast ฿350 | Check price |
| COSI Krabi Ao Nang Beach | Ao Nang | Beach 690 m | 8.8 (5,287) | 3-star, 142 rooms | Check price |
| Sand Sea Resort | Railay | Railay Beach 30 m | 8.5 (10,934) | 171 rooms; breakfast ฿350; transfer ฿1,800 | Check price |
| Railay Bay Resort & Spa | Railay | Railay Beach 0–10 m | 8.3 (15,426) | Private beach; breakfast ฿2,000 | Check price |
| Railay Village Resort | Railay | Railay Beach 40 m | 8.4 (3,465) | 50 rooms; breakfast ฿350 | Check price |
| Rayavadee | Railay | Phra Nang Beach 160 m | 9.4 (3,017) | 5-star, 101 rooms; breakfast ฿3,000 | Check price |
| Railay Phutawan Resort | Railay | Railay Beach 520 m | 9.0 (5,420) | 3-star, 44 rooms; breakfast ฿350 | Check price |
| Railay Princess Resort | Railay | Railay Beach 350 m | 8.4 (8,977) | 124 rooms; kids’ club | Check price |
| The Tama Hotel | Ao Nam Mao | Ao Nammao Pier 440 m | 8.7 (2,353) | 40 rooms; breakfast ฿130 | Check price |
| Krabi SeaBass Hotel | Krabi Town | Walking Street 630 m | 8.7 (5,811) | 64 rooms; breakfast ฿250; transfer ฿600 | Check price |
| The Nest Krabi Hotel | Krabi Town | Walking Street 1.25 km | 9.1 (1,237) | 50 rooms; airport 15 min | Check price |
| Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort | Klong Muang | Klong Muang Beach 220 m | 9.0 (4,532) | 240 rooms, private beach, kids’ club | Check price |
| VARANA Krabi Hotel | Klong Muang | Klong Muang Beach 380 m | 9.0 (2,843) | 5-star; breakfast ฿800 | Check price |
| Banyan Tree Krabi | Tubkaek | Private beach | 9.2 (1,820) | 72 rooms, beachfront, private pool | Check price |
Agoda shows live nightly rates for your dates.
Ao Nang: the first-trip base
Every Ao Nang hotel we checked is within 690 m of Ao Nang Beach. Kokotel is 20 m from the Ao Nang Longtail Boat Service Club, and Holiday Inn 210 m. Ao Nang’s own beach is better for a walk than a swim; the better sand is a boat ride away (see best beaches in Krabi). More detail is in the Ao Nang area guide and the Ao Nang town guide.
Sea Seeker Krabi Resort: best overall
A 233-room resort that opened in 2019, 630 m from Ao Nang Beach, with a kids’ club and kids’ pool. Its 9.0 score comes from 12,508 reviews, the largest sample of any 9-plus hotel in Krabi on this page. Breakfast is ฿600, the airport transfer ฿900, and the airport about 35 minutes away (Agoda).
Check prices for Sea Seeker on Agoda · Our Sea Seeker page
Closer to the boats, or cheaper
- Centara Ao Nang: private beach, 50 m from Ao Nang Beach.
- Holiday Inn Resort Krabi Ao Nang: kids’ club and water park, 210 m from the longtail club.
- Kokotel and COSI: 3-star options for a lower price point. Kokotel is 20 m from the longtail club.
Check Centara Ao Nang · Check Holiday Inn · Check Kokotel · Check COSI
Railay: the scenery base
Agoda measures to Railay Beach on the west side. The beachside resorts (Railay Bay 0–10 m, Sand Sea 30 m, Railay Village 40 m) are on it. Railay Princess (350 m), Bhu Nga Thani (400 m) and Phutawan (520 m) are set back. Rayavadee is 160 m from Phra Nang Beach.
Sand Sea Resort: the Railay pick
A 171-room resort that opened in 1993, 30 m from Railay Beach. Breakfast is ฿350, the lowest Railay charge alongside Railay Village and Phutawan. It scores 8.5 from 10,934 reviews; the airport transfer is ฿1,800 (Agoda).
Check prices for Sand Sea on Agoda · Our Sand Sea page
Rayavadee and Phutawan
- Rayavadee: 5-star, 101 rooms, opened 1994, 160 m from Phra Nang Beach, 9.4 from 3,017 reviews. Breakfast is ฿3,000.
- Railay Phutawan: 3-star, 44 rooms, 520 m from Railay Beach, 9.0 from 5,420 reviews. The best-scoring lower-priced option on Railay.
Check Rayavadee · Check Phutawan
Krabi Town: the budget base
Town hotels are 15 to 30 minutes from the airport (Agoda) and close to Krabi Walking Street, but about 11 km from Ao Nang Beach. See Krabi on a budget and the Krabi Town area guide.
- Krabi SeaBass Hotel: 64 rooms, 630 m from Walking Street, breakfast ฿250, airport transfer ฿600, 8.7 from 5,811 reviews.
- The Nest Krabi: 50 rooms, airport about 15 minutes, 9.1 from 1,237 reviews.
Check prices for Krabi SeaBass on Agoda · Our SeaBass page · Check The Nest
Ao Nam Mao, Klong Muang and Tubkaek: the quiet bases
- Ao Nam Mao: The Tama is 440 m from Ao Nammao Pier and 3.96 km from Ao Nang Beach, with breakfast at ฿130.
- Klong Muang: Dusit Thani (240 rooms, private beach, kids’ club, 220 m from Klong Muang Beach) and VARANA (380 m from the beach) both score 9.0.
- Tubkaek: Banyan Tree Krabi is flagged beachfront with a private beach and private pools (72 rooms, 9.2 from 1,820 reviews; transfer ฿2,800).
The Klong Muang area guide has more.
Check The Tama · Check Dusit Thani · Check VARANA · Check Banyan Tree
How we checked
- We pulled Agoda's public property data for 22 Krabi hotels on 12 Oct 2026: distances to named beaches, piers and Krabi Walking Street, airport travel-time estimates, airport-transfer and breakfast charges, room counts, facilities, and review scores.
- We grouped hotels by Agoda's own area, not our hotel list's area tags. Several tags were wrong: Sand Sea and Railay Princess are on Railay, not Ao Nang, and VARANA is in Klong Muang, not Krabi Town.
- Longtail fare, hours and departure rules come from thailandlongtail.com (updated 16 Jul 2026), and the ฿100 fare also from thongyibthongyod.com, both checked 12 Oct 2026. Fares are set by the boat cooperative and posted at the pier.
- Every booking link was opened that day and matched to the right hotel ID. We didn't stay at these hotels.
FAQ
Is it better to stay in Ao Nang or Railay?
Ao Nang for convenience: hotels there are within 690 m of the beach and close to the longtail boats, and airport transfers run ฿800 to ฿1,200 on Agoda. Railay for scenery: it’s boat-only, with transfers of ฿1,295 to ฿2,200 and the last shared boat to Ao Nang at about 18:00.
How much is the boat from Ao Nang to Railay?
฿100 per person one way, or ฿200 return, for a 10 to 15 minute shared longtail. Boats run 08:00 to 18:00 and leave when about 8 people are aboard (thailandlongtail.com, checked 12 Oct 2026).
Where to stay on Railay Beach?
Sand Sea (30 m), Railay Village (40 m) and Railay Bay (0–10 m) are closest to Railay Beach by Agoda’s measure. Rayavadee is by Phra Nang Beach. Phutawan, 520 m away, has the best score of the lower-priced options (9.0).
Where is the cheapest place to stay in Krabi?
Krabi Town. Krabi SeaBass lists breakfast at ฿250 and an airport transfer of ฿600, the lowest transfer fee on this page. You’ll need transport to the beaches, about 11 km away.
Which part of Krabi is closest to the airport?
Krabi Town: Agoda estimates 15 to 30 minutes. Ao Nang hotels list 35 to 47 minutes, and Railay 45 to 70 minutes.
Ready to book? Our top 3
| Pick | Why | Score (reviews) | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Seeker Krabi Resort | Ao Nang, kids’ club, ฿900 transfer | 9.0 (12,508) | Check price on Agoda |
| Sand Sea Resort | 30 m from Railay Beach, breakfast ฿350 | 8.5 (10,934) | Check price on Agoda |
| Krabi SeaBass Hotel | Krabi Town, ฿600 airport transfer | 8.7 (5,811) | Check price on Agoda |
Hotel data comes from each hotel’s Agoda listing on 12 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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