20 km · 45-75 min · From $15-22
Railay Beach is one of Thailand's most spectacular limestone cliff-backed beaches, accessible only by boat from Ao Nang or Krabi Town. The journey from Krabi Airport involves a taxi or transfer to either Ao Nang Pier (20 minutes) or Krabi Town's Klong Jirad Pier (30 minutes), followed by a 10-15 minute longtail boat ride. Most visitors use Ao Nang as the departure point since it's closer and boats run more frequently throughout the day.
| Option | Price (est.) | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-booked transfer | $15-22 | Fixed all-in price · meet & greet · flight tracking · ALL surcharges and tolls included · free cancellation |
| Metered taxi |
⚠ $10-15 meter ONLY + $3-6 surcharges, tolls, tip ≈ $13-21 typical total |
Meter only - airport surcharge, tolls, midnight surcharge and tip added on top. Final cost varies with traffic. |
| Ride-hailing app | N/A | Upfront pricing - pickup may require walking to a designated zone, surge during busy times |
Note: Pre-booked transfer prices are the all-in amount you actually pay. Metered taxi prices shown are the meter only - typical out-of-pocket cost is 20–40% higher once airport surcharges, tolls and tip are added. Compare like-for-like before deciding.
The standard route is taxi from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang Pier (250-400 THB / $7-11), then longtail boat to Railay (100-150 THB / $3-4 per person, one-way). Airport taxi counters charge fixed rates around 600 THB total to Ao Nang. Private transfers booked online cost $15-22 and include pier drop-off, but you still pay separately for the boat. Songthaews (shared pickups) to Ao Nang cost 60-90 THB but require walking to the main road. No ride-hailing apps operate reliably in Krabi. Combined taxi-boat packages exist but often aren't cheaper than booking separately.
Taxi or private transfer makes sense when arriving with luggage, traveling as a group, or landing outside daylight hours when boats are less frequent. For solo budget travelers arriving midday, a songthaew to Ao Nang plus scheduled longtail boat saves money. Note that longtail boats typically stop running around 6 PM, so late arrivals may need to overnight in Ao Nang or Krabi Town.
Grab and Bolt are not reliably available at Krabi Airport. The airport taxi counter or pre-booked private transfer are your main options. In Ao Nang, you might find the occasional Grab, but don't count on it-most transport is traditional taxis or hotel transfers.
A taxi or transfer is perfect for the airport-to-hotel journey. But if you plan to explore beyond Railay Beach - visiting multiple beaches, temples or national parks - a rental car gives you freedom to go at your own pace. Compare rental car prices at smartcarrental.com for transparent pricing and free cancellation.
A pre-booked private transfer is $15-22 all-in - the price is fixed and includes airport surcharges, tolls and meet-and-greet. A metered taxi shows $10-15 on the meter, but the actual amount you pay is typically 20-40% higher once airport surcharges, tolls and a tip are added. Ride-hailing is N/A where available.
Plan for 45-75 min to cover the 20 km under normal conditions - rush-hour traffic in Krabi can stretch that by another 20-30 minutes. With a pre-booked transfer your flight is tracked, so the driver adjusts to your actual arrival time.
On pure price, a ride-hailing app wins at around N/A - though you may need to walk to a designated pickup zone. Grab and Bolt are not reliably available at Krabi Airport. The airport taxi counter or pre-booked private transfer are your main options. In Ao Nang, you might find the occasional Grab, but don't count on it-most transport is traditional taxis or hotel transfers. Weigh that against a pre-booked transfer at $15-22: slightly more, but with a driver waiting at arrivals and nothing added on top.
For most travelers, pre-booking wins: the fare is locked in, a named driver meets you at arrivals, and the booking is documented if anything goes wrong. The official taxi counters at Krabi (KBV) work fine but usually cost more than the meter alone suggests. Never go with unlicensed drivers who approach you inside the terminal.
Usually enough to get you there: pre-booked drivers are screened for basic English, while metered taxi drivers vary from fluent to phrasebook level. A Google Maps pin or the address in local script solves most misunderstandings before they happen.
A pre-booked driver follows your flight status and waits however long it takes - the fixed price does not change. The metered taxi queue at Krabi (KBV) runs around the clock at most major airports, but peak-time lines are long and late-night service can be thin.
See our full Krabi International Airport transfer guide for all destinations, local taxi tips, FAQ and booking options. Or browse Krabi airport transfers covering all city neighborhoods. For nationwide context, see our Thailand transfer guide.