Krabi Airport Transfer: Private Car or Railay Boat Connection?
5 min read
For hotels in Ao Nang and Krabi Town, book the private transfer from Krabi International Airport: €14.15 per person, 4.6 stars from 55 reviews, about an hour’s drive. If you are staying on Railay, you need the airport transfer with a boat ride, from €21.84 per person and with 4.5 stars from 52 reviews: no road reaches the peninsula, so a car-only transfer ends at the pier. If your hotel is in Ao Nam Mao, Khlong Muang or Tab Kaek, the private transfer between Ao Nang and the airport names those areas explicitly.
The three transfers at a glance
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private transfer from Krabi Airport | 1 hour | €14.15 per person | 4.6 (55 reviews) | Hotels in Ao Nang and Krabi Town |
| Airport transfer to Railay with boat ride | 1.5 hours | €21.84 per person | 4.5 (52 reviews) | Stays on Railay |
| Private transfer between Ao Nang and the airport | 30–60 minutes, by area | €28.34 per group up to 4 | 4.8 (36 reviews) | Hotels in Ao Nam Mao, Khlong Muang and Tab Kaek |
All three include a private road vehicle. On the Railay connection, the standard boat ticket does not promise a private boat; the operator offers a separate private-boat option. Compare the total for your passenger count: the first two prices are per person, the Ao Nang transfer price is per group of up to four.
The standard transfer
This offer takes you between the airport and your accommodation in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver. The advantage is not a programme but a confirmed driver and no taxi queue after the flight. Enter your hotel and flight details exactly before paying, and check that your fare covers your hotel zone: Khlong Muang, Tab Kaek and remote piers are not automatically the same product as central Ao Nang.
The standard transfer serves only Krabi Town and Ao Nang. Its driver languages are Chinese, English and Malay. The page lists 90 minutes of free arrival waiting, extended to 120 for flight delays, but the meeting-point text says 60. For hotel departures it says both 30 minutes and “3-mins”. The stated overtime charge is 300 THB per hour. Resolve these contradictions before booking. Vehicle limits are three bags for 1–3 passengers and six for 4–6; the operator requests booking at least 24 hours ahead.
Check availability and prices for the private airport transfer
The connection to Railay
Getting to Railay takes two legs: a car to the pier, then a boat. The ticket joins both, with a meet-and-greet at the airport and luggage help according to its description, and it is meant to spare you the taxi and pier confusion. The ticket includes the boat ride; the standard road transfer also offers meet-and-greet and luggage assistance. The listed duration is an hour and a half. The operator states that the last regular boat leaves at 6:30 pm; later arrivals need the “Private Boat” option. Allow time for immigration, baggage and the drive to the pier even if your flight lands earlier. Weather and tides can change the crossing. This is one-way to Railay East: the walk to your hotel and any porter there need separate arrangements, and boarding can involve shallow water.
Check the airport transfer to Railay with boat ride
If your hotel is not in the centre
The Ao Nang offer covers Ao Nang, Ao Nam Mao, Khlong Muang and Tab Kaek. The operator estimates 30 minutes for Ao Nang or Ao Nam Mao, but about an hour for Khlong Muang or Tab Kaek. Its €28.34 is per group of up to four, so compare it with €14.15 per person for the standard transfer using your actual party size. The driver speaks English. Children under 11 travel free according to the operator; tell them about every child so they can assign a suitable vehicle, with a maximum of nine passengers.
See the private transfer between Ao Nang and the airport
When you do not need a transfer
If you are hiring a car for your days in Krabi anyway, the airport is the natural pick-up point; whether that pays off is covered in Do you need a hire car in Krabi?. If you are sleeping on Railay, How to get to Railay and Phra Nang has the boat prices and times for the crossing from Ao Nang.
Our pick
For an ordinary hotel arrival, book the private transfer for €14.15 per person. The Railay combination is only worth it if the boat leg is genuinely part of your journey, and the Ao Nang group transfer suits its four listed areas once you compare the total for your party.
