Characterized by towering limestone cliffs and stunning white sand beaches, Krabi is one of the most impressive destinations in Thailand, and perhaps the world. Whether you’re visiting Krabi Province and heading to the beautiful Phi Phi Islands or staying in Krabi Town, this is definitely an area you should stop by for a while. And when you’ve had your fill, head northeast to Koh Phangan, which has a fantastic party atmosphere. Hosting a full moon party, Koh Phangan is the perfect place to socialize or lie in the sun on one of the quieter beaches if you want to unwind. Traveling from Krabi to Koh Phangan is easy, but what’s the best way to get there? Read on to find out.
Read about:
• Flights from Krabi to Koh Phangan
• Combined bus and ferry ticket from Krabi to Koh Phangan
Options to go from Krabi to Koh Phangan
As Koh Phangan is an island, you cannot get there by land from Krabi, but you can’t fly there either directly as Koh Phangan does not have its own airport. This means that at least part of the journey will have to be made by boat. Several options are available, such as flying to Koh Samui and from there by boat, or a direct ferry from the mainland. Whichever way you choose to travel, you will have to cover a distance of around 260 kilometers (162 miles), which may not seem like much, but it can take a whole day to cover.
Flights from Krabi to Koh Phangan
Bangkok Airways plane landing in Koh Samui © IamDoctorEgg / Shutterstock.com
As we mentioned, there is no airport on Koh Phangan, so you can’t fly there directly, which means you’ll have to fly to the nearby island of Koh Samui. Still, flying is a viable option if budget isn’t an issue as flying is the most expensive transport option from Krabi to Koh Phangan. However, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons as you’ll still need to take the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan, so it might not seem worth the extra flight cost.
Another disadvantage is this There is only one airline that flies from Krabi to Koh Samui and only has one flight per day, so it’s hard to fit this option into your itinerary if you’re timed. Bangkok Airways is the airline that operates this route and is the only one offering this flight, it tends to overprice. For this reason, many tourists choose to travel by bus and boat.
Combined bus and ferry ticket from Krabi to Koh Phangan
Buying a combined bus (or van) and boat ticket to get from Krabi to Koh Phangan is probably the most popular travel option between these two destinations. There are many companies that offer these combination tickets for the entire trip, so there are several departure points and different times. Prices are very reasonable as companies compete with each other, so traveling by bus and ferry from Krabi to Koh Phangan is very cheap compared to flying.
There are several ways to travel, depending on the tour operator you buy your ticket from. Lomprayah, Songserm, Seatran Discovery and Phantip are four companies you can choose from and their ticket prices are very similar. Lomprayah is a popular option because it is a well-known and reliable company, plus it offers three departures a day, giving you a bit more flexibility. Buses leave the Krabi office at 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, and 12:30 PM, and the entire journey takes between 4 hours 45 minutes and 5.5 hours, depending on the time of day. Lomprayah Ferry is a modern, comfortable and well-equipped catamaran with indoor or outdoor seating.
If you prefer to depart from another location in Krabi, Songserm has two different options. They have a departure from Krabi town itself, an ideal option if you are staying in the center, and they also have a departure from a place on the outskirts of the city, on the main road, at Krabi Andaman Wave Master. There are two daily departures from the first point, one at 6:00 and the other at 11:00. The Songserm ferry from Krabi to Koh Phangan is a fast boat that, like the Lomprayah catamarans, is modern, well-equipped and has several seating areas. The trip from Songserm takes from 6 hours 15 minutes to 7 hours 45 minutes.
Keep in mind that early morning departures are very popular and tickets sell out well in advance, so if you’re interested in a 6am departure, buy a Koh Phangan combo ticket as far in advance as possible. This option leaves you in Koh Phangan around 12:15 noon, so you can enjoy the afternoon and evening before many other travelers arrive.
Combined bus and ferry tickets from Phantip They tend to be the cheapest, so they can be a good option if you want to save some money. The buses depart from the Krabi Sea Pearl office in central Krabi Town at 11:30 AM and the ferry arrives in Koh Phangan at around 6:30 PM, so the entire journey takes approximately 7 hours. Check the Phantip schedule and make your reservation Here.
Seatran’s discovery This is the last company to offer this service. Tickets from this company usually cost a little more than the others. Seatran is a well-known company that operates modern, high-speed ferries with indoor and outdoor seating. Buses depart from Seatran’s Krabi offices in Central Krabi at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM and take 5.5 and 6 hours to Koh Phangan respectively.
No matter which company you choose to sail from Krabi to Koh Phangan, all boats will arrive at the same point on Koh Phangan, Thong Sala Port. Since the prices and times they offer are quite similar, you’ll likely choose the tickets that best suit your itinerary. Be sure to book your tickets as soon as possible as some departures are very popular and can sell out in no time.