The routes
- Krabi, private car
- ≈ 130–137 km, ≈ 2 h – 2 h 30.
- From Krabi town, the airport or Ao Nang.
- Krabi, shared van
- Timetabled ≈ 2 h 30 – 3 h 30, roughly ฿340–780 a seat — indicative.
- Early morning to mid-afternoon.
- Bangkok, fly
- Under 1 h 30 to Phuket, then 1 h – 1 h 30 by road.
- The fastest way. No public bus north from Phuket airport.
- Bangkok, overnight bus
- 13–16 h, roughly ฿800–1,250 — indicative.
- Leaves late afternoon or evening, arrives next morning.
- Bangkok, train and bus
- Train to Surat Thani ≈ 9–11 h, bus on ≈ 3–4 h.
- The station is in Phun Phin, outside Surat Thani town.
Facts checked 17 October 2026 · timetables and fares change, confirm when you book
Krabi to Khao Lak
Khao Lak is about 130 km from Krabi town by road, and about 137 km from Krabi airport and from Ao Nang. There is no boat between them: Khao Lak has no ferry port, so every route is the road north through Phang Nga.
A private car takes about two to two and a half hours. Shared vans are the cheap option: several operators run them from early morning to mid-afternoon, timetabled at two and a half to three and a half hours, at roughly ฿340–780 a seat (indicative). Van timetables are approximate, so give yourself slack on a day with a flight or a boat to catch.
Coming from Phi Phi or Koh Lanta, the usual way is a boat to the Krabi side and a van onward. Our ferries guide covers the island leg.
Krabi airport or Phuket airport?
If you are flying in to stay in Khao Lak, Phuket is the closer airport: about 74 km, against about 137 km from Krabi. Krabi makes sense when the flight is much cheaper, or when Krabi or the islands come first in the trip.
Bangkok to Khao Lak
Khao Lak is about 770 km from Bangkok by road, and no railway reaches it.
Fly to Phuket, then drive
The fastest way. Bangkok to Phuket is a flight of under an hour and a half, from both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, with many flights a day. From Phuket airport it is 1 to 1.5 hours north by road, and there is no public bus going that way, so arrange the transfer before you land. Flying to Krabi works the same way, with the longer drive above.
The overnight bus
Buses leave Bangkok in the late afternoon and evening, mostly from the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai), and reach Khao Lak the next morning: 13 to 16 hours, at roughly ฿800–1,250 (indicative). Many of them are Phuket buses that stop in Khao Lak on the way, so check that your ticket names Khao Lak as the stop, and which part of the strip it drops at.
Train to Surat Thani, then bus
The train goes as far as Surat Thani, and the station is in Phun Phin, outside the town. Overnight trains leave Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat station in the evening and arrive early in the morning, about 9 to 11 hours. Check times with the State Railway of Thailand, since timetables change.
From Surat Thani it is about 180 km west to Khao Lak. Buses on the Surat Thani to Phuket route pass through Khao Lak, from early morning to mid-afternoon, in about three to four hours, at roughly ฿230–300 (indicative). A private car takes under three hours.
Which to choose
For most people, flying to Phuket is the answer: the flight and the transfer together take a few hours, where the bus and the train take most of a day or a night. The overnight bus is the cheapest, and saves a night's hotel. The train suits travellers who prefer a sleeper berth to a bus seat, and accept a bus at the far end.
Day trips from Khao Lak
Phuket airport to Khao Lak: transfer options compared
Find a place near here
We cover hotels along this coast — the Khao Lak beaches, Phuket and Krabi — plus a handful on Koh Samui, across in the Gulf. Start with hotels in Khao Lak, or browse every hotel we cover; prices and availability show on the partner's own site.
Common questions
How far is Krabi from Khao Lak?
Is there a bus from Krabi to Khao Lak?
What is the fastest way from Bangkok to Khao Lak?
Is there a direct bus from Bangkok to Khao Lak?
Can you take the train to Khao Lak?
Planning the rest of the trip? Compare places to stay, or see what is open month by month.