Frequently Asked Questions

Not on the beachfront, which is tight and signed no-parking along much of the strip. The free car park by the Ao Nang Landmark Night Market near Nopparat Thara is the easiest option, and most hotels have their own parking.

Yes. Most local Ao Nang operators deliver free to hotels and complete the paperwork in your lobby, often including first-class insurance and a cash-deposit option. Confirm the delivery area, as the far northern beaches can carry a small surcharge.

Ao Nang is more convenient for beaches, boat piers and the widest hotel choice, while Krabi Town is cheaper and more local. Both are a short drive from the airport and the inland sights, so either works well with a rental car.

No. Railay is cut off by limestone cliffs with no road; take a longtail from Ao Nang beach or Ao Nam Mao pier, about 100 to 150 THB and 10 to 15 minutes. Leave the car in the lot and ride the boat.

For a confident driver, yes. Krabi traffic is light, the terrain is mostly flat, and roads are paved and signed in Thai and English. The real risks are scooters, monsoon rain and unlit rural roads at night, so drive defensively and avoid long inland drives after dark.

Thailand drives on the left in right-hand-drive cars, and rental fleets are almost entirely automatic. The biggest first-day quirks are the reversed wiper and indicator stalks and clockwise roundabouts.

Sixty km/h in built-up areas and 90 km/h on Highway 4. The 120 km/h limit you may read about applies only to divided expressways, and Krabi has none, so treat 90 km/h as your maximum and watch for posted school-zone limits of 30 to 40 km/h.

Yes. Checkpoints on Highway 4 and around Ao Nang routinely ask foreign drivers for a licence, International Driving Permit and passport, especially at night and in high season. Missing the IDP means a fine and possible voided insurance, as covered on our Krabi airport car rental page.

Stop, switch on hazards, and do not move the vehicles unless someone is hurt or they block traffic dangerously. Call 1155 for the English-speaking Tourist Police and your rental insurer's hotline; a surveyor comes to assess fault. Photograph everything and do not sign Thai-language documents you cannot read.

Roughly 900 to 1,400 THB per day for an economy automatic in the high season and 2,400 to 3,400 THB for a large SUV, dropping about 25 to 35 percent in the May to October green season. Fuel is Gasohol 95 at around 43 THB per litre on a full-to-full policy with unlimited mileage.

Yes. Thai law requires an International Driving Permit carried with your home licence and passport. Police run document checkpoints on Highway 4 and around Ao Nang, fines run 500 to 1,000 THB, and driving without an IDP can void your insurance after an accident. See our full FAQ for licence details.

No. Railay is a peninsula sealed off by limestone cliffs with no road. Park at Ao Nang or Ao Nam Mao and take a longtail boat, about 100 to 150 THB and 10 to 15 minutes.

Phuket is fully drivable, about 2.5 to 3 hours via Highway 4 and the toll-free Sarasin Bridge. Ko Lanta is reachable but not ferry-free: you take a short car ferry from Ban Hua Hin Pier to Lanta Noi, then the Siri Lanta Bridge to Lanta Yai, as the mainland bridge is not yet built.

It takes a little adjustment, but Krabi traffic is far lighter than Bangkok or Phuket and the terrain is mostly flat coastal highway. Cars are right-hand drive and almost always automatic; take the first hour slowly and watch for scooters undertaking on your left.

International chains hold 5,000 to 20,000 THB on a credit card; good local firms take a 3,000 to 5,000 THB cash deposit. Take the Collision Damage Waiver, check the excess, and consider Super CDW at 200 to 400 THB per day to cut it toward zero. Minimum age is usually 21.

Yes. Sixt, Budget, Europcar, Drive Car Rental and Thai Rent A Car staff counters in the Terminal 1 arrivals hall, and several local operators deliver a car to the arrivals kerb. Booking ahead secures both the rate and an automatic vehicle.

It is 26 to 30 km, about 35 to 45 minutes by road. Options are a rental car, the Pichet shuttle bus at 150 THB per person, a fixed-fare taxi at about 600 THB, or Grab when available. See our Ao Nang car rental page for the town itself.

Several desks close around 20:00 to 21:00, so add your flight number to the booking and confirm an after-hours handover, which can carry a roughly 900 THB surcharge. For very late arrivals, a transfer plus a next-morning pickup is often easier.

Yes, one-way rentals to Phuket are common. Expect a drop-off fee that varies by supplier and rental length, sometimes waived on longer hires. Phuket is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive via Highway 4 and the Sarasin Bridge.

Yes. Bring your passport, home licence and an International Driving Permit. Rental firms and police checkpoints both ask for it, and driving without one can invalidate your insurance.

By car: the Tiger Cave Temple, the Emerald Pool and Krabi Hot Springs, Khao Phanom Bencha, the northern Klong Muang and Tubkaek beaches, plus longer drives to Phuket and ferry-assisted Ko Lanta. The islands and Railay are boat-only.

An economy automatic handles the sealed roads to the Emerald Pool, Tiger Cave and the beaches. Choose an SUV for families, lots of luggage, several passengers, or the longer Khao Sok, Phuket and Ko Lanta runs where ground clearance and comfort help.

Foreigner entry runs from around 100 THB to 400 THB per adult depending on the site, under Thailand's dual-tier pricing, plus a small parking fee. Rates vary, so carry cash and verify at the gate.

No. Phi Phi, the Hong Islands and the 4-Islands stops are all offshore and reached only by boat from the piers. A car gets you to Nopparat Thara, Ao Nang or Klong Jilad pier, where you board a ferry or longtail.