After three nights in Krabi — the Phi Phi Island tour, Railay Beach, the Hot Springs and Emerald Pool — Day 6 of our trip was a travel day. Krabi to Phuket. We spent a good amount of time the evening before researching options. Here's everything we found so you don't have to go through the same research spiral.
Krabi and Phuket are ~150–170 km apart by road on Thailand's Andaman coast. There are 4 ways to make the journey — each with very different costs, comfort, and trade-offs.
🚢 Option 1: Speedboat
The fastest option — door-to-door service with sea views. Sounds great on paper.
Why we skipped it: We had just spent an entire day on a speedboat during the Phi Phi Island tour. The idea of immediately doing it again with all our luggage didn't appeal at all. Speedboats also have limited luggage space — with big bags, it's uncomfortable and impractical. And if you get motion sickness, a 1.5–2 hour speedboat journey is not a fun experience.
🚌 Option 2: Bus
The most budget-friendly option by a significant margin. Hard to argue with the price for solo travellers.
The big catch: No hotel pickup or drop. You have to get yourself and your luggage to the Krabi bus station, then figure out your own way from the Phuket bus terminal to your hotel. When you're travelling with big suitcases, this adds cost and hassle at both ends. By the time you factor in cabs at both ends, the price advantage narrows significantly.
We were four people with full-sized luggage. The bus simply wasn't practical for us.
🚐 Option 3: Shared Minivan
This is where the balance starts to tip toward sensible. Hotel pickup, a comfortable journey with other travellers, and hotel drop in Phuket — all for 500 THB per person.
The catch: Fixed departure schedules. Pickup is typically at 8:00 AM, which means being packed, checked out, and ready early. Coming off an intense Day 5 (full Phi Phi Island tour), an 8 AM departure felt rushed for us.
For four people: 500 THB × 4 = 2,000 THB total. We nearly booked it. But then we did the maths on one more option.
⭐ Option 4: Private Minivan — What We Chose
Once you're travelling as a group of four, the maths works in your favour very quickly:
- Shared minivan for 4 people = 2,000 THB total
- Private minivan quoted at 2,500 THB
- We negotiated it down to 2,300 THB
For just 300 THB more than the shared option — split across four people, that's 75 THB each — we got the entire van to ourselves.
Why the private van was so good
- We chose our own pickup time. Instead of the fixed 8 AM, we asked for 10 AM. A relaxed morning in Krabi — proper breakfast, pack without rushing, one last look at Ao Nang.
- Reclining seats. Push-back seats in a spacious van. We slept for a portion of the journey after the intensity of the previous day.
- Beautiful road views. The drive passes through mountains, dense rainforest, and coastline glimpses. It's not a boring highway — it's genuinely scenic.
- No waiting for others. With shared vans, the driver picks up multiple groups from different hotels before heading out — adds 30–45 minutes. With a private van, you're picked up and you go.
- Arrived exactly on time. We asked for 10 AM. It was there at 10 AM. Private hire drivers in Thailand are very punctual.
📊 Full Transport Comparison
| Option | Cost | Time | Pickup | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⛵ Speedboat | ~₹2,000/person | 1.5–2 hrs | ✅ | ✅ |
| 🚌 Bus | ~₹450/person | 3.5–4 hrs | ❌ | ❌ |
| 🚐 Shared Minivan | 500 THB/person | 3–3.5 hrs | ✅ | ✅ |
| ⭐ Private Minivan | 2,300–2,500 THB total | 3–3.5 hrs | ✅ | ✅ |
🏖️ Arriving in Phuket: Where to Stay
We checked into a hotel near Patong Beach — and staying near Patong was one of the better decisions of the trip. Patong is the most active and well-connected area of Phuket:
- Best nightlife in Phuket
- Jungceylon Mall is right there — big, well-stocked, air-conditioned
- Bolt pickups abundant — easy transport everywhere
- Restaurants everywhere — Thai, seafood, international, all within walking distance
- Tourist-friendly — English widely spoken
We reached Phuket at 1 PM. Always ask for early check-in when you arrive — hotels often accommodate it if the room is ready, especially if you explain you've been travelling since morning.
🌙 First Evening in Phuket: Jungceylon + Night Market
After dropping bags and a quick rest, we walked to Jungceylon Mall — restaurants, international brands, a supermarket, and local stalls. Had lunch here and spent time in the air conditioning (a welcome relief after travelling).
That evening: Patong Night Market — noticeably larger and more vibrant than Ao Nang's. More stalls, more food, more energy. We bought clothes, souvenirs, dried fruits, chocolates. Had grilled seafood for dinner and mango smoothies because they'd become non-negotiable by this point in every Thailand evening.
The entrance stalls at Patong Night Market always quote higher prices. Walk further inside — prices drop as you go deeper. Compare across stalls and don't buy before you've seen everything available.
💡 Tips Before You Make the Journey
- Book the night before, not the morning of travel. Walk into Tourist Information Centers near Ao Nang Beach the evening before. Compare across 2–3 centers and negotiate. Booking on travel morning limits options and removes leverage.
- Be ready exactly at the agreed pickup time. Private and shared van drivers are punctual. They will not wait. If you agreed to 10 AM, be downstairs with bags at 9:55 AM.
- Withdraw cash in Krabi before leaving. ATMs in tourist areas can have queues during peak travel times. Handle it in Ao Nang before you go.
- Don't overplan your arrival day in Phuket. You'll arrive in the early afternoon after 3+ hours of travel. Keep the first evening light — explore locally, have a good dinner, rest up.
The Krabi-to-Phuket travel day felt, at first, like a gap between experiences — a necessary logistical move rather than part of the trip itself. But looking back, it was actually one of those quietly enjoyable days. A comfortable van, beautiful roads, good conversation, and the anticipation of a new destination building slowly as the landscape changed around us. Not every day of travel needs to be packed with activities to be memorable. 🌅