Bangkok to Phuket and Krabi — Flying Usually Wins, but Three Cases for the Bus
Phuket and Krabi are 800–860 km from Bangkok — twelve hours or more by road versus about 1 h 20 min in the air, with dozens of low-cost flights a day.…
Phuket and Krabi are 800–860 km from Bangkok — twelve hours or more by road versus about 1 h 20 min in the air, with dozens of low-cost flights a day. Flying is usually the better deal, but there are three situations where ground transport makes sense.
When the bus or train still makes sense
- Flights are unusually expensive — last-minute bookings over New Year or Songkran (Thai New Year, mid-April). Night-bus fares barely move.
- You have a lot of gear — dive equipment, a bicycle. Airline baggage fees can exceed the fare difference.
- You want to stop along the way — Chumphon, Surat Thani, Khao Sok National Park. Taking the train to Surat Thani and continuing by bus makes stopovers easy.
Options
| Option | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flight | 1 h 20 min | Phuket airport is at the north tip of the island, about 45 minutes from Patong. Krabi airport is 30–40 minutes from Ao Nang |
| Night bus | 12–14 hours | From Sai Tai Mai, arriving in the morning; services to both Phuket and Krabi |
| Train to Surat Thani + bus | 9–11 hours by rail plus 3–4 hours by road | Change at Surat Thani (Phun Phin) station; buses serve both destinations |
- Compare flights and buses Bangkok–Phuket: open 12Go
Arriving: Phuket versus Krabi
- Phuket is an island joined to the mainland by a bridge, so everything is reachable by road. Transport from the airport to the west-coast beaches is relatively expensive; a pre-booked transfer or the airport bus helps.
- Krabi town and Ao Nang are separate places; most visitors stay in Ao Nang, and buses and minivans run there directly from the airport.
- Koh Phi Phi can be reached from both; boats from Krabi are shorter, boats from Phuket more frequent.
- Koh Lanta is reached via Krabi, by minivan-plus-boat or by road over the bridges.
Island trips worth booking ahead
Speedboat tours to Phi Phi and Maya Bay, the Similan Islands (open only in season, roughly November to May) and Hong Island have daily quotas and sell out in high season.
Seasons
The Andaman coast has its monsoon from roughly May to October: rough seas, some boat tours suspended, and red flags on the west-coast beaches. If the trip is about the sea, aim for November to April; in the rainy season, build in spare days.