How to Get to Koh Phi Phi from Anywhere in Thailand
Koh Phi Phi is one of the most stunning islands in the whole of Thailand, but how the hell did you get there? Don’t worry. In this travel guide, I’ll show you exactly how to get there, whether you’re travelling from nearby places like Phuket, Koh Lanta, or Krabi, or further afield like Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
Why Koh Phi Phi Is Tricky to Get To
So why is Koh Phi Phi so tricky to get to? Well, it’s a small island, meaning there’s no airport on it. This means that you must first usually make your way to Krabi or Phuket and then catch a boat from there.
Getting to Koh Phi Phi from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Northern Thailand
So if you’re travelling from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or anywhere else in the north of the country, the first thing you should do is make your way to Phuket or Krabi. There are multiple flights each day arriving from each destination. Phuket and Krabi are two of the most well connected destinations in the whole of Thailand, and you should be able to get a flight for somewhere between 2,000 to 3,000 Thai Baht, although this may vary depending on the season.
If you would like to complete this journey within one day, I suggest getting to Krabi or Phuket as early as possible. This is because the boats don’t run at night, and therefore you need to be at the pier ready to get on the boat in the mid to late afternoon. So it’s much better to arrive earlier in the day, usually before 10:00 a.m.
In my opinion, if you’re looking to do this all in one go, it’s a little simpler to do from Krabi than it is from Phuket.
Travelling from Krabi Airport to Koh Phi Phi
If you land in Krabi, you can buy a bus and boat combo ticket that will take you directly to Koh Phi Phi from the airport. From the airport, there are three daily shuttles. Ramon Transport uses a speedboat, so this is the quickest and most efficient way to travel to Koh Phi Phi from the airport, with the entire journey taking around 2 and 1/2 hours from the airport to the island.
These buses run at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. and cost 950 Thai Baht.
You can also buy a bus and boat combo from Catran. Cran runs a ferry service which is a little slower, and the entire journey takes around 4 hours from the airport. This costs 850 Thai Baht.
It’s also a slightly quicker journey from Krabi to Koh Phi Phi, so this is the quicker option if you’re already staying in Krabi. Though you can also make your way easily from your hotel to Koh Phi Phi. This bus ticket will pick you up from your hotel, then take you to the pier, and if you’re on a speedboat, it’s only another 30 minutes on the boat. The total journey time from pickup at your hotel to landing in Koh Phi Phi is around 2 hours, and the last boats run around 3:30 p.m., so make sure you have time to spare beforehand.
Travelling from Phuket Airport to Koh Phi Phi
If you’re landing in Phuket Airport, you must first make your way to Rassada Pier, and at least as far as I can tell, you can’t buy the bus and boat combo in the airport. You must first make your way to the pier by yourself.
If you’re doing this by a private taxi, it costs around 1,000 Thai Baht from the airport. However, you will be able to get a shared minivan from the airport to the pier, and this should cost around 200 Thai Baht per person. The problem with doing this, however, is that you’ll need to wait for the bus to fill up before it leaves, so make sure you have plenty of time to get to the pier before catching the last boat.
It takes 1 hour from the airport to get to Rassada Pier. Again, if you’re already staying in Phuket, you can also get picked up from your hotel in a shared minivan that will take you to the pier.
From Rassada Pier, it takes about 1 hour by speedboat, which is twice the length it takes from Krabi, and the price of a ticket depends on the company. You can get a ticket from anywhere between 700 to 1,100 Thai Baht.
Speedboats or Ferries to Koh Phi Phi
Speedboats run approximately every 30 minutes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Speedboats are obviously the quickest way to arrive; however, there are some inconveniences. It’s definitely a lot bumpier, a lot noisier, and a lot more cramped. You also won’t be able to get up, walk around, buy snacks, or go to the toilet quite as easily.
Ferries operate every 2 hours between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Ferries take 2 hours to complete the journey, and tickets cost anywhere between 400 to 500 Thai Baht. So this option is cheaper than the speedboat. The ferries, while slower, are much more comfortable. You can get up, you can walk around, you can go to the toilet, and there’s stuff to buy. So if comfort is more important to you, then ferries might actually be the best option for you.
Getting to Koh Phi Phi from Nearby Islands
There are some other nearby islands that run direct boats to Koh Phi Phi. From Koh Lanta, ferries run twice a day, take about 1 hour, and cost around 400 Thai Baht. Speedboats from Koh Lanta run multiple times a day, cost 700 Thai Baht, and take about 30 minutes.
There is one speedboat that leaves every day from Koh Lipe. This costs around 2,000 Thai Baht and takes around 4 and 1/2 hours. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be on a speedboat for that long; however, it is the quickest and most efficient way to travel from Koh Lipe to Koh Phi Phi.
Travelling from the Gulf of Thailand to Koh Phi Phi
Finally, if you’re travelling from the Gulf of Thailand, meaning you’re travelling from places like Koh Samui and Koh Tao, I strongly recommend you take the Lomprayah travel company.
Now why do I recommend you use this travel company? Well, because you can buy one ticket that will pay for your boat from the islands to the mainland, take a bus to transport you across the country, and then another boat to take you to Koh Phi Phi. This is the only company that does this kind of service, so make sure you’re not buying individual tickets because it’ll be way less of a smooth journey, with much longer waiting times in between.
The Lomprayah boat leaves Koh Tao at 8:00 a.m., then travels to Koh Samui and leaves there about 8:30 a.m. It then takes about an hour to get to the mainland. Once you arrive at the mainland, there’ll be people waiting for you to transfer you to the bus that will take you to Krabi. They’ll have big signs that tell you where to transfer from, and they’ll look at your ticket and tell you exactly where to go. This will save you a lot of hassle and a lot of stress.
You’ll then drive across the country for a few hours to arrive at Krabi, at which point you’ll also be transferred to a new boat that will take you to Koh Phi Phi.
This also works for travelling from Koh Phi Phi to Koh Samui or Koh Tao. You can use Lomprayah to buy one ticket to take you across the country. Tickets cost around 1,700 Thai Baht and take about 7 hours total.
