Driving from Phuket to Krabi: Route, Time and One Way Hire
Head north off the island, over Sarasin Bridge and east on Route 4 to Krabi town and Ao Nang.
The road to Krabi, driven properly
The drive out of Phuket to Krabi is one road, more or less, and it is a good one. You run the whole length of Route 402, the island's spine, north through Thalang until the causeway of Sarasin Bridge lifts you off Phuket and onto the mainland in Phang Nga province. From there the road turns east and picks up Route 4, the main southern highway, which carries you down into Krabi. Figure on three hours and somewhere between 160 and 175 km each way, more if you stop, which you should.
None of it is a toll road, and that surprises people who arrive expecting the rough, single lane driving they associate with rural Thailand. Much of the mainland stretch is a sealed dual carriageway with a wide, gentle surface, PTT and Bangchak stations every few kilometres, and long straight sections where the driving itself asks very little of you. The part that takes concentration is the first half hour out of Phuket, where Route 402 through Thalang carries the island's own morning traffic before you ever reach the bridge.
A ferry from Phuket gets you to the islands, not to Krabi town, and a minibus fixes your timing to somebody else's schedule and somebody else's stops. Driving turns the same transfer into a day out, because Phang Nga's karst cliffs, a cave temple and a stretch of mangrove coast all sit on or just off the route you were taking anyway. The car does not owe anyone a fixed arrival time.
Krabi is three places, not one
Krabi Town is the administrative centre and the pier, a working town rather than a resort, and it is where Route 4 delivers you. Ao Nang is the beach strip, 20 to 30 minutes further west by road, and it is what most visitors picture when they say Krabi. Railay is the piece that catches people out: it sits on a limestone peninsula with no road connection at all, cut off by cliffs on every landward side, and the only way in is a longboat from Ao Nang or from Krabi Town's pier. Plan for a boat if Railay is the point of the trip, and plan your parking around Ao Nang or the town rather than around Railay itself.
Coming back the following day is the same drive in reverse, and it works equally well as a same day round trip if you leave Phuket early and are comfortable with a full day of driving. Either way, this is mainland Thailand rather than the island, so it rewards the same left hand traffic habits and the same unhurried pace that Phuket itself asks for.
The trip in short
- Distance
- roughly 160 to 175 km, one way
- Driving time
- about 3 hours without stops
- Toll roads
- none, anywhere on the route
- Traffic side
- left, an IDP is required
Cars ready for the mainland run
These are live listings from Phuket, cheapest first. Most of the fleet is automatic, and a good share carry free cancellation, which is worth having on a booking built around a full day of driving.
€/day
No cars for these dates so far. Set the dates above and the mainland-ready list loads below.
What sits on the way, if you drive rather than fly past it
Phang Nga town
About 90 minutes in, ringed by limestone karst cliffs that rise straight out of the paddy fields. A short stop here breaks the drive in half and puts you back on Route 4 for the second leg.
Wat Tham Suwan Kuha
A cave temple just a few minutes off Route 4 near Phang Nga, built around a reclining Buddha inside the rock. It costs you almost no detour and is easy to miss if you do not know to turn off.
Ao Luek and Than Bok Khorani
The last stretch before Krabi runs through mangrove and limestone country around Ao Luek. Than Bok Khorani's pools sit just off the road and make a natural last stop before the town.
Khao Lak, the other way
From Phang Nga a different road runs north to Khao Lak instead of south to Krabi. Worth knowing if a future trip pulls you that direction instead, since the junction is the same one.
A realistic shape for the day
Leave early. The light is better for the karst scenery, and Route 402 through Thalang fills up as the Phuket morning gets going. This is a workable timing for a 7:00 start.
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07:00
Leave and run Route 402 north
The full length of the island passes on your left and right before Thalang's junctions thin out and the road opens up toward the north tip.
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07:45
Cross Sarasin Bridge
The causeway lifts you off Phuket and onto the mainland with no toll booth and barely a pause. You are in Phang Nga province from here.
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08:30
Phang Nga town and the cave temple
Stop for the karst cliffs, and turn off for Wat Tham Suwan Kuha if the cave temple appeals. Neither adds much to the overall time.
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09:15
Route 4, east and south
The main southern highway carries you the rest of the way, sealed dual carriageway for long stretches with PTT and Bangchak stations at regular intervals.
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09:45
Ao Luek and Than Bok Khorani
The mangrove and limestone country before Krabi, and a natural last break before the town comes into view.
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10:15
Krabi Town or on to Ao Nang
Around three hours after leaving, with stops. Ao Nang adds another 20 to 30 minutes west of the town.
Before you point the car at the bridge
Confirm mainland driving before you book
Most Phuket rental agreements allow you to take the car over Sarasin Bridge and onto the mainland, but a small number of suppliers restrict it. This is the one thing to ask about before you pay, not after you have loaded the boot for Krabi.
No toll, ever
Not on Route 402, not over the bridge, not on Route 4. Nothing on this drive charges you a toll.
Fuel is never far away
PTT and Bangchak stations sit at regular intervals the whole length of Route 4, so there is no stretch worth worrying about.
One way hire, sometimes
Listings also exist in Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Khlong Muang, Tubkaek Beach and Ko Lanta, so a one way drop is sometimes possible. It is not automatic, so ask the supplier before booking rather than assuming it.
Coming back after dark
Fine on Route 4, but stretches run unlit outside the towns. Headlights and a steady pace do the job.
Fleet board
The Krabi drive: what people ask
Plan on about three hours for roughly 160 to 175 km, running Route 402 to Sarasin Bridge and then Route 4 the rest of the way. Add time for Phang Nga town or the cave temple if you stop, and add a margin for the Thalang traffic on the way out of Phuket.
Most agreements allow it, but a small number of suppliers restrict mainland driving. Confirm it directly with the supplier when you book, before you plan a Krabi trip around a specific car.
Sometimes. Cars are listed in Krabi Town, Ao Nang, Khlong Muang, Tubkaek Beach and Ko Lanta as well as in Phuket, so a one way drop can work out. It is not offered on every booking, so ask the supplier before you pay rather than assuming it is included.
No. Railay sits on a limestone peninsula with cliffs on every landward side and no road in. Park in Ao Nang or Krabi Town and take a longboat for the last leg.
Yes, more so than the ferry or a minibus. You control the stops, and the karst cliffs around Phang Nga and the cave temple near it both work well as a leg stretch partway through the three hours rather than sitting through the whole distance in one go.
More Phuket car hire options
Set your dates and take the mainland road
Confirm mainland driving with the supplier, then pick a car below for the run over Sarasin Bridge to Krabi.
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