Phang Nga Bay Islands

Phang Nga Bay is located between Phuket and Krabi and has a similar climate, with average temperatures of about 24° C to 32° C, all year round. The best time to visit the bay and islands is between November and March, when the humidity is lower and the average temperature is 28° C. Phang Nga is well sheltered from waves also during the rain season, from early May until November, consequently the sea inside the bay is generally calm all year round.

Phang Nga Bay is located about 745 km, from Bangkok. The seaside resort do not has its own airport, accordingly to reach the bay from Bangkok you can choose between two options of travel, one that provides the use of aircraft to approach and then the buses to complete the journey, and one, more economical, which provides the use of the bus for all the trip. Phuket International Airport is located in the north of the island, 32 km from the centre of Phuket Town. Government buses start from the Arrivals Terminal of the airport and arrive at the old Bus Teminal 1 in Phuket Town, on the Phang Nga Road. Note that they do not stop at the new Bus Terminal 2, on the Thepkasatri Road. The fare is 100 baht for a journey of about an hour and twenty minutes. The timetable is: from the airport at 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 14:30, 16:00, 18:30, 20:00, to the airport at 07:00, 08:00, 10:30, 13:00, 14:30, 16:30, 18:30. Outside the airport there are taxis and limousines that will carry you to the bus terminals, approximately 400-500 THB for a 40-minute trip. Phuket has two bus terminal, the old Terminal 1, with local bus departures, and the new Terminal 2, from which depart most of the buses useful for tourists, other seaside resorts and cities of all Thailand. The Bus Terminal 2 is located on Thepkasatri Road, the main road leading out of Phuket Town, between Mission Hospital and Supercheap shop. It is a station recently built, and manages all passengers coming to and leaving from the island. From this terminal there are at least 50 daily departures to Phang Nga Town, 86 km away. The trip takes about an hour and costs from 100 to 150 THB depending on the bus class. Krabi International Airport is located 15 km from the centre of Krabi. There is an air-conditioned bus service connecting the airport to Krabi centre, the rate is 90 THB. The economic song-thaews pass on the main road, outside the airport, and allow reaching Krabi and its bus terminal with a modest price of 30-50 THB. The Krabi Provincial Transport Station is the main bus station in Krabi province. It is located in Tambon Pak Nam, near the Ban Talat Kao Food & Market, about 4 km from the center of Krabi Town. The terminal is the point of arrival and departure of almost all long-distance buses, from Bangkok and neighbouring provinces, as well as all minivans from and to seaside resorts in Southern Thailand. From the terminal there are at least 20 daily departures to Phang Nga, 85 km away. The trip takes about an hour and costs from 100 to 150 THB depending on the bus class.

Despite the long distance between Phang Nga Bay and Bangkok many tourists choose buses to get to Phang Nga. Buses are much cheaper of flights, two or three times less, and are a good alternative in high season, when flights to Phuket and Krabi are full and hard to find if not booked in advance, and travelling during the night allow recovering the excess time respect to flights. The VIP buses, with few comfortable seats, toilet and air conditioning, and first-class buses connect Phang Nga to Bangkok and the other main seaside resorts of southern Thailand. From Bangkok the buses to Phang Nga depart from Southern Bus Terminal, also named Sai Tai Mai Taling Chan or more simply Sai Tai Mai. Departures are usually concentrated in the late evening, in order to face the long journey at night. The trip takes about 12 hours and costs from 600 to 900 THB depending on the bus class. You can buy tickets directly at the departure terminal or at any travel agency, prices are not negotiable. Note that most of the buses to Phuket pass and make a stop at Phang Nga Town. Sai Tai Mai terminal is quite far from the city centre. There are not subway stations, MRT, nearby. The nearest station of Skytrain, BTS, is Bang Wa, 14 km away. One option to reach the terminal is to use public buses, but the bus lines in Bangkok are difficult to understand by tourists. In conclusion, for the majority of foreigners in Bangkok, boarding a metered taxi is probably the best choice to get to and from Southern Bus Station. Taxis in Bangkok are a convenient and economical method of moving. A taxi ride from Khao San Road or Dusit area, 18 km away, costs about 100-150 THB, a twenty-minute journey.