By shared speed boat it takes under an hour to travel from Krabi to Koh Yao Yai. Koh Yao Yai is a lesser visited island and well worth the effort it takes to get there.
Ferry Timetable from Krabi to Koh Yao Yai
- Click on the Krabi – Koh Yao Yai link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.
Krabi - Koh Yao Yai ฿ 650–1,500 50m – 5h 30m | |
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Krabi Ferry Pier
Ferry services from Krabi to Koh Yao Yai depart from the floating pier on Railay’s East Beach.
Arrival in Koh Yao Yai
Ferry services from Krabi to Koh Yao Yai terminate at Chong Lard Pier.
About Travel to Koh Yao Yai
Koh Yao Yai means large long island. It’s located in the Andaman Sea roughly halfway between Phuket and Krabi and measures 27 km by 5 km at its widest point. The island is sparsely populated and under developed as a tourist destination compared to other Thai islands such as Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lipe. Not so many tourists come to Koh Yao Yai, and the majority of those that do are on day trips from Phuket and Krabi as the journey by speed boat is relatively quick and cheap. The island’s accommodation is mostly in the medium to expensive price range. The island’s best luxury resort is Santhiya Koh Yao Yai, which looks very similar to the better know hotel they also operate on Thong Nai Pan Noi in Koh Phangan. The cheapest option is Leamlarn Bungalow located right on the southern tip of Koh Yao Yai.

Renting a scooter is a popular option on Koh Yao Yai and it’s one of the safest places in Thailand to travel around by motorbike. The island has a single main road running most of the length of the island with smaller roads, often of lower quality, branching off it to the island’s many beaches. The pace of life is slow on Koh Yao Yai and most of the permanent residents are Muslim, which means that there is little in the way of drinking alcohol outside of the resorts and only a handful of bars clustered around two of the island’s main ferry piers at Ban Chong Lard and Laem Yai. Other enjoyable activities available on the island are kayaking through the mangrove forest, snorkelling at the small neighbour islands of Koh Khai Nok and Koh Khai Nai, and scuba diving at some fantastic nearby dive sites such as Shark Point, Anemone Reef and King Cruiser Wreck. The island’s main scuba diving operator is Elixir Divers.