How to Drive from Phuket to Ao Nang
Ao Nang is about 170 to 180 km from Phuket Town, roughly two and a half to three hours by car: over the Sarasin bridge, east on Highway 4 through Phang Nga towards Krabi, then down to the coast. A rental car can make the trip if leaving the island is agreed with us in chat first.
Updated 1 October 2026
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How do you drive from Phuket to Ao Nang?
Leave Phuket by the Sarasin bridge, the only road off the island, follow road 402 to the junction with Highway 4 and turn east. The highway runs through Phang Nga towards Krabi. Ao Nang sits on the coast about 12 km from Krabi Town, and near Krabi the signs for Ao Nang take you off the highway and down to the sea.
How long it takes
Allow two and a half to three hours from Phuket Town. Starting from Patong, Kata or Rawai, add the time it takes to cross the island to the bridge: in morning traffic that is the slowest part of the whole drive.
Where do you park in Ao Nang?
Parking is easier at the edges than on the busy beachfront strip. Nopparat Thara, the long beach next to Ao Nang, has free parking along most of its beach road and a large national park car park at the western end near the park office.
On the central strip, hotel parking is the reliable option, so ask your hotel before you arrive whether it has a space for a car.
How do you get from Ao Nang to Railay?
By boat only: there is no road to Railay Beach. Longtail boats leave from the Ao Nang beachfront, where the ticket booth stands on the beach road, and there is a second ticket counter at the end of Nopparat Thara beach. The car stays parked on the mainland while you are on the water.
Fares and the time of the last boat back change with the season and the weather. Check them at the booth when you arrive, and plan the return before you leave the car.
Day trip or overnight?
A day trip works but it is long: five to six hours of driving there and back leaves only a short afternoon on the beach. A night in Ao Nang turns it into an easy trip, with the drive home in daylight the next day.
Going for the day? Start early and aim to be back over the Sarasin bridge before dark. Parts of the mainland highway are unlit, and the last hour of a long day is the one where tiredness shows.
For a night or two, Ao Nang works well as a base: Railay by boat, Nopparat Thara next door, and Krabi Town a short drive away for a market or an evening out.
TipStop for a break around Phang Nga in each direction. It is roughly halfway and splits the drive into two easy legs.
What do you pass on the way?
Phang Nga is where the limestone hills begin, and the turn for Phang Nga Bay is on this road. Beyond the town the highway runs through the Ao Luek area towards Krabi, with long straight sections and a few towns where the speed drops.
A break around Phang Nga splits the drive into two legs of similar length. Petrol stations sit along the highway, but fill up before the Sarasin bridge anyway, so the first leg starts with a full tank.
Which car suits the trip?
Any class handles it, because the road is sealed main highway all the way and Ao Nang has no steep access roads to worry about. Two people with light bags are fine in one of the economy cars.
Four adults with luggage for a night or two travel better in one of the crossovers or 7-seaters: more room for bags, and a quieter cabin on the highway. Name the plan when you pick the class, so the car you get matches the trip.
What to agree before you go
Leaving Phuket in a rental car is fine when it is agreed in chat before the trip, so mention Ao Nang when you book. Bring the documents you would carry on the island: passport, national driving licence and an International Driving Permit. If two of you will share the wheel, add the second driver before the trip, not on the road.
Send your dates, the pickup place and your plan to drive to Ao Nang on WhatsApp, or use the booking form. The car comes to airport arrivals, a hotel or a villa, with the total for your dates agreed in chat.
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Common questions
How long is the drive from Phuket to Ao Nang?
About two and a half to three hours from Phuket Town for roughly 170 to 180 km. From the beaches in the south of the island, add the time to cross Phuket to the Sarasin bridge.
Can I take a rental car from Phuket to Ao Nang?
Yes, if leaving the island is agreed with us in chat before the trip, so mention Ao Nang when you book. The delivery place and the total for your dates are confirmed in the same chat.
Is it safe to drive from Phuket to Ao Nang?
Yes. It is sealed main road most of the way. Drive it in daylight and take a break around Phang Nga; the risks are tiredness and unlit stretches after dark, not the road itself.
Where do I leave the car to take the boat to Railay?
On the mainland: in hotel parking in Ao Nang, or along the beach road at Nopparat Thara, where parking is free along most of the beach. Boats leave from the Ao Nang beachfront and from the end of Nopparat Thara beach.
Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive to Ao Nang?
Yes. Carry your passport, national driving licence and an International Driving Permit on the mainland just as on the island.
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