💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Krabi: the longtail boats with their price boards and minimum loads, the park fees that tours may or may not include, and the islands where cash machines are scarce. For Thailand-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
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Order THB → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Krabi?
Yes, a good deal of it. Krabi is not one place but a province of beaches, islands and a peninsula without roads, and the money gets less plastic the further you travel from the mainland. Resorts and the bigger restaurants in Ao Nang take cards, but the boats, the park kiosks, the night markets and the songthaews all want baht. Plan on 1,500 to 2,500 baht a day in cash, more on days with boat trips.
Where You Will Need Cash
Longtail boats from Ao Nang, Nopparat Thara and Ao Nam Mao to Railay and the islands. National park fees collected at piers and beaches. Songthaews, the shared pick-up trucks between Krabi Town and Ao Nang. Night markets in Krabi Town and Ao Nang. Scooter rental, where deposits and daily rates are usually cash. Massage shops, beach vendors and small restaurants. Railay, Phi Phi and the smaller islands, where machines are few and card terminals depend on a signal.
Where Cards Work Fine
Resorts and hotels in Ao Nang, Klong Muang and Tubkaek. Larger restaurants on Ao Nang's beach road. 7-Eleven and the supermarkets in Krabi Town. Tour agencies selling island trips and ferry tickets, often with a card surcharge. Dive shops. Ride-hail apps where drivers are available. Compared with Phuket, Krabi is smaller, quieter and more dependent on boats, which is why it is more dependent on cash.
Paying by Card in Krabi
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at hotels, dive shops and the more established restaurants; American Express much less. Many small businesses that do take cards add a surcharge of around 3 percent to cover their bank's fee, so ask before you tap. When a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and choose baht.
Ao Nang beach road
The main resort strip, lined with restaurants, tour agencies, massage shops and minimarts. Restaurants and agencies mostly take cards, sometimes with a surcharge. The longtail ticket booth on the beach, the street stalls and the massage shops take cash. This is also where most of the province's ATMs and exchange booths are.
Krabi Town & Chao Fah pier
The provincial capital on the river, where locals live and prices fall by half. The weekend walking street market and the riverside night market are cash. Bank branches line the main roads, and the Chao Fah pier sells boats to the mangroves and to Railay for cash.
Railay West & East
A peninsula cut off by limestone cliffs and reached only by boat. The resorts and some restaurants take cards; the bars, the climbing shops and the small stalls prefer baht, and terminals fail when the signal does. There are only a handful of machines for thousands of daily visitors.
Klong Muang & Tubkaek
Quieter resort beaches north of Ao Nang where the large hotels are self-contained and everything goes on the room bill. The cash need is transport: songthaews do not run here, so you are relying on the hotel shuttle, a taxi or a scooter.
Koh Lanta
A long island reached by ferry or by road with two short car ferries. Saladan, the main village, has banks and card-friendly restaurants; the beaches further south have fewer machines, and bungalow resorts on the quieter stretches are often cash-leaning.
Koh Phi Phi Don
The main Phi Phi island, reached by ferry and without cars. Bars, dive shops and restaurants in Tonsai village take cards at varying surcharges; the food stalls, longtail rides and many guesthouses want baht. The island's machines are busy and are not a plan.
Longtail Boats: The Price Board, the Minimum Load and the Surcharge
The wooden longtail boat is Krabi's bus, taxi and tour vehicle, and its pricing follows rules that nobody explains until you are standing on the sand with a bag.
Fares are posted, and they are per person. On Ao Nang beach the boatmen work through a ticket booth with a price board listing the fare to Railay and the nearby islands. Buy the ticket at the booth, in cash, and you are allocated to the next boat. The same is true at Nopparat Thara pier and Ao Nam Mao, which serves Railay East.
Boats leave when they are full. A longtail typically waits for a minimum number of passengers, often six to eight, before it goes. Early in the morning or late in the day you may wait a long time, or be offered the option of paying the empty seats yourself. Travelling as a couple after dark, that can multiply the fare.
Evenings and low tide cost more, or at least wetter. Fares rise after sunset. At low tide the boats cannot reach the beach on Railay East, and you wade through shallow water with your luggage, so keep phones and cash in a dry bag.
Charters are negotiated. Hiring a whole longtail for a day of islands is common and good value for a group. Agree the route, the hours, whether national park fees are included, and the total, before you board. Pay the balance at the end, in cash.
National Park Fees: Who Collects Them and When
Much of Krabi's coast and most of its famous islands sit inside national parks, and those parks charge foreign visitors an entry fee that is several times the Thai rate. The fee is legitimate. The confusion is over who collects it.
Tours may or may not include it. A four-islands trip, a Hong islands trip or a day to Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay will pass through park waters, and the fee per adult can run to several hundred baht. Some operators build it into the ticket; others advertise a lower price and a ranger or crew member collects the fee in cash at the first stop. Ask “park fee included?” before you pay.
Keep the ticket. The park issues a paper ticket or wristband, often valid for the day across the park's sites. Hold on to it; you may be asked again at a second beach.
Island fees are separate. On top of park entry, some islands charge a small arrival or cleaning fee at the pier, collected in cash from each passenger stepping off the ferry. Inland, the forest parks at the Emerald Pool and the hot springs charge their own entry at the gate, again in baht.
ATMs in Krabi
The Thailand guide explains the flat 220-baht fee that every Thai machine charges a foreign card. In Krabi it shapes where you withdraw: do it rarely, do it on the mainland, and do it at a bank.
Look for these logos. All charge the 220-baht fee; bank branches are the most reliable.
Bangkok Bank
Kasikornbank
Krungthai
SCBATM Locations
Ao Nang has machines every few hundred metres along the beach road and outside the 7-Elevens. Krabi Town has full bank branches with machines on its main streets and at the shopping centres on the edge of town. Railay has a small number of machines, which can run out or go offline at busy times. Phi Phi Don has machines in Tonsai village with the same problem. The airport's machines are covered in the Krabi Airport guide. Thailand has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
The Exchange Booth Alternative
Licensed money-exchange booths in Ao Nang and Krabi Town often give a rate close to the ATM's once you account for the 220-baht fee, particularly for larger sums. If you carry clean US dollar or euro notes, compare the posted rate at two booths before using a machine. Avoid the counters in resort lobbies, which pay noticeably less.
⚠ The Island Machine That Offers Your Currency
Several of the machines on Railay and Phi Phi are independent units that, on top of the 220-baht fee, offer to convert the withdrawal into your home currency at their own rate. Decline, choose baht, and if the total shown looks wrong, cancel. Better still, arrive on the island with enough baht that you never need them. The DCC explainer shows how the conversion offer is priced.
Paying for Songthaews, Taxis, Ferries and Scooters
Songthaews
The white shared pick-up trucks run between Krabi Town, Nopparat Thara and Ao Nang along a fixed route, flagged down anywhere and paid in cash to the driver when you get off. Fares are low for the shared ride and rise after dark. Pay with small notes; a 1,000-baht note causes a problem.
Taxis and Ride-Hail
Taxis in Krabi work from stands and hotel desks at fixed prices and mostly take cash. Grab and Bolt operate and bill your card, but drivers are fewer than in Phuket or Bangkok, particularly late at night and outside Ao Nang, so do not count on a car appearing in minutes.
Ferries to Phi Phi and Lanta
Ferries and speedboats to Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta leave from Klong Jilad pier near Krabi Town and, in season, from Ao Nang. Tickets are sold through agencies and hotels, often including a pick-up, by card with a surcharge or in cash. Ask whether the island arrival fee is included.
Scooter Rental
Scooters rent by the day in Ao Nang and on Lanta, paid in cash. Shops ask for a deposit; offer cash rather than your passport, check the bike for existing damage with photographs before you ride, and confirm your travel insurance covers you, which often requires a valid motorcycle licence.
Tipping in Krabi
Tipping in Thailand is appreciated rather than required, and it is always in cash. Restaurants: leave the coins from the change, or 20 to 50 baht in a sit-down place without a service charge. Longtail boatmen and island tour crews: 50 to 100 baht per person after a good day. Massage: 50 to 100 baht for an hour. Dive and climbing guides: a larger tip at the end of a course. Hotels and upmarket restaurants often add a 10 percent service charge, in which case nothing more is expected.
Prices in Krabi
Krabi Town is cheap; Ao Nang is resort-priced; Railay and Phi Phi add an island premium because everything arrives by boat.
| Item | Price (THB) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Pad thai at a night market | THB 50–80 | $1.40–2.20 |
| Meal at an Ao Nang restaurant | THB 200–450 | $5.60–12.50 |
| Large Chang beer in a bar | THB 90–150 | $2.50–4.20 |
| Songthaew Krabi Town to Ao Nang | THB 60–100 | $1.70–2.80 |
| Longtail Ao Nang to Railay, per person | THB 100–200 | $2.80–5.60 |
| Four-islands longtail tour | THB 400–900 | $11–25 |
| National park fee, foreign adult | THB 200–400 | $5.60–11 |
| Ferry Krabi to Phi Phi, one way | THB 400–600 | $11–17 |
| Scooter rental per day | THB 200–300 | $5.60–8.30 |
| One-hour Thai massage | THB 300–500 | $8.30–14 |
| ATM fee per withdrawal | THB 220 | $6.10 |
| Mid-range resort night, Ao Nang | THB 1,500–3,500 | $42–97 |
USD estimates use approximately $1 = THB 36. Rates fluctuate. Boat and park prices rise in high season, November to April.
Day Trips from Krabi
Hong Islands (longtail or speedboat)
A lagoon inside a limestone island and a string of sandbars north of Ao Nang. Tours booked at an agency are paid by card or cash; confirm the park fee is included. There is nothing to buy on the islands beyond a drinks stall, so bring water and cash.
Emerald Pool and the Hot Springs (about 90 minutes by road)
A forest pool and natural hot springs inland, usually combined on one tour with the Tiger Cave Temple. Entry to each site is charged at the gate in cash at the foreign rate. If you go with a driver rather than a tour, budget for the entries on top.
Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea)
More than 1,200 steps to a hilltop Buddha and a view over the province. Entry is free, donations welcome in the boxes. The vendors at the bottom sell water for cash, and the troops of monkeys are more interested in your bag than your money.
Koh Phi Phi (about 90 minutes by ferry)
Possible as a day trip, better as a night or two. Budget for the ferry, the island arrival fee, a longtail to Maya Bay with its park fee, and cash for lunch. Arrive with your baht, because the island's machines are the most expensive and least reliable place in Krabi to find it.
Krabi Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Nang resorts and restaurants | ✅ Mostly | Baht for extras | Watch for a card surcharge |
| Longtail boats | ❌ Cash | THB 100–200 each way | Leave when full |
| National park fees | ❌ Cash | THB 200–400 | Ask if the tour includes it |
| Songthaews | ❌ Cash | Small notes | Fixed route Town to Ao Nang |
| Railay and Phi Phi | ✅ Sometimes / ❌ often | Bring baht with you | Few, unreliable machines |
| Island tours and ferries | ✅ Agencies | Crew tips | Surcharges on cards |
| ATMs | 220 THB each time | Withdraw large amounts | Mainland bank machines |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash in Krabi?
Yes. Resorts and larger restaurants take cards, but longtail boats, national park fees, songthaews, night markets, scooter rental and most things on Railay and the islands are paid in baht. Plan on 1,500 to 2,500 baht a day in cash, and more on boat-trip days.
How much is the longtail boat from Ao Nang to Railay?
Roughly 100 to 200 baht per person each way, bought for cash at the ticket booth on Ao Nang beach, with a higher fare after dark. Boats leave once they have a minimum number of passengers, so early or late you may wait or be asked to pay for the empty seats.
Are national park fees included in Krabi island tours?
Sometimes. Four-islands, Hong islands and Phi Phi trips pass through national parks that charge foreign visitors several hundred baht per adult. Some operators include it in the ticket, others collect it in cash at the first stop. Ask before you pay, and keep the park ticket or wristband for the rest of the day.
Are there ATMs on Railay Beach?
A few, but not many for the number of visitors, and they can run out of cash or go offline in busy periods. Each charges the flat 220-baht foreign-card fee, and some push conversion into your home currency. Withdraw a large amount in Ao Nang or Krabi Town before taking the boat.
How can I avoid the 220-baht ATM fee in Krabi?
You cannot avoid it at the machine, but you can reduce how often you pay it by withdrawing large amounts at once, use a card such as Charles Schwab that refunds ATM fees, or exchange clean US dollar or euro notes at a licensed exchange booth in Ao Nang or Krabi Town, which often compares well once the fee is counted.
Can I pay by card for island tours in Krabi?
Usually at the agency, often with a surcharge of around 3 percent. What you cannot pay by card is what happens on the day: park fees collected at the beach, island arrival fees, drinks stalls and the crew tip. Carry baht in small notes even on a tour you paid for by card.
Pay Smart in Krabi
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate with no markup, which softens the 220-baht fee on a big withdrawal. Use it at mainland bank ATMs, resorts and dive shops, and keep baht for the boats.
Get the Wise Card →Krabi money toolkit
Country-specific deep dives for Krabi: which card to bring, where the no-fee ATMs are at the airport, and how to dodge the local DCC traps.
Hero photo: Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, by Fabio Achilli, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.