Phi Phi airport does not exist. Koh Phi Phi has no runway, so every trip to the island starts at Phuket International Airport (HKT) or Krabi International Airport (KBV) and ends on a boat to Tonsai Pier. Backpack Bob says there is no flat land on the island for an airport. This guide compares both routes, with combined van-and-ferry tickets from ฿450 on 12Go, and shows how to match your flight to a boat.
Fares and times come from the 12Go airport pages checked on 30 October 2026, with detail from Amazing Lanta, Uncharted Lens and Wikipedia's pages on Phuket and Krabi airports. If you searched for a Phi Phi island airport, note that 12Go tags Koh Phi Phi as “PHZ” on its Krabi pages, which can look like an airport code. The island itself has no airport.
- Phi Phi airport
- None
- Closest airport
- Krabi (KBV)
- Busiest airport
- Phuket (HKT)
- From Krabi
- ฿450
- From Phuket
- ฿600
- Phuket trip
- About 4 h
What is the best Phi Phi airport route?
There is no Phi Phi airport, so fly into Krabi if the fares are similar, because the pier is closer and 12Go lists tickets from ฿450. If you land in Phuket, book one combined van-and-ferry ticket, which 12Go lists from ฿600, and plan about four hours door to door. Land before midday either way, because the last boats leave in the afternoon.
Phi Phi Airport: Why Koh Phi Phi Has No Airport
Wikipedia places Ko Phi Phi Don in Krabi province, lists about 2,500 residents in 2018 and mentions a 20 baht fee paid on arrival at Ton Sai Pier. Amazing Lanta confirms that Koh Phi Phi has no airport and names Krabi and Phuket as the nearest two, with combined airport-to-island tickets sold online.
So a Phi Phi airport transfer always has two parts, a road leg from the airport to a mainland pier and a boat across to Tonsai. Our Phi Phi island ferry overview explains every boat route, and the Koh Phi Phi guide covers the island once you land.
Phi Phi Airport Options: Krabi vs Phuket Compared
The two Phi Phi airport options serve very different volumes. Krabi is smaller and closer to the island, while Phuket is far busier and offers a wider choice of flights, so the best choice often comes down to the airfare.
| Krabi (KBV) | Phuket (HKT) | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Nuea Khlong, about 7 km east of Krabi town | Mai Khao, about 32 km north of Phuket Town |
| Passengers, 2025 | About 3.05 million | About 17.47 million |
| Usual pier | Klong Jilad (Ao Nam Mao for some speedboats) | Rassada |
| 12Go trips, 1–7 Nov | 82, from ฿450 to ฿9,375 | 116, from ฿600 to ฿1,960 |
| 12Go rating | 4.4 from 1,360 reviews | 4.6 from 4,661 reviews |
| 12Go door-to-door | 1 to 5 hours, fastest 50 min | About 4 hours (cards: 2 h 45 to 4 h) |
Backpack Bob, writing in April 2020, calls Krabi the closer option at about two hours and Phuket at least four hours away, though Phuket has lower fares and more flights. 12Go gives the distance as 42 km from Krabi and 163 km from Phuket on the outbound pages, but 75 km and 150 km on the return pages, so treat the figures as rough.
Phi Phi Airport Transfer from Phuket: The Rassada Pier Route
Phuket is the busiest Phi Phi airport gateway, and its boats leave from Rassada Pier, about 40 km from the terminal. Uncharted Lens gives 30 to 40 minutes by taxi in normal traffic, and shared minibuses take 45 to 60 minutes with stops. Roads along Wiset Road jam at 7–9 AM and 4–7 PM. Backpack Bob expects the boat to take about two and a half hours, so the whole trip is about four hours.
| Airport to Rassada | Cost (฿) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metered taxi | 500–700 | Insist on the meter |
| Fixed-price taxi booth | 600–800 | Official counter in arrivals |
| Private minivan (8–10 people) | 1,500–2,500 | Book ahead in peak season |
| Airport bus (S1) | 100 | Then a tuk-tuk from Phuket Town |
| Phuket Smart Bus | 200 per person | Shared |
| Private shared van | 250–300 per person | Shared |
Most travelers skip the separate taxi and buy a combined ticket. 12Go's Phuket Airport page lists 116 trips from ฿600 to ฿1,960 for 1 to 7 November 2026, but read the pickup point on each one. The first cards are hotel-pickup tickets from Patong rather than the airport itself.
| Ticket | Starts at | Time | 12Go fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van + speedboat, Bundhaya | Patong hotel transfer | 2 h 45 | From ฿841 |
| Van + speedboat, Chaokoh | Patong hotel transfer | 12:00 → 14:45 | ฿840 |
| Van + ferry, Chaokoh | Patong hotel transfer | 4 h | From ฿600 |
| Ferry + van, PP Cabana Express | Phuket Airport | 13:30, fastest 3 h 15 | ฿1,050 |
12Go's fact box attributes only one departure a day to the airport, a 13:30 ferry-and-van at ฿1,050, which does not match the 116 trips above. Hotel-pickup tickets from Patong are usually the cheapest, so if you land at Phuket Airport, ask the seller where the van collects you. One September 2026 reviewer on a van-and-ferry ticket said 12Go confirmed a different pickup point and they had to go back to their hotel.
Compare Phuket Airport to Phi Phi tickets
See live departures, pickup points and fares, then book a combined ticket.
Reviews on that page are positive. A reviewer in October 2026 said the staff loaded luggage and the boat was not full, and another said low tide meant a changeover to a smaller boat near the island. Our Phuket to Phi Phi guide covers Rassada Pier and the boats in more detail.
Phi Phi Airport Transfer from Krabi: The Klong Jilad Route
Krabi is the closest Phi Phi airport. A minivan or taxi takes you from the terminal to Klong Jilad Pier, where the ferry leaves for Phi Phi, says Amazing Lanta. The distance to the pier is disputed. Backpack Bob says 15 to 20 minutes, while Uncharted Lens gives about 35 km and 40 to 50 minutes of driving, so allow up to an hour.
Uncharted Lens lists a shared shuttle at ฿200–฿300 per person, a pre-booked private transfer at ฿700–฿1,000 per car, an airport-desk taxi at ฿800–฿1,200 and a larger van for 6 to 10 people at ฿1,500–฿2,500. Shared shuttles reportedly run from about 8 AM to 6 PM.
| Boat | Departures from Krabi |
|---|---|
| High-speed ferry | 09:00, 13:00, 13:30, 15:00 |
| Speedboat | 09:15, 10:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 15:00 |
| Standard class | 09:00, 10:30, 13:30 |
| Express | 07:30, 12:00 |
| Ferry + van from the airport | 09:30, 14:00 |
| Taxi + ferry | 09:00, 14:00 |
| Minivan + ferry | 10:30 |
12Go's Krabi Airport page lists 82 trips from ฿450 to ฿9,375. Its cards show a Songserm high-speed ferry from Klong Jilad in 2 hours from ฿527, an Urip Travel ferry at 10:30 arriving 12:30 for ฿450, and a Railay Eco Tour speedboat from Ao Nam Mao pier at 15:00 arriving 16:15 for ฿869. Combined tickets in the page text run from ฿450 to ฿800 for van and ferry, ฿501 to ฿1,400 for taxi and ferry, and ฿790 for the airport ferry-and-van.
Reviews are mixed. One August 2026 reviewer on a speedboat reached Phi Phi in about 45 minutes, while a July 2026 reviewer booked a trip listed at an hour and a half that took 2 hours 20. Another reviewer said nobody was waiting at the airport and the driver arrived late.
Compare Krabi Airport to Phi Phi tickets
See live departures, piers and fares, then book your ferry.
For the full pier-by-pier picture, see our Krabi to Phi Phi guide, or the Ao Nang to Phi Phi guide if you spend a night on the coast first.
Phi Phi Airport Transfers: When Should Your Flight Land?
Ferries run only in the daytime and the last boats leave in the afternoon, so your flight time decides which Phi Phi airport route works. By the figures below, you need to land by about 11:15 to 12:15 for Krabi, and to be out of the Phuket airport building by about 11:20.
| Krabi | Phuket | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest departure, 12Go fact box | 15:15 | 13:30 |
| Buffer advised | Land 3–4 hours before the ferry | Be at the pier 90 minutes before departure |
| Road leg | 40–60 min | 30–40 min |
| Our arithmetic | Land by about 11:15–12:15 | Leave the airport by about 11:20 |
These are our calculations, not a timetable. The 12Go reviewer who sailed from Rassada advised arriving 45 minutes early, which is shorter than Uncharted Lens's 90 minutes, so check your own ticket. Backpack Bob in 2020 gave last boats of 3 PM from Phuket and 3:30 PM from Krabi, but that is old.
If your flight lands late, spend a night on the mainland and sail in the morning. Uncharted Lens suggests Ao Nang as a fallback, and the best time to visit Phi Phi guide explains why rough seas can cancel boats in the wet season. The Thaiger reported on 13 January 2025 that officials temporarily banned swimming and tourist boats at Phi Phi because of rough seas.
Phi Phi Airport Transfers on Departure Day
The reverse trip works the same way. 12Go lists 108 trips from Phi Phi to Phuket Airport at ฿600 to ฿2,153 and 60 trips to Krabi Airport at ฿450 to ฿1,942 for 1 to 7 November 2026. Cards show a Chaokoh van-and-ferry to Phuket Airport in 3 hours 30 from ฿708, a Songserm high-speed ferry to Klong Jilad in 2 hours from ฿527, and an Urip Travel ferry leaving at 13:30 and arriving 15:30 for ฿450.
| Route | 12Go trips | Fares | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phi Phi → Phuket Airport | 108 | ฿600–฿2,153 | Van + ferry 3 h 30 from ฿708 |
| Phi Phi → Krabi Airport | 60 | ฿450–฿1,942 | Ferry 2 h from ฿450 to Klong Jilad |
A 13:30 boat reaches Klong Jilad at 15:30, and the drive to the airport comes after that, so a same-day evening flight is a gamble. Take a morning boat, or sleep on the mainland the night before. You can search Phi Phi to Phuket Airport or Phi Phi to Krabi Airport on 12Go.
Phi Phi Airport Transfer Tips: Pickups, Low Tide and Delays
- Book ahead in high season. Uncharted Lens says transfers sell out from November to April, and combined tickets can save money.
- Check the pickup point. 12Go's airport pages mix airport and hotel pickups, and two reviewers described mix-ups.
- Expect a longer trip. One reviewer's 2 hours became 2 hours 45 because the boat toured Phi Phi Leh, so do not book a flight on the same day.
- Low tide means a transfer. A reviewer in October 2026 changed to a smaller boat to land near the island.
- Delays. If your flight is late, tell the transfer company at once. Uncharted Lens says private companies often track flights.
- Luggage. Uncharted Lens calls luggage storage at Klong Jilad Pier basic and says Phuket Airport charges about ฿100 a day, so keep valuables with you.
- Fees. Sources disagree on the arrival fee, from ฿20 to ฿400, as our Ao Nang guide explains. Keep ฿400 in cash.
- Onboard offers. One reviewer said staff pushed tours and transfers on the boat, so decline what you did not book.
Planning where to sleep? Our guide to where to stay in Phi Phi compares the areas.
Phi Phi Airport FAQ
Is there a Phi Phi airport?
No. Koh Phi Phi has no airport, and Backpack Bob says the island has no flat land for one. You fly into Phuket or Krabi and take a boat.
Which Phi Phi airport is closest?
Krabi (KBV) is the closest Phi Phi airport. Its pier is nearer and 12Go lists the shortest door-to-door trips from there. Phuket (HKT) is busier but the trip takes about four hours.
How long is the Phi Phi airport transfer from Phuket?
About four hours door to door on 12Go, with a 30 to 40 minute drive to Rassada Pier and a boat of around two to two and a half hours.
How long is the Phi Phi airport transfer from Krabi?
12Go says 1 to 5 hours depending on the ticket. A ferry from Klong Jilad takes about two hours, and a speedboat from Ao Nam Mao took 1 hour 15 on the sample card.
How much is a Phi Phi airport transfer?
On 12Go the airport routes start at ฿450 from Krabi and ฿600 from Phuket for 1 to 7 November 2026. Prices vary by ticket type, so check the live price.
Can I buy one ticket for the Phi Phi airport transfer?
Yes. 12Go sells combined van-and-ferry and taxi-and-ferry tickets. Read the pickup point first, because some tickets collect from hotels instead of the airport.
What time should my flight land for a Phi Phi airport transfer?
By our arithmetic, land by about 11:15 to 12:15 for Krabi, or be out of the Phuket airport by about 11:20. A later flight usually means a night on the mainland.
Can I do the Phi Phi airport transfer in reverse on my flight day?
Yes, but take a morning boat. A 13:30 ferry reaches Klong Jilad at 15:30, and the airport drive comes after that.
Ready to book your Phi Phi airport transfer?
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Photo credits: International Terminal of HKT by MNXANL (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons); Krabi Airport Terminal by Wutkh (CC0, Wikimedia Commons); Tonsai Pier by Christophe95 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons).
Disclosure: InsideSamui may earn a commission when you book through some of the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This guide is compiled from published park, operator and traveler information, checked on 30 October 2026. We have not run these trips ourselves for this page. Prices, schedules, fees and rules around Koh Phi Phi change often, so confirm with your operator before you travel. Ticket sales are handled by 12Go.