Krabi national park fees: what island visits really cost

There is no single national park fee for Krabi, but several fees depending on protected area and destination. If a tour visits several areas, you may pay several entries. Foreign adults generally pay more than Thai nationals, and lower rates usually apply to children.

The orders of magnitude most recently reported for foreign adults: around 300 THB for Hong Island, around 300 THB in Phang Nga Bay (James Bond Island), around 400 THB for Phi Phi and Maya Bay. For the classic 4 Islands (Poda, Chicken, Tup and surroundings), sources variously state 200 or 400 THB. These figures are not fixed prices – check the current amounts.

Because amounts, assignments and rules can change, the most reliable answer is always the current information from the national park authority or your operator shortly before your date.

Several protected areas lie around Krabi, each charging its own fees. The following assignment is the common one; for borderline cases the authority or your operator decides which entry applies to your route.

Secondary sources give the following picture for foreign visitors: about 300 THB for adults is reported for Hong Island, often about half for children. For Phi Phi and Maya Bay the reported amounts are about 400 THB. For the 4 Islands, both 200 and 400 THB circulate. For Phang Nga Bay our sources report about 300 THB, as in our article on film locations.

We do not want to create false precision here. The sources come from operator and travel sites, not from an official fee list available at any time, and some are older. The primary source is the national park authority (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation); the current rates apply there or on site.

For your budget this means: plan a buffer per person in the low to mid hundreds of baht per protected area, and count several areas per day separately. That is a planning figure, not a binding price.

There are several reasons why two blogs quote different amounts for the same island. First, the assignment of islands to areas is described differently: whoever says “4 Islands” means slightly different stops depending on the operator. Second, prices differ for foreigners, Thais, adults and children, and many texts mention only one.

Third, fees get revised and old figures stay online for years. Fourth, an operator may round, bundle or add an extra service item. And fifth, some things depend on special rules, for example at Maya Bay, where access and rules are regulated separately.

This leads to the simplest rule: do not rely on a single number, ask your operator which fees it expects for your route and whether they are included in its price.

It is usual for national park fees to be paid in cash at a ticket counter or by the operator’s staff. Card payment is not reliably available on the islands. If you have to pay the fee yourself, bring enough baht in cash, ideally in small notes.

If the operator pays the fee, this should be stated in the booking confirmation. If in doubt, ask for the receipt or ticket: the fee funds the protection of the areas, and a receipt creates clarity.

Watch out for two misunderstandings. “Included” may cover only part of the route, for example just one national park. And “plus national park fees” without an amount is an open bill: ask for the expected total for your group.

We state national park fees in the inclusion list of each tour. They are explicitly listed for Hong Lagoons (from 21,500 THB), Phang Nga Uncharted (from 26,000 THB), Phi Phi Early Bird (from 28,500 THB), Koh Rok Safari (from 32,000 THB) and James Bond Bay (from 24,000 THB). All prices apply per boat for up to 5 guests.

For the other tours – for example sunset, plankton, family or fishing tours – the item is not in the inclusion list. Please have it confirmed in your enquiry whether an entry fee applies for your route and who bears it. That way there is no surprise at the pier.

In practice: because our price applies per boat, the calculation stays clear even with entry fees. You compare your group’s total price, not individual items.

National parks are not always accessible. Some areas are seasonally restricted or temporarily closed, for example for nature protection or because of weather. According to reports, Koh Rok and Koh Haa are usually not or only partly accessible during the rainy season; check the current dates before booking.

Maya Bay has special rules on visit length, access and behaviour. They change from time to time, so we do not cover them here but in our article on Phi Phi and Maya Bay in the early morning. In general the rules in the parks are: take nothing, do not feed animals, do not touch corals, take your rubbish back with you.

These rules protect the areas where our tours take place. For us they are part of a good private charter – calm visits, fewer crowds and no burden on the reef.

Numbers only help once you translate them into your own day. Take a group of five adult guests and a tour that touches only one protected area. At a most recently reported fee of about 300 THB per person that would be 1,500 THB, at about 400 THB it would be 2,000 THB. If the route visits two areas, the item roughly doubles. These are worked examples with guide values, not a commitment.

The effect is often invisible on shared tours because a low entry price is quoted and the fee is added at the pier. With a private charter priced per boat you can compare cleanly: the group’s total price, plus entry where applicable, plus food and drinks. Lay the lines side by side and you see what is really included.

Children are also worth a look: sources often mention reduced rates for them, frequently about half. From which age or height a child rate applies can differ. Ask about this for your family before you withdraw cash.

National park fees are part of protecting these areas: among other things they are meant to help fund the running, monitoring and upkeep of the parks. How exactly they are used is for the authority to decide; we give no figures on this. What is certain: islands like the Hong lagoon or Phang Nga Bay stay beautiful only if visitors behave considerately.

A few simple rules apply. Leave no rubbish behind, not even small wrappers. Do not touch or stand on corals, use reef-friendly sunscreen where possible and do not feed animals. In lagoons and caves keep your distance from rocks and marine life and follow the instructions of rangers and your captain.

A private charter with a small group makes this easier: with a maximum of five guests the impact on a bay is lower than with a boat carrying dozens of people, and we can choose times when it is quieter. You will find more tips in our packing list and etiquette guide for your boat day.

These points help you avoid surprises with national park fees: