How much does a private boat tour in Krabi cost?

The most important difference between a group tour and a private charter lies in the pricing logic. On a group tour you pay per head and share the boat with strangers. On a private charter you rent the whole boat including captain and crew for a fixed period – the price applies per boat, whether two or five guests come along.

With us, prices range from 11,500 THB (Railay Escape, 4 hours) to 32,000 THB (Koh Rok Safari, 9 hours), depending on the tour, each per boat for a maximum of 5 guests. The range is wide because duration, distance and inclusions vary a lot: a half-day tour to the nearby islands costs far less than a full day to the distant destinations.

So do not think “price per person” but “price per boat divided by your group”. We do exactly that calculation in a separate section below.

If you ask for a private boat on the beach in Ao Nang, you end up in roughly one of three classes. This is not an official classification but a practical guide.

The classic longtail is the traditional wooden boat with a long propeller shaft. It is usually the cheapest way to have a boat to yourself and can get into very shallow water. In return it is slower, more open and louder – described in detail in our longtail vs speedboat comparison.

The standard speedboat is a fast outboard boat, often with room for larger groups. On shared tours it is frequently 30 to 40 people; as a private charter it is just your group. Equipment varies a lot between operators: shade, seating comfort, safety gear and engine setup differ.

Our boat belongs to the third class: a white hardtop cabin boat with two 300 hp engines, a bench seat and comfortable boat chairs, a rear cockpit and shade from the hardtop cabin, maximum 5 guests. It is a premium concept focused on comfort and calm rather than maximum seat count – and it explains why the price per boat is higher than for a longtail.

Search results show a huge spread for private boats. It comes down to boat class, duration (half day, full day), season, number of islands and what the price includes. A number without those details says little, and operator figures online keep changing.

We therefore stick to a rule of thumb that works in planning: the shorter the trip, the slower the boat and the fewer inclusions, the lower the base price – but the more items get added later. A very low price is therefore not automatically a good offer, and a higher one not automatically a bad one.

So never compare only the headline number but the total cost of your day: boat, captain, fuel, national park fees, food, drinks, snorkel gear and transfer. The next section covers what is most often forgotten.

The typical sticking point with offers is the difference between “boat rented” and “day organised”. Four items are especially often missing from the first price:

National park fees are charged per person and set differently depending on the destination. Some operators bill them separately and have you pay cash on site, others include them. Our article on national park fees in Krabi describes roughly how high they are.

Food and drinks are the second classic: often only water is provided, while lunch or fruit costs extra or must be brought along. Third, snorkel gear is chargeable with some offers or only available in limited sizes. And fourth, the transfer: whether you start at the pier or are picked up at your hotel changes your planning and sometimes the price.

It is also worth asking about fuel and overtime. With many charter models fuel is in the price, but distant destinations or extensions may carry surcharges. Have these points confirmed in writing before you book.

All prices apply per boat for up to 5 guests. According to the inclusion list, the standard services of our tours are the private speedboat with captain, time to snorkel, swim and relax, and the hotel transfer Ao Nang/Krabi. Most island tours add water, soft drinks and fruit; snorkel gear is free and ticked when booking. National park fees are included on the tours where the inclusion list explicitly names them (Hong Lagoons, Phang Nga Uncharted, Phi Phi Early Bird, Koh Rok Safari, James Bond Bay) – please check this point for the other tours in your enquiry.

A selection, each from-price per boat and duration as listed:

Divide the price per boat by the number of guests to get an honest per-head figure. Examples using our from-prices: Hong Lagoons (from 21,500 THB) works out at 4,300 THB per person with 5 guests, 5,375 THB with 4 guests and 10,750 THB with 2 guests. The 4-Islands VIP & Sunset Special (from 18,500 THB) is 3,700 THB per person with 5 guests. The Railay Escape (from 11,500 THB) comes to 2,300 THB per person with 5 guests.

For two people a private charter is clearly more expensive per head than a seat on a shared boat. The price then buys something different: your own schedule, empty bays instead of crowds, calm for special occasions and no waiting for other guests. Whether that is worth the premium is an honest personal decision – often yes for honeymoons, anniversaries or photo fans, no for a tight budget.

From three to five guests, for example families or groups of friends, the calculation shifts considerably: the boat is fully used by everyone and the per-head value comes closer to what you would pay on shared tours, while you get far more time at each stop. Always compare inclusions, not just the number.

Demand is not the same all year. In high season – usually from November to April – good boats and popular departure times are taken earlier. In low season weather and sea state are more changeable, but it is quieter. More in our article on the best time to visit Krabi.

How early should you ask? Depending on season and date, a short lead time is often enough in quiet weeks, while around holidays and in high season we recommend booking much earlier. With us the enquiry is non-binding, the reply usually comes within 30 minutes, and a slot is only reserved once we confirm it.

Haggling is common on the beach in Ao Nang, but only of limited use for a private charter. The price rests on real costs such as fuel, crew and national park, and a very low price usually saves on safety or inclusions. It makes more sense to talk about scope: duration, number of stops and included extras.

A low price is only a good price if safety is right. These questions apply to every operator, not only to us:

Everything else is optional and chosen when booking. Catering on board costs 500 THB per person and covers two freshly prepared meals plus drinks (water, Coke, Coke Zero). If you want more, you can choose further options such as a fruit and snack platter (350 THB p.p.) or a gourmet beach picnic (1,200 THB p.p.). Some tours already include a meal, in which case the surcharge does not apply.

The 4K drone package costs 4,500 THB per boat: pilot, reel and 40 aerial photos, delivered the same evening. It is chargeable and not part of the standard tour. There is also a fishing stop with gear (1,500 THB per boat, one hour of reef fishing during the island tour).

Build these items into your calculation right away: for a group of four, catering alone adds 2,000 THB, and 6,500 THB with the drone package. That way you know in advance what the day really costs – and the comparison with other operators becomes fair.