Private Boat Charter in Krabi: Prices and What You Get

A guest at the pier in Ao Nang asks the same question every morning: why does one boat cost ฿8,900 and another ฿70,000 for what looks like the same stretch of turquoise water? The honest answer is that private boat charter Krabi price depends on four things: the type of boat, the route, the number of hours, and how many people are in the group. Once you understand those four, the price list stops looking random and starts making sense.

This is a price guide, not a sales pitch. I will tell you where a long-tail is genuinely enough and where it is worth paying more for a catamaran. Every number below comes straight from the boat pages on this site, and every price is for the whole boat, never per person.

What does a private boat charter in Krabi actually cost?

In Krabi, a private charter can start as low as ฿6,900 for a half day on a long-tail boat, and go up to ฿75,000 for a full day on a large power catamaran. Between those two numbers sits almost every kind of day you might want: a quiet morning at Poda, a full day to Phi Phi, a lagoon visit at Hong Island, a company outing for seventy people.

The spread is wide because the question "how much does a boat cost" is really three different questions: how big a boat, how far, and for how long. A two-hour river cruise on a 72 ft catamaran costs less than a full day to Phi Phi on a small sailing catamaran, even though the big boat is far more expensive to run. Hours and distance drive the price more than the size of the hull does. Keep that in mind before you assume the biggest boat is automatically the priciest option.

It also helps to know that these are published starting prices for a set number of guests, usually two or ten depending on the boat. If your group is larger, a per-guest charge is added, and that is spelled out on every boat page so there are no surprises when the final quote comes back.

Why do prices vary so much between boats?

The route and the hours on the water are the two biggest factors, followed by the boat type and extra guests. A half day at the islands closest to Ao Nang will always be cheaper than a full day that reaches Phi Phi or Hong Island, because of the extra fuel, crew time and distance involved.

Boat type is the second lever. A traditional long-tail is simpler to run than a sailing catamaran with cabins, a saloon and a dinghy, so the starting prices reflect that. A power catamaran sits somewhere in between: no sails to manage, but more deck space, more engines and often a larger crew.

Group size is the third factor, and it works differently on every boat. Some charters are priced for a baseline of two guests, with every extra guest from three upward added at a flat per-head rate. Others are priced for ten guests, with the per-head charge only kicking in once you go past that. A few, like the two power catamarans, allow a full range from a handful of guests up to a large capacity, which is why they suit everything from a couples' day out to a company trip.

Finally, the destination itself can add a cost that is not part of the boat price at all: the park fee at national park islands such as Hong Island or Phi Phi is charged separately and is not included in any of the charter prices below. Nobody controls that fee except the park authority, so it is sensible to budget a little extra for it rather than be surprised at the pier.

Long-tail boats: the cheapest way to get the whole boat

A long-tail charter is the least expensive way to have a boat entirely to yourself in Krabi, and for a small group doing a half day near the coast, it is often all you need. The standard Long-tail Boat takes up to eight guests and starts at ฿8,900 for a half day, with a full day at ฿15,000.

What you get for that price is more than a bare wooden hull. This particular long-tail has a sun deck, a toilet on board, an outdoor shower and a speaker, along with a captain and a butler who handle drinks, snacks and a beach picnic. For a group that wants Poda, Chicken Island or a stretch of the coast without the cost of cabins and a saloon, it does the job well.

There is also a step up within the long-tail category: the Luxury Long-tail Boat, a hand-built teak boat finished more like a private gondola than a transport boat. It is smaller, up to six guests, and the half-day price starts at ฿6,900 for two guests, with extra guests added at a flat rate. It suits a couple or a small family who want something unhurried and a bit romantic rather than a big day of swimming stops.

Where a long-tail falls short is distance and sea state. These boats are not built for a long crossing to Phi Phi, and in rougher weather, especially during the south-west monsoon season from roughly May to October, a long-tail will feel every bit of the swell that a catamaran shrugs off. If your plan is a short hop to nearby islands and a relaxed few hours, a long-tail is honestly enough. If you are set on Phi Phi or Hong Island, look at a catamaran instead.

Sailing catamaran prices: Blue Atoll and Lavezzi 40

Sailing catamarans in Krabi range from ฿20,000 for a half-day route near the coast to ฿70,000 for a full day reaching Phi Phi, and the two boats on offer sit at different points in that range. The Lavezzi 40 is the smaller and more affordable of the two, a Fountaine Pajot catamaran with four double cabins for up to twelve guests.

Its Railay and Poda route runs six to eight hours for ฿20,000, Hong Island ten to twelve hours for ฿25,000, and Phi Phi ten to twelve hours for ฿28,000, all priced for two guests with extra guests from three to twelve added at a flat per-head rate. Food, drinks, snorkelling gear, a paddle board and a kayak are included, though park fees are not.

The Blue Atoll is a larger Lagoon 400, built for up to thirty guests, with two double cabins each with their own bathroom and a saloon laid out like a proper living room. Its half day starts at ฿34,500 in the morning and ฿39,000 in the afternoon, a full day is ฿50,000, and a full day to Phi Phi is ฿70,000. These prices are based on ten guests, with each extra guest up to thirty added at a flat rate, which makes it a reasonable option once your group grows past what the Lavezzi comfortably seats.

Both boats carry a butler or crew who look after food and drinks, and both are stable platforms for swimming off the stern or lying on the trampoline nets at the bow. The difference is really about group size and budget: smaller and cheaper with the Lavezzi, roomier and pricier with the Blue Atoll. Either way, a sailing catamaran crossing to Phi Phi takes real time on open water, so it suits groups who are comfortable with a longer day rather than families with very young children who tire quickly.

Sailing catamaran Max 12 persons Lavezzi 40 From฿20,000 Sailing catamaran Max 30 persons Blue Atoll From฿34,500

Power catamaran prices: 40ft and 72ft

Power catamarans trade sails for engines and more deck space, and in Krabi they range from ฿22,000 for a half day to ฿75,000 for a full day at Hong Island on the largest boat. The Power Catamaran 40ft takes up to twenty-five guests and runs the 4 Islands as a half day for ฿22,000 or a full day for ฿29,000, with Hong Island as a full day for ฿32,000, all priced for one to ten guests with extra adults and children added at a flat rate.

The Power Catamaran 72ft is the largest boat available, up to seventy guests, and its pricing shows how much route length matters: a two-hour Krabi River cruise is ฿35,000, a four-hour 4 Islands cruise is ฿55,000, and a full day to Hong Island is ฿75,000. Notice that the river cruise, at two hours, costs less than half of the full day despite using the same boat and crew.

Both power catamarans come with snorkelling gear, a paddle board, a kayak and full safety equipment, along with coffee, tea, soft drinks and snacks. They are the right call for large groups: company outings, milestone birthdays, family reunions that run into double digits. A smaller group of two or four people will usually get more value out of a sailing catamaran or even a long-tail, since the power catamarans are priced and built with bigger numbers in mind.

• Choose the 40ft power catamaran for a group of ten to twenty-five who still want a reasonably intimate day.
• Choose the 72ft power catamaran for genuinely large groups, company events, or when you want serious upper-deck space.
• Use the short river cruise on the 72ft if you want time on that boat without committing to a full day.

Power catamaran Max 25 persons Power Catamaran 40ft From฿22,000 Power catamaran Max 70 persons Power Catamaran 72ft From฿35,000 Long-tail Max 8 persons Long-tail Boat From฿8,900

Full price comparison table

Here is every route and price pulled directly from the boat pages, side by side, so you can compare at a glance before narrowing down to one or two boats.

A few patterns jump out. The jump from half day to full day is rarely a simple doubling, since fuel and crew time at anchor cost less than the running hours. And the jump from a nearby route like Railay and Poda to a far one like Phi Phi is consistently the biggest single price increase on any boat, which tells you distance really is the main driver once boat type is fixed.

What's included and what costs extra

Every charter on this site includes captain and crew, basic insurance, fuel, and some form of food and drink, but the details differ by boat, and the park fee is never included. On the long-tail boats you get a butler, soft drinks, snacks and a beach picnic. On the sailing catamarans you get a fuller spread: seasonal fruit, standard food or a picnic, snorkelling masks, and on the Blue Atoll, extras like a massage therapist or a bartender available at an extra charge.

The power catamarans add a stand-up paddle board and a kayak as standard, plus full safety equipment, which matters more once a group gets larger and spreads out across a bigger boat. None of the boats include national park entrance fees for places like Hong Island or Phi Phi, and none include transport to the pier.

The one cost that catches people off guard is the per-guest charge once a group grows beyond the baseline number. A quote built for two guests on the Lavezzi 40 will look very different once a group of eight actually boards, so it pays to give an honest headcount from the start rather than finding out the final price only at the pier.

• Always included: captain and crew, fuel, basic insurance, some food and drink.
• Usually included: snorkelling gear, towels, a beach picnic or standard meal.
• Never included: national park fees, transport to the departure pier.
• Sometimes extra: a massage therapist or bartender on larger catamarans.

How to pick the right boat for your budget

Start with your group size and your target destination, then let the price follow rather than the other way around. A couple or a small family heading to Poda or Railay for a few hours is well served by a long-tail or the Lavezzi 40 sailing catamaran, and there is little point paying for a thirty-guest boat you will never fill.

If Phi Phi or Hong Island is the goal, budget for a full day rather than a half day on any boat, since the distance alone eats a good chunk of the shorter window. And if the group is genuinely large, a company trip, a wedding party, a reunion, look straight at the power catamarans rather than trying to split a bigger group across two smaller boats, which usually ends up costing more and complicating the day.

One more honest note: the cheapest boat on paper is not always the cheapest once you add the per-guest charges for a bigger group. Run the numbers for your actual headcount against two or three options before deciding, and if it is not obvious, send the details through the contact page and ask for a comparison.

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Every boat page shows the routes, prices and what is included. The booking request is free: a manager checks the boat is free on your date and confirms the price.

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Updated 20 October 2026. Prices can change: the boat page always shows the current price.