Hong is Krabi's second big draw after Phi Phi, and it has a feature most readers discover only once they are on the water: the island belongs to a different national park. That means a day containing both Hong and Phi Phi is paid for twice, at two different rates. Below: what the Hong lagoon is, what entry costs, how far it is and how this day differs from a Phi Phi day.
- What Hong and its lagoon are
- Why Hong is paid for separately from Phi Phi
- How payment works on site
- How far Hong is and where the shorter run starts
- Whether Hong closes in the rainy season
- What the trips cost and what to pick if you have one day
What are Hong and its lagoon?
Koh Hong is a limestone island with a lagoon enclosed by a ring of cliffs; the water inside is jade-coloured. The island is part of the Than Bok Khorani marine national park along with Lading, Pakbia and Rai — the park was founded in 1983 and covers around 390 km² of sea and 42 islands along the Krabi coast. Rangers restrict entry to the lagoon: on busy days they manage both the number of visitors inside and the flow of boats at the entrance. The park does not publish numerical quotas.
Why is Hong paid for separately from Phi Phi?
Because they are two different parks. Hong belongs to Than Bok Khorani, group three on the National Parks Department scale: ฿300 (about $8) per foreign adult and ฿150 per child. Phi Phi and the four islands belong to Hat Noppharat Thara — Mu Ko Phi Phi, whose island zone runs on a special rate of ฿400 and ฿200 set by a separate announcement of 22.11.2550 (which names Phi Phi Leh, Koh Mai Phai, Koh Yung, Koh Bida and Koh Poda one by one). The same park's general scale is ฿200 and ฿100, and that is exactly why trip descriptions quote different amounts.
| Park and zone | What it covers | Foreign adult | Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| Than Bok Khorani | Hong, Lading and Pakbia — one payment for the day | ฿300 (about $8) | ฿150 (about $4) |
| Hat Noppharat Thara — Mu Ko Phi Phi, island zone | Phi Phi Leh, Bamboo, Koh Yung, Koh Bida, Koh Poda | ฿400 (about $11) | ฿200 (about $6) |
| Hat Noppharat Thara — Mu Ko Phi Phi, general park scale | Other park sites outside the island zone | ฿200 (about $6) | ฿100 (about $3) |
The practical consequence: a two-park day — Koh Hong early plus the four islands, for instance — means two payments rather than one, and the amounts differ.
Important
the Than Bok Khorani fee is paid in cash, in baht, on site, to the rangers; cards and QR are not accepted, and there are no ATMs or exchange counters on the islands — the nearest ATM to the Ao Nang pier is in Ao Nang itself. The fee is charged per person, not per boat, and you are given a wristband for the day after paying; one payment covers Hong, Lading and Pakbia. The child rate is ฿150; sources give different age limits, so check that with your operator. Some operators state that they collect the fee in advance and hand it to the rangers themselves — in that case ask at booking what exactly the quoted price includes.
How far is Hong and where does the shorter run start?
From Ao Nang to Koh Hong it is 23.4 km in a straight line, and from Klong Muang 15.1 km: by sea Klong Muang is noticeably closer. On land the picture reverses: from Klong Muang to Noppharat Thara pier it is 13.2 km the long way round, about half an hour by the router's estimate, whereas from Ao Nang the same pier is 2.8 km away. That is why pick-up from Klong Muang on Hong trips usually costs extra: on the small-group Koh Hong trip a transfer from Krabi Town, Railay or Klong Muang is ฿500 (about $14) per person.
Does Hong close in the rainy season?
The park announces no seasonal closure for Than Bok Khorani — unlike Maya Bay, closed from 1 August to 30 September, the small islands of Mu Ko Lanta (16 May to 14 October) and Mu Ko Rok (1 June to 30 September). That is not a guarantee of year-round operation: during the monsoon Hong trips are cancelled by the weather, not by the calendar, and the call is made on the day — ask your operator the evening before.
What does a Hong trip cost?
As elsewhere in Krabi, both a seat on a shared boat and the whole boat are sold; kayaking stands apart, because at Hong it offers what a speedboat cannot — entering the lagoon under paddle.
| Trip | Operator | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Hong early plus the four islands | Krabi Ezy Trails | ฿2,200 (about $61) per adult, ฿1,600 per child aged 3–11 | 11 h |
| Koh Hong by speedboat, small group of up to twelve | Krabi Vip Tour | ฿2,500 (about $69) per adult, ฿1,800 per child | 8 h 30 min |
| Kayaking and snorkelling in the Hong lagoon | Sea Kayak Krabi | ฿3,300 (about $91) — the operator gives the amount but not the unit | 8 h |
| A longtail to yourselves on the Hong route, 2–7 guests | Krabi Travel The Sea | ฿5,500 (about $150) per boat | 5 h |
| Private longtail to the Hong islands | Thalassa Tour | ฿12,000 (about $330) per boat for two, plus ฿2,300 for each additional adult | 7 h |
For the lagoon kayaking the operator's page does not confirm the price unit — whether it is per person or per booking is not stated, so settle that before you pay. Thalassa's private longtail has extended versions of the same day: with the four islands and sunset at Phra Nang for ฿13,500 (about $375) per boat, and with night snorkelling for ฿16,000.
Hong or Phi Phi if you only have one day?
The differences you can check before the trip rather than on the spot:
- Distance. Hong is 23.4 km from Ao Nang in a straight line, Phi Phi Don 33.3 km, Maya Bay 39.9 km.
- Fee. ฿300 (about $8) and ฿150 at Hong against ฿400 and ฿200 in the Phi Phi island zone; at Hong one payment covers three islands of the group.
- Calendar. Maya Bay is closed from 1 August to 30 September; no announced seasonal closure exists for Hong.
- Crowding. At Hong the rangers regulate entry to the lagoon; at Maya Bay both time and the number of people at once are rationed.
If you want both, plan two days: the combined departures pair Hong with the four islands rather than with Phi Phi, and even in that form they run to eleven hours.
