Destination guide · Phuket
Koh Yao Noi Travel Guide
Forty minutes by boat from Phuket, and nothing like it
- Best for
- couples, slow travelers
- Logistics
- Easy
- Updated
- 7 Oct 2026
Koh Yao Noi in one paragraph
Koh Yao Noi is a small island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, about 12 km long and 5 km wide, home to around 5,000 people, most of them Muslim fishing and farming families. It sits 40 minutes by speedboat from Bang Rong pier on Phuket's northeast coast and about the same from the Krabi side, and the pier is closer to Phuket airport than most of Phuket's own beaches. Yet the island has no bar streets, no jet skis and no high-rises. The main beaches line the east coast and look across the water at the limestone towers off Krabi, so mornings bring the sunrise and the evenings are quiet. Two things shape a stay here. The tide decides when you can swim, and the island's culture means alcohol lives in the resorts and tourist restaurants rather than on every corner. Give it three nights, come between November and April, and pick your beach before your hotel.
Where to sleep
Where to stay in Koh Yao Noi
Search Koh Yao Noi hotels with your dates. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
See Koh Yao Noi hotelsOpens Booking.com with your dates · also on Expedia
Key Facts
The speedboat from Phuket's Bang Rong pier takes about 40 minutes
Bang Rong is 25 to 40 minutes by car from Phuket airport, and boats cross to Manoh pier on Koh Yao Noi through the day, speedboats in 30 to 40 minutes and slower boats in about an hour. A Green Planet speedboat listing puts its 15:00 sailing at ฿400. The last public boats leave around 17:00.
From Krabi, the wooden boat from Ao Thalane costs ฿120–150
Boats leave Ao Thalane pier, under an hour from Krabi airport, for Tha Khao pier on the island's northeast coast in about 40 minutes. Speedboats from Ao Nang's Nopparat Thara pier are faster and cost ฿450–650.
The beaches are tidal, so plan swims around high water
Pasai, Klong Jark and Tha Khao all go shallow at low tide, when the sea pulls back over sand and mud. Low tide has its own reward at Tha Khao, where a sandbank joins the beach to little Koh Nui. Check a tide table the way you'd check the weather.
It's a Muslim island, and alcohol is in the resorts and tourist restaurants
Not every shop or restaurant sells it, and some of the best seafood places don't. Dress modestly away from the beach and in the villages. In practice nobody goes thirsty, but this is not an island for a night out.
Three nights is the right length for most trips
One full day for a beach and a scooter loop, one for a longtail trip into Phang Nga Bay, and a slow morning before the boat. Add nights for climbing, a yoga retreat or Koh Yao Yai next door.
November to April is the season, and boats thin out from June
The dry season runs November to April and is calmest December to March. From June to September there are roughly half as many sailings from Bang Rong, the sea can be rough, and September is the wettest month at the nearest weather station in Phuket.
Is Koh Yao Noi Worth Visiting?
Yes, if what you want from a Thai island is quiet. Koh Yao Noi is the answer to the question most people ask after a few days in Patong or on Phi Phi, which is whether there's anywhere left that still feels like a village with beaches attached. The island has rice paddies, rubber plantations and water buffalo inland, a handful of very good resorts along the east coast, and the view that sells Phang Nga Bay, the karst islands lined up across the water toward Krabi. It's also unusually easy to reach, 40 minutes from a pier that's closer to Phuket airport than Kata is.
It isn't for everyone. The beaches are tidal, so if your idea of a beach holiday is clear water at the end of the sun lounger all day, the Andaman west coast of Phuket or Koh Lanta will suit you better. There's no nightlife to speak of, the shops close early, and alcohol takes a little planning. And if you want to island-hop on a budget, the boats from here mostly go back to where you came from rather than onward. Is it too quiet? For a week on its own, maybe. For three nights at the end of a busier trip, it's exactly the point.
Koh Yao Noi or Krabi? They make a better pair than a choice. Krabi's Ao Nang and Railay give you the swimming beaches and the nightlife, and Koh Yao Noi gives you the quiet, and the boats between Tha Khao and Ao Thalane or Nopparat Thara run through the day. Our Phuket to Krabi guide covers the speedboat that calls at the Yao islands on the way.
Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai?
| Koh Yao Noi | Koh Yao Yai | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | About 36 km², easy to loop by scooter in an hour | About 87 km², more than twice the size and spread out |
| Feel | Small, sociable, a strip of cafés along Pasai and Klong Jark | Bigger, emptier and quieter still, villages and plantations |
| Beaches | East-facing, sunrise over the Krabi karsts, tidal | Laem Haad sandbar at the north tip; Loh Pared on the west coast swims at any tide and gets the sunset |
| Where to stay | Boutique resorts and bungalows, plus Six Senses and TreeHouse Villas | A few large resorts, Santhiya, Anantara and Elixir, with their own boats |
| From Phuket | Bang Rong to Manoh, about 40 minutes | Bang Rong to Klong Hia, 15 to 20 minutes, or the resorts' own boats |
| Best for | First visit, couples, eating out without a resort | A resort stay, families who want a pool and space |
The two islands are 10 minutes apart by longtail from Manoh pier to Chong Lard pier on Koh Yao Yai, so a day trip to the Laem Haad sandbar is easy from either side.
The beaches, and when to go to each
Koh Yao Noi's main beaches are all on the east coast, so they're ordered here south to north, followed by the two on Koh Yao Yai worth the boat. None is ranked, because on a tidal island the right beach is whichever one has water in it when you arrive.
1. Pasai Beach, Koh Yao Noi, southeast coast
Cafés and bungalows within a walkThe island's longest beach, about 2 km of sand, and the closest thing it has to a center, with the densest run of bungalows, cafés and small restaurants along the road behind it. It faces east across the bay to the karsts off Krabi, so it's a sunrise beach.
It's also very shallow at low tide, when the sea pulls a long way out. Swim for a few hours either side of high water and use the low-tide hours for a scooter loop or a boat trip.
- Getting there
- A short ride from Manoh pier, where the boats from Phuket land.
- When to go
- High tide for swimming, early morning for the light.
2. Klong Jark Beach, Koh Yao Noi, east coast
Quieter sand, beachfront lunchAbout 1.5 km of sand between Pasai and Tha Khao, quieter than Pasai, with Cape Kudu and Koyao Island Resort set back along this stretch. The south end has restaurants on the sand, Pyramid Restaurant among them.
The swim is best at high tide; at low tide the flat in front is lovely to walk and useless for swimming.
- Getting there
- Five minutes north of Pasai by scooter.
- When to go
- High tide, and a late lunch while you wait for it.
3. Tha Khao Beach, Koh Yao Noi, northeast coast
The low-tide sandbank to Koh NuiAbout 1 km of sand beside Tha Khao village and the pier for the Krabi boats, more village waterfront than resort beach. At low tide a sandbank appears and joins it to Koh Nui, the small island just offshore, and walking out across it is one of the best simple things to do on the island.
The hillside above the bay holds Tha Khao Bay View Restaurant, open for breakfast and lunch, and the village has a small evening market.
- Getting there
- At the end of the east-coast road, north of Klong Jark.
- When to go
- Low tide for the sandbank, which is the reverse of every other beach here.
4. Laem Haad Beach, Koh Yao Yai, north tip
The sandbar at low tideThe best-known sight on Koh Yao Yai. At low tide a long spit of white sand emerges and runs out into shallow water with the karsts of the bay all around it; at high tide it disappears and the beach becomes a quiet, ordinary stretch of sand.
There's no shade on the bar and little to buy nearby, so bring water. Time the visit to the tide or don't bother.
- Getting there
- About five minutes by scooter from Chong Lard pier, where the longtails from Manoh land.
- When to go
- Low tide only.
5. Loh Pared Beach, Koh Yao Yai, west coast
Swimming at any tide, sunsetsThe exception to the tidal rule. Loh Pared, on the west coast of Koh Yao Yai facing Phuket, is usually described as swimmable whatever the tide, and being on the west side it gets the sunset the Koh Yao Noi beaches miss.
Santhiya's resort sits along it, and the rest is quiet sand. It's a fair ride from the piers on Koh Yao Yai's north side, so it works best on a full day with a rented scooter.
- Getting there
- Across Koh Yao Yai from Chong Lard pier by scooter.
- When to go
- Any tide; stay for the sunset.
Where to Stay on Koh Yao Noi (and Koh Yao Yai)
The island's hotels are spread thinly along the east coast and at the north tip, with the big resorts across the water on Koh Yao Yai. Where you stay decides how much of the island you see, so the order runs from the most connected to the most secluded.
1. Cape Kudu Hotel, East coast, between Pasai and Klong Jark
Best all-round baseA 55-room design hotel with the sea across the road and the sunrise over the karsts, close to Pasai's cafés and Klong Jark's restaurants and a short transfer from Manoh pier. This is where I'd point a first visit.
2. Koyao Island Resort, East coast, Klong Jark
Activities and easy transfersA long-established villa resort on the water near Klong Jark that runs its own rock climbing and cooking class, and includes a free shared transfer from Phuket on direct stays of three nights or more.
3. Six Senses Yao Noi, East coast hillside
The splurgeFifty-six pool villas set into the hillside with the whole bay in view. It's the reason many people first hear of the island, and a resort you come to stay in rather than explore from.
4. TreeHouse Villas Koh Yao Noi, North tip
Adults only, couplesThirty-two villas raised into the trees above a private bay, adults only and aimed at honeymooners. The north tip is a long way from the cafés, which is the point.
5. Paradise Koh Yao Resort, North tip
A beach bay of your ownA beachfront resort in its own bay beside TreeHouse Villas, with arranged boat transfers from Phuket. Good for a stay-put holiday, less so if you want to eat around the island.
6. Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa, Koh Yao Yai, Loh Pared
Sunsets and a swimmable beachThe big resort on Koh Yao Yai's west coast, above the one beach that swims at any tide, reached by its own shared speedboat from Phuket's Ao Po Grand Marina in about 20 minutes.
7. Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, Koh Yao Yai, east coast
Brand-name luxury, bay viewsThe polished option on Koh Yao Yai's east coast, looking out over the karst islands, with its own transfers so the public boat timetable never comes into it.
Things to Do on Koh Yao Noi
The island's best day is a longtail into Phang Nga Bay, and its best afternoon is a scooter loop with no plan. Everything else fits around the tide.
Phang Nga Bay by longtail
Koh Yao Noi sits in the middle of the bay, so the karst islands that Phuket's tour boats spend an hour reaching are right on the doorstep. Longtail trips from the island head to Koh Hong, with its enclosed lagoon, and Koh Lao Lading, and most resorts arrange them or point you to a boatman. The national park fee for the Hong islands is ฿300 for adults and ฿150 for children, paid in cash. Go early, before the speedboats from Phuket and Krabi arrive.
A scooter loop of the island
One main road circles the island, and a loop without stops takes about an hour, past rice paddies, rubber plantations and villages, with side tracks down to the beaches. Rentals run about ฿250–350 a day. The roads are quiet but dark after sunset, and the tracks to the north-tip bays are dirt.
Rock climbing
Koh Yao Noi's limestone has more than 150 climbing routes, deep-water soloing included, and the local climbing shop and the resorts provide guides and gear. The season is November to March, when the rock is dry.
Yoga and slowing down
Island Yoga runs five- and seven-day retreats at Tha Khao on the east coast, which turns a three-night stay into a week. A cooking class with a local cook, which Koyao Island Resort arranges, is the other gentle way to spend an afternoon.
A day on Koh Yao Yai
Take the 10-minute longtail from Manoh to Chong Lard, rent a scooter on the other side, and do the Laem Haad sandbar at low tide and Loh Pared beach for a swim and the sunset. Koh Yao Yai is more than twice the size of Koh Yao Noi and even quieter, which makes it an easy day and a big change of scene.
The places this guide names
Tha Khao Bay View Restaurant
A breakfast-and-lunch restaurant on the hillside above Tha Khao bay on Koh Yao Noi's northeast coast, looking down over the pier and Koh Nui.
Pradu Seafood
A Muslim-owned seafood restaurant on stilts over the water on Koh Yao Noi's west coast, the island's sunset side.
Pyramid Restaurant
A beachfront Thai and seafood restaurant on the sand at the south end of Klong Jark, Koh Yao Noi.
Bang Rong Pier
Phuket's northeast pier for the Koh Yao islands, with speedboats and longtails to Koh Yao Noi (Manoh) and Koh Yao Yai (Klong Hia) through the day.
Tha Khao Pier
Koh Yao Noi's northeast pier for wooden boats to Ao Thalane on the Krabi mainland, about 40 minutes and ฿120–150.
Manoh Pier
Koh Yao Noi's main pier on the southwest coast, where the boats from Phuket's Bang Rong pier land and longtails cross to Koh Yao Yai.
Eating, Drinking and the Alcohol Question
Koh Yao Noi is a Muslim island, and that shapes the evenings more than anything else. Alcohol isn't sold in every shop or restaurant, and some of the best seafood places don't serve it at all. The resorts and the tourist restaurants along Pasai and Klong Jark do, so in practice a beer with dinner is easy if you eat there. Pradu Seafood, on stilts over the water on the west coast, is Muslim-owned and doesn't sell alcohol, but guests are generally able to bring their own; ask when you arrive.
The west coast is where you eat for the sunset, at Pradu or Tha Ton Do Seafood, both built out over the water. The east coast is for long lunches on the sand at Klong Jark and breakfast with a view at Tha Khao Bay View, which closes at 14:00. Tha Khao village has a small evening market. There's no nightlife beyond a couple of beach bars, so dinner is the event.
Dress modestly in the villages and away from the beach, cover shoulders and knees if you visit a mosque, and keep the swimwear for the sand and the resorts.
How Many Days Do You Need on Koh Yao Noi?
Three nights suits most trips. The journey from Phuket airport is short, about 90 minutes door to door, but the boats wind down around 17:00, so an afternoon flight can cost you the first evening. Three nights gives you two full days, one for a beach and a scooter loop and one for a longtail into Phang Nga Bay, and a slow morning before the boat back.
Five nights or more makes sense if you're climbing, doing a yoga retreat, or adding a day on Koh Yao Yai. Can you do it as a day trip from Phuket? Tours run from Phuket that combine Koh Yao Noi with Hong Island or a cycling loop, and they're a fair way to see it. But the island is at its best early in the morning and after the day boats leave, which a day trip misses.
Getting to Koh Yao Noi from Phuket and Krabi
From Phuket, everything goes through Bang Rong pier on the northeast coast, 25 to 40 minutes by car from Phuket airport and much further from Patong or the southern beaches. Speedboats cross to Manoh pier on Koh Yao Noi in 30 to 40 minutes and slower boats in about an hour, with sailings through the day; a Green Planet speedboat listing puts its 15:00 departure at ฿400. The same boats call at Klong Hia pier on Koh Yao Yai about 15 to 20 minutes out. The last public boats leave around 17:00, and from June to September there are roughly half as many sailings, so a late landing at Phuket airport is the classic way to spend a night on the wrong island. 12Go sells the boat on its own or bundled with a van from the airport or your hotel.
From Krabi, wooden boats leave Ao Thalane pier for Tha Khao pier on Koh Yao Noi's northeast coast in about 40 minutes for ฿120–150, through the morning and afternoon. Ao Thalane is under an hour by road from Krabi airport. Speedboats from Nopparat Thara pier in Ao Nang are quicker and cost ฿450–650, and some of the Phuket to Ao Nang speedboats call at the Yao islands on the way.
Several resorts run their own transfers, Santhiya from Ao Po Grand Marina, Paradise from Yacht Haven Marina and Anantara via Laem Sai pier, and those boats ignore the public timetable entirely. If you've booked one of them, ask the resort before you buy anything.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Phuket → Koh Yao Noi: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Ferry & speedboat
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Speedboat | 08:40, 09:30, 11:00, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00 |
| Speedboat + Minivan | 07:30, 09:30, 10:30, 12:30, 14:30 |
| Longtail Boat | 12:30 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Phuket → Koh Yao Noi
Book the boat from Phuket to Koh Yao Noi
12Go sells the Bang Rong speedboats and the van-and-boat combinations from Phuket airport and the west-coast hotels, so you can check the day's departures and hold a seat before the afternoon boats fill.
Sponsored link — we may earn a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Getting Around the Island
Rent a scooter. At about ฿250–350 a day it's the cheapest way around and the island is flat by Thai standards, with one main road circling it. Local taxis meet the boats at Manoh pier, and hotels will collect you if you ask, but there's no bus and you'll wait a while for a ride anywhere else.
Carry cash. There are a few ATMs in the main village and a 7-Eleven, but the ATMs can run out on busy weekends and many small places take cash only. Bring enough from Phuket or Krabi to cover a couple of days.
When to Go
November to April, and December to March is the calmest stretch. Koh Yao Noi runs on the Andaman calendar. The Phuket weather station 13 km away records just 24 mm of rain in February and 350 mm in September, its wettest month, and the rain arrives in May.
The rainy season matters more here than on a big island, because it's the boats that suffer. From June to September Bang Rong has roughly half as many sailings, the crossing can be rough, and the operators sometimes cancel. May and October are the shoulder months, green and quiet and cheaper, and fine if your dates have a day of slack either side. Our month-by-month weather guide has the full Andaman pattern.
Plan the rest of the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about koh yao noi travel guide.
Go to Bang Rong pier on Phuket's northeast coast, 25 to 40 minutes by car from Phuket airport, and take a speedboat to Manoh pier on Koh Yao Noi, which takes 30 to 40 minutes; slower boats take about an hour. A Green Planet speedboat listing puts its 15:00 sailing at ฿400. The last public boats leave around 17:00. Door to door from the airport is about 90 minutes.
Take the wooden boat from Ao Thalane pier, under an hour by road from Krabi airport, to Tha Khao pier on the island's northeast coast, about 40 minutes for ฿120–150. Speedboats from Nopparat Thara pier in Ao Nang are faster and cost ฿450–650.
Yes, for three nights or so if you want a quiet island with good resorts, Phang Nga Bay on the doorstep and no nightlife. The beaches are tidal and alcohol is limited to resorts and tourist restaurants, so it's not the place for all-day swimming or a party. It pairs well with Krabi or the Phuket beaches before or after.
Koh Yao Noi for a first visit. It's smaller and easier to explore, with cafés and restaurants along Pasai and Klong Jark and the best boutique resorts. Koh Yao Yai is more than twice the size and quieter still, with a few large resorts, the Laem Haad sandbar and Loh Pared, a beach that swims at any tide and gets the sunset. They're 10 minutes apart by longtail, so you can see both.
About 15 to 20 minutes by speedboat from Bang Rong pier to Klong Hia pier on Koh Yao Yai; the boats to Koh Yao Noi call there first. Santhiya's guests use the resort's own shared speedboat from Ao Po Grand Marina, about 20 minutes.
Yes, in the resorts and the tourist restaurants, mostly along Pasai and Klong Jark. It's a Muslim island, so not every shop or local restaurant sells alcohol, and some seafood places, such as Pradu Seafood, let you bring your own instead. Don't expect bars beyond a couple on the beach.
Almost none. A couple of beach bars, a small evening market at Tha Khao and dinner over the water on the west coast is the whole of it. That's why people come.
Yes. Tours from Phuket combine Koh Yao Noi with Hong Island or a cycling loop, and you can also take the public speedboat over and back yourself, 40 minutes each way from Bang Rong. The island is best early in the morning and after the day boats leave, so stay a night or more if you can.
November to April, with December to March the calmest. The rain arrives in May and peaks in September, and from June to September there are roughly half as many boats from Phuket and the crossing can be rough. May and October are quiet, green shoulder months.
Where to stay on Koh Yao Noi
Compare live hotel rates on Koh Yao Noi for your dates. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
- Compare prices across sites
- Filter for free cancellation
- Secure checkout on the partner site
We may earn a commission from bookings made through these links — at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Explore More in This Guide
You Might Also Like
5 Days in Phuket
Two boat days, one culture day, two beach days — based in Kata so nothing is more than an hour away.
7 Days in Thailand
Capital, mountains, islands — six nights, two short flights, and no day lost to transit.
Things to Do in Phuket
Ten experiences worth the flight — ranked, priced, and timed around the boats, the flags and the sunset.
10 Days in Thailand Itinerary
Capital, sleeper train, mountains, then the Andaman coast by ferry — nine nights, one direction, no backtracking.
Best Time to Visit Thailand
November to February for most trips, and the right coast for the rest of the year
Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
More about MacReady to build your itinerary?
Use our free itinerary builder to save places, organize days, and share your trip.
Open Itinerary Builder