Koh Poda Guide: Boat from Ao Nang, Fees & Time Needed

Featured image: Jason Hutchens, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Is Koh Poda worth visiting?

Yes, if you want white sand, shallow water and island views within a short boat ride of Ao Nang. Poda covers only 0.46 km², so there is little to do beyond swimming, a beach walk and light snorkeling. Visitors report that about 5 hours is plenty. We'd skip it if you want restaurants, nightlife or a full day of activities. Travelers with mobility limits should also think twice, since boat transfers end in a beach landing and no pier is confirmed. Some maps spell it Ko Poda, and it sits in the Poda Group alongside Ko Kai, Ko Mo and Ko Thap. Ko Kai and Ko Thap are better known as Chicken Island and Tup Island.

How to get to Koh Poda from Ao Nang

Longtail boats run from the beach at Ao Nang, and the crossing takes about 25 minutes. A cooperative boat hut stands a few steps from the Night Market on the beach side. Visitors report that it arranges a boat once enough passengers turn up. Boats take 6 to 8 people, so a short wait is normal. Tours are the other route. Most kiosks in Ao Nang push the 4-island day trip, which adds Chicken Island, Tup Island and Phra Nang Cave Beach. Our pick for a first visit is the shared longtail if your day is flexible. We'd book a tour when you want fixed pickup and gear included. Compare snorkeling tour options for packaged routes. Ao Nang is also the base for snorkeling near Ao Nang beach, which suits a day when you prefer to stay nearer the mainland.

Koh Poda costs: boat, park fee and extras

Prices and hours checked November 2026. A shared longtail return from Ao Nang costs about ฿300 per person. Rangers collect the park entry fee separately, on the beach. Recent reports put the foreigner fee at ฿400 and the Thai fee at ฿40. Earlier figures were ฿200 and ฿50, so the fee has changed more than once. The national park fee schedule from the Department of National Parks is the reference to check. Boat fare and park fee are separate charges. Tour prices may or may not include the fee, so ask before you book. Bring cash for the ranger and for drinks at the kiosk.

Best time to go: season, time of day and tides

Morning arrival gives you the most island time. Visitors recommend leaving Ao Nang around 9 or 10 am. Tour boats cluster at the landing beach through the middle of the day. One visitor reported that the landing beach thins out around 1 or 2 pm, though that account is anecdotal. Return boats are reported to stop around 4 pm, with a pickup near 3 pm. Ask your driver to name the exact time. Tides matter too. Boats may drop you on one side and collect you from the other, with a walk of about 5 minutes through the trees. Ask your driver to point out the pickup spot before you wander off. The Andaman monsoon can limit or cancel boat trips. For month-by-month sea conditions, use the Thai Meteorological Department forecast or ask the park office. We give no date ranges because conditions shift year to year.

What to do on Koh Poda

Most visitors stay where the boat lands. Walking away from that stretch is the better move. Past the crowd, the beach opens up and views of Chicken Island and Tup Island appear behind the trees. For reef-focused days, snorkeling spots around Krabi offer more choice. Staying at Railay instead? Try snorkeling from Railay.

• Walk the beach to the quiet far end. One visitor reported the eastern side was much quieter.
• Swim in the shallow water near the landing.
• Snorkel lightly. A January 2024 visitor reported many small colorful fish in the shallows.
• Photograph the neighboring islands from the far end of the beach.
• Use the kiosk, toilets and basic restaurant near the landing.

How long to stay and a sample half-day plan

Plan on 4 to 5 hours, which is what visitors report as enough on an island this size. Use the outline below as a rough shape, then adjust it to the pickup time your driver gives you.

• Leave Ao Nang by 9 or 10 am for the 25-minute crossing.
• Pay the ranger at the beach and note where your boat will collect you.
• Spend the first hours walking to the far end while the landing is still quiet.
• Swim or snorkel in the middle of the stay.
• Return to the landing for shade, food and toilets.
• Be at the pickup point before your agreed departure, reportedly around 3 pm.

What to expect: crowds, rubbish, shade and facilities

We'd rather you arrive with accurate expectations. One visitor counted about 20 longtail and speedboats lined up at the landing at once. Washed-up rubbish is visible in places, and tsunami-era tree trunks line the beach. At high tide they can block the sand, though a forest path runs behind. Shade is scarce away from the landing. Facilities are basic: a small kiosk, public toilets and a simple restaurant. Take your own rubbish back to Ao Nang. Bring water and sun protection.

• Crowds: heaviest at the landing, lighter toward the far end.
• Rubbish: reported in patches, mostly ocean debris.
• Shade: best near the palms by the kiosk.
• Facilities: kiosk, toilets, basic restaurant.

Staying overnight or combining with other islands

Overnight options are unclear. Visitors report one small bungalow resort with electricity only from about 6 pm to midnight and no internet. Others noticed campfire traces and were unsure whether camping is allowed. Ask the park office or the resort about availability and rules. Our default is to stay in Ao Nang and treat Poda as a day trip. To see more islands, a 4-island tour combines Poda with Chicken Island, Tup Island and Phra Nang Cave Beach. Start with tour options with snorkeling stops if that appeals.