Thailand Guide

Getting around Khao Lak

Khao Lak is known for a Highway 4 spine and a Thap Lamu pier, so stay on one beach strip. The HKT car is 70 to 90 minutes, and there is no Smart Bus for this run.

Back to Khao Lak
HKT carHighway 4Thap Lamu
Getting around Khao Lak
Photo: Slyronit (CC BY-SA 4.0)
AirportHKT, then 70 to 90 minutes north on Highway 4
PierThap Lamu for Similan speedboats
Local hopGrab or a short scooter on the beach side
HazardCrossing Highway 4 at night
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There is no airport in Khao Lak and no passenger ferry, and fly HKT, then take Highway 402 off Phuket and north on Highway 4 for 70 to 90 minutes. Book a named car, and the Smart Bus does not do this run. Nang Thong comes first; Bang Niang sits a few minutes later.

Similan boats leave Thap Lamu in Thai Mueang while the park is open (15 October to 15 May). See Similan and Surin, and a 2026 hotel-to-pier pickup is often bundled on the boat ticket. Walk the beach side of the road, and do not treat Highway 4 as a promenade.

Which mode for which hop

  • HKT car: 70 to 90 minutes. The real door.
  • Grab: Strip to strip at night. Cheaper than a blind scooter.
  • Thap Lamu: Operator pickup or a pre-dawn taxi.
  • Walk: Beach-side sois only. The highway is the hazard.

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Common questions

Is there a bus from HKT to Khao Lak?
Not a useful tourist bus. Book a car for 70 to 90 minutes on Highway 4.
Can you walk to Thap Lamu?
No. It is a southbound road to Thai Mueang. Use the boat pickup.