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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Ton Sai
ตันสัย
Spend 1–2 days for climbing and beach time; longer only if you want multiple island trips.
Ton Sai is a small beach village in Krabi Province known for rock climbing, a few short hikes and cheap bamboo bungalows. Most visitors stay 1–2 nights to climb and swim; day trips to Rai Leh or Phra Nang add a few hours.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- ตันสัย
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (cool, dry, best climbing conditions)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (monsoon, heavy rain, limited climbing)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿800–1,200 excl. bed · Mid ฿1,200–1,800 excl. bed · High ฿1,800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Longtail boat ticket Ao Nang → Ton Sai | 100 baht (≈ $3) (double after 18:00)100 baht (≈ $3) (double after 6:00 PM) |
| Climbing intro course | 800 baht (≈ $24) |
| Meal (pad thai, rice, fruit) | 80–120 baht |
| Cold drink | 30–50 baht |
| Bungalow night (basic) | 150–300 baht |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KBV · Krabi International Airport
- 30 min by taxi to Ao Nang, then 10 min boat to Ton Sai
Typical fares
- Ao Nang → Ton Sai longtail
- ≈ 100 baht per person, 10 min (double after 18:00) (check)≈ 100 baht per person, 10 min (double after 6:00 PM) (check)
- Kayak Ton Sai ↔ Phra Nang
- ≈ 200 baht round‑trip
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot only; the whole village is walkable in 5 min. Dirt road can be muddy in rain.
See and do
Known for
- rock climbing
- Phra Nang Shrine
- lagoon
- fire shows
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Rai Leh | Longtail boat from Ton Sai, 10 min; or walk at low tide 20 min | ≈20 min |
| Phra Nang Beach | Longtail boat 10 min or kayak 10 min | ≈15 min |
| Chicken Island | Charter longtail from Ton Sai, 20 min | ≈30 min |
Sleep
- Country Side Resort
- 10 bamboo bungalows, basic facilities, ~150 baht/night
- Chill Out Bar & Bungalow
- Double bungalow, 700 baht/night, includes bar and Wi‑Fi
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkŏr‑tôht |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkòp‑kun |
| How much? | เท่าไหร่tâo‑rài |
| Where is the beach? | ชายหาดอยู่ที่ไหนchai‑hàt yòo têe‑năi |
| Can I have water? | ขอน้ำได้ไหมkŏr‑náam dâi măi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- No daytime electricity; generators run at night only.
- Tide makes the beach unsuitable for swimming about 10 days a month.
- Trek from Ao Nang is steep and monkeys may attack luggage.
Generally safe for tourists; watch for night‑time beach swimming when tide is low and keep belongings secure from occasional monkey encounters.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ton Sai yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- rock climbing
- Phra Nang Shrine
- lagoon
- fire shows
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Ton Sai: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1234567
- Wikivoyage: Ton Sai, revision 5234275 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5234275
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/ton-sai). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.