Local transportation Khao Lak
buses
All the timetables and prices below are posted in Bang Niang at the Meeting Point travel agency, located between Bang Niang Market and Moo Moo Cabaret on the main road.
Simple regular buses (orange) run approx. Every hour from 05:20 (towards Phuket) from Khao Lak in both directions to Phuket and Takua Pa. They stop at all stops on request (give a hand signal).
Air-conditioned buses (blue) only stop if they still have seats or are pre-booked. Pre-booking is advisable when traveling to Surat Thani or Bangkok, reliably carried out by the travel agencies.
The air-conditioned bus No. 465 to Surat Thani costs 220 baht. It takes about 4 hours. From there, you can reach the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao by boat from Don Sak Pier.
The minibus no. 444, which comes from Krabi, goes to the Khao Sok National Park entrance (travel time 1 hour) - you can also use it the other way round to Krabi and Ao Nang. It runs about every 2 hours, from 10:00 a.m. to Khao Sok, from 7:30 a.m. towards Krabi.
A minibus drives from Khao Lak for around 400 THB / pp to Phuket Airport (arrange time at the meeting point).
At 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., the two long-distance buses reach Khao Lak on the way to Bangkok, which can be reached in 12 hours.
There are also minibuses to many other places in the south of Thailand and Malaysia that any travel agency would be happy to book. Hotel pick-up costs only a surcharge of 50 THB.
Phi Phi Island can also be reached from Khao Lak by minibus to Rassada Pier on Phuket and from there by express boat for 600 THB (combi ticket) pp
Rent a scooter
Rent a scooter (110-150cc) is called Motor Bike in Thailand) only if you already have driving experience.
Never drive drunk unless you plan to test Thai surgery for yourself or to end your life in Thailand.
The rental company "5 Star Motor Bike Rental" gives you the most important rider rules for the rental and is by far the best rated (e.g. TripAdvisor, Google) rental company in Khao Lak.
Rental vehicles
Renting a car is only advisable if you have your international driver's license with you under the 1926 Agreement. All other agreements - often issued after the 1968 agreement - are NOT valid in Thailand and you are therefore not covered by insurance, even if the lender talks about fully comprehensive insurance.
If you want to rent a vehicle, you have to know that in Thailand you drive on the left.
You should never expect other road users to behave in a traffic-friendly manner because many do not know the rules at all or simply ignore them.
Attention at the zebra crossing: If you brake, you risk a driveway accident, because the Thai never stops at the zebra crossing. Solid lines are also ignored in front of curves and hills.
The safest option is to drive a rental vehicle that offers first-class insurance.
The "best" car insurance among Thais is that of the former AIG (American International Group), now New Hampshire or CHARTIS, which is used, for example, by AirportCarRent at Phuket Airport and by NDC Car Rent in Khao Lak. The Thai licensees of international companies (e.g. Hertz, Sixt, AVIS, Budget) work together with other insurance companies. They do not necessarily handle claims settlement and settlement entirely, which can have very unpleasant consequences for the person causing the accident.
Budget and Hertz licensees maintain branches in Khao Lak, namely in Bang Niang on the main street: Budget 300 m north of 7-eleven, Hertz 200 m south. Budget allows you to return the car to all other branches in Thailand for a fee, starting from a rental period of several days. You should pay by credit card and can take out additional insurance, which also includes a deductible of max. Covers 10,000 baht.
Private taxis
If you would like to explore the Khao Lak area on your own with a chauffeur, you can hire a private driver. Many travel agencies are happy to arrange a driver for 2000 to 3000 baht (depending on the distance and duration).
We can recommend Miss Chananya, who drives a Toyota Corolla Altis and has a real taxi license with first-class taxi insurance. She now speaks fairly usable English and unobtrusively goes wherever guests want. It does not offer tours and does not collect commissions.