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Chicken Island (Koh Kai), Krabi: what it is and what it is not
Chicken Island (Koh Kai), Krabi: what it is and what it is not
Horizon Cruises Phuket runs Chicken Island as one stop of its private Krabi four-islands day, which lasts 7 to 10 hours and is priced per boat, from ฿37,900 in regular season on the AQVA 37 speedboat, six guests in the rate and up to twelve aboard. Boats leave from Chalong Pier, Ao Po Grand Marina or Royal Phuket Marina, the east-coast marinas being the shorter run to the Krabi side, and the sandbar stop follows the tide table, not the clock. Write to us on WhatsApp and we will name the hour.
Chicken Island — Koh Kai in Thai, and Ko Po Da Nok on the chart — is a limestone island in Krabi province, about 52 km east of Chalong Pier and 42 km from Ao Po Grand Marina. It sits inside Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, so the park fee applies. The reason boats come here is Thale Waek: a sandbar that surfaces around low tide and links three islands. From Phuket it is a full day.
Koh Khai or Koh Kai — which island do you mean?
Two different places, in two different provinces. Koh Kai / Chicken Island is in Krabi, 52 km from Chalong, and belongs to the Krabi four-islands group. Koh Khai — Khai Nok and Khai Nai — are small islands off the east coast of Phuket, in Phang Nga province, 16–24 km out.
The confusion is not only a tourist's: the names differ by one vowel in transliteration, and this page's own address carries "koh-khai" for a Krabi island. On the water the two have nothing in common.
| Chicken Island (Koh Kai) | Khai Nok and Khai Nai | |
|---|---|---|
| Province | Krabi | Phang Nga |
| Thai name | เกาะไก่ (also เกาะปอดะนอก, Ko Po Da Nok) | เกาะไข่นอก, เกาะไข่ใน |
| From Chalong Pier | about 52 km (28 nm) | 20 km and 24 km |
| From Royal Phuket Marina | about 46 km (25 nm) | 16 km and 19 km |
| National park | Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi, fee per person | not in a marine national park |
| Typical charter format | full day, 7–10 hours | half day, 4–5 hours |
| What you come for | the Thale Waek sandbar, the chicken-head rock, snorkelling | shallow water, a short beach stop close to Phuket |
There is a second name trap on the chart. Chicken Island is Ko Po Da Nok — "outer Poda" — and its neighbour Koh Poda is Ko Po Da Nai, "inner Poda". Two islands, one root name, and they are visited on the same day.
Chicken Island in numbers
| Names | Chicken Island, Koh Kai (Ko Kai) / เกาะไก่, เกาะปอดะนอก / Чикен, Ко Кай / Ko Po Da Nok on charts |
|---|---|
| Province | Krabi |
| National park | Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi |
| Coordinates | 7.9542 / 98.8064 |
| Park fee | per person, cash on the day, children at a reduced rate; current rate confirmed with your quote |
| Season | open year-round; best visibility November to April |
| Landing | tender onto sand; on our charters the stop here is snorkelling, we do not walk the viewpoint trail |
| On shore | no village, no road, no restaurants; facilities are on neighbouring Tup Island |
| Neighbours on the sandbar | Tup Island (Ko Thap, 7.9608 / 98.8122) and Mor Island (Ko Mo) |
| Busiest | after lunch, when the Ao Nang longtails arrive — the timing moves with the tide |
Checked: 27.09.2026 · thainationalparks.com and 24hourslayover.com (park and fee), simbaseatrips.com (landing, viewpoint, snorkelling), coordinates and Thai names — Wikidata.
What is the Thale Waek sandbar?
A strip of sand that appears around low tide and connects Chicken Island with Tup and Mor islands in a T shape. At low water you walk between three islands on ankle- to knee-deep sand; at high water the strip is gone completely.
That is why this stop is booked against the tide table rather than the clock. A day that arrives two hours late finds open sea where the path was. Wear something on your feet: the sand carries broken coral and shell.
Can you land on Chicken Island, and what is the viewpoint?
Landing by tender is possible, and on our charters the stop is for snorkelling: we put guests in the water rather than walk them up the hill. From the beach a short, rough trail does climb to the Chicken Island Viewpoint, which looks down the sandbar toward Tup Island and out to Koh Poda — it is there, but it is not part of our day.
The rock that gives the island its name is at the northern end and reads as a chicken's head only from certain angles — from others it looks like an axe handle, which is the older local name for it. The best view of it is from the water on the approach, not from the beach.
What are the rules for snorkelling here?
Do not feed the fish, do not touch coral or marine animals, and stay at least two metres above the reef. These are Ministry of Natural Resources rules in force since 22 April 2025 across Thailand's marine national parks.
The same rules require a life jacket for anyone without a freediving certificate, limit one guide to twenty snorkellers, and ban Sea Walker helmet dives. Feeding fish with fruit or bread — still described on many older pages, including an earlier version of this one — is prohibited, and the fine is not the point: the practice damages the reef the park exists to protect.
The snorkelling itself is easy: shallow, clear water, entry straight off the sand, reef fish close in on calm days.
What our captains know
The tide sets the hour, and we work it out per date. The sandbar stop is calculated backwards from the tide rather than pinned to a time, so we do not quote a fixed hour in advance — we name it once the date is fixed.
The Ao Nang longtails usually arrive after lunch, and that too moves with the tide. The practical consequence is that our morning on these islands is the quiet part of the day.
On Chicken Island the stop is snorkelling. We put guests in the water off the sand; we do not take groups up the viewpoint trail.
Where exactly we anchor depends on how busy it is. Every charter is private, and the point of that is to sit where other boats are not — so the captain picks the spot on the day.
The park fee is paid to the rangers on the spot. Cash, per person, on the islands — not in advance and not through us.
How far is Chicken Island from Phuket?
About 52 km (28 nautical miles) from Chalong Pier and about 42 km (23 nautical miles) from Ao Po Grand Marina. This is an approximate straight-line distance, not an exact navigational figure — the actual route on the water is always somewhat longer.
| Departure marina | Straight line | Speedboat | Motor yacht | Sailing catamaran |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ao Po Grand Marina | 42 km (23 nm) | 40–55 min | 50 min – 2.5 h | 3–4.5 h |
| Royal Phuket Marina | 46 km (25 nm) | 45–60 min | 1–3 h | 3.5–5 h |
| Boat Lagoon | same as Royal Phuket Marina — shared approach channel | 45–60 min | 1–3 h | 3.5–5 h |
| Chalong Pier | 52 km (28 nm) | 50–70 min | 1–3 h | 4–5.5 h |
For the Krabi side the east-coast marinas are the shorter run, which is why most boats on this route leave from Ao Po or Royal Phuket Marina. By road the same trip is roughly 180 km. All four departure points are compared in where yachts depart from in Phuket.
What does a day to Chicken Island cost?
In our price list Chicken Island is part of the Krabi four-islands day: 7 to 10 hours, priced per boat rather than per person.
| Boat | Guests for a day trip | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AQVA 37, speedboat | 6 in the rate, up to 12 | 7 hours, four islands incl. Poda | from 37,900 THB, regular season |
| Al Dhaen 38 Vice, speedboat | 6 in the rate, up to 8 | 7 hours, four islands incl. Poda | from 41,900 THB, regular season |
| Mami Wata, motor yacht | 8 in the rate, up to 12 | Krabi four islands, 8 hours | from 83,000 THB, low season |
| Nimbus T11, speedboat | 10 | Krabi four islands, day charter | 115,000 THB year-round |
| The Origin 90, motor yacht | 20 in the rate, up to 30 | 10 hours, four islands incl. Poda | from 125,000 THB, regular season |
| Azimut Atlantis 50, motor yacht | 8 in the rate, up to 11 | Krabi-2 route: Poda, Chicken, Thale Waek, Kai, 8 hours | 111,000 THB regular, 133,000 THB peak |
| Beluga 88, motor yacht | 12 in the rate, up to 22 | Koh Hong plus the four islands, 9 hours | from 214,000 THB, low season |
Prices from the yacht pages, 2026/27 season. Fuel for the agreed route is inside the rate; a fuel supplement exists only where a boat's own page states it. Outside the rate: paid extras, crew tips and the park fee, except on boats whose page lists it in the rate. Full tables by format and season are on the prices page; what a charter includes is on what's included.
Chicken Island, Koh Poda or Koh Khai — which day to book?
Chicken Island if you want the sandbar walk and can plan around low tide. Koh Poda if you want a beach to spend hours on. Koh Khai if you have half a day and want the shortest run from Phuket.
| Chicken Island | Koh Poda | Khai Nok | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Ao Po by sea | 42 km | 42 km | 21 km |
| Day format | full day, 7–10 hours | full day, same trip | half day, 4–5 hours |
| Park fee | per person | per person | none |
| Main draw | the tidal sandbar and the viewpoint | a wide beach with shade | shallow water, quick stop |
| Landing | tender onto sand | tender onto sand | tender onto sand |
| Overnight | no | no, no accommodation on the island | no |
Frequently asked questions
Is Chicken Island in Krabi the same as Koh Khai near Phuket?
No. Chicken Island (Koh Kai) is in Krabi, 52 km from Chalong Pier, inside Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. Khai Nok and Khai Nai are in Phang Nga province, 20–24 km from Chalong, and are not in a marine national park.
How much is the entrance fee for Chicken Island?
It is paid in cash on the day, per person, with children at a reduced rate; the parks revise their rates from time to time, so we confirm the current figure with your quote. The same fee covers the neighbouring islands visited on the four-islands route.
When can you walk the sandbar between Chicken, Tup and Mor?
Around low tide, when the sand surfaces and links the three islands in a T shape. At high tide it is fully submerged, so the visit is timed to the tide table, not to a fixed hour.
Can you snorkel at Chicken Island?
Yes. The water is shallow and clear with easy entry from the sand. Feeding the fish is prohibited, a life jacket is required without a freediving certificate, and you must stay at least two metres above the coral.
Is Chicken Island part of Ao Phang Nga National Park?
No — that is a common error, including on the earlier version of this page. It belongs to Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi.
Can you stay overnight on Chicken Island?
No. There is no accommodation, no village and no road; the island is visited on a day charter and left before evening.
How long does the boat trip from Phuket to Chicken Island take?
From Ao Po Grand Marina, 40 to 55 minutes by speedboat and from 50 minutes to 2.5 hours on a motor yacht. From Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon, which share an approach channel, 45 to 60 minutes by speedboat, and on a motor yacht anywhere from one hour to three. Chalong Pier is the longest run of the four. A sailing catamaran would need three hours or more each way, which leaves little of the day for the islands.
Which boats run the Krabi four-islands day from Phuket?
On the price list of this page, besides the AQVA speedboat: Al Dhaen 38 Vice, a speedboat for up to 8 guests, from ฿41,900 for six in regular season; the motor yacht The Origin 90 for up to 30 guests, from ฿125,000 for twenty in regular season; and Beluga 88, up to 22 guests, from ฿214,000 for twelve in low season on a nine-hour day that adds Koh Hong. Every price is for the whole boat, and the park fee comes on top unless the yacht's page lists it in the rate.
Can we see Chicken Island on a half-day trip from Phuket?
No. The four islands are a full charter day from Phuket, and the sandbar has to be reached around low tide, which does not fit into a morning. If you have only a half day, the shortest run off Phuket's east coast is Koh Khai: Khai Nok lies 21 km from Ao Po, takes four to five hours and has no park fee. Koh Poda is the choice if a beach matters more than the sandbar.
When is Chicken Island least crowded?
In the morning. The longtails from Ao Nang usually arrive after lunch, and their timing moves with the tide as well, so the first hours of a charter from Phuket are the quiet part of the day. Because every charter is private, the captain also picks the anchorage on the day, away from where other boats sit. The viewpoint trail is not part of our stop; the time here goes to snorkelling off the sand.
What should we wear on the Thale Waek sandbar?
Something on your feet: the sand carries broken coral and shell, and at low water you walk ankle- to knee-deep between Chicken Island, Tup and Mor. For the snorkelling stop the park requires a life jacket for anyone without a freediving certificate, and the rules forbid touching coral or feeding fish. Keep the cash for the rangers dry; the fee is paid to them on the islands, in baht, and not through us.
Boats that suit this route
Departure marina is the practical filter for this direction:
- 53ft Grand Banks Sambuca — 53 ft, from ฿40,000
- Siam Princess 70 — 70 ft, from ฿55,000
- Azimut 55 After 8 — 55 ft, from ฿79,000
- Cranchi 58 Scenery — 58 ft, from ฿100,000
- Beluga 88 — 88 ft, from ฿214,000
- Falcon 106 — 106 ft, from ฿380,000
