Airport and piers · North-east coast, facing Phang Nga Bay
Ao Po Pier
A pier on the north-east coast, facing Phang Nga Bay: the starting point for most sea-canoe trips into the bay from Phuket.
Access
By road
Time to allow
Only to catch a boat
Why go
If your Phang Nga Bay trip leaves by boat from Phuket, it probably starts here or nearby. It is a pier to pass through, not a place to visit.
What you will find
Ao Po pier is a long jetty from which most sea-canoe operators and the boats to Koh Naka Noi leave. From around Ao Po, it takes about 45 minutes by boat to the first hongs (lagoons inside karst islands), according to one guide.
Ao Po Grand Marina is a different place, a private marina a little further north; according to some guides, speedboats to Koh Yao and some Phi Phi trips leave from there. Sources often mix up the two names.
Getting there
By road, in the north-east of the island. Most Phang Nga Bay trips include a pick-up from your hotel; if you go on your own, check whether your ticket says Ao Po pier or Ao Po Grand Marina.
Before you go
Ao Po pier and Ao Po Grand Marina are two separate places: check which one is on your ticket before you take a taxi.
Phang Nga Bay is sheltered on three sides and is visited in practice all year, but check the weather on rough days in the monsoon.
Where this place leads
Common questions
Is Ao Po pier the same as Ao Po Grand Marina?
No. Ao Po pier is the jetty used by most sea-canoe trips; Ao Po Grand Marina is a private marina a little further north.
What leaves from Ao Po pier?
Most sea-canoe trips into Phang Nga Bay, and boats to Koh Naka Noi.