The dry season
November to April: dry days and calm water, the easiest season for the crossing to Koh Yao and for kayaking; the pier is at its busiest.
Bang Rong
Area · Pa Khlok
A Muslim fishing village of two centuries in Pa Khlok: replanted mangroves, a floating restaurant, and the public pier for speedboats to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai.
Bang Rong in photographs
- Access
- Speedboats to Koh Yao
- Nature
- Replanted mangrove forest
- Food
- A floating seafood restaurant
- Water sports
- Kayaks in the mangroves
- Quiet
- A Muslim fishing village
About Bang Rong
Bang Rong is a Muslim village of fishermen and farmers on Phuket's north-east coast, in Pa Khlok in Thalang, east of the Heroines Monument and close to Bang Pae Waterfall. Its history goes back more than 200 years, to the Ayutthaya period.
By the 1990s its mangrove forest was close to disappearing; just over twenty years ago the village began to replant it, and fish, crab and shrimp came back with the trees. A wooden boardwalk now leads through the mangroves to a small floating restaurant that rents kayaks, and the community runs its own tours of its farms and crafts.
Bang Rong Pier is the island's main public departure point for Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai: speedboats leave through the day, from about 07:30 to 17:00, take 25 to 45 minutes and cost about 300 to 400 THB. It is a working pier with ticket counters, toilets and a few food stalls; the rainforest of Khao Phra Thaeo, with its waterfall and gibbon centre, begins a short drive inland.
What is good about Bang Rong
The public pier for Koh Yao
Speedboats to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai leave from about 07:30 to 17:00, take 25 to 45 minutes and cost about 300 to 400 THB; longtails take about an hour.
A forest brought back
The village began replanting its mangroves just over twenty years ago; a wooden boardwalk leads through them from the pier.
Seafood on the water
A small family-run floating restaurant at the end of the boardwalk serves the local catch, such as grilled white snapper.
Kayaks for hire
The floating restaurant rents kayaks, with or without a paddler, for the mangrove channels; about 200 THB an hour in 2017.
Village life
Fishing, rubber, coconuts and pineapples: the village shows visitors its work on community-run tours, booked ahead.
The forest inland
Bang Pae Waterfall and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project are about a kilometre inland, in the Khao Phra Thaeo forest.
Things to do at Bang Rong
Bang Rong. Bang Rong. Bang Rong.
Boat trips
Speedboat to Koh Yao
Boats cross to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai from about 07:30 to 17:00, in 25 to 45 minutes, for about 300 to 400 THB (2026).
Nature
The mangrove boardwalk
Walk the wooden boardwalk the village built through its replanted mangrove forest.
Water sports
Kayak the mangrove channels
Hire a kayak, with or without a paddler, at the floating restaurant and follow the creek through the trees.
Food and drink
Lunch at the floating restaurant
Simple seafood dishes, such as grilled white snapper, at the family-run restaurant over the creek.
Culture
A day with the village
Community tours show rubber tapping, pineapple and coconut farms, painting a pateh bag and releasing egg-carrying crabs; book through the village's page.
Nature · dry season
Ko Phae sandbar
A tiny island whose long sandbar appears only at low tide; check the tide before you go.
Nature · monsoon months
Bang Pae Waterfall
A forest stream and waterfall about a kilometre inland, daily 08:00 to 16:30; the national-park fee is 200 THB for foreign visitors.
Nature
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
Booked one-hour sessions at 10:30, 12:30 and 14:00 at the centre that has returned gibbons to Phuket's forest since 1992.
Nature
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
Rescued elephants in the forest about 2 km away, on booked morning or afternoon visits.
Culture
Wat Sophon Wanaram
Pa Khlok's village temple, with an ordination hall from 1890; free.
A day at Bang Rong
Speedboats start leaving Bang Rong pier at about 07:30. Bang Rong Pier
Bang Pae Waterfall opens at 08:00; the gibbon centre's first session is at 10:30. Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
Grilled fish at the floating restaurant, reached by the mangrove boardwalk.
A kayak from the floating restaurant through the creek's channels.
The last speedboats come in from Koh Yao towards 17:00 and the pier goes quiet.
Places in Bang Rong
Our picks
Bang Rong Pier
Pier · Bang RongA pier on Phuket's north-east coast, about 20 minutes' drive from the airport: the main departure point for speedboats to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai.
Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
AttractionA project that has rescued, rehabilitated and returned gibbons to Phuket's forest since 1992, next to the Bang Pae waterfall car park.
Bang Pae Waterfall
WaterfallA waterfall in the protected Khao Phra Thaeo forest on the island's east side, reached by a forest path from the car park.
Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
AttractionA sanctuary for elephants retired after decades of work, opened in 2016 by Montri Todtane on the site of his own former elephant-riding business.
Ao Po Grand Marina
Marina · Ao PoA marina at Ao Po on Phuket's north-east coast, about 30 minutes' drive from the airport, with speedboats to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Naka Yai.
Wat Sophon Wanaram
Buddhist templeA village temple in Pa Khlok laid out in the southern Thai way around a central courtyard.
Restaurants
Bang Pae Seafood
Seafood restaurant · Bang RongA seafood restaurant on the north-east coast at Pa Khlok, near Bang Pae, a favourite of Thai families and expats despite being hard to find.
Bang Rong Community Seafood Restaurant
Floating restaurant · Bang RongThe seafood restaurant of the Bang Rong community at Bang Rong pier in Pa Khlok, on the north-east coast, where the zone pages place the village's floating restaurant.
- The zone
- A place, as the list numbers it
Homes and places on the map
Buddhist temple
Waterfall
Attraction
Attraction
Seafood restaurant
Floating restaurant
Pier
Marina
Homes in Bang Rong
Village houses among rubber, coconut and pineapple farms, with a few newer villas and estates along the roads towards the coast. Across Pa Khlok, two-bedroom homes rented for about 24,000 to 109,000 THB a month in October 2026.
Bang Rong through the year
The monsoon months
May to October: the east coast is sheltered and the boats keep running, but showers are frequent; the waterfall inland runs fullest.
Bang Rong with children
Bang Rong is a good half day with children: kayaks and a boardwalk in the mangroves, a floating restaurant, and the gibbon centre and a waterfall a short drive inland. There is no swimming beach.
- The mangrove boardwalk and the floating restaurant are an easy walk from the pier.
- Kayaks can be hired with a paddler.
- The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project runs booked one-hour sessions for visitors.
- Bang Pae Waterfall's stream is a favourite with Thai families.
- There is no swimming beach; Ko Phae's sandbar shows only at low tide.
Getting to Bang Rong and parking
- From the airport, by car
- 20–30 min
- From Patong, with the traffic
- 45–60 min
- From Phuket Town
- 30–45 min
Bang Rong is about 20 to 25 minutes from the airport, east of the Heroines Monument: turn off the main road at the village mosque, about a kilometre north of the Bang Pae Waterfall turn. There is no public bus; come by car, scooter or taxi.
- By car. From the Heroines Monument head east towards Pa Khlok and turn right at the mosque, about 1 km north of the Bang Pae Waterfall entrance.
- Grab and taxis. Taxis and ride apps reach the pier in about 20 to 25 minutes from the airport; some Koh Yao resorts send their guests this way.
- By scooter. The village lanes and the pier are easy on a scooter.
- By boat. Speedboats to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai about every hour until 17:00; slower longtails take about an hour.
Parking. A gate controls the pier's car park: a fee to leave a car while you visit the islands, nothing for a meal or a quick look (2017).
Who will love Bang Rong, and who will not
Will love it
- Island hoppers bound for Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai.
- Travellers on a budget: the public pier is the cheapest way to Koh Yao.
- Anyone who wants a quiet village and a mangrove forest instead of a beach.
- Families: kayaks, a boardwalk, gibbons and a waterfall within a short drive.
Will not
- Beach lovers: the shore is mangrove and mudflat.
- Night owls: the village is Muslim and quiet, and the pier closes after the last boat.
- Comfort seekers: the pier is basic; Ao Po's marina nearby is the smarter departure.
Tips for Bang Rong
Dress for the village
Bang Rong is a Muslim community: cover shoulders and knees when you walk through it.
The last boat
Speedboats to Koh Yao stop at about 17:00; plan your return accordingly.
No need to come early
Boats leave through the day; arriving about 15 minutes before a departure is enough.
Parking for the islands
Leaving a car at the pier while you visit Koh Yao costs a fee at the gate; a meal or a quick look does not (2017).
Book the village tours
Community tours are booked ahead, through the village's own page.
Watch the tide
Ko Phae's sandbar can be reached only at low tide.
Gibbons by booking
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project opens only for booked sessions; on days without bookings it is closed.
Questions about Bang Rong
Where is Bang Rong?
On Phuket's north-east coast, in Pa Khlok in Thalang, east of the Heroines Monument and close to Bang Pae Waterfall. It is about 20 to 25 minutes from the airport.
How do I get to Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai from Bang Rong?
By speedboat from Bang Rong Pier, from about 07:30 to 17:00: 25 to 45 minutes, about 300 to 400 THB a person (2026). Longtails are slower, about an hour.
Is Bang Rong pier the same as Ao Po?
No. Bang Rong is the simple public pier; Ao Po Grand Marina, about 2 km north-east, is a full marina with the quickest boats to Koh Yao Noi and a restaurant.
Can I visit the Bang Rong mangroves?
Yes. A wooden boardwalk leads from the pier through the replanted forest to a small floating restaurant, which rents kayaks, with or without a paddler, for the creek.
Is Bang Rong a Muslim village?
Yes, a Muslim community of fishermen and farmers with a history of more than 200 years. Dress modestly when you walk through it.
Can I leave my car at Bang Rong pier?
Yes. A gate controls the car park; leaving a car while you visit the islands costs a fee, a quick visit does not (2017).
What else is near Bang Rong?
Bang Pae Waterfall and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project are about a kilometre inland, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary about 2 km, and Ao Po Grand Marina about 2 km along the coast.
How much is it to rent a home near Bang Rong?
Across Pa Khlok, two-bedroom homes were listed at about 24,000 to 109,000 THB a month in October 2026; one three-bedroom villa with a private mooring near Bang Rong and Ao Po asked 45,000 THB.