Tonsai Beach is part of the Railay peninsula and is only accessible by boat because of the high mountains that surround it. Longtail boats depart from Ao Nang and Noppharat Thara beaches only and stop here first on their way to Railay – journey time is around 15 minutes. At very low tide, the service stops temporarily.
Boats depart as soon as there are enough people to fill them: in high season this means they run fairly frequently, but there can be waits of up to one hour in low season or late at night. It is always possible to pay to charter the whole boat to leave immediately, however.
Note: it is only possible to buy one way tickets to Tonsai from Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara. Your return journey (if required) can be bought directly at the beach from the Ton Sai Boat Club drivers.
There is a direct ferry connection to and from the islands of Phi Phi and Phuket, as well as Lanta during high season only. The ferries stop en route to and from Ao Nang, mooring offshore. A free longtail boat service is provided to carry passengers to and from the shore. See the ferry timetables for more details and timing.
Once you are on Ton Sai, the only way around is on foot (there are no cars or roads). There is a (quite long and arduous) path that leads up behind the beach over to the hill behind the east side of Railay. At low tide it is possible to walk to the adjacent beach of Railay West over the rocks. Longtail boats can be chartered from the beach to visit the local islands.
View a map of Railay & Ton Sai.