Railay Beach tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 11:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Asia/Bangkok local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Next spring tide on Sun 17 May (range 2.9m). Next neap on Fri 22 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Railay is a peninsula on Thailand's Andaman coast, cut off from the mainland by the same limestone karst cliffs that define the visual identity of Krabi Province. No road reaches it. Sheer rock walls — 300 m high in places, the same formation that hosts Railay's world-class rock climbing routes — seal the landward side completely, leaving long-tail boat as the only transport option. The service runs from Krabi Town's Chao Fah pier (45 min, ~150 THB/person) and from Ao Nang beach (15 min, ~120 THB). Boats run on demand through daylight hours; the last reliable return from Railay to Krabi Town is around 18:00. The tidal regime is semidiurnal: two highs and two lows per day, with a spring range of 2.5 to 3.0 m above Chart Datum. The Andaman Sea's exposure to the Indian Ocean tidal wave produces a more pronounced tide than the Gulf of Thailand manages across the peninsula. That spring range shapes Railay in concrete ways. The main visitor beach, Railay West, is the long-tail landing. At mid-to-high water (above 1.5 m above CD), boats pull directly onto the beach and passengers step ashore dry. At low spring water (approaching 0.0–0.2 m), the boat must anchor 30–50 m offshore and passengers wade; the boatmen watch the depth and make the call — no formal tide table is posted at the beach, but every boatman knows the day's schedule. The wade at low spring is knee-to-thigh depth. Railay East, on the mangrove side of the peninsula, is the other beach — a tidal flat and mangrove shoreline that is swimmable only in the top 2–3 hours of the flood tide. At low tide the flat exposes a sequence of mud and low-lying rock, unsuitable for swimming but walkable. The path between Railay West and Railay East crosses the peninsula in 5 minutes; most visitors arrive on the west and walk to the east only for the path onward to Phra Nang Cave Beach. Phra Nang is the third and most dramatic beach — reached by a 10-minute walk around the headland from Railay West (or by longtail, 5 minutes). The beach sits under a 300 m limestone cliff and fronts a bay of exceptionally clear water. At low spring, the rock shelf and boulders at the base of the cliff expose, and the beach extends 60–70 m to the waterline. At high spring the beach compresses to 15–20 m. The best photography window at Phra Nang is low-to-mid tide in morning light — the cliff face catches the early sun and the exposed rock in the foreground gives scale. Rock climbing on the limestone towers around Railay is one of the most concentrated sport-climbing destinations in Asia, with over 200 bolted routes ranging from 5a to 9a. The climbing school operators at Railay West teach beginners on the Half Dome sector and the Muay Thai Wall; experienced climbers head to the Diamond Cave area and the routes above the mangrove on Railay East. Tidal state doesn't directly affect most routes, but the platforms and ledges at the base of several cliffs (particularly on the south face of the headland between Railay West and Phra Nang) are partially inundated at high spring. Check the predicted high-water height before setting up at low-level starting holds. Kayak rental operates from Railay West and from the small operator beside the mangrove path. The cave system through the centre of the peninsula (open to visitors with torches) is best explored at low-to-mid tide when the interior cave floor is drier. Tide predictions here are from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model, accurate to ±45 min / ±0.2–0.3 m. Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) publishes the authoritative Andaman coast tide tables.