Krabi is the provincial capital of Krabi Province.

Understand

Krabi is a small city with a population of around 18,000. Located just upriver from the coast, it has no beaches and hence many visitors make a beeline for Ao Nang or Rai Leh (Railay).

Get in

Direct connections are by air and road; travellers can also take a train to Surat Thani and continue on to Krabi by bus from there.

By plane

Krabi International Airport (KBV) is about 10 km from the city limits, 15km from city centre, 40km from Ao Nang. Thai Airways operates daily direct flights to/from Bangkok, likewise Air Asia from March 1st 2006. Tiger Airways flies direct to/from Singapore on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Krabi Limousine (tel. +66-75692073) has a desk inside the terminal and provides "limousine taxi" (using large air-conditioned sedans) transport to Krabi for 500 baht; Ao Nang for 800 baht; Phuket for 2500 baht. Krabi Tours offers prearranged taxi chaufuers. National Car Rental also has a branch at the airport. Cheaper motorcycle taxi rides are available outside the terminal, but you will be riding on down a freeway for miles on the back of a motorcylce with baggage.

International departure tax is 500 baht. Domestic departure tax is included in the price of the flight.

By train

By bus

Buses from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal (tel. +66-24351199) to Krabi take about 12 hours and depart as follows:

• VIP bus - 07:20 - 710 baht
• First class bus - 19:00 - 486 baht
• Second class bus - 07:30, 19:00, 19:30, 21:00 - 378 baht

Buses also run from the east coast with connection to ferries to Ko Samui and onward. Choose your ticket carefully - the trip should take no more than three hours, but some travellers have endured ridiculous ten hour rides which included extensive "repair stops" right in front of restaurants coincidentally affiliated with the bus company... such hassles can be avoided by using state-run BKS buses instead of dodgy private operators.

Shuttle buses run between Krabi airport and Phuket airport several times a day. There are also regular buses that make the 2 hour run.

By car

Krabi is located on Highway 4.

By boat

Get around

See

Do

Buy

Eat

At night there is a charming night market close to the promenade next to the piers. Food is good and cheap, with Muslim influences. From time to time the town organizes shows on a small stage next to the market.

There are several Italian restaurants of varying degrees of authenticity. Viva has Italian management and probably the best food.

Drink

Sleep

Chan Cha Lay hotel.

• Chan Cha Lay, 55 Utarakit Road; tel: +66-75620952 (email: chanchalay_krabi AT hotmail.com) - a great, highly recommended budget option. The small hotel is clean and well-kept, and the design interesting & tasteful, cosy, cheery. Centrally located, there are endless food options nearby. Rooms 250 baht with shared bath, 350 baht with for private bath (low season). Air-con rooms also available.

• City Hotel, 15/2-4 Sukon Road Mueng; tel: +66-75611961 fax: +66-75621282 - a standard western style hotel, comfortable but not especially luxurious. Trappings include hot water and cable TV. Double rooms with fan start from 450 baht and rooms with air-con from 550 baht. Annoying free wake-up call at 11am.

• Thai Hotel - slightly more expensive, less noisy but in poor condition.

Get out

Ferries run to Ko Phi Phi, Ko Jum and Ko Lanta daily. Most depart in the morning. Tickets can be purchased at the dock or from tourist offices and most local guesthouses and hotels. The normal passenger ferry does not start from the center of town anymore, but from a new passenger port about 3 km outside Krabi. Free taxi transfer to the pier should be included in the price of your ticket. If your boat starts from the old piers in the center of town (Chao Fah pier or Phi Phi pier), you are most likely on a more expensive and longer tourist boat ride.

Note that the large displayed time-tables in the many travel agencies are just for show and the times are not to be taken literally. Ask.

The shared taxi to Ao Nang is 40B and they depart all the time.