Krabi

Currency

Ao Nang has more exchange booths than it needs, which keeps the rates honest. Compare two before changing anything larger.

ATMs & cards

The 220 THB foreign card fee is unavoidable. Withdraw once for several days rather than daily, and decline dynamic currency conversion.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe. The risks are the sea and the roads: rip currents on the open beaches in monsoon months, and scooter accidents on the coast road. Rock climbing at Railay is run by reputable operators, but check the gear yourself.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies if you will be near animals or staying a while
• Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays

Getting treated

One of the best places in the world to have an accident. Private hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai are excellent, fast, English-speaking and cheap by Western standards — a consultation runs a few tens of euros. They expect payment or an insurance guarantee up front.

Dengue is present year-round and worse in the rainy season; there is no prophylaxis, so repellent is the defence. Rabies is present in street dogs and monkeys — any bite or scratch means a clinic the same day.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Krabi Town’s walking street market on Friday and Saturday is far better and cheaper than anything on the Ao Nang strip. Southern Thai curries here are hotter than in Bangkok.

Getting around

• Songthaew — white trucks between Krabi Town and Ao Nang, 60 THB
• Longtail boat — the only way to reach Railay, 100-200 THB from Ao Nang
• Grab — thin outside Krabi Town; agree taxi fares in advance
• Scooter — fine along the coast road, licence and helmet required
• Airport: minibus to Ao Nang (45 min, ~150 THB) or taxi (~600 THB)

Must-see

Things to do

• Take a longtail to Railay Beach
• Climb the 1,260 steps at Tiger Cave Temple
• Island-hop the Four Islands
• Swim in the Emerald Pool
• Kayak the mangroves at Ao Thalane
• Rock climb the Railay limestone

Nearby day trips

Religion

Theravada Buddhist

About 93% Buddhist, and it governs a lot of daily etiquette. Monks may not be touched by women. Never point your feet at a Buddha image or climb on one — people have been prosecuted for it.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Return the wai greeting — palms together, a slight bow — when someone offers it first
• Remove shoes before entering temples and homes
• Cover shoulders and knees at temples, including for men
• Keep your cool; visible anger loses you the argument and the respect

Don't

• Do not touch anyone’s head, including children — it is the most sacred part of the body
• Do not point your feet at people or at Buddha images, and never step over someone
• Do not say anything critical of the royal family; lèse-majesté carries prison sentences and is enforced
• Do not climb on Buddha statues for photographs