Krabi, a dreaming seaside town among travelers, lying along the Andaman, boasts for its dazzling beaches, magnificent marine garden, wondrous karsts rising up to the sky, pristine atmosphere, abundant verdant jungles, and other groups of scenic islands scattering around. All that is the spell-binding beauty which makes numerous visitors desire to go back to this magical land more than once.

Krabi is considered as "The Emerald of the Andaman" for its breathtaking and unspoiled natural beauty. Possessing a diversity of topography and landscapes, Krabi offers a wide range of activities and points of interests, plenty enough to retain visitors for weeks or even months to discover all of the province's wonders.

Krabi's beaches are praised for their incredibly magnificent with their white pure sand and transparently crystalline water, making them the ideal place for swimming and sunbathing. Underwater, you are offered the stunning scenery teemed with multi-colored corals and hundred species of fish among other marine lives; there are a lot of dive sites which are ones of the world most poplar destinations. Additionally, its sheer limestone cliffs together with the verdant mountains and jungles offer the picturesque backdrop of the Andaman Sea and also the adventurous activities like rock climbing, canoeing, and kayaking. With all these endowments of Krabi, it undoubtedly became one of the precious jewels of Thailand.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Archeologically, Krabi is believed to have been home to homosapiens in pre-historical period due to the discovery of ancient colored pictures, beads, pottery, and skeletal remains in many cliffs and caves in the province. In recorded times, it was initially called "Ban Thai Samor", one of twelve towns that used the monkey as their emblem. During the 12th century, Krabi was a dependent territory of Ligor, a city on the Kra Peninsular's east coast, in the area of the present-day Nakorn Sri Thammarat Province. At the start of Rattanakosin period, about 200 years ago, when the capital was finally settled in Bangkok, Krabi became then a part of Thai Kingdom. As the community grows, in 1872 King Rama V bestowed upon it town status and named it "Krabi", but it still was a dependency of Nakorn Sri Thammarat. It was not until 1875 that Krabi's administration was reported directly to Bangkok and became separated from the other provinces.

Krabi, named by the King Rama V is a figurative word in Thai language; one used in literature and the other is in general use, creating the different origins of its name. Poetically, Krabi means monkey which is in accordance with its old monkey symbolism. Another origin of its name can be resumed as well; it is said that by the time of establishing the town, an ancient sword was found in the area, and then this came to Krabi which can signify a sword.

GEOGRAPHY

Krabi is located 814 kilometers from Bangkok, sprawling on the total area of 4,708 square kilometers. Its topography is composed of plains, highlands, mountains and more than 130 islands. Krabi downtown is nourished by a five-kilometer-river which empty into the Andaman Sea. There are also other streams, Klong Pakasai, Klong Krabi Yai and Klong Krabi Noi which flow from the province's highest range of mountains, Khao Phanom Bencha. Natural forest cover is mainly mangroves and Cassia trees. Krabi's sandy clay soil conditions are perfect for plantations such as of rubber trees, palms, mangoes, coconuts and coffee.

Krabi Province is administratively divided into eight districts (Amphoe): Amphoe Muang (Krabi town), Khao Panom, Klong Thom, Plai Phraya, Ko Lanta, Ao Luk, and Lam Thap, and Nhua Klong.

Boundaries
North: Connects with Phang-Nga and Surat Thani Provinces.
South: Connects with Trang Province and the Andaman Sea
East: Connects with Trang and Nakorn Si Thammarat Province
West: Connects with Phang-Nga province and the Andaman Sea.

Distance from Krabi to nearby provinces and its districts

From Krabi city to nearby provinces
- Phang Nga 86 kms.
- Phuket 176 kms.
- Trang 131 kms.
- Phattalung 193 kms.
- Surat Thani 211 kms.
- Nakhon Si Thammarat 233 kms.
- Satun 276 kms.

From Krabi city to its districts
- Ao Luk 43 kms.
- Plai Phraya 66 kms.
- Khao Panom 39 kms.
- Khlong Thom 42 kms.
- Ko Lanta 103 45 kms.
- Lam Thap 67 kms.
- Nua Khlong 17 kms.

CLIMATE

Krabi is typically dominated by tropical monsoon, allowing just the two seasons of the province. The hot season commences in January and terminates in April. The rainy season is from May to December. Temperatures range between 16.9 and 37.3 degrees Celsius.
The best time for visiting Krabi is after the end of monsoonal season which starts from December until April when the sky became brightly blue and the weather is excellent.

This article is authored and copyrighted by
Royal Exclusive Travel Co., Ltd.