Krabi Province

Krabi
กระบี่
—  Province  —

Seal
Map of Thailand highlighting Krabi Province
Country  Thailand
Capital Krabi
Government
 • Governor Prasit Osathanon (since October 2009)
Area
 • Total 4,708.5 km2 (1,818 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 46th
Population (2010)
 • Total 432,704
 • Rank Ranked 64th
 • Density 91.9/km2 (238/sq mi)
 • Density rank Ranked 62nd
Time zone Thailand Standard Time (UTC+7)
ISO 3166 code TH-81

Krabi (Thai: กระบี่) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, at the shore of the Andaman Sea. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Trang. The Phuket province to the west is also neighbouring, but without any land boundary. The capital of the region is the city of Krabi.

Contents

History

The first human remains discovered in the province date back to 25,000 - 35,000 B.C., but recorded history begins with the Kingdom of Ligor in 1200, when the city Ban Thai Samor was part of that kingdom. In modern times, Krabi was administered from Nakhon Si Thammarat, even after 1872 when King Chulalongkorn granted Krabi the status of a town. In 1875 it was made a direct subordinate of Bangkok, becoming what is now a province. In 1900 the governor moved the seat of the province from Ban Talad Kao to its present location at the mouth of the Krabi river.

It is believed the town may have taken its name from the word "krabi", which means sword. This may stem from a legend that an ancient sword was unearthed prior to the city’s founding.

Geography

The province is located on the Andaman Sea and is noted for its outstanding natural beauty. The are solitary limestone peaks, both on the land and in the sea. Rock climbers from all over travel to Ton Sai Beach and Railay Beach. The beaches form part of Krabi's Phra Nang Peninsula. Of the 154 islands in the province, Ko Phi Phi Leh is the most famous, since it was used in the movie The Beach. The coast was badly damaged by the tsunami on December 26, 2004.

Other notable islands include Ko Phi Phi Don, part of the Phi Phi Islands, and Ko Lanta, a larger island to the south.

The limestone hills contain many caves, most having beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Tham Chao Le and Tham Phi Hua To, both in Ao Luek district, contain prehistoric rock-painting depicting humans, animals and geometrical shapes. In Lang Rong Rien cave in 1986 archaeologists found 40,000-year-old human artifacts - stone tools, pottery and bones. It is one of the oldest traces of human occupation in South-East Asia. Krabi's caves are one of the main sources of nests of the Edible-nest Swiftlet, used to create bird's nest soup.

Symbols

The seal of the province shows two crossed ancient swords (Krabi is also the name of an ancient Siamese sword) in front of the Indian Ocean and the Phanom Bencha mountain, with 1397 m above sea level the highest mountain of the province. The provincial tree is the Thung-Fa (Thai: ทุ้งฟ้า) or Alstonia macrophylla.

Administrative divisions

Krabi is subdivided into 8 districts (amphoe), which are further divided into 53 communes (tambon) and 374 villages (muban).

  1. Mueang Krabi
  2. Khao Phanom
  3. Ko Lanta
  4. Khlong Thom
  1. Ao Luek
  2. Plai Phraya
  3. Lam Thap
  4. Nuea Khlong

Transportation

Airplane

Krabi International Airport (KBV) This recently opened airport is about 10 km from the city limits and operates regular flights to many foreign destinations. Thailand's only Seaplane service also routinely flies in and out of Krabi’s islands and Ao Nang Beach to numerous destinations.

Train

Trains from Bangkok and the North, and Malaysia and the South, stop at Surat Thani from where a transfer by road is necessary.

Bus

There are both non air-conditioned and air-conditioned buses to Bangkok and other southern provinces. There are also non air-condition inter-provincial buses.

Roads

There are five major highways linking Krabi’s districts and neighbouring provinces.

Ferry Boat

There are frequent ferry boats to Ko Phi Phi, Ko Jum and Ko Lanta. These usually carry passengers as well as vehicles across the sides.

Boat

There are numerous companies on the island offering boat services around the islands and for those going diving.

Songthaew (public passenger pick-up vehicles)

The public passenger pick-up vehicles, also called Songthaew, are very common in Krabi. People usually use this facility cover their distances within the province.

Tourism

Sights

Activities

Apart from its natural attractions, Krabi is also a popular place for scuba diving and snorkelling, kayaking, rock climbing, and jungle treks by foot, mountain bike or elephant. Famous spots for kayaking include Ko Hong, Ko Karot, Ko Phak Bia, Ko Ku Du, and Tha Len, while Tham Phra Nang and Hat Rai Le are a mecca for climbers from all over the world. Abseiling has currently become another popular sport in Krabi.

Located 35 kilometres from the provincial town, Ban Tha Len, abounds with mangrove forests and ghost crabs. Tham Khangkhao or the bat cave has impressive stalactites and stalagmites. There is a panoramic view of Krabi’s sea, offshore islands, and mangrove forests are visible.

Shopping / Souvenirs

Souvenirs of Krabi include turtle-dove cages, Toei Panan mats made from pandanus plants, shrimp paste, dried fish, and dried shrimp.

Most of the goods sold to tourists in Krabi are just the same as what is found in Bangkok, such as: Thai silk scarves, carved wooden objects, silver jewellery, sarongs, leather goods etc.

Nightlife

Krabi’s touristic areas have all the usual types of foreign-orientated beer bars. The provincial town is home to, again, the same type of Tha-style entertainment which can be found all over Thailand. That is: karaoke lounges, live music venues and discothèques.

Population and culture

Krabi's population includes Buddhists, Thai-Chinese, Moken (sea gypsies) and around 42% of Muslims, which form a majority in the rural areas. Krabi however, has been little affected by the Muslim militant insurgency that has plagued other southern provinces of Thailand since 2003 and its population lives in peace and harmony. Outside of the provincial town, the rural folk speak with a thick Southern dialect which is difficult for even other Thais to understand.

Traditionally Krabi's inhabitants were mainly engaged in works related to agriculture, for the province is rich in rubber, palm, oil, and oranges. In recent years tourism has become an important source of income.

Events and Festivals

Owing to the varied ethnic and religious backgrounds present in Krabi, the local people are always celebrating some religious festival, whether part of Thai Buddhist, Thai-Chinese or Thai-Islamic tradition. Visitors can also enjoy the annual boat-launching ceremonies of the sea gypsies and various long-tail boat races.

Folk Entertainment

Like Pa (ลิเกป่า) An adapted play, Like Pa follows the adventures of an Indian merchant from Calcutta who married a local girl named Yayi. The story is then followed by other plays. Like Pa is accompanied by the music of folk instruments such as various kinds of drums, cymbals, and gongs. The lyrics are a mixture of the traditional Manora and Buranyawa songs. With its long history of popularity in Krabi, Like Pa performers are abundant here. It is believed that the play originated in this province. Many companies are still performing this dramatic art such as Mr. Truek Plodrit who won a cultural award.

Shadow Plays (หนังตะลุง) This is an Indian influence. There are many shadow play or nang talung companies in Krabi.

Manora (มโนราห์) The performance is native to southern Thailand, which truly reflects its traditional culture.

Rong Ngeng (รองเง็ง) and Phleng Tanyong (เพลงตันหยง) A Malaysian adaptation, which is of Portuguese origin, rong ngeng is a traditional folk dance and music customarily performed in noble houses. It was later performed by the locals with Thai lyrics called phleng tanyong.

Art

Even though it is Malay in origin, the art of batik has embedded itself within the local culture.

Traditional Cuisine / Food

In general, Southern Thai food is renowned for its spiciness. Much of the cuisine has its origins in Malay, Indonesian and Indian food. Favourite dishes from the south include Indian-style Muslim curry (massaman), rice noodles in fish curry sauce (Khanom Jeen) and chicken birayani.

As for Krabi, seafood is obviously what most tourists long for when visiting a coastal province like Krabi. In this connection, the wing shell (หอยชักตีน) is Krabi’s famous cuisine. In addition, stirred fried Spotted Babylon (หอยหวาน) is found in mangrove forests with chilies and basil; it is also famous.

Many foreign tourists regard Krabi Town as having one of the best food Night Markets in Thailand.

Medical Health Care

There are three main hospitals in Krabi: Krabi Hospital, Koh Lanta Hospital and Ao Lak Hospital. Besides those, there are plenty of clinics and pharmacies scattered all over the place.

Retirement

There are currently more than 1,000 foreigners living in Krabi, many of them retirees. A favourite spot for them is Ao Nang Beach.

Media/Contact

Nationwide television, cable TVs, local cable TV channels are available in Krabi province especially in tourist spots. International newspapers and magazines are available at some bookstores in downtown and tourist spots.

Landline telephones, satellite phones, all mobile phone systems, high-speed internet (ADSL), post offices and parcel services are available in Krabi province.

External links