Krabi Travel Guide - General Information

Railay Beach : Railay Bay Krabi Thailand

This beach is generally divided into two sections, East Railay and West Hat Railay. Of these two, West Hat Railay offers visitors more traditional beach scenery. The bay is rather pretty, and there is a broad sandy beach and clean, clear water. Although it has less to offer in the way of facilities, and has a more limited variety of recreational activities than Ao Nang, West Hat Railay is quieter and more peaceful.

Across the peninsula from West Railay is East Railay, which varies from the other beaches in the area in that it could actually be classified as a mud flat, especially during low tide. Even so, it does offer some rather remarkable views. One end of the beach is covered with mangrove trees, and good views of mountains and islands are available.

As for sandy beaches, East Hat Railay has relatively little to offer, but is within walking distance of both West Hat Railay, and Hat Tham Phranang, which offer some of the best beaches anywhere.

Both East and West Railay can be reached by boat from Krabi's Chao Fah Bridge. These boats cost 70 baht per person, and typically take about 45 minutes.

Rock climbing is popular at eastern Railay from which visitors can walk to its western side.

Krabi Information
Krabi has perhaps the country's oldest history of continued settlement. After dating stone tools, ancient coloured pictures, beads, pottery and skeletal remains found in the province's many cliffs and caves, it is thought that Krabi has been home to homo sapiens since the period 25,000-35,000 B.C. in recorded times it was called the 'Ban Thai Samor', and was one of twelve towns that used, before people were widely literate, the monkey for their standard, At that time, c. 1,200 A.D., Krabi was tributary to the kingdom of Ligor, a city on the Kra Peninsula's east coast better known today as Nakorn Sri Thammarat.

At the start of the Rattanakorsin period, about 200 years ago, When the capital was finally settled at Bangkok, an elephant kraal was established in Krabi by order of Chao Phraya Nakorn (Noi), the governor of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, which was by then apart of the Thai kingdom. He sent his vizier,the Phra Palad, to oversee this task, which was to ensure a regular supply of elephants for the larger town so followers many emigrated in the step of the Phra Palad that soon Krabi had a large community inthree different borouhs : Pakasai, khlong Poh, and Pak Lao.

In 1872, King Chulalongkorn graciously elevated these to town status, called Krabi, a word that preserves in its. meaning the monkey symbolism of the old standard. The town's first governor was Luang Thep Sena, though it continued a while as a dependency of Nakhon Sri Thammarat. This was changed in 1875, when Krabi was raised to a fourth-level town in the old system of Thai government Adminictrators then reported directly to the central government in Bangkok, and Krabi's history as a unique entiry, separate from the other provinces, had begun.
During the present reign. the corps of civil servants, the merchants, and the poputation of Krabi and nearby provinces together organized construction of a royal residence at Laem Hang Nak Cape for presentation to her Majesty the Queen. This lies thirty kilometers to the west of Krabi Town on the Andaman coast.

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Boundaries

Geography Krabi's mountainous physical geography is broken by nighlands and plains on the mainland; the provincial administration also covers more than 130 islands big and mangrove and Cassia trees.
Krabi's sandy clay soil conditions are perfect. For a variety of agricultural product, including : Rubber trees, palms, oranges, coconuts, and coffee.
Krabi's mountainous physical geography is broken by highlands and plains on the mainland; the provincial administration also covers more than 130 islands big and mangrove and Cassia trees. Krabi's sandy clay soil conditions are perfect for a variety of agricultural products, including : Rubber trees, palms, oranges, coconuts, and coffee.
The Krabi River flows 5 kilometers through the city and falls into the Andaman at Tambon Pak Nam. There
are other streams as well: The Klong Pakasai ; the klong Krabi Yai ; and the Klong Krabi Noy ; these have
their source in the province's highest range of mountains, the Kao Panom Benja.

Administration
Krabi is divided into eight districts : Amphoe Muang (Krabi town), Kho Panom, Khlong Thom, Plai Phraya, Ko Lanta, Ao Luk, and Lam Thap and, Nhua Khlong.

Population
Krabi's estimated poputation, as of 31 March 2001, was 366,919.

Weather
Weather in Krabi is typically that of the tropical monsoon, providing the province with just two seasons, the hot season from November to April, and the rainy season from May to October. Monsoon winds, which change according to season, blow from the southeast, the southwest, and the northeast. Temperatures for the year range between 16.9 and 37.3 degrees Celsius; yearly rainfall averages 2,586.5 millimeters.

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Local Festivals

Krabi Berk Fah Andaman
This festival takes place in November and celebrates the opening of the tourist season in Krabi. Watersport competitions, caltural shows, and good-natured fun are the schedule.

The Setting Adrift of the Chao Ley Boats
Takes place on Lanta Island during full moon of the sixth and eleventh months in the lunar calender. This is a religious rite performed by sea gypsies who gather on the beach near Ban Saladan Village.
They dance their famous Rong Geng round the boats to be set adrift Ceremonies feature singing and dancing; the reason for the fest it to bring prosperity and happiness to the participants, it is something hard to find elsewhere.

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Provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand