Krabi
title: "Krabi" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-krabi-province", "cities-and-towns-in-thailand"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krabi" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | |
| native_name | กระบี่ |
| native_name_lang | |
| settlement_type | Town |
| image_skyline | Wat Tham Sua 18.jpg |
| image_flag | Flag of Krabi Municipality.png |
| subdivision_type | Country |
| subdivision_name | Thailand |
| subdivision_type1 | Province |
| subdivision_name1 | Krabi Province |
| unit_pref | Metric |
| area_urban_footnotes | |
| area_rural_footnotes | |
| area_metro_footnotes | |
| area_magnitude | |
| area_blank2_title | |
| area_land_km2 | 19 |
| area_blank2_km2 | |
| area_blank2_ha | |
| dunam_link | |
| population_total | 32,644 |
| population_as_of | 2020 |
| timezone1 | ICT |
| utc_offset1 | +7 |
| website | |
| :: |
| name = Krabi | native_name = กระบี่ | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = Town | image_skyline = Wat Tham Sua 18.jpg | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = Flag of Krabi Municipality.png | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | nickname = | motto # = | image_map = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | coordinates = | coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Thailand | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Krabi Province | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | seat_type = | seat = | government_footnotes = | leader_party = | leader_title = | leader_name = | unit_pref = Metric tags --| area_footnotes = | area_urban_footnotes = | area_rural_footnotes = | area_metro_footnotes = | area_magnitude = | area_note = | area_water_percent = | area_rank = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank2_title = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = 19 | area_water_km2 = | area_urban_km2 = | area_rural_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank2_km2 = | area_total_ha = | area_land_ha = | area_water_ha = | area_urban_ha = | area_rural_ha = | area_metro_ha = | area_blank1_ha = | area_blank2_ha = | dunam_link = | area_total_dunam = | area_land_dunam = | area_water_dunam = | area_urban_dunam = | area_rural_dunam = | area_metro_dunam = | area_blank1_dunam = | area_blank2_dunam = | length_km = | width_km = | dimensions_footnotes = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 32,644 | population_as_of = 2020 | population_density_km2 = | population_demonym = | population_note = | timezone1 = ICT | utc_offset1 = +7 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | iso_code = | website = | footnotes = | official_name =
Krabi (, ) is the capital of and main town in Krabi Province (thesaban mueang), on the west coast of southern Thailand, where the Krabi River flows into Phang Nga Bay. The town lies 650 km south of Bangkok, and as of 2020, has a population of 32,644. As in much of southern Thailand, the local economy centres largely on tourism.
History
At the start of the Rattanakosin period in the late eighteenth century, when the capital was finally settled at Bangkok, an elephant kraal was established in Krabi by order of Chao Phraya Nakhon (Noi), the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat, which was by then a part 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 many followers immigrated in the steps of the Phra Palad that soon Krabi had a large community in three different boroughs: Pakasai, Khlong Pon, and Pak Lao. In 1872, King Chulalongkorn 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 for a while as a dependency of Nakhon Si Thammarat. This was changed in 1875, when Krabi was raised to a fourth-level town in the old system of Thai government. Administrators then reported directly to the central government in Bangkok, and Krabi's history as an entity separate from other provinces had begun.
Administration
The town covers the tambon Paknam and Krabi Yai of Krabi District, and is divided into 10 communities (chumchon).
Climate
Facing the Andaman Sea, like Phuket, Krabi has a tropical monsoon climate, and is subject to a ten-month rainy season between March and December, often with sustained heavy rains for days at a time during the monsoons. Krabi's highest ever recorded temperature was 39.6 °C on 31 March 2023. Its lowest temperature was recorded on 11 January 2009: 15.3 °C.
|location = Krabi (1981–2010, extremes 1994–2002, 2007–present) |metric first = Yes |single line = Yes |Jan record high C = 36.3 |Feb record high C = 38.2 |Mar record high C = 39.6 |Apr record high C = 39.2 |May record high C = 38.9 |Jun record high C = 35.0 |Jul record high C = 34.5 |Aug record high C = 35.1 |Sep record high C = 35.9 |Oct record high C = 36.8 |Nov record high C = 37.0 |Dec record high C = 37.2 |year record high C = |Jan high C = 32.9 |Feb high C = 34.2 |Mar high C = 34.3 |Apr high C = 34.1 |May high C = 32.9 |Jun high C = 31.9 |Jul high C = 31.5 |Aug high C = 31.4 |Sep high C = 31.2 |Oct high C = 31.3 |Nov high C = 31.1 |Dec high C = 31.4 |year high C = 32.4 |Jan mean C = 26.6 |Feb mean C = 27.5 |Mar mean C = 27.6 |Apr mean C = 27.9 |May mean C = 27.6 |Jun mean C = 27.2 |Jul mean C = 26.8 |Aug mean C = 26.9 |Sep mean C = 26.6 |Oct mean C = 26.2 |Nov mean C = 26.2 |Dec mean C = 26.2 |year mean C = 26.9 |Jan low C = 21.6 |Feb low C = 22.0 |Mar low C = 23.0 |Apr low C = 23.6 |May low C = 23.7 |Jun low C = 23.3 |Jul low C = 23.0 |Aug low C = 22.9 |Sep low C = 22.9 |Oct low C = 22.4 |Nov low C = 22.5 |Dec low C = 21.7 |year low C = 22.7 |Jan record low C = 15.3 |Feb record low C = 15.7 |Mar record low C = 18.0 |Apr record low C = 19.5 |May record low C = 19.2 |Jun record low C = 19.0 |Jul record low C = 18.2 |Aug record low C = 18.0 |Sep record low C = 19.0 |Oct record low C = 18.6 |Nov record low C = 17.7 |Dec record low C = 18.0 |year record low C = |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 32.0 |Feb rain mm = 43.4 |Mar rain mm = 98.3 |Apr rain mm = 147.2 |May rain mm = 171.6 |Jun rain mm = 192.7 |Jul rain mm = 201.1 |Aug rain mm = 266.3 |Sep rain mm = 275.2 |Oct rain mm = 323.5 |Nov rain mm = 179.7 |Dec rain mm = 67.8 |year rain mm = 1998.8 |Jan rain days = 5.3 |Feb rain days = 4.5 |Mar rain days = 8.7 |Apr rain days = 11.7 |May rain days = 15.9 |Jun rain days = 15.8 |Jul rain days = 18.3 |Aug rain days = 18.0 |Sep rain days = 18.5 |Oct rain days = 21.5 |Nov rain days = 17.6 |Dec rain days = 10.1 |year rain days = 165.9 |Jan humidity = 77 |Feb humidity = 73 |Mar humidity = 79 |Apr humidity = 82 |May humidity = 85 |Jun humidity = 86 |Jul humidity = 87 |Aug humidity = 85 |Sep humidity = 87 |Oct humidity = 88 |Nov humidity = 86 |Dec humidity = 83 |year humidity = 83 |Jan sun = 198.4 |Feb sun = 214.7 |Mar sun = 201.5 |Apr sun = 183.0 |May sun = 155.0 |Jun sun = 150.0 |Jul sun = 155.0 |Aug sun = 151.9 |Sep sun = 144.0 |Oct sun = 108.5 |Nov sun = 138.0 |Dec sun = 179.8 |year sun = |Jand sun = 6.4 |Febd sun = 7.6 |Mard sun = 6.5 |Aprd sun = 6.1 |Mayd sun = 5.0 |Jund sun = 5.0 |Juld sun = 5.0 |Augd sun = 4.9 |Sepd sun = 4.8 |Octd sun = 3.5 |Novd sun = 4.6 |Decd sun = 5.8 |yeard sun = 5.4 |source 1 = Thai Meteorological Department{{cite web | url = http://climate.tmd.go.th/content/file/75 | title = Climatological Data for the Period 1981–2010 | publisher = Thai Meteorological Department | page = 28 | access-date = 8 August 2016 | archive-date = 26 December 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181226035029/http://climate.tmd.go.th/content/file/75%0A | url-status = dead |source 2 = Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department (sun and humidity){{cite web | url = http://water.rid.go.th/hwm/cropwater/CWRdata/ETo/ETo_PenMon_2554.pdf | title = ปริมาณการใช้น้ำของพืชอ้างอิงโดยวิธีของ Penman Monteith (Reference Crop Evapotranspiration by Penman Monteith) | publisher = Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department | page = 119 | language = th | access-date = 8 August 2016}}
Demographics
Since 2005, the population of Krabi has been greatly increasing. ::data[format=table]
| Estimation date | 31 Dec 2005 | 31 Dec 2010 | 31 Dec 2015 | 31 Dec 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,986 | 27,333 | 31,378 | 32,644 |
| :: |
Tourism
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Phra_Nang_beach_14.jpg" caption="Phra Nang Beach covered with tourists."] ::
Much of the province has been given over to several national parks. Top destinations are Hat Noppharat Thara - Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Ao Nang, Railay, and Ko Phi Phi. The province includes over 80 smaller islands such as Ko Lanta and Phi Phi, well known to adventurers, yachtsmen, scuba-divers, snorkelers, and day-trippers from Phuket. Krabi's beaches attract both native Thai people and foreigners alike.
Ko Lanta National Park, also in Krabi Province, includes several coral-fringed islands with well-known diving sites. The largest island, Ko Lanta Yai, is the site of park headquarters, and is also home to "Chao Le", or sea gypsies, who sustain themselves largely through fishing. The islands are best visited during the drier months of October through April.
Kayaking, sailing, bird watching, snorkeling are also among top activities. In the interior, two predominantly mainland national parks, Khao Phanom Bencha National Park and Than Bokkhorani, offer inland scenic attractions including waterfalls and caves, and opportunities for trekking, bird watching, and eco-tours.
The rock faces at Railay Beach near Ao Nang have attracted climbers from all over the world and each year are the venue for the Rock and Fire Festival in mid April. There are several rock climbing schools at Railay Beach. The rock is limestone and has characteristic pockets, overhangs and faces. Railay has numerous multi-pitch areas most of which start from the beach itself. A famous example is "Humanality". In addition, deep water soloing is popular on the numerous nearby rocky islands accessible by long-tail boat. Another popular destination is the Fossil Shell Beach located at Ban Laem Pho. The beach is famous for its fossilized snail shells, dwellers of the freshwater swamp that covered this area some 40 million years ago.
| File:Isla Phi Phi Lay, Tailandia, 2013-08-19, DD 22.JPG|Crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis) | File:Ko Phi Phi Le 4.jpg|View of the northern part of Ko Phi Phi Le | File:Isla Phi Phi Lay, Tailandia, 2013-08-19, DD 07.JPG|Phi Phi Le Island
Transport
Since 1999, the town has been served by the international Krabi Airport. Passing through the town is Phetkasem Road (Thailand Route 4).{{Panorama |image = File:Panorama view from Tiger Cave Temple.jpg |height = 230 |alt = Panoramic view over Krabi from Tiger Cave Temple. |caption = Panoramic view of Krabi from Tiger Cave Temple.
References
References
- "Thailand: Major Cities, Towns & Communes – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information".
- "Krabi".
- "Extreme Maximum Temperature during Summer in Thailand 64 years period: 1951–2014".
- "Extreme minimum temperature during winter season in Thailand 65 year period (1951–2015)".
- "THAILAND: Major Cities, Towns & Communes".
- "Ao Nang".
- (21 September 2023). "Fossil Shell Beach".
- "Krabi's shell fossil explained".
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