Your Experiences Of Living Long Term In The Krabi Area

[moooooooo]

Hi,

We're currently based in Bangkok but are looking to possibly move to the Krabi area on a permanent basis and would like to hear about anyone's experience of living in the area. We are a family of 3 (myself, my (Thai) wife and 2 year old daughter) and are looking to move somewhere away from the rat race where there is a more healthy outdoor lifestyle. I enjoy mountain biking, running and swimming and I work for myself from home and am heavily dependent on the internet for my work. I speak fluent Thai.

The sort of questions I'd like answered are:

1. If you were moving to the area where would you recommend as a good area to live?

2. Where is the best internet connection available from? Which provider provides the fastest and most reliable connection (I've read CAT is good)?

3. Where represents the best value for accommodation? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being, say, in the Ao Nang area and the Krabi town area? Do the advantages of being near the beach outway the disadvantages of being in a tourist area?

4. Any general comments about your experiences of living in the area. Have you moved from somewhere like Bangkok or Pattaya and were you happy that you moved to Krabi?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Tom

[TEFLKrabi]

Tom,

I lived in Ao Nang for 4 years (up to 2007) and had a small business there. I loved being so close to the beach and the scenery was stunning but.......each year the prices for simple things, like eating, went up and up. The more I thought about it and the more I learned to speak Thai the more I considered moving into Krabi Town and renting a nice little house. I looked at a few and the value was far better than Ao Nang where most is geared up to the tourists who stay only for a few months. If you need the beach it's only 15 minutes away and Krabi Town has all the shops and best markets. I also found myself less likely to fall foul of dual pricing in the town, especially once people started to recognize me.

[Robroy]

I lived in Ao Nang for 6 months about 3 years ago (to escape Chiang Mai's smoke pollution).

Ao Nang & Krabi in general are lovely, if a little more expensive than Chiang Mai. Great beaches, & some pleasant greenery.

However I found that there was no-one to talk to there. The only foreigners seemed to be divers & real estate developers. In the end I got really lonely, & went to live elsewhere.

If you are bringing a family, however, maybe you are bringing your company & stimulation with you. (Indeed maybe you like talking to divers & real estate developers.) So it may be different for you.

[jjjetski]

What's wrong with divers??

[orpheus454]

Krabi is a great place to live in my opinion. We've been here for a bit more than 2 years, out near Big C, and find it wonderful. We have TT and T internet and it seems to work great. We're here because of the wife's work, but it's only 20 minutes drive to the beach at Haat Nopparat Thara.

Don't think I'd like to live in Ao Nang, but it's OK for a visit once in a while.

I think living well is a matter of who you're with and what you're doing, rather than where you are...

[hiro]

Krabi is a great place to live in my opinion. We've been here for a bit more than 2 years, out near Big C, and find it wonderful. We have TT and T internet and it seems to work great. We're here because of the wife's work, but it's only 20 minutes drive to the beach at Haat Nopparat Thara.

Don't think I'd like to live in Ao Nang, but it's OK for a visit once in a while.

I think living well is a matter of who you're with and what you're doing, rather than where you are...

[dollarman]

thanks for making the post, so I did not have to make it;)

Any other experiences.

Is Krabi much cheaper than Phuket

[nattymatt]

Houses/Land etc are a lot cheaper than Phuket, to buy, build and rent.

People on this forum generally say that Ao Nang is expensive for food etc, and it might well be more expensive than krabi town...... But it is still CHEAP!!!!

Anyone who disagrees should take a short trip to Europe where they will realize that thailand is a fantastic place to live, and is way way cheaper than back home.

Krabi is still lacking in some of the things we take for granted such as cinemas etc but makes up for it in other ways. Phuket is a 2 hr drive away and is great for a trip. But coming back here and having a sunset beer by the beach is just perfect.

[FarangCravings]

thanks for making the post, so I did not have to make it;)

Any other experiences.

Is Krabi much cheaper than Phuket

A mate and I drove our Bikes to Krabi from Chiang Mai and HOLY SHIT its expensive when your used to CM prices, we was in the main tourist area but small beers were 120 baht jack soda 190 baht and food was same as the uk its ridiculously expensive there just like Phuket

Were not that cheap but it was a hard pill to swallow Ao nang is set up to relieve tourists of there money fast. we did find a nice thai place where our cheapness could be serviced and big changs at just 39 baht with a 30 baht Pad thai but there are not many of them and they are round the back streets.

Edited July 6, 2010 by FarangCravings

[nattymatt]

That last post is absolute rubbish!!!

Like any town or city in the world, there are establishments that charge over the odds for a very poor service

You just need to know where to go.

.....which is why you are asking the question on this forum.

[nattymatt]

Let me rephrase...

what i mean is that i agree Ao Nang is expensive compared to places such as chiang mai, but it is a different kind of place altogether. Sure place's will rip you off, but there are lots of local places where you will have a better time anyway, and pay less money for it too.

But It is still Way Way cheaper than living in Europe.

and if you don't like it....well you know where the airport is....

[FarangCravings]

Let me rephrase...

what i mean is that i agree Ao Nang is expensive compared to places such as chiang mai, but it is a different kind of place altogether. Sure place's will rip you off, but there are lots of local places where you will have a better time anyway, and pay less money for it too.

But It is still Way Way cheaper than living in Europe.

and if you don't like it....well you know where the airport is....

Whats your problem DUDE i posted my own experience on traveling to Krabi and specifically in the Ao Nang area where its ridiculously expensive compared to other places in Thailand we all know that once you find the local places things are cheaper but until then its a complete rip off down there especially the bar areas and specifically the bar area on the beach there.

I specifically spoke to an english lass who had arrived the day earlier and was shocked at the prices and said it was cheaper at home and that was last year ,now with the pound like it is its obviously even more expensive.

The truth is if your a tourist there your gonna pay ridiculous prices, if your someone that wants to live there you better find the local places real quick unless you got deep pockets.

On another note we biked from Chiang Mai all the way down stopping in many places on the way and Krabi was the most expensive place by far . Chiang Mai is different but a Big Chang beer here in a popular bar is 80 baht and in Krabi in a similar place its 120 for a small beer that's 3 x the price in CM, Krabi aint nothing special for that price diff.

I already biked out of there NattyMatt but enjoyed my few days there and you will be happy to know I wont be rushing back anytime soon.

Krabi prices

120 baht small Beer that is 2 pounds 44 pence for 1/2 a pint

190 baht Jack soda that is 3 pounds 87 pence

Dunno bout you mate but my local is cheaper than that back home

Edited July 6, 2010 by FarangCravings

[nattymatt]

My problem DUDE is that you're post gives the impression that Ao Nang is really really expensive and a small Chang Beer costs 120B.....I've never paid 120B for a small Chang here.

The exchange rate cripples everyone coming to Thailand not just Ao Nang.

Sure Ao Nang is overpriced in places ...but not everywhere.

That beach bar you're on about is a right bloody rip off......they wanted 120B for small beer ...I told 'em to shove it.

I'd like to add that every other daytime beach bar in Ao Nang charges around 70 or 80B for a small beer

Edited July 7, 2010 by nattymatt

[witold]

Krabi is more of a rundown town for locals, and Ao Nang is more of a resort area for tourists.

I liked Ao Nang, but I will have to agree with FarangCravings. If you want to eat at beach side restaurants, you will find it to be one of the most expensive areas in LOS. Sure, if you want to go somewhere more inland you can get things cheaper.. but what is the point of going to Ao Nang if you're going to hang out away from the main attractions? You might as well move further inland and save yourself money and trouble. Personally, I would look for a house with ocean view north of Ao Nang. I think there might be some deals left in that region.

[FarangCravings]

My problem DUDE is that you're post gives the impression that Ao Nang is really really expensive and a small Chang Beer costs 120B.....I've never paid 120B for a small Chang here.

The exchange rate cripples everyone coming to Thailand not just Ao Nang.

Sure Ao Nang is overpriced in places ...but not everywhere.

That beach bar you're on about is a right bloody rip off......they wanted 120B for small beer ...I told 'em to shove it.

I'd like to add that every other daytime beach bar in Ao Nang charges around 70 or 80B for a small beer

I would of told em to shove it too however it was the first place we went and ordered and then got the bill just as we do in any other bar and then got the price, after that we asked.

I will say one thing though for those looking for a bar business seems Krabi has long term owners as we got chatting to a couple of farang bar owners and a thai bird and most had had the same Bar for 5 plus years rent was in line with CM bars but the diff is most Bars in CM flip every year as they dont make money so if ya goona get a bar best do it in Ao Nang where you can get 190 baht for a Jack coke from the tourists.

Edited July 7, 2010 by FarangCravings

[taninthai]

well i was in ao nang yesterday beachfront bar singha small 80 bht yes there are a few bars in ao nang that are up around 120 bht but these are nightclub places just out off interest farang cravings how much are the beers in night clubby places in chang mai i bet about the same.........and you dont get a beautifull beach to look at.............................

and witold comment about krabi town being rundown i think you maybe just to used to the commercialised places off thailand

Edited July 7, 2010 by taninthai

[simon43]

I've been living in Ao Nang for about 4 months now, after living in north Phuket for 4 years. As I commented in a previous thread, I find some prices in Ao Nang to be more expensive than north Phuket, especially in the local Thai market. I do not go regularly to the beach-bars, but on the few occasions when I visited, the prices were (like the tourist spots in Phuket), more expensive than bars in the UK. That is not surprising, since 'Tourist Thailand' can be more expensive than Europe.

However, the good news is that if you are not a barman(!), living/near Ao Nang can be very enjoyable. I chose to rent a property a few kms outside of Ao Nang, but still only 5 minutes by car to the beautiful beaches. My choice of house (a wooden house on stilts in a small Muslim community). may not be everyone's choice of 'home', but it suits me perfectly, is very peaceful (no Buddhist dogs), and no Mosque.

I have ADSL internet from ToT, but the service is not reliable at all. I use my DTAC air card many times each day, but it's too slow for some of my database access requirements. I'm off to CAT Telecom tomorrow to get a more reliable service before I 'explode' due to the frustration of unreliable internet access

One issue that you should be aware of is that the humidity level in Krabi is very high, especially near to the hills. The level is much higher than north Phuket.

All in all, my preference would be to move back to north Phuket, but I am unable to find a suitable building right now for my business. So I'll stay put in Ao Nang for now.

Simon

[FarangCravings]

well i was in ao nang yesterday beachfront bar singha small 80 bht yes there are a few bars in ao nang that are up around 120 bht but these are nightclub places just out off interest farang cravings how much are the beers in night clubby places in chang mai i bet about the same.........and you dont get a beautifull beach to look at.............................

and witold comment about krabi town being rundown i think you maybe just to used to the commercialised places off thailand

Well the biggest most busy nightclub which is Spicy club and Beers are 60 baht and 90 for jack coke place is open till 4.30am or so

The Van which is also open till 4am around the same price jack coke 100 not a club but late night drinking place

bubble nightclub is 100baht way more ritzy than Spicy but average I would say is 100 baht

The Bar I went to though is not a nightclub it was just a beach bar I would not complain if I was in a late night establishement or a go go bar oh by the way the Gogo bar in Chiang Mai is 90 baht for small beer

The other popular Bars

Happy Hour BIG Chang 55 baht at Blue Sky Bar till 8pm then jumps to 80 baht

N1 Bar 80 Baht for big chang all night

Beer Bar areas anywhere from 60 baht to 90 baht

Jack Coke on average 90 baht

Imported beers are up there and very expensive 175 to 300 baht

[Khun Jean]

Good i don't drink beer. Saves a lot of money. Or are the cokes and sprites also expensive?

[grumpyoldman]

well i was in ao nang yesterday beachfront bar singha small 80 bht yes there are a few bars in ao nang that are up around 120 bht but these are nightclub places just out off interest farang cravings how much are the beers in night clubby places in chang mai i bet about the same.........and you dont get a beautifull beach to look at.............................

and witold comment about krabi town being rundown i think you maybe just to used to the commercialised places off thailand

I agree with you on Krabi Town, I like it better than Ao Nang for sure, definitely a little more of a Thai feeling there than the tourist zone that is Ao Nang.

[mr_lob]

FarangCravings - you sound like an absolute ball to go out with. How about the petrol stations in Chiang Mai? Is one a few satang cheaper than the other?

[FarangCravings]

FarangCravings - you sound like an absolute ball to go out with. How about the petrol stations in Chiang Mai? Is one a few satang cheaper than the other?

I actually dont drink Petrol mate and generally petrol is not so overpriced by up to 3 times as much at different petrol stations if one place they sold a litre for .36 baht and then another like krabi sold a litre for 105 baht a litre your dam_n right I would shop at the .36 baht place.

As for knowing the prices of everything all the pub crawls there is not one bar that i know of in CM that charges the ridiculous prices charged in Ao Nang tops 90 baht small chang at the titty bar

[nattymatt]

Ha Ha, its so funny to read this forum when someone takes the bait.

Stop bloody moaning and enjoy yerself!!!

[grumpyoldman]

FarangCravings - you sound like an absolute ball to go out with. How about the petrol stations in Chiang Mai? Is one a few satang cheaper than the other?

I actually dont drink Petrol mate and generally petrol is not so overpriced by up to 3 times as much at different petrol stations if one place they sold a litre for .36 baht and then another like krabi sold a litre for 105 baht a litre your dam_n right I would shop at the .36 baht place.

As for knowing the prices of everything all the pub crawls there is not one bar that i know of in CM that charges the ridiculous prices charged in Ao Nang tops 90 baht small chang at the titty bar

Yeah but look where you are...................CM.

No jumping a boat there to outer islands and complete paradise.

Air quality (?), I guess those satangs you're saving you can use on an oxygen tank at 50 years old.

[FarangCravings]

Chiang Mai is a great place to live spent 25 years living literally on the beach loving the city life but Im moving your way back to the beach later this year

NOT AO NANG cant afford the beer there

[grumpyoldman]

Chiang Mai is a great place to live spent 25 years living literally on the beach loving the city life but Im moving your way back to the beach later this year

NOT AO NANG cant afford the beer there

O.K., well, maybe you can consider what I do, I buy a couple beers out of the 7/11 on the beach road and enjoy the sunset on the Ao Nang beach wall.

[FarangCravings]

Chiang Mai is a great place to live spent 25 years living literally on the beach loving the city life but Im moving your way back to the beach later this year

NOT AO NANG cant afford the beer there

O.K., well, maybe you can consider what I do, I buy a couple beers out of the 7/11 on the beach road and enjoy the sunset on the Ao Nang beach wall.

Now your talking I guess I am a cheapskate where beers are concerned lol almost fell over when I went to singapore $10.00 a Beer <deleted>

[grumpyoldman]

Chiang Mai is a great place to live spent 25 years living literally on the beach loving the city life but Im moving your way back to the beach later this year

NOT AO NANG cant afford the beer there

O.K., well, maybe you can consider what I do, I buy a couple beers out of the 7/11 on the beach road and enjoy the sunset on the Ao Nang beach wall.

Now your talking I guess I am a cheapskate where beers are concerned lol almost fell over when I went to singapore $10.00 a Beer <deleted>

I was in the states a couple years back at a bar in my hometown, ordered a Heineken from a very nice looking blonde co-ed, she brings it and says "that'll be six dollars sir". I jokingly reply "uh, no, I only ordered one" and the young gal testily, practically yelling at me says "that'll be six dollars sir!". So not only did I get chiseled for the beer but received the reminder that a 45 year old guy gets nowhere with young gals in the states...........

[jaideeguy]

I think that this post got way sidetracked by the bar guys to the price of a beer when he is a family man as stated in his OP and was looking for info on living conditions in Krabi for his family. Did he ask about the price of beer in a bar in Krabi??

Ya want cheap beer......DRINK AT HOME!!!!

[grumpyoldman]

I think that this post got way sidetracked by the bar guys to the price of a beer when he is a family man as stated in his OP and was looking for info on living conditions in Krabi for his family. Did he ask about the price of beer in a bar in Krabi??

Ya want cheap beer......DRINK AT HOME!!!!

So in your opinion, the cost of beers at a local spot doesn't have anything to do with experiences of living long term in Krabi?

I'll disagree, some of us blokes like to get out of the house, there jaidee, and the cost of a beer is relative to our experiences, just the same as I'm not going to eat 250thb spaghetti at Azurra on the waterfront when I can go up and around the corner and get it for 120thb.

Living conditions for a family MAN, I think beer prices would be relative to 90% of this type of person.