KRABI Province is the jewel of the Andaman Sea, located on the west coast of Southern Thailand. It offers fine sandy beaches, beautiful islands of all sizes, lush mangrove forests, mountains, stalactites, and stalagmites, as well as cafes and shops offering a variety of delicious foods. Krabi is a destination that has something for everyone.

Krabi ranks fifth in Thailand in terms of tourism revenue, after Bangkok, Phuket, Chonburi, and Chiang Mai. The province sees about six million tourists annually, with the peak season starting from November to April.

The continuous growth in tourism has caused the local economy in the province to expand rapidly, which is considered beneficial for overall development. However, at the same time, there are negative impacts due to the high number of tourists.

For example, natural resources have been damaged. Therefore, to address this issue, local authorities have implemented the “Krabi 365 Days” initiative, aimed at redistributing tourist visits throughout the year, including during the off-season or “green season” (May to October), a period characterized by seasonal rains.

Tourism revenue in Krabi has experienced an average annual growth of eight percent. In 2018, tourism revenue was projected to reach 100 billion baht, an increase from the 96 billion baht recorded in 2017. The majority of visitors to Krabi are from China and Malaysia, with Scandinavian tourists also prominent among international arrivals.

Over the past year, approximately 120,000 Malaysian tourists arrived in Krabi by air.

The Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Krabi Province, Aman MadAdam, in a recent interview with Apa Khabar TV, explained that they are now encouraging Malaysian tourists to come to Krabi by land.

“The project for Malaysians is to travel by land… by air there are already many… they can come by land, either driving themselves or using public transport.

“Especially those riding high-powered motorcycles… they can come straight. We support them in doing corporate social responsibility activities (CSR).

“The activities we provide for tourists… for example, during the fruit season… there is a fruit buffet. If coming in groups, especially high-powered motorcycle riders… we will support if they want to conduct CSR activities with the community,” he said.

For health-conscious tourists, Aman explained that there are several areas in Krabi that offer various natural treatments.

“In Krabi… the only place in Thailand that has benefits for treating paralysis, blood circulation, rheumatism, skin, and body recovery after Covid.

“We have cool mineral water like the emerald pool, hot springs, and cold springs for those who care about health,” he added.

He expects the number of tourists visiting Krabi this year to reach over 3.8 million people, potentially generating around 20 billion baht in revenue.

He expects the main group of tourists to Krabi to remain European tourists, but so far this year, Malaysian tourists are still the number one among tourists visiting Krabi.

“In addition, it is found that the group of tourists returning to Krabi province includes tourist groups from Malaysia, Singapore, and India,” he said.

Aman revealed that Krabi received 3,803,375 tourists throughout 2023, with 2,102,059 being local tourists and 1,701,316 foreign tourists.

The average hotel occupancy rate was 68.66 percent, generating a total tourism revenue of 52,500.69 million baht, of which 22,213.91 million baht was generated from Thai tourists, and 30,286.78 million baht from foreign tourists.

A trip to Krabi is incomplete without taking a speedboat to visit the four main tourist islands, namely Chicken Island, Poda Island, the Split Sea, and Phra Nang Cave.

“Another main destination popular with Malaysian tourists is Koh Lanta Island… Most of the Muslim residents there originate from Malaysia. They came to trade and settled on the island a long time ago.

“There are also fishermen from other places and Chinese people from China. The island’s population is 90 percent Muslim. Koh Lanta is like the capital for the ‘sea people’,” said Aman.

Tourists can also visit the Ban Nai Nang community, which is involved in marine tourism and the lifestyle of the mangrove forest community, which breeds bees released into the mangrove forest. Mangrove forest honey is of high quality because it has a salty, sour, and sweet taste.

Additionally, you can visit the Thung Lipeng community in Koh Lanta. Take a boat ride while having breakfast and enjoy the sunrise or sunset in the evening.

The Ban Na Tuen community, located in the Ao Nang area, consists of a Muslim community. This community has a green market. They sell the agricultural produce of the villagers who care for the environment.

The Laem Sak community is famous for its shrimp paste made from fresh shrimp caught in the crevices of rocks and is original shrimp. It differs from other places because of its delicious taste and popularity for making shrimp rice.

It is evident that Krabi has many tourist attractions that can meet the needs of tourists from around the world.