Limestone cliffs and clear water on the Andaman Sea: Ao Nang, Railay, Phra Nang Cave Beach, the 4 Islands, the Hong Islands and day trips to Phi Phi. Rock climbing, kayaking, the jungle Emerald Pool and hot springs — for nature lovers, a slow beach holiday and families. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar: connect via Bangkok (MIAT non-stop in winter), then ~1.5 hours on a domestic flight. Mongolian citizens can stay 30 days visa-free.
🛂 Visa: Visa-free · 30 days✈ Flight: 11h☀ Best months: December, January, February, March
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: December, January, February, March, April.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Railay Beach
BeachFree (boat from Ao Nang 100฿ each way)24 hours
A car-free peninsula ringed by limestone cliffs, reached only by longtail boat. The west beach has white sand and the sunset; rock-climbing courses everywhere.
A 10-minute walk from Railay and one of Thailand's most beautiful beaches: a cliff cave, clear water and rocks rising from the sea. Few people early in the morning.
Travel guide
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolian citizens need no visa, but skip the TDAC digital card and you will be held up at the border. Getting to Krabi usually means changing in Bangkok.+
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Visa: 30 days visa-free
Under the Mongolia–Thailand bilateral agreement, an ordinary passport gives 30 days visa-free. The general 60-day exemption ended on 15 September 2026, but this does not affect Mongolia. With good reason the stay can be extended once (1,900฿); overstaying is fined 500฿ per day. Your passport should be valid for more than 6 months and you should hold a return ticket.
Every foreigner entering Thailand fills in the TDAC on the official site within 3 days before arrival — free. Enter your passport, flight and hotel address and save the QR code you get. Immigration is done at your first Thai airport (usually Bangkok).
December–April is best for islands and beaches; in the May–October monsoon boats are often cancelled because of waves. Hospitals are expensive and motorbike and water-sport accidents happen, so travel insurance is a must.
Tip: If you book the domestic flight separately, leave at least 3 hours in Bangkok.
🛬Landing and getting to Ao NangAo Nang is 26 km from Krabi Airport, 30–45 minutes.+
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Airport shuttle — the cheap way
Shuttle tickets to Ao Nang ≈150฿ from the counter in arrivals; hourly departures, stopping at every hotel, so 45–90 minutes. Cheapest is the songthaew via Krabi Town ≈80฿.
Airport counter sedans ≈550–700฿ (3–4 people), minivans ≈800–1,050฿ (8–9 people), 30–40 minutes. Easiest with children or lots of luggage. Grab works, but cars can be scarce early in the morning.
AIS and TrueMove H counters in the Bangkok or Krabi arrivals hall: an 8-day plan with about 15 GB ≈299฿, 15–30-day plans up to 599฿. Show your passport and staff will set it up.
If your phone supports eSIM, install one before the flight. Coverage is good in Ao Nang and Railay, but the signal drops on remote islands and between cliffs, so download your maps for offline use.
Tip: Top up your SIM at 7-Eleven in Ao Nang.
🚇Getting aroundKrabi has no metro and few taxis: songthaews, longtail boats, rented motorbikes and tour minivans.+
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Songthaew and Grab
Songthaews (pickup trucks) link Ao Nang, Noppharat Thara and Krabi Town all day — wave one down and pay the driver in cash when you get off. Grab has few cars and prices rise in the evening. Tour companies pick you up from your hotel for free.
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Longtail boat to Railay
Longtails leave from the south end of Ao Nang beach for Railay: 100฿ each way, 10–15 minutes, ≈8:00–18:00, departing once 8 people are aboard. After 18:00 it is ≈150฿ or a private charter. At low tide you wade in up to your knees, so pack your bag in a dry bag.
4 Islands, Hong and Phi Phi tours leave from Ao Nang or Noppharat Thara pier; the national park fee (Phi Phi and 4 Islands 400฿, children 200฿) is paid separately in cash. Ferries run daily to Phuket, Phi Phi and Lanta.
Almost every Thai bank ATM charges about 220฿ (some 250–350฿) per withdrawal with a foreign card. Take out larger sums at once; Railay has few ATMs and high fees, so bring cash from Ao Nang.
Longtail boats, songthaews, markets and national park fees are cash baht only. Hotels, larger restaurants and tour companies take cards. Change dollars at exchange booths in Ao Nang.
Tip: When paying by card, choose to pay in baht — the dollar conversion is expensive.
🍜FoodSeafood, spicy southern Thai cooking and night markets.+
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What to eat
Southern Thai sour curry (gaeng som), massaman curry, roti, grilled seafood, tom yum, mango sticky rice. Many Krabi families are Muslim, so halal food is easy to find. Ask for 'mai phet' if you want it less spicy.
Tip: Drink only bottled water; ice is usually factory-made and safe.
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Night markets and cheap eats
The Ao Nang beach-road market, Krabi Town's Friday–Sunday Walking Street and the Chao Fah pier night market are cheap with lots of choice. Beachfront restaurants price fish by weight, so ask before ordering.
In the monsoon don't swim when the red flag is up — rip currents pull you away from shore. Wear a life jacket on boats and accept it when a trip is cancelled for waves. Watch children for jellyfish. Never show food to monkeys.
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Hospitals
Krabi Nakharin International Hospital — a private hospital in Krabi Town with 24-hour emergency care. Ao Nang and Railay have only small clinics; serious cases are transferred to Phuket. Guard against heat, sunburn and dehydration.
Insulting the royal family is a serious crime under Thai law. The King's portrait is on every banknote, so never step on money. Stand when the royal anthem plays in cinemas.
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Temples and Muslim areas
At temples such as Tiger Cave, cover shoulders and knees and take your shoes off before entering buildings. Don't point your feet at a Buddha image. Many people in Krabi are Muslim, so dress modestly in villages and town.
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On the beach and in nature
Don't walk around town in swimwear, and topless sunbathing is not allowed. Touching or standing on coral and taking shells is forbidden. Losing your temper means losing face in Thailand — keep calm.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport and tickets
Grab — rides and food delivery. 12Go — ferries to Phi Phi, Phuket and Lanta, buses and domestic flights. Google Maps — piers, restaurants and offline maps.
LINE — the chat app hotels, tour operators and shops all use in Thailand. The Thailand Tourist Police app connects you straight to the Tourist Police and shares your location. Download Thai in Google Translate for offline use.
A taxi from Ao Nang to Krabi Airport costs ≈640–700฿ and takes 35–40 minutes. Be at the airport 2 hours before a domestic flight; check whether you must re-check your bags in Bangkok for the international flight.
In shops displaying 'VAT Refund for Tourists', show your passport and ask for the form. At the international airport where you leave Thailand, show the goods at the customs counter before passport control to get the stamp.
Krabi's main resort hub: beach road, restaurants, tour desks and the departure point for island boats. Shallow water suits children, and every tour starts here.
NaturePark fee 400฿ (children 200฿), tours from ≈650฿Tours ≈8:30–16:00
Koh Poda, Chicken Island, the Tup sandbar that appears at low tide and Phra Nang Cave — a half- or full-day longtail trip with snorkelling. Krabi's best-known tour.
Climb 1,260 steps to a golden Buddha on a 300 m peak with views over all of Krabi (1–1.5 hours). Go early or late with water; cover shoulders and knees and don't feed the monkeys.
An emerald-green natural pool in the jungle — swimming allowed. A 1.5 km boardwalk leads on to the sky-blue Blue Pool (no swimming). 1.5 hours from Ao Nang.
Two 100 m limestone towers facing each other across the Krabi River — the town's symbol. 15 minutes by longtail from Thara Park pier, with a cave and mangroves.
