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Krabi Province is on the west coast of Southern Thailand, and shares borders with Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Phang Nga Province, Satun Province and Surat Thani Province, as well as the Andaman Sea. The distinguishing feature of both Krabi and neighboring Phang Nga is the massive limestone karsts, rising vertiginously out of the flat rice paddies on land and as islands from the sea. Add in some gorgeous beaches and excellent scuba diving and rock climbing, and it's little wonder that tourism in the area has been booming. While less commercialized than neighboring Phuket, Krabi Province cannot be described as undiscovered: it receives two million visitors a year, and the major tourist areas cater extensively for foreigners.

Climate Krabi is hot and humid all year round, with peak temperatures around April. The rainy season arrives in the fall and drizzles until about November, during which time many hotels and bars close, and the sea can get rough and some ferries (including those to Ko Lanta) stop running. High season is November-April inclusive, when it's a little cooler; the peak tourism period spans Christmas and New Year.

Beaches
Ao Nang - popular beach for backpackers
Rai Leh - Thailand's rock climbing Mecca, a craggy peninsula with several small beaches
Ton Sai - Cheapest bungalows in the area. Preferred by backpackers away from the hordes of tourists and an easy walk to Rai Leh.

Islands
Ko Jum - peace & quiet for those looking for solitude
Ko Lanta - the new escape for those who find Ao Nang/Rai Leh too touristy
Ko Phi Phi - where parts of "The Beach" were filmed
Ko Siboya - rural Thailand with a difference

Get in - usually via its capital, Krabi:
Krabi International Airport is about 10 km from the city limits, 15km from city centre, 40km from Ao Nang. Thai Airways operates daily direct flights to/from Bangkok, likewise Air Asia from March 1st 2006. Tiger Airways flies direct to/from Singapore nearly every day of the week and to/from Darwin on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The international departure tax surcharge is 500 baht; domestic departure tax is included in the price of the flight. National Car Rental has a branch at the airport; motorcycle taxi rides are available outside the terminal.
Buses from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal (tel. +66-24351199) to Krabi take about 12 hours and depart as follows: VIP bus - 07:20 - 710 baht / First class bus - 19:00 - 486 baht / Second class bus - 07:30, 19:00, 19:30, 21:00 - 378 baht
Buses also run from the east coast with connection to ferries to Ko Samui and onward. Choose your ticket carefully - the trip should take no more than three hours, but some travellers have endured ridiculous ten hour rides which included extensive "repair stops" right in front of restaurants coincidentally affiliated with the bus company... such hassles can be avoided by using state-run BKS buses instead of dodgy private operators.
Shuttle buses run between Krabi airport and Phuket airport several times a day. There are also regular buses that make the 2 hour run.

Scuba diving
Krabi Province and the Andaman Sea have a number of excellent dive sites. You can find dive resorts at almost every coastal destination in the region and on the islands that tourists visit. Dive resorts on Phuket will visit some of these sites too. Most will offer a selection of dives at the following sites:
Hin Bida (near Ko Bida) - a submerged rock best known for its leopard sharks
Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (55km south of Phi Phi) - the region's most famous dive sites, offering steep deep wall diving and, thanks to their position in the open sea, spectacular marine life; usually approached from Ko Lanta, occasionally by overnight trip from Phuket
King Cruiser - a car ferry that sank in 1997, providing the area with its only wreck, located at 30 meters; unfortunately its condition is deteriorating fairly fast in the warm waters
Ko Haa (Five Islands, south of Ko Phi Phi) - has excellent coral dives between 15m and 25m and some cavern dives including one that allows you to surface in the center of one of the islands
Ko Bida - an island close to Phi Phi Lay

History of Krabi
Some archeologists claim that Krabi City is one of the older settlements in the country as there is archaeological evidence indicating that this area had been home to homosapiens during the prehistoric times or between 25,000 - 35,000 B. C. The assumption has been strongly supported by the discovery of stone tools, ancient colored pictures, beads, pottery and skeletal remains in the provinces cliffs and caves.

In 1200 A.D., the area was known as Ban Thai Samo, one of 12 royal cities that had a monkey as the town symbol. During this period of time, Krabi was under the rule of the Kingdom of Ligor, a city better known today as Nakhon Si Thammarat.

During the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910), the community was known as Pakasai Sub-county and remained under the direct jurisdiction of Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Around 1872, King Rama V elevated Pakasai Sub-county to Krabi Province with the provincial administration office situated at Krabi-yai Sub-county (currently, the office is located near the estuary at Pak Nam Sub-district) and in 1875, ordered the separation of Krabi Province from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

During the present reign, the corps of civil servants, merchants, and the people of Krabi and nearby provinces have collectively organized the construction of a royal residence at Laem Hang Nak Cape which is thirty kilometers west of Krabi Town on the Andaman coast to be presented to His Majesty the King.