Crappy in Krabi - How We Didn't Enjoy The Thai Paradise

When somebody mentions a Thai vacation, certain imagery certainly comes to mind: a white sand beach, blue sky, and golden temples. It is almost synonymous with tropical paradise. Thailand is renowned for its world-class cuisine and pristine nature and consistently ranks as Asia's most popular tourist destination. In 2019 alone, the country welcomed nearly 40 million foreign tourists. Thailand is an attractive destination because it has plenty of options to cater to visitors on any budget. From exclusive six-star resorts to backpacker hostels, Thailand has great offerings for everyone. Thailand was often the first place many Westerners visited in Asia.

Ironically, we only received a glimpse of the blue sky during our time in Krabi.

Growing up in Asia, I was well aware of Thailand's allures. We would have visited years ago if it were not for my general aversion toward tropical weather. So, when celebrating Brian’s 40th birthday, I thought a beach vacation would be a perfect fit. I suggested Thailand as an excellent option for our 10-day getaway. This was also our final trip before ringing in the next decade. Little did we know that this would be our last trip before COVID wreaked havoc on life and traveling worldwide.

Now that we have returned from our vacation, we were quite ambivalent about our experiences in Thailand. On the one hand, we appreciate the genuine friendliness of most Thai people we interact with. But for various reasons, we could confidently say that this was our least favorite trip thus far. I succumbed to the menace of over-tourism for the first time. Whether it was in Chiang Mai or Krabi, we felt trapped in Thailand’s well-oiled tourism machine. We have always prided ourselves on being smart and savvy travelers. Is it possible that we didn’t know how to take on Thailand?

Yes, Krabi May BE Better Than Phuket…

For vacationers, a few places in Thailand are more renowned than Phuket. First “discovered” by international tourists fifty years ago, the province is now home to hundreds of resorts and high-end hotels. It is arguably the most popular destination in the country. Judging from the diversity of airlines on the tarmac of the Phuket International Airport, I reckon Phuket is probably one of the best-connected places in the world. There must be a good reason why this is the dream destination for so many.

On the surface, Phuket may be the logical choice for our beach vacation. In anticipation of overcrowding, I was looking for a good alternative. It did not take long for me to come across Krabi, the next province over. Regarded as Phuket's little sister, Krabi is said to be more rugged and more serene. Based on the pictures online, Krabi's distinctive and dramatic limestone cliffs look positively out of this world. Our friends Ivy and Vince, who had just visited the region earlier, also spoke highly of it.

Ao Nang & Railay Peninsula

On the first morning, we made a beeline for Ao Nang Beach. Ao Nang is the main tourist hub of Krabi Province. It is the main jump-off point to many of the most popular islands in the area. We could score an open parking spot steps from the boat dock. But considering its popularity, the town has no local charm or even a good beach. The main drag is filled with cheap eats and plenty of Western fast food. There are two Burger Kings that are just a few blocks apart. Since the whole area is crowded with European tourists, there is no language barrier here.

The most disappointing of all would be Ao Ang Beach itself. With so many longtail boats moored ashore, the sandy beach stunk of diesel fumes. There were even visible oil slicks on the beach. The giant swath of seaweeds certainly did not help either. From Ao Nang, it is a quick 10-minute longtail boat ride to Railay Beach West, the preeminent beach of Krabi. Along the way, we passed some stunning sceneries of limestone cliffs and lush forests. Before we knew it, we arrived at our destination. To our disappointment, the famous beach is not much “cleaner” than in Ao Nang. The surrounding landscape may be stunning, but it was not a place to linger.

This stretch of sand may be well publicized on the internet, but the pictures online certainly do not tell the whole story. We were shocked by the level of commercial development around. In addition to a couple of high-end resorts, many cafes, shops, and tour shops are all clamoring for your business. They definitely took away the relaxing ambiance visitors dreamed of. Disappointed with Railay West Beach, we decided to check out the next beach: Railay Beach East, which is said to be even more densely developed. Visitors had to walk through a busy street full of vendors and trash to get there. I am curious whether there is any development control in this prime tourist zone.

Not surprisingly, Raila Beach East is even more depressing. The sandy stretch here is even shorter and messier. With so many boats around, there is hardly any place to put down our beach towel. A narrow concrete path is busy with tourists shuttling between different beaches and the various hotels on the island. As you can imagine, we were both quite annoyed by now. Was this the Thai paradise that all travelers have been raving about? We really just don’t get it.

After lingering for a few minutes, we decided to march toward the final beach, Phra Nang Beach. Sometimes regarded as the “secret beach” of the Railay Peninsula, Phra Nang is known for its seclusion as it is inaccessible by vehicles. The only way to access it is through a footpath snaking along the side of the tall cliff. This path is definitely the best sight so far, as limestone cliffs formed a natural canopy along the path. Plenty of monkeys milled around along the way, hoping for easy handouts from passing tourists. Though this path may be picturesque, one side is the tall fence of the nearby luxury resorts. Nature and human development seem to go hand in hand in Thailand.

Along the walk is the trailhead for the Railay Viewpoint Trail. This trail is a steep 20-minute hike that leads visitors to a “secret lake” at the top. The summit also offers some incredible views of the whole Railay Peninsula. But given the rains from the previous few days, the trail is technically considered unsafe, particularly for those without proper shoes and gear. Well, that is one less thing for us to do this morning. But as you expect, plenty of young backpackers with flip-flops were keen on ignoring all the warnings.

Before long, we arrived at Phra Nang Beach. It was clear that this place was the worst-kept secret in history, as hundreds of tourists were milling around. If this beach was this busy on an overcast day, I could only imagine the mayhem on a beautiful day. Of course, I am very much aware of the cynicism of my complaining about overcrowding since we were all contributing to this issue. While there is definitely enough space to lounge around the beach, it was hardly a peaceful experience. Sitting on the beach and looking at the crowd, we wondered… this is it? Did we just come all the way from the other side of the globe just for this?

Although we have been to other popular beaches previously, this is the first busy beach we have been to without public amenities or infrastructure. What made the situation even more peculiar is that plenty of private hotels on the beach still exist. So, it is not because of the lack of infrastructure. Besides a few plaques posted near the beach, there appeared to be no active management to deal with the influx of visitors. One reason this beach is so popular is the large open cave at the end of the beach. But like the beach, the cave was overcrowded and filled with litter.

According to our guidebook, the other thing to see is the futility shrine at the base of the cliff. Though it may sound interesting, it is just a big collection of wooden penises. That may be interesting at its face value, but it is hardly anywhere worth spending more than a minute or two on. Funny enough, the joy of this morning was observing our fellow travelers pretending to have a good time. It seemed like we were the only ones having a miserable time. There were already three dozen long-tail boats and eight speedboats (a few with engines running) on the beach. Together with roving vendors selling everything from sunglasses to snacks, it was just all so depressing. After about twenty minutes on the beach, we decided to call it quits.

Luckily, finding the right boat operator to take us back to Ao Nang was relatively easy. This was, without a doubt, our worst beach experience ever. While I planned to spend the whole day there, we spent less than two hours in Railay, and we couldn’t wait to get out of there. If this is the better version of Phuket, I can’t dare to imagine what the iconic beaches of Phuket are like.

Tha Pom Klong Song Nam

After our disastrous trip to Railay, we adjusted our expectations for this vacation. Given the poor weather, I began to look for stuff to do away from the beach. Based on the guidebook, the marquee attractions of the area include the Emerald Pool, Krabi Hot Spring, and the Tiger Cave Temple. While we were inclined to try out the hot springs and the emerald pool, it was a solid 90-minute drive from the resort. Judging from the reviews, the place will likely be overcrowded with tourists and locals. Tiger Cave temple is more of our jam. But knowing 1,237 steps are involved, it seemed less appealing when there was a downpour outside.

Eventually, we settled on a visit to Tha Pom Klong Song Nam (Tha Pom Canal). Located approximately 35 minutes north of Krabi, this natural park comprises a five-kilometer boardwalk loop that snakes through mangrove forests and banyan groves. In addition to the exotic flora and fauna, visitors are known for the crystal-clear turquoise water. Ultimately, the best part was to see local school kids on the field trip and plunging themselves into the water. Although it was a pleasant experience, this was hardly a world-class attraction that would make a trip to Krabi memorable.

It Is All About Luck!

Our experience at Railay Peninsula was adversely affected by bad weather. We were particularly unlucky on this trip. Coming from the crisp blue sky in Chiang Mai, I was quite dismayed by the weather forecast, rain or stormy weather for four days straight. Luckily, we did not pre-book any island excursions or nature tours. I think this was probably the only time I was glad we did not come prepared. Given my obsessive-compulsive attitude regarding trip planning, this is probably a valuable lesson for our next trip to the tropics.

Open poultry section at Tesco Lotus hypermarket.

Unlike Chiang Mai or even Phuket, Krabi’s relatively “chill” reputation has its own drawbacks. There were fewer things to do or see during bad weather. With no major museum or temple close by, we stayed at the resort much more than we bargained for. We went to downtown Krabi, off the tourist trail and a 30-minute drive from our resort, to fill our time. The workaday nature of the downtown area is a refreshing break. We always made sure to venture into local supermarkets during our travels. Since food is often the best reflection of a culture, a trip down the local supermarket aisle is also a cultural scavenger hunt.

Salted egg yolk chip, the very best flavor Lay's has to offer.

Krabi’s Tesco Lotus Hypermarket is our kind of place. It was a perfect place to spend an hour or two when it was raining cats and dogs outside. It was not only a good place to sample some local ingredients, but we also bought a lot of practical souvenirs there. In addition to spices and candies, we bought a wok, which we use frequently back home. Of course, plenty of restaurants and eateries are inside the hypermarket. As good as Thai cuisine is, the most popular place there appears to be Kentucky Fried Chicken, ironically.

Eating & Cooking Through Krabi

As tempting as it may sound, please don't go to Kentucky Fried Chicken in Thailand. I could not say I have a grasp of Krabi’s food scheme. But we did get to sample some of the best restaurants we dined at on this trip. Our favorite is Ruan Thip Klong Son, a creekside restaurant offering some of the best meals we have ever had. While more expensive than other places, it is still a fraction of the cost compared to similar feasts back home. We were not sophisticated enough to judge good Thai food, but we ate here three times in five days.

Amazing local dish and setting at Ruen Mai Restaurant (ร้านอาหารเรือนไม้).

For a fancier setting, we enjoyed our lunch at Ruen Mai near Krabi Town. A specialist in local Krabi cuisine, Ruen Mai offers beautifully presented dishes and spectacular architecture. Situated in the middle of a banana and sugarcane plantation, this restaurant’s dining space is beneath an impressive thatched conical roof built with bamboo. It is positively the most romantic restaurant we have been to. After the meal, the garden has some of the most beautiful fauna. We suddenly felt a lot more positive about Krabi.

Since we were not doing many outdoor activities, it seemed logical to partake in another popular activity in Thailand: a cooking class. Luckily, Ivy and Vince did a cooking class here and recommended Thai Charm Cooking School. This was our first cooking class abroad. We always talked about the cooking class, especially in a foody country like Italy or Georgia. At ฿1200 a person, Thai Charm Cooking School is one of the cheapest cooking classes I have come across in Krabi. The four-hour class included instruction in specific dishes and the fundamentals of Thai cooking. Each student got to prepare their own curry paste, a stir-fry dish, a salad, and a curry dish. To round out the meal, we made two of Thailand’s most iconic desserts: mango with sticky rice and banana in coconut milk.

I wish we could have this whole bucket of ingredient shipped to New York every week.

By default, a cooking class always makes everything appear very simple. In a foreign place, the most critical session of the whole cooking class is the introduction of ingredients. While I could recognize three-quarters of the ingredients in the basket. Some of the ingredients I saw for the first time in person were galanga, fresh kaffir limes, and tiny Thai eggplants. Luckily, we could source all these ingredients from our local Asian supermarkets in New Jersey. However, that was not the case for most of our fellow students from places like London or Marseilles.

Though Brian and I considered ourselves decent cooks, we were nevertheless surprised by how well all our dishes came out. They were even better than dishes we get in run-of-the-mill Thai restaurants back home. A big takeaway from the class is to identify four cornerstones of Tahi flavors: sweet (palm sugar), spicy (Thai chili), sour (lime), and salty (fish sauce). Although the cooking class provided a receipt book at the end, the instructor encouraged us to adjust the dish to our tastes by adding or subtracting one of the four key favorite ingredients.

At the end of the class, we received a great receipt book for all the dishes we cooked tonight and an official certificate of completion. While they were nice moments, our best souvenir was the interaction with our fellow guests and the instructor, Heng. He is a force to reckon with in the kitchen and the master of multitasking. His over-the-top personality could sometimes fall into the stereotype of Asian men. Our friend Ivy, a Chinese American, warned us about it as it bothered her greatly. Well, we agreed with her sentiment. However, we also appreciate that he embodies some of the most endearing traits of Thai people: passion, engagement, and full of smiles and laughter. As we wrapped up our class, we came away summarizing Thailand with five Ss: Spicy, Sweet, Sour, Salty, and Sexy!

Krabi Elephant Sanctuary

Another popular activity in Thailand is to visit one of the numerous “elephant sanctuaries.” Since this activity is not weather-dependent, it seemed a good choice for us. Elephant sanctuaries have mushroomed all over Thailand in the past decade and are somewhat controversial. Initially set up as a rescue for working elephants in agriculture and the logging industry. As they became more popular with tourists, entrepreneurial locals began collecting elephants as a business venture. What used to be a charity organization has become something quite different nowadays. Many organizations call elephant tourism to be inherently unethical.

Around Krabi, there seem to be about half a dozen elephant sanctuaries. Aware of the controversy, I researched quite a bit before picking Krabi Elephant Sanctuary. Advertised to be one of the more “humane” sanctuaries, they emphasized that they do not offer elephant rides for tourists. While elephants could theoretically carry the loads for a couple of adult humans, the training process is considered abusive. Fortunately, tourists nowadays have become more aware of this practice and have begun to demand not to be part of the problem.

At ฿2,500 a person, visiting the sanctuary is expensive, especially by Thai standards. The visit lasted about three hours and followed very well-structured routines. Together with about ten other visitors, we greeted the elephants, prepared their feeds, and followed them on their daily walks. The visit culminated with helping staff give the elephants their bath. Jumping into a murky pool is normally not something we will do. Thankfully, we all came prepared with swimsuits and a change of clothes. It ended up being one of the most memorable experiences on this trip.

Hanging with the oldest elephant in the sanctuary.

For Brian, meeting and petting elements were his favorite experiences in Thailand. While I did enjoy the visit, I must admit that I am still a little skeptical of the sanctuary’s ethical claim. While it is true that many of the elephants in Thailand’s elephant sanctuary are genuine rescued elephants. I believe the main motive behind our visit was purely profit-driven. Part of my reasoning was a conversation I had with the owner in which he talked about his bringing in an elephant calf to increase the visitor numbers. I don’t think we should bring up any elephant in captivity. Isn’t the point of a sanctuary to return the elephants to the wild?

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