Visiting Krabi with small babies

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Other than the essentials and your baby's own personal items, long-sleeved loose cotton clothing and a good sun hat are probably the most important items you will need. A sling or baby carrier is more practical than a stroller, but it can get very hot in Krabi, so your baby may be uncomfortable wrapped up and close to your body. If you will bring a pushchair or buggy, then a proper sun hood, or a parasol is essential. You may also like to consider bringing a stroller mosquito net if you will be out and about in the evenings.

The following is a list of baby items that are not available in Krabi, so make sure (if you need them) to bring enough to last your holiday here:
- Swim nappies
- Pre-prepared baby food (though please see section on food below)
- Baby (infant) sun screen - children's sun cream (Nivea etc.) is widely available
- Teething gel
- Certain brands of nappy rash cream e.g. Sudocreme
- Sterilising tablets / liquid (e.g. Milton)

It is tempting, when travelling with a small baby, to pack everything but the kitchen sink. However you will find most of the everyday things you need can be purchased here if you prefer to travel light, or run out.

First, the essentials: nappies / diapers can be found everywhere. In diapers, Mamy Poko brand are considered to be the best quality (and are priced to match); second best would be Drypers or Huggies. Brand name baby wipes,anti-bacterial hand gel, and other toiletry items such as powder, lotion and bath creme are also available, though please note that there are no organic or 100% natural ranges here.

Baby milk formula powder is common in Krabi as most Thai women bottle feed. Expect to find brand names such as Wyeth S-26 (SMA), Nestle, Enfamil, Similac, Gain Advance, as well as lactose-free formulas from the same. You will pay 300 - 500 baht per 550 - 750g box, depending on the brand / age chosen. New bottles and teats can also be bought very cheaply along with specially formulated washing up liquid and bottle brushes. Soy milk and soy milk products are also widely available for children with cow's milk allergies. A bottle warmer should not be necessary in this climate, as ambient temperature is in the low 30s. If baby is drinking water and juice, a range of 100% fruit juice can be found in supermarkets.

All of these products can be found in Ao Nang - the best place to look is the Vogue Supermarket, which is just past the McDonald's plaza walking away from the beach, on the same side of the street. 7-11 stores may also have a limited choice on offer. For a wider range and larger sizes of all these products, visit the large Tesco Lotus store, which also has a Boots Chemist, outside of Krabi Town (taxis available from the beach areas).

A note on baby food: if your baby has just started on solids, you may be concerned about the availability of pre-prepared baby food - there is not a lot of choice here. The only product widely available is Nestle Cerelac, a sugar-heavy instant cereal, available in several flavours. However, if you prefer your baby to eat rice, it is very easy to ask your hotel, or most restaurants, to prepare you some plain rice porridge, which is essentially rice that is over-cooked to a very soft consistency that is easy for baby to eat and digest. Salt is not normally used in rice preparation here, so this should not be an issue. They should also be able to add shredded chicken, vegetables or fish to the mixture. Any extra can be refrigerated and reheated later. Bananas and other soft fruit such as papaya and mango are also widely available.

There are a few self-catering accommodation options now available in Krabi; these would be ideal if you prefer the facilities to prepare your own food.

It is fair to say that the more you pay for the hotel, the more baby friendly it is likely to be. Backpacker places have limited in-room facilities, though if you bring your own it is still possible to stay in such hostels. But you don't need to break the bank to be comfortable: most 3 star hotels will be able to provide a cot if required for under 2s at no extra charge, as well as fridge and a kettle in room. The kettle will probably not be large enough to sterilise bottles in, but could easily be used to rinse them out with boiling water, provide enough hot water to warm a jar of baby food and of course use to provide a supply of boiled water. Please note: do NOT boil water from the taps in Krabi, always use bottled drinking water, this goes for making your own coffee as well!

Most hotels and resorts with a swimming pool will have a shallow children's area where you can take your baby to splash; some also offer extras like a play area (mainly for toddlers) and baby sitting services. Even if your hotel does not offer a creche, you will find it relatively easy to get staff in restaurants to watch your child for an hour or so if you would like to have a quiet dinner - Thai people love babies and children.

Finally a point to consider when deciding where to base your holiday in Krabi: some areas, such as Railay and the islands have restricted access to medical facilities. If your child has any known conditions, such as peanut allergies, asthma etc., you may wish to stay on the mainland in case of emergencies.

List of family-friendly hotels in Krabi

Medicines: If you forgot to pack the infant paracetamol, this is available in a no-sugar, no alcohol version (brand name: Sara or Tylenol) in Krabi in 7-11 stores, which are open 24 hours, or in pharmacies. Pharmacies, easily found in the beach areas, will also stock a range of infant medicines such as cough expectorant, antibiotics, and cortisone creams and be able to provide dosed droppers to administer the mecicine. An excellent purchase while you are here would be some Zambuck (a small green tin with red writing). This is a baby equivalent of tiger balm and is safe to use even on newborn skin for mosquito bites, bruises and any other small abrasions.

Most insect repellent is not advised for use on baby's sensitive skin: citronella oil is available here (in Vogue supermarket, 80 baht) to use as a safer alternative.

There is a pediatric clinic in Krabi Town (Soi 7 Maharat Road, Tel: 075-623359) in case of serious illness. The English-speaking Dr Songwut from Bangkok Phuket Hospital (an international hospital) is available here from Saturday - Monday, 8am - 8 pm, on other days the clinic is open 4 - 8pm only. 2010 update: a branch of the clinic is now open in Ao Nang next to the Tourist Police booth; Dr Songwut is now here on most evenings during high season.

Car seats These are almost never available in taxis, airport transfers etc. If this is an issue, you will need to bring your own, or if you book an airport transfer through this website when booking your hotel, we can provide an infant seat at no extra charge for you.

Keeping your baby safe in the sun: The sun is very strong here - even Thai parents do not let their children venture out of the shade for too long. Covering up and wearing a hat is the best protection; and always apply a high factor sun screen to your baby's skin.

Most western standard baby products (strollers, toys, books etc.) are more expensive in Thailand as they are imported. Everyday supplies, such as those mentioned above, may be cheaper if you would like to stock up. But the only real value purchase for baby here would be clothing. Vogue supermarket in Krabi Town has a range of good quality clothing (though of limited style) available on the top floor; shops on the beachfront have a small selection of mainly Thai style baby outfits.