It will be essential to own your own vehicle if you plan on staying in Krabi long term. Public transport is very limited and taxis, if available in the first place, can be costly and unwilling to travel short distances (under 15km). Unless you are extremely fit, bicycles are not recommended in this heat.
Only foreigners holding non-immigrant visas with a year’s vailidity can own a vehicle in Thailand – and that too, only after considerable paperwork. If you do not have such a visa, you will have to buy in someone else’s name, be it a Thai, qualified foreigner, or a company. Regardless of nationality, they should of course be trustworthy.
You will mostly be expected to pay for the vehicle in cash; although finance options may be available in some cases (e.g. if you have a fixed Thai salary and your employer guarantees the loan). Standard motorcycles or scooters cost around 45,000 baht; new pick-up trucks, depending on their spec, range from 500,000 to 1 million baht; and saloon cars start from 600,000 baht upwards. Choice here is limited to Japanese brands and Ford; for other types of car you will have to travel to Bangkok or Phuket. Although the price of a car is relatively high, you will be thankful for one if you plan on spending the rainy season here.
Petrol (or the now ubiquitous Gasohol) is currently around 30 baht per litre.
It is possible to drive with an international licence, but you are also able to obtain a Thai licence if you have a non-immigrant visa. This can be done with minimal fuss at the Land Transport Office on Tharua Rd in Krabi Town.
Related reading
- Krabi expat guide
- Long stay accommodation in Krabi
- Krabi transport connections
- Opening a bank account in Krabi
- Finding employment in Krabi
- Expat entertainment in Krabi
- International TV & Media
- Internet, phone and 4G connections
- Western food in Krabi
- Hospitals and health insurance in Krabi
- Krabi international schools
- Learning Thai & other language difficulties