Whether you’re fleeing the long winter, or making a more permanent move to Krabi to retire or set up a business, long stay needs are likely to be very different from those of the average tourist who visits for a few days.
Our guide to expat life in Krabi will help you to familiarise yourself with the area, how things work, and – more importantly – the kinds of home comforts that are (and aren’t) available here.
At an educated guess, around 3-4 thousand westerners live here in Krabi (including Koh Lanta) during high season (November – April), whether retired, working, or with private means.
It’s a pretty friendly community overall, but one that can be cliquey and is generally resistant to any form of organised or orchestrated socialisation – so there are no expat clubs, societies or other obvious means of meeting people when you arrive. The one exception is Skal Krabi, a networking club frequented by another clique of local expat business owners. They hold events every month open to all (for a fee), listed on their Facebook page.
Below we have covered a few practical issues you may consider before deciding to move here, to Krabi – information and tips on expat life in general in Thailand or observations on culture clash etc., are best sought on other websites dedicated to the subject.
A good starting point, with some of the best – and the worst – advice you will hear, would be the forums at www.thaivisa.com.
- Finding a place to live
- Language problems
- Krabi schools
- Krabi hospitals
- Driving/ owning a vehicle
- Comfort food
- Internet, 3G and phone connections
- TV and newspapers
- Expat social life and entertainment
- Employment prospects: teaching – diving – setting up your own business
- Banking
- Transport connections
- Everyday practicalities