It will happen at some point: you will start to miss the food from home. For some a meal every few weeks is enough, others require western food every day. In the tourist areas (Ao Nang, Klong Muang, Phi Phi, Ko Lanta in high season), there is a reasonably good choice of western restaurants, that are run by expats themselves, and thus offer fairly authentic food. See our restaurant guides for details on specific restaurants.
There are also several international fast food chains here, including McDonald’s and Burger King (Ao Nang), KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Dairy Queen (all in Krabi Town or the larger malls).
If you would like to cook at home, the choices are excellent – at least compared with a few years ago, when strawberries required a trip to Phuket.
Makro, the cash and carry wholesaler (on the highway Route 4 heading north to Phuket, and a smaller branch in Ao Nang) is the best bet for most products. As they supply most of the restaurants, you can easily find fresh western fruit, vegetables and herbs, hydroponic salad leaves, as well as cured meats, cheese and bakery items. The quality is decent (though not the best), and the variety is good throughout the year. They also have a wide range of foreign sauces, condiments and spices, including those for Indian food.
The supermarkets in Krabi, such as Tesco Lotus or Big C, cater more for Thai people so are not as strong as Makro in fresh goods. However, it is possible to find pasta, potatoes, cereals, confectionery and a limited selection of dairy. The large Tesco on the way to the airport often has a selection of the British “Tesco Finest” range (dry food only) in store. Mother Marché, with branches in Krabi Town, Ao Nang and Klong Haeng, has an excellent selection of imported snacks, wine and deli products.
Some basic fresh ingredients such as fruit (e.g. apples) and vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus etc.) can also be found in the morning market in Krabi Town, or the local markets in and around Ao Nang. Dried herbs and imported sauces and seasonings are also fairly easy to get hold of.
Drinks-wise, good wine is quite hard to find and very expensive when you do. This also goes for beer – although there are specialist pubs in Ao Nang which have a better selection than most, including draught Guinness. International brand spirits and soft drinks are available everywhere – if it’s not in Makro, try Ao Nang Whiskey, or Sanit Panich in Krabi Town opposite the post office.
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
- Owning and driving a vehicle in Krabi
- Hospitals and health insurance in Krabi
- Krabi international schools
- Learning Thai & other language difficulties