Krabi Town is the province’s actual town — a riverside settlement about 30 minutes inland from the coast, where locals live and work and the tourist gloss thins out. There’s no beach, but there’s the best cheap food in the province, the lowest room prices, and the main transport connections. For budget travellers and anyone who prefers a lived-in place to a resort strip, it’s the smart base.
What it’s like
Set on the Krabi River among mangroves, the town is low-key and genuinely Thai — markets, shophouses, temples, and a walkable riverside with the well-known black crab sculpture on the waterfront. It’s not built for tourists the way Ao Nang is, and that’s the appeal: prices are local, the food is authentic, and you see how the region really lives. The trade is obvious — the sea isn’t here, so beach days mean a short commute.
Who it suits
Krabi Town is for budget travellers and backpackers, anyone using Krabi as a transit hub for onward islands, and travellers who like a real town over a beach strip. It’s also a good pick for a night or two focused on food and markets even if you’re beach-basing elsewhere. If beach time is the whole point of your trip, the daily back-and-forth to the coast will wear thin — base in Ao Nang instead.
The food — the real reason to stay
This is where Krabi eats. The weekend walking street (Friday to Sunday, around Maharaj Road) is the best food night in the province, and the riverside night market near the Chao Fah pier runs more evenings with a seafood lean. Grilled prawns by the plate, southern curries over rice, roti, fruit shakes — a full market dinner for two comes in under ฿300. The Krabi food guide covers what to order. Even people staying on the coast make the trip in for a market night.
Transport hub
Krabi Town is the connection point for the whole area:
- Songthaews to Ao Nang for about ฿60, running through the day.
- The bus terminal for long-distance coaches to Bangkok, Phuket, Surat Thani and beyond.
- Piers for seasonal ferries and speedboats to Koh Lanta, Phi Phi and other Andaman islands.
- The airport is closer and cheaper to reach from here than from the coast.
It’s also the cheapest springboard for the Tiger Cave Temple, a short songthaew ride away. Full detail in getting around Krabi.
Things to do in town
Beyond the markets, the town rewards a wander: the riverside promenade at dusk, the mangrove boardwalk, temples, and the everyday street life you don’t get on the coast. It’s a half-day of gentle, free sightseeing and a change of pace from the beaches. For how to do the whole trip cheaply from here, see Krabi on a budget.
Where to stay
Krabi Town has the cheapest beds in the province — guesthouses and hostels at prices the coast can’t touch, plus a few smarter riverside hotels. You’re paying for location near the food and transport, not a sea view. Book ahead in high season, when the good-value rooms go first. Compare options on the hotels list and weigh the town against the coast in where to stay in Krabi.
The bottom line
No beach, but the best food, the cheapest rooms and the best connections. Base in Krabi Town to save money and eat well, accepting a songthaew ride to the sea — or stay a night or two here mid-trip for the markets alone. The 3-day itinerary shows how a town base handles the coast and islands.
