Krabi Warnings and Dangers

If you are in Ao Nang or Krabi and wants to go to Railey Beach with a long tail, be sure that you will not come back the time you want, they only depart from the beach with the boat totally full. I wanted to come back early and I have to wait more than one our because the sailor didnt want to return with the boat middle empty.
I tryed to pay an extra but he didnt accepted. So I look for another sailor who could bring me back, but when he noticed that I had already payed a return ticket he refused to bring me back. I had to wait almost one and a half hour to come back to Ao Nang.
So, if you want to go to Railey Beach and return at your time, rent a private long tail, you pay more but you can decide the time you want to go back instead to stay in the sailors mafia hands.

We have been going to Railay Beach every year for the past ten years but no longer. About three years ago we started to notice how it was going down hill fast due to too much human activity, just like global warming. There are too many day trippers coming and going all day long. Each group arrives and makes the beach overcrowded then they leave behind so much litter including cigarette butts on the sand each day that the sand is just too dirty to sit on or walk on. Even worse these incessant waves of day trippers come and go with very very noisy long boats back and forth all day long. Also it's not just the day trippers or the so called "4 island" tour groups (by the way Railay Beach is not an island, its a peninsular, so you are getting ripped off by "one" island) but the hotels at Railay beach have all undergone so much extra construction and have crammed in too many bungalows which they now call "luxury" and charge so much. Everything is now overcrowded and since there is no sewerage system at Railay Beach and all those extra rooms and tourists are now causing too much sewerage to leech into the beaches making the water quality too dangerous. This year all of our party got eye or ear infections from swimming in the water just like we used to get 20 years ago at Bondi Beach in Sydney when the sewerage was dumped into the sea. Beware, Railay's environment has been destroyed and we wont be back, sadly, again.

We have been going to Railay Beach every year for the past ten years but no longer. About three years ago we started to notice how it was going down hill fast due to too much human activity, just like global warming. There are too many day trippers coming and going all day long. Each group arrives and makes the beach overcrowded then they leave behind so much litter including cigarette butts on the sand each day that the sand is just too dirty to sit ou or walk on. Even worse these incessant waves of day trippers come and go with very very noisy long boats back and forth all day long. Also it's not just the day trippers or the so called "4 island" tour groups (by the way Railay Beach is not an island, its a peninsular, so you are getting ripped off by "one" island) but the hotels at Railay beach have all undergone so much extra construction and have crammed in too many bungalows which they now call "luxury" and charge so much. Everything is now overcrowded and since there is no sewerage system at Railay Beach and all those extra rooms and tourists are now causing too much sewerage to leech into the beaches making the water quality too dangerous. This year all of our party got eye or ear infections from swimming in the water just like we used to get 20 years ago at Bondi Beach in Sydney when the sewerage was dumped into the sea. Beware, Railay's environment has been destroyed and we wont be back, sadly, again.

Fortunately, we did not stay in Railay, but chose the neighbouring beach Tonsai. All of Railay, both East and West, is under construction wherever you go. Appearantly the place was really nice a few years ago, but now there are only resorts, bars serving western food and the noise of the construction workers.

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The nature trail at Sra Morakot (Emerald Pool) can be quite treacherous at times - especially for children or if it's been raining or it's getting a bit dark, but it's really well worth doing. Just make sure that you leave the pool by about 4.30pm because with the overhanging jungle, it can look a bit darker than it is.

The track is sometimes reduced to thick mud with tree roots poking through and not all of the wooden steps are secure. Watch carefully where you're walking.

When we were there we were very surprised that we didn't see one mosquito, but it's always wise to have some spray with you.

For more info about my longboat 4 island tour experience, see my "Things to Do" section.

--For multiple island trips, I would suggest a speedboat over a longboat, simply to economize time.... less on the boat and more on the beach. Also, if you're looking for snorkeling, avoid the island tour package including Poda, Tup and Chicken islands. I've heard much better reviews about Hong, Bamboo and Lading Islands for snorkeling. All in all, we rolled the dice with our longboat trip, which unfortunately turned up snake-eyes.

On first inspection the Thai hotel looks a reasonable choice in Krabi.

I went in for look and found it old-fashioned with unfriendly staff, poorly finished rooms and an overwhelming reek of mildew.

Their website looks fine - but notice how the rooms are listed :

Suit room - I presume this means you get a old cloakroom

Air Condouble - Free latin dance lesson thrown in

Fan Double T.V - Large transvestite in the room with some interesting gynecological additions.

Never trust your instincts cause mother nature will strike when she's moody!

The perfect storm that is - a clear crispy day can turn into serious chaos and life threatening experience when the storm comes.

If you should ever get caught in a storm on a long tail boat (island hopping) - you're in for a serious treat! Please, i say - PLEASE always make sure that you have a life jacket despite how good of a swimmer you are!

These coastal storms are serious or if the wind does not get you, you may be swallowed by the waves.

In the monsoon season (July to October) it can be dangerous.