For my first visit to Thailand’s largest island of Phuket in 2019, I discovered it was actually a little cheaper to fly to neighbouring Krabi from Bangkok and take a speed boat from there. Thus I could see two cool places for the price of one, always my favourite type of travel deal. I ended up having a blast in laid back and physically gorgeous Krabi. This included a really fun and memorable evening where I left my hotel by myself and ended up with a half dozen new friends (most notably Swampy and his wife), by the end of the night after an impromptu international party developed on the sidewalk. More about that later.

For this return visit in September 2024, I would be making my way from Surat Thani on the opposite side of the Malay Peninsula (covered in Part 2), to the Ao Nang beach section of Krabi, a distance of 160 km. Originally I had planned to take a minibus at a cost of about $10 USD - however, the interior is cramped as they pack them in and roam around town like Pimp My Ride until they are full in order to maximize profits. They also stop frequently along the route to drop off and pick up passengers. This can easily double the travel time to 5 hours instead of 2-3 hours by taxi. Thus I decided to investigate taking a Grab taxi, SE Asia’s Uber (but much cheaper).

I had used Grab a few times in different countries like Sri Lanka and Indonesia for long distance trips where there weren’t good railway or bus connections, and my experiences had been surprisingly good - great value, comfortable, safe and always a pleasant driver to strike up a conversation with. For an extra thrill (whether you want it or not) I have, on occasion, taken a Grab motorcycle taxi, but that’s only when I’ve had a death wish. On one memorable ride in Saigon, Vietnam, we travelled from the airport to the city centre during rush hour and literally bounced off of other motorbikes in the insanely congested roundabouts, while I clutched my suitcase on my lap with one hand, and held onto the seat’s grab bar for dear life with the other. You certainly feel glad to be alive after one of those joy rides! Fun times!

I typed in Surat Thani to Krabi in the Grab app and a fare of $50 USD popped up, not bad at all. However, for such a long one-way trip, the driver will usually turn down the quoted fare unless you add an extra 20-30% “tip” to cover their journey back as they won’t always be able to find a customer for the whole way (or so they say). Fair enough and still pretty reasonable. One of my hacks is to find the driver using Grab then pay him directly (or the driver will often take the initiative), which will cut the cost 20% or so. (Hint: you can also do this with AirBnb for longer bookings). Both of us benefit and I use Grab so often I don’t feel guilty cutting out the middleman occasionally for these long trips. In any event, within a couple of minutes I had a found a driver, offered him a 25% tip for safe arrival and received his approval. Five minutes later he showed up at my hotel and we were off. It was an uneventful but beautiful and relaxing drive across the gorgeous green peninsula with the sun shining until just before we hit Ao Nang Beach. The driver played popular Thai music at my request and I think that made his day. He had escaped from his usual daily grind of short trips in a congested city for the wide open and gorgeous vistas of the peninsula. It was still monsoon season and while the Gulf of Thailand side had been relatively dry, the Andaman Sea side was getting drenched and I had to endure several days of near flood conditions before the rains finally subsided.

I had booked two full weeks in Krabi, split between two different hotels. The first place was a little outside of the main beach area so I needed to rent a motorbike (twist my rubber arm). For $5 a day plus a couple of bucks for gas, motorbikes are a true bargain, a visceral connection to one’s youth and a supremely convenient mode of transportation nearly anywhere in SE Asia. I have come a long way in my motorbike playbook from that first trip in Danang, Vietnam in 2018, when I naively inquired as to why there were no mirrors on my rental. “Mirrors?! We don’t need no stinking mirrors (or words to that effect, was the retort from the shop owner). Just don’t hit anything in front of you and you don’t need to look behind you - not your problem plus you just don’t want to know.”

The hotel was awesome for $20 a night including a hot breakfast! It was a Muslim run establishment, as are many in Krabi - so, no alcohol allowed which was fine by me. Unlike the party atmosphere along the beachfront (although much more laid back than Phuket) a couple of kilometers away, we were smack dab in the middle of the jungle and it was a very peaceful and serene atmosphere, a perfect antidote to the four crazily busy teaching months I had endured in South Korea immediately preceding this trip. Most of the guests were from neighbouring Malaysia and were as super friendly and polite as the Thais.

So how can I describe Ao Nang, Krabi to the uninitiated? Long, golden sand beaches? Towering limestone cliffs? Thick lush green jungle interior which you can hike into right from the end of the main beach? The jumping off point to 150 paradisiacal tropical islands with crystal clear waters, including “The Beach” made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio? A long, snaking main drag lined with restaurants, cafes, bars, tour operators and shops all catering 100% to international tourists? Long tail boats constantly dropping off and picking up passengers who have to get their feet wet for access? A friendly and relaxed vibe from locals and visitors alike, all delighted that they are present in such a gorgeous setting? Somehow, the unique way it all comes together, forms a place that is so much more than just the sum of its parts. Ao Nang is one-of-a-kind and unforgettable and while the best places may lie offshore (such as the Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay), it is the perfect locale to base yourself for a week or two of exploring this wonderful part of the world - or just doing nothing! The definition of a tropical paradise.

So about that spontanous international sidewalk party back in 2019. Well, it started with me and this guy, JoJo the drink mixer maestro. As I mentioned, I strolled out of hotel with no particular place to go, but feeling like I wanted to meet some people. That’s how it starts. So there was no one in front of this little bar stand and JoJo trolled me as I walked by. Somewhere there was a sign that said his stand served the best frozen Margarita’s in Krabi and they were 2-for-1 as it was Happy Hour. I asked him if I’d get a refund if that wasn’t the case. He promised me I wouldn’t be disappointed so I sat down while he mixed one up. He was playing great Reggae as well so I couldn’t resist. I downed one pretty quickly as it was a hot and humid night and the brain freeze was a welcome sensation. As I was ordering my second one, a passing Brit and his wife asked me if the drinks were good as they watched Jojo go though his mixology magic. I assured them they were indeed and soon we were all chatting away like old friends. Swampy and Jennifer, his Kiwi partner, were house sitting in Thailand after their previous jobs in the Bahamas went sideways - something about smuggling? I would end up meeting them a few weeks later at the tallest Skybar in Bangkok (another story). Next up was a strolling Columbian and French couple and there were now 5 of us. We’d only met each other several minutes before but it was like we’d known each other all our lives, the vibe was infectious. Then a crazy Canuck walked by with the coolest bamboo drink mug. He was off the hook! He just kept going on and on about this bar up the street that was giving out free bamboo drink mugs and we got him to pose - manic energy. This was soon followed by a balding Greek and his partner, then a couple of Americans drew up stools and started philosophical discussions about well, not really sure by this point! And neither were they, but we were all relishing the moment. A Japanese couple were next to slide into the scene and were welcomed warmly. After the party reached 15 or so, well, I don’t remember the rest of the night. So there you go. Be the change you want to be. If you want something to happen, be open to the possibility of it and do your part.

I never forgot that great night with all those great people and I especially never forgot JoJo who kicked it off with me. So it was that in September 2024, I went looking for that little sidewalk stand and to see if JoJo was still in business. The thing is, in Thailand, night and day are literally night and day. In other words, everything that is open at night, with all the accompanying lights and chairs on the sidewalk and music blaring and people scattered all over the place - doesn’t exist in the daytime - everything looks completely different. I wasn’t sure if I was even on the right section of the street as I went scouting for JoJo’s place as the sun started to set.

I popped into a restaurant that was just opening for the night and ordered a burger and beer. I was the first customer and ended up chatting with the staff. At one point I mentioned this place I was looking for and mentioned JoJo and lo and behold, the staff knew of this legend and he was just two shops down the street! What were the chances! I was so excited - it made my whole two week stay in Krabi all that much better. I was about to see JoJo again after over 5 years. However, things change and JoJo was no longer running his little bar . The Pandemic had hit Thailand hard and many restaurants and bars went out of business - inluding JoJo’s as tourism dried up. So resilient JoJo had transitioned into the Weed business which became legal in Thailand a few years before.

I popped my head in, and JoJo remembered me instantly. “The Sidewalk Party Man!” Still a legend in Krabi!