During the first millennium, Krabi was, like Phuket, one of 12 ‘cities’ in the Kingdom, each identified by an animal, and hence Krabi was known as the ‘Monkey’ and referred to as Ban Thai Samor. By 1200 AD, it was incorporated into the Ligor Kingdom, a well organised civilisation with present day Nakorn Sri Thammarat as its base. Krabi first came under true Siamese control when Phuket was loosely aligned with the powerful Sukhothai Kingdom that dominated central and some parts of Northern Thailand in the 15th century. Influence from Nakorn Sri Thammarat had waned considerably by the time the Siamese regrouped in 1786 with a new capital near Bangkok, and Krabi was incorporated into the Rattanakosin suzerainty. An elephant kraal was established here by the Raja of Nakorn Sri Thammarat. By 1872, King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) elevated the town’s status during the zenith of Siam’s power and geographical reach, when Krabi became the official name. Soon Krabi became an important centre for fishing and agriculture, but it would be another 100 years before the area really became internationally renowned. In fact, the history of Krabi’s most famous areas, Ao Nang Beach and Phi Phi island, is relatively recent. It wasn’t until Phuket had been discovered for its beauty and idealness as a prime tourist destination that Krabi benefitted. As Phuket and Ao Nang began to fill up, developers eyed the next available island in the area, Lanta, which was a mere 90 minutes away by fast boat and today, it has a well developed infrastructure all along the lovely beaches of its east coast. Many now favour Krabi over Phuket for its more down to earth character and stunning backdrop of karst hills. In recent years, it has become a firm favourite among the Scandinavian travellers who make up a large proportion of the visitors. An airport was built in the late ‘90s, facilitating air travel (although services are limited) and the town has seen plenty of growth off the back of tourism. With the opening of the tourism faculty at the local university and several tourist venues locating themselves in the Krabi Town - it too has benefited. Today, Krabi continues to thrive and welcome tourists with a good infrastructure that has changed the prosperity of the area. | 
