Krabi, and all of Thailand has a real shortage of public restrooms where you can go to relieve yourself or take care of a child’s dirty diaper. There are some places you can go, but you may have to drive a while to find one.
Many Thais just go on the side of the road when they see a nice green patch. You can frequently see guys standing beside their car on the highway as they take care of much needed business. Nobody is too shy about it, often girls will do it too – picking flowers is what they call it in Thai!
Here are some public restrooms with toilets and sometimes sinks to help you in a pinch. Anyone can go to these toilets and you don’t need to buy anything.
Krabi Town Public Toilets
Thara Park Restrooms
Thara Park is a city park with lots of sports activities. There are 3 public restrooms here.
It is located on the Krabi River in Krabi Town down past the Police Box, Bistro Monaco’s, and Easy Cafe, you’ll find 3 restroom areas you can use.
- Gymnasium – The best one is in the large building there that houses the gymnasium where students play volleyball and basketball. The restrooms there are cleaner than other places in the park, don’t smell, and have sinks that work. Walk right in and find the girls and guy’s restrooms behind the basketball hoops. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, ☑️ Clean
- Convenience Store #1 – By the children’s playground is a round convenience store that sells cold water, ice cream, soups, snacks, and all kinds of beverages like Gatorade and sodas. Around the back of this store is the restroom. Restrooms here are smelly and not great for a little child to sit on the dirty seats, so your best bet is the Gymnasium above if it’s open! ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, 🅇 Clean
- Convenience Store #2 – About 100 meters from Convenience Store #1 is the #2 and it’s over toward the river. Walk past the running track and football (soccer) field to find it. It looks the same as #1 and it has restrooms in the back. These restrooms can also smell, but they are sometimes better than the #1 location. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, 🅇 Clean 50/50.
Behind Police Box on Krabi River
Right near Bistro Monaco, the main Police Box, and a large parking area is a public restroom that can be used any time of day. Not sure if it’s open at night.
Vogue Mall Toilets and Washroom
At the beginning of Maharat Road near the weekend night market is the Vogue Mall that houses Pizza Company, KFC, Swenson’s Ice Cream, and many clothing and specialty shops inside. This is a multi-level mall with restrooms on the ground floor and on the 4th floor. They are sometimes clean and sometimes not. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, 🅇 Clean
Public Restrooms in Sit Down Restaurants
Just about any restaurant in Krabi Town that you visit that is large, has air conditioning, and tables and seats for you to sit down in has a restroom. Usually restaurant restrooms are cleaner than the mall or Thara Park. If you go in just to use the restroom, you should buy something as a transaction so nobody gets angry with you. No restaurant wants to be the one place in town everyone comes in just to pee and leave, you know?
Buddhist Temples with Public Restrooms
- Tiger Cave Temple – On the way to the Krabi International Airport from Krabi Town you can stop at Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Temple) and use the restrooms there. There is one down the path across from Ajahn Jumnien’s fenced in home. There is also another one down by the large Kwan Yin statue near the long staircase. These restrooms are almost always clean. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, ☑️ Clean
Public Restroom Toilets and Washrooms at Gas / Petrol Stations
Almost all of the bigger gas/petrol stations have public restrooms you can go in and use. These are not usually very clean because people come from all over to use them and aren’t very clean about it, but if you’re in an emergency situation, you can use them. They are almost always free, but some places may have someone collecting 5 THB per use. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, 🅇 Clean 50/50
Ao Nang Beach & Noppara Thara Beach Public Toilets
Along the beach are 2 public toilets that I know about that are accessible in daylight hours but I think there might be more. One at the Landmark Night Market you can use and it opens around sunset. The other is at the night club area where all the clubs are grouped together.
- Noppharat Thara Beach Restrooms – This one is found between the restaurants here right on the beach at the main parking area. I haven’t been there for years, but it used to be absolutely a mess and probably the dirtiest toilet area I’ve seen in Krabi. If possible, skip this one, drive down the Beach Road a bit and find the large parking area on the left. You’ll see the public restroom there. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Showers, ☑️ Sinks, 🅇 Clean
- Public Restroom at Noppharat Thara (by the parking area) – This one is a building with restrooms in it. It is usually clean. It’s located at the large parking area across the street from the beach. Here’s the GPS coordinates: 8.045853728584243, 98.8034992726789. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Showers, ☑️ Sinks, ☑️ Clean
- Landmark Night Market Restroom – There is a large night market at Landmark every night, and there are restrooms you can use there any time they are open. These are not usually so clean, but OK for emergency use. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, 🅇 Clean 50/50
Beach toilets are typically very dirty and you never know what you’ll find there, so use a restaurant if at all possible!
Ao Nang Restaurants with Restrooms
All big restaurants in Ao Nang have restrooms and they are usually kept pretty clean for tourists because with the advent of social media reviews like Google Business, they know they are under the microscope for everything they do.
- McDonalds – There are 2 locations. One directly on the beach and next to the Coffee Club. The other is going up the hill leading into the beach and it’s just above Starbucks. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, ☑️ Clean
- Starbucks Coffee – One location, near the McDonald’s. I’ve always found it clean, but you could always go behind someone who leaves it a mess. ☑️ Sit down toilets, ☑️ Sinks, ☑️ Clean
There are MANY restaurants and bars with restrooms you can use in Ao Nang. You’ll need to buy something there to keep from having a problem though!
Please note – 7-11 and Thai Banks do NOT have restrooms.
Thailand Traveling Precautions for Restroom Use
Though public restrooms in Thailand are usually safe and at least clean enough to use if you are in a hurry to relieve yourself, there are some things you should be aware of.
- At night, public restrooms may not be safe and it is recommended you go with someone. Male and females alike. Don’t take any chances at a gas station along a highway between provinces, people sometimes wait around there to rob people. It should go without saying that at night the danger level for going to a restroom by yourself is much higher than in daytime.
- Perverts here are on a different level. As a man, I’ve been peeped at over the top of the restroom dividers more than once. I usually take a photo of the person and tell them I’m calling the police!
- Women should also be careful for people peeping on them in the public restrooms that are part of gasoline stations along the highways.
- Always keep water and wet wipes in your car in case one of your family needs to stop for more than just a pee on the side of the road. Finding a restroom, and especially a clean restroom in Krabi can be a challenge. We often just pee on the side of the road in a empty area. Nobody will mind. Don’t forget to wai the tree you pee under.
