I almost forgot! As a three time visitor, and lover, of Thailand, I would beg to disagree with you about staying in Krabi. The educational opportunities in and around Bangkok are just too incredible to pass up in my opinion, which is true in many major capitols around the world. However, the richness of the culture, art, history, and architecture in Bangkok is deteriorating at an alarming rate in many instances, because it is not being properly preserved or climate controlled. Some of the deterioration is so severe that the art and antiquities will not be available for the next generation to see and study it, as is the case of The National Museum of Thailand (Bangkok). It located in "Palace to the Front" which had been the palace of the second, or backup king. In 1926, it was named the "Bangkok Museum" and later became the National Museum Bangkok. There is little or no climate control in most of the 30 some public buildings of this museum, and almost no curatorial preservation. There are also many other museums and important cultural sites and palaces to visit in Bangkok and nearby, including a recommended river day trip to Ayutthaya, a historic capitol and summer palace for the royal family. There is just too much in and around Bangkok to be 11 or 12 hours away in Krabi. Instead, I would recommend staying in Bangkok for educational and cultural reasons, and taking a weekend or two in Krabi or Phuket for rock climbing. Also, the train system in Thailand is incredible, and Bangkok is the center, from which you can travel to Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, and more, including night trains.