SONGKHLA : Guide
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Songkhla, one of Thailand’s important ports and coastal provinces, is located 950 kilometers from Bangkok. Occupying an area of 7,393 square kilometers on the eastern side of the Malaysian Peninsula, the province is bordered by the States of Kedah (Sai Buri) and Perlis of Malaysia to the south and the Gulf of Thailand to the east. In addition, Songkhla borders on Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung Provinces to the north, Yala and Pattani Provinces to the south, and Satun and Phatthalung Provinces to the west.
An undeniably historic town endowed with ancient ruins, arts, and places of cultural importance, Songkhla, a melting pot of Thais, Chinese and Malays, charms visitors with its unique traditions, dialect, and folk entertainment. These characteristics are reflections of the provinces rich cultural heritage, which has been preserved and passed down from generations to generations.
Hat Yai, a district of Songkhla, is perhaps better known than the provincial capital itself. Hat Yai serves as a southern hub of communication, trading and transportation as well as a gateway to Malaysia and Singapore. In light of this, Hat Yai has gained importance as the driving force of economic growth in the southern region.
History of Songkhla
Songkhla, a medieval pirate stronghold, is a historic, albeit sleepy town with a thriving fishing community. Another Srivijaya outpost in Thailands southern region, Songkhla was initially named Sa-thing”. Previously a port and a coastal trading post where Indian, Persian and Arabian merchants came to exchange their products, the place was named “Sing Lha” after the 2 lion-shape islands at the mouth of the city’s lake. At present, these 2 islands are Koh Nu (Rat Island) and Koh Maeo (Cat Island). The old part of Songkhla is located at the present-day Amphoe Sathing Phra.
Todays Songkhla
Over the last few decades, Songkhla has been rapidly developed and is currently a unique attraction worth visiting. Blessed with natural resources such as fine beaches, enchanting waterfalls, and a tranquil lake, the province has an abundance of tourist attractions and an amazing range of seaside resort towns. Moreover, the old section of Songkhla still maintains its unique identity of ancient and historical flavors through local architecture and cuisine.
While Songkhla is noted as a fishing community set in a peaceful atmosphere, Hat Yai, on the other hand, serves as a transportation and communications hub of the south with links to various destinations in the neighboring provinces and Malaysia.
Despite being only 30 kilometers apart, Songkhla and Hat Yai have uniquely contrasting characteristics and are ideal places to visit.
Songkhla is administratively divided into 16 districts: Muang Songkhla, Ranot, Krasae Sin, Sathing Phra, Singhanakhon, Khuan Niang, Rattaphum, Bang Klam, Hat Yai, Na Mom, Chana, Thepha, Na Thawi, Saba Yoi, Sadao, and Khlong Hoi Khong.
Distances from Amphoe Muang Songkhla to Neighboring Districts:Ranot 73 kms.
Hat Yai 26 kms.
Krasae Sin 74 kms.
Na Mom 34 kms.
Sathing Phra 36 kms.
Chana 37 kms.
Singhanakhon 26 kms.
Thepha 73 kms.
Khuan Niang 72 kms.
Na Thawi 52 kms.
Rattaphum 60 kms.
Saba Yoi 104 kms.
Bang Klam 46 kms.
Sadao 70 kms.
Klong Hoi Khong 43 kms.
Songkhla Province
SONGKHLA
Songkhla, 950km from Bangkok, is another former Srivijaya satellite on the east coast. Not much is known about the pre-8th-century history of Songkhla, a name derived from the Yawi singora – a mutilated Sanskrit
reference to a lion-shaped mountain (today called Khao Daeng) opposite the harbour. Though the original settlement lay at the foot of Khao Daeng, the city later moved across the harbour to its present site on a peninsula between Thaleh Sap Songkhla (an inland sea) and the South China Sea (or Gulf of Thailand, depending on how you look at it).
Today it’s a pleasant place with a colourful market, charming older section (west of Th Ramwithi) and plenty of coastline. Seafood served along the peaceful, white-sand beaches is excellent, although the water is not that great for swimming (especially if you’ve just come from the Ko Samui archipelago). The town has plenty of other curiosities to offer, however.
The population is a mixture of Thais, Chinese and Malays, and the local architecture and cuisine reflect this combination. Over the last decade Songkhla has become increasingly Westernised due to the influx of multinational oil company employees – particularly British and American. This, along with a strong Thai navy presence, has created a wealthier-than-average Thai city.
Information
The Songkhla post office (Th Wichianchom; open 8.30am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat & Sun) is opposite the market; international calls can be made upstairs. Dotcom Internet (open 8am-10pm daily), next to Mrs Brown’s guesthouse, provides links to the web.
Consulates in town include those for Malaysia ( 0 7431 1062; 4 Th Sukhum), China ( 0 7431 1494; Th Sadao) and Indonesia (( 0 7431 1544; Th Sadao). File for visa extensions at the immigration office
(0 7431 3480; open 8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri).
Corner Bookshop ( 0 7431 2577; cnr Th Saiburi & Th Phetchakhiri; open 7am-7.30pm daily) sells novels, maps, newspapers, magazines and Lonely Planet guidebooks (all in English).
Songkhla is well supplied with banks
Housed in a 100-year-old building of southern Sino-Portuguese architecture is this picturesque national museum
Wed-Sun, closed national holidays). Along with the innate architectural charms of its curved rooflines and thick walls, it’s a quiet, breezy building with a tranquil garden at the front. The museum contains exhibits from all national art-style periods, particularly the Srivijaya, including a 7th-to 9th-century Shivalingam found in Pattani. Also on display are Thai and Chinese ceramics, and sumptuous Chinese furniture and a lacquer bookcase owned by the area’s local Chinese aristocracy.
Prem Tinsulanonda Museum
The Prem Tinsulanonda Museum (cnr Th Jana & Th Saiburi; admission free; open 8.30am-4pm Tues-Sun) is touted as the birthplace of Thailand’s 16th prime minister, who served from 1980 to 1988. The ‘museum’ is a wooden house that was actually built recently upon the site of Prem’s birthplace, and contains some of the furniture and personal effects that graced the original home. While something of a shrine to Prem, the museum is worth a visit even if you have little interest in Thai politics — it’s a charming example of the combination of breezy verandas and cosy interiors that constitutes the traditional Thai house.
Temples & Chedi
Wat Matchimawat (Wat Kiang; Th Saiburi) typifies the Sino-Thai temple architecture of 17th-century Songkhla. One of the wihdan contains an old marble Buddha image and a small museum. Another temple with similar characteristics, Wat Jaeng (Th Ramwithi), was recently renovated.
There is a Singhalese-style chedi and royal pavilion on top of Khao Tang Kuan, a bill rising up at the northern end of the peninsula; to reach the top you’ll have to climb 305 steps.
Songkhla Architecture
All that remains of the old King Narai-era city is a lengthy section of wall along Th Jana near the national museum and main market in the centre of town. A few patches of 19th- and early-20th-century architecture can be seen near the inland sea waterfront. Walk along the back streets parallel to the waterfront — Th Nang Ngam, Th Nakhon
Nai and Th Nakhon Nok — to find older
Songkhla buildings showing Chinese. Portuguese and Malay influence. Many of them disappeared during Thailand’s economic boom, but a few have been restored and hopefully the city will support some sort of historical architectural legacy.
Beaches
Hat Samila is a casuarina-lined beach and pleasant for strolling. At the north end, sitting atop some rocks, a bronze mermaid sculpture is depicted squeezing water from her long hair in a tribute to Mae Thorani (the Hindu-Buddhist earth goddess). Locals treat the figure like a shrine, tying the waist with coloured cloth and rubbing the breasts for good luck. Near the mermaid statue is a cat and rat statue, which represents the islands offshore (who are supposed to look like their namesake animals).
The less-frequented Hat Son Awn extends north of Hat Samila. There are a few seafood restaurants at the south end of this stretch, with less pleasant ones farther north on the other side of the road. Jogging or bicycle riding are good activities here; rent bicycles at Amsterdam or Abritus guesthouses.
Other Attractions
To the north of centre are the two forested hills of Khao Tang Kuan and Khao Noi (also known as Monkey mountain, since hordes of monkeys live here). They’re safe to explore during the day, but be careful at night,
when druggies find refuge there. A cable car is being built on the east side of Khao Tang Kuan and may be operational when you visit.
Just north of Khao Tang Kuan is a manmade lake full of catfish. If there’s anyone selling fish food, you buy some, toss the stuff in and watch the waters boil to a feeding frenzy. A legendary 2m catfish is supposed to inhabit this lake.
A few kilometres south of Hat Samila is Kao Seng, a quaint Muslim fishing village – this is where the tourist photos of gaily painted fishing vessels are taken. SAwngthdew run regularly between Songkhla and Kao Seng for 8B per person.
Places to Stay — Budget
If you’re a budget traveler, you’re in luck here; Songkhla has an exceptional number of good and inexpensive guesthouses that cater to travellers.
Amsterdam Guest House ( 0 7431 4890; 15/3 Th Rong Meuang; rooms with shared bath 180-200B) is a popular homey
place set up to serve travellers. Bicycles/ motorcycles are available to rent for 100/ 200B per day. Rooms are basic, and there’s a lounge and restaurant nearby.
Abritus Guest House ( 0 7432 6047; ) 28/16 Th Ramwithi; rooms with shared bath 200B) offers four
spacious, clean rooms. Downstairs is a good restaurant and one Internet connection. English, German, Russian and Bulgarian are spoken, and bikes and motorcycles are available for rent.
ABC Guest House ( 07431 2558; 28/14 Th Ramwithi; Ew www.abcguesthouse.info; dorm beds 130B, rooms 220-300B) is a brand‑
new place a couple of doors down from Abritus, and has a Thailand rarity: dorm beds.
Mrs Brown’s ( 0 7432 7475; 28/19 Th Ramwithi; rooms 150-180B) is right near
Abritus and run by a friendly Englishman. It’s a popular place with well-furnished rooms; in the future there may also be small dorm rooms.
Patcharin Backpackers Inn ( 0 7431 1821; 65 Th Sisuda; rooms with shared bath
230-250B) offers six beautiful, large rooms. It’s new, clean, friendly and central to Songkhla’s bar scene. There’s a tiny garden at the front.
Narai Hotel (( 0 7431 1078; 14 Th Chai Khao; rooms with shared bath 150-2008)
hardly looks like a hotel; it’s a faded yellow wooden house with overgrown yard. It’s friendly but not central, and rooms are clean and fairly quiet. There is one huge double room with bathroom for 250B.
Choke Dee (- 0 7431 2275; 14/19 Th Wichianchom; rooms with fan 280, with air‑
con 380-400B) offers a good deal, with large, clean, modem and bright tiled rooms along spacious halls and sitting areas. Pastel blues and a modem ambience emanate from this place, which is a bit less homey than those mentioned previously.
Suk Somboon 1 Hotel ( 07431 1049; 40 Th Phetchakhiri; rooms with fan 180-250B, with air-con 300B) has reasonable budget
rooms with some personality. Rooms facing east are brighter than those on the other side, which sport wall views.
Saen Sabai (( 0 7444 1027; Phetchakhiri; rooms with shared bath 150B, with fan/air-con 220/2708), right behind the Cal‑
tex petrol station, is a small place with dark, musty rooms — but it’s friendly!
Places to Stay – Mid-Range & Top End
Suk Somboon 2 ( 0 7431 3809; 14 Th Saiburi; rooms with fan 2008, with air-con 400‑
500B) is actually two buildings, an old and a new, right next to each other. The new half has pleasant smallish mid-range rooms with good showers, TV and fridge, while the old half is much more basic.
Royal Crown Hotel (( 0 7431 2174, fax 0 7432 1027; 38 Th Sai Ngam; rooms with air‑
con 400-4508) comes with good, carpeted mid-range rooms, and is located right near the bar area.
Viva Hotel (’ 0 7432 1033; 547/2 Th Nakhon Nok; singles/doubles with air-con
500/6008) has decent, modern (though not luxurious) rooms. There’s a coffee shop with karaoke, and the lobby is nice, but the place isn’t central.
Lake Inn ( 0 7432 1044; 301 Th Nakhon Nok; rooms with air‑
con 390-590B) isn’t really worth it except for the 590B rooms with balconies and the views. The halls are worn and rooms modest.
BP Samila Beach Hotel (0 7444 0222, fax 0 7444 0442; 8 Th Ratchadamnoen; rooms with air-con from 11508) lies like a swanky
monster next to the beach, Songkhla’s best accommodation. All the amenities are on tap; pay the extra 100B for sea views, as they’re worth it. Balconies are large, the amoeba-like pool is inviting and the Internet is available near the grand lobby. It’s not a bad deal at all, if you can afford it, and rates include breakfast.
Pavilion Songkhla Hotel ( 0 744 1850, fax 07432 3716; 17 Th Platha; rooms with air-con from 7508)
is a great deal. The lobby is fancy, the location is good, and the large, luxurious rooms have some wood panelling, satellite TV and carpeting.
Haad Kaew Resort ( 0 7433 1059, fax 0 7433 1220; bungalows 5278, rooms with air-con 771-8998) is actually a long drive out‑
side Songkhla, on the peninsula north of the channel. This large, pleasant resort has its own lagoon, beach front and pool on its
landscaped grounds. Comfortable rooms and bungalows come with all the amenities.
Places to Eat
For cheap food, try the string of good, inexpensive seafood places along Th Ratchadamoen near Hat Samila. Right at the tip of Songkhla’s northern finger are food carts that set out mats in the grassy park-like waterfront area. And, at the south end of Th Sisuda is a night market called Rot Fai Night Plaza — on Sunday, a morning market pops up here.
Sea Sport Restaurant ( 0 7432 7244; Th Ratchadamnoen; dishes 50-2008; open 4pmmidnight daily) is highly recommended by
locals for its seafood. The ambience is unbeatable, at least when it’s not raining: outside wooden benches (some shaped like boats) are set on a grassy, bricked terrace
a while a cloth tarp blows overhead. At night everything’s lit up romantically, and the breezy sea is right there.
Nai Wan Restaurant ( 0 7431 1295; Th Ratchadamnoen; dishes 35-2008; open 10am‑
9.30pm daily) is popular for its crab dishes (bring moist wipes!). Also on the menu are Thai salads, soups and other seafood offerings, as well as a few vegie entries. The large, casual space is near the little mermaid sculpture.
Tan Koon (( 07431 3297; cnr Th Phetchakhiri & Th Saiburi; dishes 35-1008; open 8.30am-7.30pm daily), set back from the
street and inside a leafy garden area, is a small Thai place with some breakfast items. From Th Phetchakhiri you go through a shop to reach the restaurant. Coffeebucks is next door and brews passable java for 20B to 50B per shot.
LoBo Cafe ( 0 7431 1788; T10/1-3 Th Platha; dishes 40-1208; open 7am-10pm daily)
cooks up Western breakfasts and Thai food in a modern, homey and friendly atmosphere. It rents motorcycles, too.
Ya’ll Come Back Cafe (Tawnee Bar; Th Sisuda; dishes 1508; open 8am-6pm daily) is
energetically run by two southern boys from the USA. Generous portions of home-cooked Creole and southern dishes, such as Jambalaya, chicken dumplings and Spanish omelettes (as well as other breakfast items), are served in a tiny, dim bar atmosphere.
Sweet Basil Cafe (50/2-3 Th Sisuda; dishes 50-1208; open 10am-midnight daily)
serves good Vietnamese and Thai food in a pretty, peaceful setting — at least compared to the bar scene outside. The service is good_ and a large picture menu makes ordering easy.
Tae Hieng lew south of the town centre, serves locally recommended seafood in a decent atmosphere with nice wooden furniture. Look for it just south of the elaborate Chinese cinema.
Abritus Guest House and Mrs Brown’s both have their own popular restaurants, with a half-dozen tables and CNN on TV. Food reflects their clientele’s tastes: there are Western breakfasts, burgers and basic Thai dishes. Abritus adds Bulgarian meatballs and kebabs.
The seafood of Ko Yo (see Around Songkhla) has a reputation for being some of the best in the area. Restaurants are located near the main island road, next to the water.
Entertainment
A string of bars just east of the Indonesian consulate is jokingly referred to among local expats as `The Dark Side’. Not as ominous as it sounds, this strip caters mainly to oil company employees and other Westerners living in Songkhla. The Office, the bar nearest Soi 5, is run by an Englishman.
On nearby happenin’ Th Sisuda, interspersed with some restaurants, are a few other casual bars worth checking out. Corner Bier is a small corner place where Songkhla’s Canadian community hangs out. Parlang, where the Hash House Harriers meet every Saturday at 3pm, is another popular expat place — the cashew chicken here has been especially recommended.
Getting There & Away
Air THAI operates several daily flights between Bangkok and nearby Hat Yai; see the Hat Yai section later in this chapter for details.
Bus, Minivan & Share Taxi Songkhla is something of a Hat Yai transport satellite; from Songkhla, you’ll have to go to Hat Yai to reach most long-distance destinations in the south. There are a few destinations originating in Songkhla, though.
Across from the ferry station is a small-strangely located government bus terminal Four 2nd-class buses go daily to Bangkok
(437B); these stop in Chumphon (245B), Nakhon Si Thammarat (100B) and Surat Than (150B), among other places. One VIP bus to Bangkok leaves at 4.45pm (870B), while three 1st-class buses (562B) leave late afternoon and evening. There’s one ordinary bus (312B) at 11.30am.
To Hat Yai, buses (16B), minivans (20B) share taxis (25B) take around 40 minutes and leave from Th Ramwithi. Minivans to Pat-tarn and Yala (70B) leave from the southern part of Th Sisuda, while ordinary buses to Nakhon Si Thammarat (70B) leave from the not-very-useful bus terminal south of town.
Boat Towards the head of Laem Songkhla (Songkhla’s finger-like peninsula), there is a government-run ferry that plies the short distance across the channel where the Thaleh Sap Songkhla inland sea meets the Gulf of Thailand. The barge-like ferry carries about 15 cars, plus assorted motorcycles and pedestrians. The fare for the seven-minute ride is 18B per car, 5B per motorcycle and 1B per person; it runs 5am to 9pm daily.
Getting Around
Share taxis to the Hat Yai airport cost 150B to 180B; private taxis charge 400B.
SAwngthaew circulate around town for 10B. Motorcycle taxis around town cost 10B to 20B; rates double at night.
Amsterdam and Abritus guesthouses rent bicycles and motorcycles; LoBo Cafe just rents motorcycles. Prices are 100B per day for bicycles, 200B for motorcycles.
AROUND SONGKHLA
Songkhla Zoo
This is a new (and not quite finished), surprisingly humane and unusual zoo ( 0 7433 6038; admission per person/car/motorcycle 30/30/108; open 9am-6pm daily). The hilly enclosures are large and in a natural setting, with lots of greenery between exhibits. So much greenery, in fact, that the whole place really needs to be explored in a vehicle — distances are almost too long to walk. Roads lace the mountainside where the zoo is located connecting the exhibits to each other (this lofty setting affords occasional good views of the surrounding countryside). Unfortunately the zoo’s roads are pretty close to the animals, who are no doubt exposed to the motor noises.Animals on display include rhinos, elephants, ostriches, camels, orang-utans, chimpanzees, and birds such as flamingos, parrots and hornbills. If you’re lucky you can watch the tigers being fed: plucked chickens are suspended from ropes, and the beasts take running leaps out to grab them.
The zoo is south of Songkhla about 5km. on the Songkhla—Chana road. Follow the signs; the turn-off is at the Esso petrol station, then it’s another 500m to the gate. It’s best to rent a motorcycle (or bicycle if you like pedalling up hills) to get here, since then you’ll have transport within the zoo.
Ko Yo
An island set in the inland sea, Ko Yo (pronounced kaw yaw) is a peaceful, country‑
road-filled place surrounded by fish farms and supporting a small cotton-weaving industry. The good-quality, distinctive phda kaw yaw is hand woven on rustic looms and available on the spot at `wholesale’ prices – meaning you still have to bargain but have a chance of undercutting the usual city price. There are many different households around the island engaged in cotton weaving and they sell their wares at a small market off the highway. You can hire a motorcycle in Songkhla (make sure you know how to operate one first, however) and tour the quiet backroads of Ko Yo: tiny villages, scenic coastline, forested hills, spiritual wat — it’s a very local treat, and off the beaten track. And don’t leave Ko Yo without trying its famous seafood: look for shorefront restaurants along the island’s main road. Folklore Museum At the northern end of the island, about 2km past the market, is this large and excellent museum ($ 0 7433 1184; admission 50B; open 8.30am-5pm daily) run by the Institute of Southern Thai Studies. Opened in 1991, the complex of Thai-style pavilions overlooking the Thaleh Sap Songkhla contains well-curated collections of folk art, as well as a library and souvenir shop. Be ready to hike, however; the museum ripples down a hillside, each display room connected by stairs, stairs and more stairs. Displays include pottery, beads, shadow puppets, basketry, textiles, musical instruments, jewellery, boats, religious art, weapons, and various household, agricultural and fishing implements. Among these is a superb collection of coconut-grater seats carved into various animal and human shapes, as well as a glassware display that Martha Stewart would salivate over. On the institute grounds is a series of small gardens, including one occasionally used for traditional shadow-theatre performances; a medicinal herb garden; and a bamboo
ture garden.
Getting There & Away Frequent sAwngthAew to Ko Yo leave from Th Platha in Songkhla (10B, 30 minutes). To stop at the small market ask for nda talaat, `in front of the market’. To get off at the museum, about 2km past the market, ask for phiphithdphan. Buses to Ranot pass through Ko Yo for the same fare. You could also hire a motorcycle in Songkhla and scoot your way here, even making a loop north, coming back into town via the short ferry ride across the channel. This is a long distance, though — about 20km — and it includes hairy highways and windy bridges. Make sure you’ve completely mastered the art of motorcycle driving in Thailand.
Of course you could also rent a bicycle to do this ride, but unless you’re a Greg LeMonde wannabe you probably shouldn’t risk the next-day leg-muscle cramps.
Khukhut Waterbird Sanctuary
On the eastern shore of the Songkhla inland sea, about 30km north of Songkhla near the village of Sathing Phra, is a 520-sq-km sanctuary for waterbirds. Together with the similar Thaleh Noi Wildlife Preserve in Phattalung, the wetlands are habitat for over 200 resident and migrant bird species from the entire Thaleh Sap, including bitterns, egrets and herons (these three are called n6k yaang in Thai), rare Javanese pond herons, fishing eagles (nok yiaw plaa), cormorants (ndk kaa nkam), storks, kites, hawks, falcons, plovers, sandpipers, terns (nok naang nuan) and kingfishers. A book that’s available from the park office (-& 0 7439 7042) has detailed information on the waterbirds and maps showing their habitat. The best months to go bird-watching are November and December, and the worst are from May to August. The park office also arranges boat trips – it’s about 250B for a one-hour bird-watching excursion, and 500B for two hours to see birds and stop at two islands. Each boat can hold up to seven people. Buses to Sathing Phra are 20B — take a red Ranot-bound bus. From the bus stop in front of the Sathing Phra district office you can walk the 3km to the park, or get a motorcycle taxi for 20B.