Songkhla Songkhla Songkhla naipokna Songkhla Lake 4 Songkhla CONTENTS HOW TO GET THERE 7 ATTRACTIONS 9 Amphoe Mueang Songkhla 9 Amphoe Ranot 17 Amphoe Krasae Sin 18 Amphoe Sathing Phra 19 Amphoe Singha Nakhon 19 Amphoe Thepha 20 Amphoe Na Thawi 20 Amphoe Sadao 22 Amphoe Hat Yai 23 Amphoe Rattaphum 26 Amphoe Khuan Niang 26 INTERESTING ACTIVITIES 27 MAJOR EVENTS 27 LOCAL PRODUCTS 28 SUGGESTED ITINERARY 29 USEFUL CALLS 30 Laem Samilha Songkhla Thai Term Glossary Thepha, Na Thawi, Saba Yoi, Sadao, and Khlong Amphoe: District Hoi Khong. Ao: Bay Ban: Village HOW TO GET THERE Chedi: Stupa or Pagoda By Car From Bangkok take highway no. 35 Hat: Beach (Thonburi-Paktho) via Samutr Sakhon, Samutr Khao: Mountain Songkram and turn left to highway no. 4 Khlong: Canal (Phetchakasem Road) to Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ko: Island Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Laem: Cape Trang, Phatthalung, and Songkhla, a total Mueang: Town or City distance of 950 kilometres. Namtok: Waterfall By Bus: There are daily buses from Bangkok to Tambon: Sub-district Songkhla and Hat Yai. Depart from Bangkok’s Wat: Temple Southern Bus Terminal everyday. The journey Note: English spelling here given tries to approxi- takes about 13 hours. For more information, mate Thai pronunciat please contact The Transport Co., Ltd, Tel. 1490 www.transport. Songkhla is a southern border province, adjacent co.th to the State of Kedah (Sai Buri), Malaysia. It has Piya Rungrueng Tour, Tel. 0 7442 8972 been an important port and coastal province of Sri Siam Tour, Tel. 0 2885 7981 Songkhla Thailand since the past with Amphoe Hat Yai as Office 0 7431 3211, Hat Yai Office 0 7442 8229 the southern centre of commerce, transportation Siam Doen Rot, Tel. 0 2894 6160-2 Songkhla and rapid economic growth. The province is Office 0 7431 3211, Hat Yai Office 0 7423 4638 ideal for tourism because of its two distinct By Train: The State Railway of Thailand provides characteristics: the old buildings of Amphoe daily rapid and express train services from Mueang Songkhla, and the developed Amphoe Bangkok to Hat Yai. The trains depart from Hat Yai, separated by only about 30 kilometres. Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station. The old part of Songkhla is located at the Travelling time is about 17 hours. For more present-day Amphoe Sathing Phra. Indians, information, please call, Tel. 1690 www.railway. Persians, and Arabs came to trade and called co.th or Hat Yai Railway Station Tel. 0 7426 1290, the place “Singhla”. The name came from two 0 7423 4978 islands with the shape of crouching lions at the By Air: There are many airlines operating flights mouth of the Songkhla Lake. The islands are from Bangkok to Hat Yai International Airport, presently called Ko Nu and Ko Maeo. as follows: Songkhla occupies an area of 7,393 square From Suvarnabhumi Airport kilometres, and is administratively divided into - Thai Smile Airways Tel. 1181, 0 2118 8888 16 districts: Mueang Songkhla, Ranot, Krasae www.thaismileair.com Sin, Sathing Phra, Singhanakhon, Khuan Niang, Rattaphum, Bang Klam, Hat Yai, Na Mom, Chana, Songkhla 7 Songkhla Old Town From Donmueang Airport Bang Klam 46 kilometres - Thai Air Asia Tel. 0 2515 9999 www.airasia. Na Thawi 52 kilometres com Rattaphum 60 kilometres - Thai Lion Air Tel. 0 2529 9999 www.lion Sadao 70 kilometres airthai.com Khuan Niang 72 kilometres - Nok Air Tel. 1318, 0 2900 9955 www.nokair. Thepha 73 kilometres com. Ranot 73 kilometres Krasae Sin 74 kilometres Distances from Amphoe Mueang Songkhla Saba Yoi 104 kilometres to Neighbouring Districts: Singha Nakhon 26 kilometres Distances from Songkhla to Nearby Provinces Hat Yai 26 kilometres Pattani 99 kilometres Na Mom 34 kilometres Phatthalung 121 kilometres Sathing Phra 36 kilometres Satun 125 kilometres Chana 37 kilometres Yala 128 kilometres Khlong Hoi Khong 43 kilometres 8 Songkhla Songkhla National Museum Songkhla National Museum (พิพิธภัณฑสถาน ATTRACTIONS แห่งชาติสงขลา), Amphoe Mueang Songkhla on Wichian Chom Road, was originally built in Songkhla Old Town (ย่านเมืองเก่าสงขลา) 1878 as Songkhla ruler’s personal residence in There are 3 main roads: Nakhon Nok Road, the Chinese style. It became the domicile of Nakhon Nai Road, and Nang Ngam Road, which Songkhla’s upper administrative officers and are full of buildings with beautiful architecture finally the City Hall until 1953. It was converted and traditional identity. There are old Chinese- into a museum in 1973 and offcially opened in style wooden commercial buildings and Sino- 1982 to exhibit lower Southern artefacts. Today Portuguese-style buildings, especially on Nang it is the source of local archaeology, history, and Ngam Road. This road is home to famous folk arts and culture. It has a notable collection restarants selling local food and rare desserts; of artefacts from different periods and various such as Khi Mot, Thong Ek, Khao Fang Kuan, items of the ‘Na Songkhla Family’ that used to Khanom Krabok, Khanom Butu, and Sam Pan rule the city. It is open to the public from 09.00 Ni. There are also ice cream parlours, stew a.m. to 04.00 p.m., except Monday, Tuesday, and restaurants and antique coffee shops. public holidays. Tel: 0 7431 1728. Admission fee 150 baht. For more information, please call Songkhla 9 Wat Matchimawat Tel. 0 7431 1728 www.finearts.go.th/songkhla- Friday and Saturday from 04.00-10.00 p.m. It museum is located on Chana Road by the old city wall, Tambon Bo Yang. The word “Tae Reak” in Phathammarong Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์พธ�ามะรง) Southern dialect translates as “olden times”. is on Chana Road near the Songkhla National Therefore, “Songkhla Tae Reak” refers to Songkhla Museum. It was constructed in the Thai style in the past since it is situated in the old town to resemble the birthplace of General Prem quarter with the surrounding area filled with Tinsulanonda, President of the Privy Council historical landmarks. Visitors will find handicraft and Statesman who is a Songkhla native. The products, local food, clothing and accessories. construction was based on his testimony when his father was the prison warden. Open every- Wat Chai Mongkhon (วัดชัยมงคล), day except Monday and public holidays during on Phet Mongkhon–Chai Mongkhon Road, has 08.30 a.m.–04.00 p.m. a chedi that was built to house the Buddhist relics brought back from Ceylon by a monk named Songkhla Tae Raek Old-time Street Fair “Na Issaro” who was teaching Pali there in 1892. (ถนนคนเดินสงขลาแต่แรก) Open during 09.00 a.m.–05.00 p.m. This walking street night market is held every 10 Songkhla Laem Samila Wat Matchimawat or Wat Klang (วัดมัชฌิมา Laem Son On (แหลมสนอ่อน) วาส หรือวัดกลาง), is situated to the northwest of Laem Samila. It on Sai Buri Road, is a large temple and the is well shaded with sea oaks. At the end of the most important in Songkhla. It is about 400 peninsula stands the statue of Prince Chumphon years old and was built in the late Ayutthaya Khet Udomsak. This peninsula is the best spot period. It was said that Yai Si Chan, a millionaire to view Ko Nu and the Songkhla Lake. of Songkhla donated a large sum of money to construct the temple. Later on Wat Liap was Laem Samila (แหลมสมิหลา) built in the north, and Wat Pho in the south. The is in the City Municipality, about 2.5 kilometres people then changed the name of the temple from the fresh market (Talat Sapsin or Talat Sot which was situated in the middle from “Wat Yai Thetsaban). This peninsula is well-known for its Si Chan” to “Wat Klang” or “Wat Matchimawat”. white sandy beach, shady pine groves, and the This temple also has the Phattharasin Museum statue of a mermaid that is Songkhla’s symbol. that houses various artefacts gathered from It is serviced by Hat Yai–Songkhla buses. From Songkhla, Sathing Phra, Ranot, and elsewhere. within the city, one can take a ‘Song Thaeo’ Open daily 01.00–04.00 p.m. minibus to the beach. Songkhla 11 Hat Chalathat (หาดชลาทัศน์) is located at 39 Leam Son On Road, Tambon is a long white sandy beach that continues from Bo Yang. There are many interesting activities; Hat Samila with leam Samila as a connecting such as demonstration of feeding fish in a glass point. It is an ideal beach for swimmimg. The aquarium tunnel by drivers, Go-kart and ATV in Sea Oak trees by the beach provide shade a real field, as well as fosh foot spa. Oen Tuesday- throughout Chalathat Road that runs along Friday from 09.30 a.m.-04.00 p.m. weekend and the beach. At the north end of the beach public holidays between 09.30 a.m.-04.45 p.m. connecting to Leam Samila is a roundabout (closed on Mondays except Monday that falls with a statue of a man reading a book to on public holidays). Admission is 300 Baht for promote reading. The middle part pf the beach adults 200 baht, for children. For more informa- houses Songkhla Municipality’s public ground, tion, please call Tel. 0 7432 2787, 0 7432 2899 or which is a recreation park with a playground visit www.songkhlaaquarium.com and bike lane along the beach. This is another beautiful sunrise spot. Khao Noi (เขาน้อย), near Laem Samila, has a road to the hilltop for Songkhla Aquarium (สถานแสดงพันธ์สัตว์น�้าสงขลา) paying homage to the statue of Prince Lop Built by the Songkhla Municipality as a learning Buri Ramet (The Southern Viceroy), and to view centre for aquatic creatures, Songkhla Aquarium the city. In the east is a public park with food Sala Wihan Daeng 12 Songkhla services and tennis courts.