Songkhla Thailand – 9 Ideas on What to See and to Do

Go for a stroll in the old town, visit temples, learn more about local culture or while a day away on the beach and feast on the freshest seafood in a fishing village. Khu Khut Water Fowl Park located out of town makes for a pleasant day trip from Songkhla.

1. The old town

The old town is located on the west side of town, close to the lake, and covers three major roads; Nakorn Noak Road, Nakorn Nai Road, and Nang Ngam Road. It the last years it has been undergoing a revival movement and it now offers to tourist several 19th centuries buildings beautifully restored, one of the oldest temple in the province (see next), extraordinary examples of modern street art in an historic environment, and lots of trendy cafes, restaurants and shops selling antiques and vintage clothing. Whatever are your preferences, the old town has a good reason to be visited for everyone, and more than likely you’ll end up spending here most of your time in Songkhla.

2. Wat Matchimawat

Right in the heart of the old town, Wat Matchimawat (locally know as Wat Klang) has been built during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, more than 400 years ago (with some more recent additions though). The temple is quite large, with several buildings to visit, featuring a mix of Chinese, European and Thai architectural styles, all organized with beautiful gardens in a relaxing atmosphere that will please also those who are not particularly interested in temples. A small library contains original Buddhist text inscribed on palm leaves, while a museum exhibits artefacts from China and Europe and a 6th century statue of the Hindu God Ganesh.

3. National Museum

Located at the northern end of the old town, just past the remaining part of the historic walls that were surrounding the city, the National Museum has a huge collection with a great variety of artifacts including prehistoric potteries, religious items, a personal collection of the Na Songkhla family who ruled over the city, along with cannons and other weapons. Very interesting the information boards (in English) that will give you an idea of the long, complicated and somehow still mysterious history of Songkhla. The building itself is one of the main reason to visit the museum; built in the 19th century it has been used as the governor’s residence at first and as the city hall later before being abandoned for few decades until 1973 when a renovation project that would bring it back to its original splendor begun. Nowadays is one of the most beautiful palaces in town. An admission fee of THB100 is required to enter the museum which is closed on Monday, Tuesday and public holidays. Opening hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm.

4. Samila Beach

2 km long on the northern end of town, Haad Samila is the only sandy beach close to Songkhla, but despite this it’s almost always deserted (not on Sunday though) and even if not comparable to the white paradisiac beaches you can find on the other coast, it’s still a great place to chill out for a few hours before heading to one of the many seafood restaurants offering fresh and delicious food with wonderful sunset views. The water is shallow and suitable to swim for kids, and the atmosphere is extremely relaxing, without jet skis or motorboats. Don’t miss a picture with the mermaid statue at the south end of the beach since it’s kind of the symbol of Sangkhla; something to show off to your friends when they come out with their Copenhagen pictures.

5. Kao Seng

Kao Seng is a Muslim fishing village located 3 km south of Samila Beach. It’s a great place to visit for a few hours at lunch, enjoying the view of the colorful boats docked right off the shore; the beach is rocky with huge boulders here and there, creating a perfect picture landscape. A legend tells that a neighbor city’s governor buried his treasure (worth 900 thousands baht) on one of these rocks before committing suicide. 900 thousands in Thai is Kao Saen, which has been altered to Kao Seng to name this village.

6. Khao Noi

Khao Noi is a small hill located in the north of the city, close to Samala beach. An easy path to the top will take you to a scenic viewpoint and to the statue of Prince Lop Buri Ramet, a former southern viceroy. At the base of the hill, Tamnak Khao Noi is an historic house built in 1911 as the residence of the same prince and is nowadays the place where the province governor lives. Closed to the public on Monday and Tuesday, it can be visited every other day from 8:00am till 5:00pm. On the northeast side of the hill, Suan Seri is a nice little park decorated with plants in animals shape, with beautiful view on the gulf of Thailand.

7. Khao Tang Kuan

Lying a few hundred meters on the west of Khao Noi, Khao Tang Kuan is the tallest of the twin hills and it’s the most interesting between the two. A funicular opened in 2003 (THB30, access from Sukhum Road) makes a lot easier the ascension to the top, but for those who don’t mind to make a few steps the stairway is not too challenging. The view from the top is spectacular, especially at sunset and sunrise. Watch out for Kho Nu (mouse) and Kho Maew (cat), two small islands right off the shore; the legend tells that a dog, a mouse and a cat stole a magic crystal from a merchant boat and tried to reach the beach swimming. The mouse and the cat drowned and became the islands, while the dog died on the shore and became Khao Tang Kuan.

Other attractions on the hill are a sacred chedi built in Deravati period (more than 1000 years ago) which is believed to contain Buddha’s relic, a red chapel built in a European brick style by order of King Rama V and the lighthouse.

8. Khu Khut Water Fowl Park

Ideal for a nice day trip out of town, Khu Khut Water Fowl Park is a wildlife reserve located 40 km north of town and covering a large area on the lake in Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces. Established as a non-hunting area in 1976, it is the habitat of more than 250 species of birds, making it a must to visit for any bird watchers. The best time of the year is the cooler season between December and March, but even during the other months you’ll get the chance to see many of the birds. The best way to do it is hiring a boat (THB200 an hour). The place is quite popular only among the Thai bird-watchers community, which as you can imagine is still not quite developed; this means that most of the time you’ll hardly meet any other boat, increasing your chances to take wonderful pictures of rare species in a natural environment. The park can be visited every day from 8:00am to 5:00pm and besides the cost of the boat there’s no other fee. To get there it’s a pleasant drive on the coast on route 4083 if you want to rent a motorbike, or you can hire a songhtaew in town for the day. Restaurants are available on site.

9. Kho Yo

Kho Yo is an island located in the lake just south of town. The island saw its popularity growing only after 1984, when the longest bridge in Thailand has been built to connect the south and the north sides of the like. Fishermen villages, cotton products fabrics and seafood restaurants are the highlights of the island along with the great Southern Folklore Museum (open every day 830am – 5:00pm, admission fee THB50), located on the northern tip of the island and displaying an impressive collection of regional artefacts dating back up to 4000 years ago. If you have your own transportation consider the idea of stopping for one night on Kho Yo; great food and good accommodation options will be your reward. A public songthaew (THB15) that frequently runs between Songkhla and the island will be enough if you just want to hit the museum.