Songkhla Town
The rather laid back town of Songkhla sits on a narrow peninsula separating the great inland sea of Thale Sap from the ocean. The current city sits on the south side of the opening between the Thale Sap and the sea. The area around the opening has been settled for more than two millennium. Sathing Phra, on the north side of the opening, was an important trading port during the Srivijaya Empire from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries.
A succession of Muslim rulers came to power after the Srivijaya Empire waned, and by the seventeenth century the city-state had become so powerful it was becoming a major player in the region. Threatened by this growing influence, King Narai of Ayutthaya sent his army to attack and destroy the city.
Songkhla's revival came in the late eighteenth century, when a Chinese trader named Yieng Ho was granted the right to collect bird nests (as in bird nest soup) around the Thale Sap. Rama I later named Yieng Ho governor of the province, once Thai authority over the area was settled with the British in Malaya. His descendants held the governorship for several generations. One of them built the huge mansion that today houses the National Museum.
Songkhla Sights
Here's a list of the main sights around Songkhla town. See our map of Songkhla town for the general layout of the city.
- National Museum
- A huge yet elegant Chinese styled mansion that was originally built by the city's deputy governor.
- Wat Matchimawat
- This large and imposing temple near the heart of the old city also houses a branch of the National Museum.
- Songkhla City Pillar
- A short distance from Wat Matchimawat is Songkhla's city pillar, housed in a Chinese style shrine.
- Khao Tung Kuan & Khao Noi
- Two hills on the north side of town separate the city from the beach.
In this section
The Chinese-styled building housing the city pillar. A short distance from Wat Matchimawat in the old town area is the city pillar of Songkhla. The pillar is housed is a very Chinese-styled building, reflecting the origins of Songkhla by Chinese traders.
The Songkhla city pillar. Inside, the shrine is also very Chinese in style and decoration, with Chinese silks hanging from the ceiling, including a sort of shroud which hides the crown of the gilded pillar.
There aren't that many hotels in Songkhla town, and they tend to come and go, so use the search box below to see what's available and find the best rates. Be sure to check the maps to ensure you're getting a hotel in the city and not too far from the center of town. It's worth noting that the Haad Kaew Resort is well north of the city, on the other side of the inlet to the great lake.
The lighthouse atop Tung Kuan hill, completed in 1897. At the north end of town are two hills. The taller of the two is Khao Tung Kuan while the smaller is Khao Noi (literally, 'little hill'). Atop Khao Tung Kuan is a chedi, a lighthouse and a small chalet started on the orders of Rama V but only recently completed. From the top on a clear day, you can see much of the Thale Sap as well as the Cat and Mouse Islands off the coast.
Songkhla City Map Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC BY-SA Buses for Hat Yai and other parts of the province wait along Songkhla's main street - Ramwithi Road. Air conditioned vans for Hat Yai leave as soon as they're full and cost 18 to 21 Baht, depending on which company is running the van you happen to get on.
Songkhla's golden mermaid statue The Golden Mermaid statue is probably Songkhla's most photographed tourist attraction. It sits on a rock on the beach near the BP Samila hotel. Contrary to what you may think, it's not a copy of the famous statue in Denmark. No, really, it isn't. It depicts a character from a tale by one of Thailand's literary masters, Sunthorn Phu. The statue was erected by the city in 1966.
One of the monkeys living on the slopes of Tung Kuan hill. I was standing under the Bo tree in Songkhla's Wat Teemanin, trying to frame a shot of the temple's ubosot with Khao Tang Kuan hill in the background, when I heard a thud on the ground next to me. I ignored it, but when a second thud sounded I looked around to see what had fallen from the tree.
The front of the National Museum. The building housing the Songkhla National Museum was originally built in 1878 by the province's deputy governor, Phraya Sundranuraksa (also known as Net Na Songkhla), who was a descendant of the modern city's Chinese founder. It was used as the governor's palace for a short time and later served as the city hall, but then fell into neglect for much of the mid-twentieth century.
Two still-elegant old buildings in Old Town The old town area of Songkhla doesn't seem to have the recognition it probably deserves. Unlike Phuket, there is no preservation plan or promotions. Still, it seems like some people have individually taken it on themselves to rescue and restore some of the old buildings. The buildings span an era of around a 100 years and reflect various styles. Some buildings have the old British-colonial five-foot-way while some do not.
Noi Hill Palace At the base of Khao Noi is the small Khao Noi Palace. It was built in 1911 for a prince who was governor, and later viceroy of the region. The building was restored in 1964 and is now the official residence of the governor of Songkhla province, which is a position appointed by the central government in Bangkok.
The forest of beach pines at Songkhla. There's an ocean behind all those trees, I swear. North of Samila beach, the peninsula where Songkhla sits narrows down to a thin cape of land. Much of this area is given over to a small forest of Casuarina pine trees. On some maps, it's labeled a garden, but aside from the brick path running through it the area is mostly untended. If you're adventurous, you can get off the path and make your way down to the beach, where you'll have a long stretch of sand all to yourself, even on a weekend.
Songkhla town has a surprisingly good selection of 'nice' restaurants and coffee shops, especially when compared to neighboring Hat Yai. Although you won't find much that's not Thai, or Thai-ified, you should still be able to find something to suit you. There's nothing too fancy that I found, but there are a few very comfortable cafés and coffee shops.
Seafood shacks on the beach in Songkhla First mention has to go to the seafood stalls on Samila beach.
Songkhla's aquarium is located near the very tip of the peninsula (see map), a bit removed from the other sights of the city although it is right next to the park at the very tip of the peninsula. The collection and displays are rather good, but it's not the most politically correct place. There's a go-cart track in the parking lot, and the fish-feeding show in the big tank is downright creepy.
Songkhla could well be that 'holy grail' of beach lovers: a nice, often almost deserted, beach that doesn't require a long travel ordeal to get to. The beaches around Songkhla aren't as spectacular as their west coast counterparts, but their pine fringed laid back atmosphere often makes up for that.
Closest to town - in it in fact - is Samila Beach. It's a very shallow beach which is good for swimming.
The ordination chapel and dining hall of the temple. Near the center of the old town is the temple of Wat Matchimawat, also commonly called Wat Klang. It's one of the oldest and largest temples in the city, thought to be founded 400 years ago, although the large and imposing ubosot was built in the late nineteenth century.
Next to the ubosot to the south is a wiharn used as a dining hall that elegantly combines European and Chinese styles.
The Naga statue, spewing water into the Gulf of Siam. At the very tip of the cape extending north of the hills is a small park with several shrines and monuments. Among these, perhaps the most interesting to a western visitor is the rather new statue of a 'Naga' - a serpent that plays an important role in the Hindu-Buddhist traditions of Thailand. The statue is rather reminiscent of the Merlion in Singapore, in that it sprays a constant stream of water out into the ocean from its perch on the seawall.
