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.

Not far from the golden mermaid is another bronze statue, of a cat and mouse. The large sculpture is taken from a local fairy tale about the origins of the off-shore islands, which are named 'cat' and 'mouse'. The cat stands taller than the average person. This statue was put up in 2000 and a nearby plaque gives the full story of the cat and mouse.