FESTIVALS
Songkran Festival
is held on 13 April. In Hat Yai the festival is held around Niphat Uthit 1, 2, and 3 Roads, from morning till evening. Malaysians and Singaporeans often join in the festivities with their Thai hosts.
Thai Goods and Produce Promotion Fair
is usually held in the middle of July when fruits are at their peaks. The fair boasts large selection of the best agricultural products from all southern provinces both for display and for sale.
Tham Bun Duean Sip
is another southern tradition that is held on the full moon of the tenth lunar month. This festival grew from the belief that during the new moon phase in the tenth month, the souls of the deceased relatives and friends, especially those not yet reborn would be released to meet the living relatives. So the living would prepare foods to offer them to the monks in their names. In Sathing Phra this festivity is different than in other districts whereby tall gold figures are paraded as the “proxy” for the deceased who were respected by the villagers.
Lak Phra and Tak Bat Thewo
(giving alms) is held on the new moon in the eleventh lunar month, around October of every year in Amphoe Mueang Songkhla. The festivity would start one day before the actual day to wrap a large cloth around the top of the Chedi on Khao Tang Kuan. In the morning of the festival day, alms are offered to monks (tak bat thewo) at the foot of the hill. Several hundred monks would walk down from Khao Tang Kuan to receive the offerings. Late in the morning monks travelling by boat from other temples in Songkhla would proceed along the waterfront so the Buddhist can offer alms and pull their boats along. Such acts are considered highly merited. The monks’ boats would congregate at the lotus pond to participate in the boat decoration contest. On the festival ground there are also art and culture performances.
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Welcome to Songkhla
Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand
General
Songkhla is a southern border province, adjacent to the State of Kedah (Sai Buri), Malaysia. It is an important port and coastal province of Thailand since the old days with Amphoe Hat Yai as the southern centre of commerce, transportation and rapid economic growth. The province is ideal for tourism because of its two distinct characteristics: the old buildings of Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, and the developed Amphoe Hat Yai, separated by only about 30 kilometres.
The old part of Songkhla is located at the presentday Amphoe Sathing Phra. Indians, Persians, and Arabs came to trade and called the place “Singhla”. The name came from two islands with the shape of crouching lions at the mouth of Songkhla lagoon. The islands are presently called Ko Nu and Ko Maeo.
Songkhla occupies an area of 7,393 square kilometres, and 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.
Attractions
Ban Sattha
Ban Sattha is situated on a hill slope overlooking the Tinsulanond Bridge to Ko Yo. It is surrounded by coconut plantations. The city people had it built for H.E. Prem Tinsulanond, the Privy Councilor and Statesman, when he was the Prime Minister. Construction was completed on 26 August B.E. 2534. In B.E. 2539, H.E. Prem gave the house back to the people of Songkhla. There is a public library nearby.
Khao Kao Seng
Khao Kao Seng is located about three kilometres to the south of Hat Samila. It can be reached via the road to The National Coastal Aquaculture Institute. It is one of the beautiful beaches of Songkhla, dotted with large boulders one of which is on a rock, the locals call it “Hua Nai Raeng”. It was said that underneath this boulder there used to be treasures stored by the people as funds for the construction of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Chedi and had protecting spirits.
Khao Noi
Khao Noi , near Laem Samila, has a road to the hilltop for paying homage to the statue of Prince Lop Buri Ramet (The Southern Viceroy), and to view the city. On the east is a public park with food services and tennis courts. On the northeast is Suan Seri, another park with ornamental plants in animal shapes. Tamnak Khao Noi, on the south, was built in B.E. 2454 as the residence of Prince Lop Buri Ramet and was used by His Majesties the King and Queen on their visit to the south in March B.E. 2502. Today the mansion is the residence of the Songkhla Provincial Governor.
Khao Tang Kuan
Khao Tang Kuan at Laem Samila has the Sala Vihan Daeng, the royal pavilion built during the reign of King Rama V. On the hilltop is a Dvaravati chedi housing the Buddha’s relics that was built during the Nakhon Si Thammarat Empire. In October there is a festival to clad the chedi with a cloth, to pull the Buddha’s image, and to offer alms to monks. A panoramic view of the city and the Songkhla Lake can be enjoyed on the hilltop.
Ko Nu and Ko Maeo
Ko Nu and Ko Maeo well-known symbol of Songkhla, is situated off the shore of Laem Samila. A legend says that a dog, a cat, and a mouse, on a Chinese sampan stole the merchant’s magic crystal and tried to swim ashore but drowned and lost their lives. The mice and cats became the islands in the Songkhla Lake while the dog died on shore and became the hill called Hin Khao Tang Kuan near the bay. The crystal was totally destroyed and became the white sandy beach called Hat Sai Kaeo.
Ko Yo
Ko Yo is a small island in the Songkhla Lake but is the important tourist attraction of Songkhla. The island, covering an area of 9,275 rais (3,710 acres), can be reached via Tinsulanond Bridge The coastal plain is suitable for agriculture, resulting in famous fruit-growing such as a special kind of jackfruit called Jampada. Another famous product is the hand-woven fabric.
Transportation
Bus
There are daily buses from Bangkok to Songkhla and Hat Yai. The journey takes about 13 hours. Air-conditioned buses, varying in 3 types, depart from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal at the following times:
Bangkok-Hat Yai
VIP Bus: 4.30 p.m., 5.30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Standard 1 Bus: 7 a.m., 4 p.m., 5.30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6.15 p.m., 6.30 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8.20 p.m.
Standard 2 Bus: 7 a.m. and 9.45 p.m.
Bangkok-Songkhla
Standard 1 Bus: 5 p.m., 6.45 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.
Standard 2 Bus: 8 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.
The schedule may be changed. Please check a current schedule and further information from the Southern Bus Terminal at tel: 0 2435 1199-200. For Hat Yai, call the Transport Co., Ltd. (Bo Kho So) at tel: 0 7423 2789, 0 7423 2404, Piya Tour 0 7442 8972, Thai Doen Rot 0 7442 9525.
From Hat Yai Bus Terminal, there are buses to other provinces in the south. Pho Thong Transportation Co., Ltd. 0 7431 1126 provides buses from Songkhla to Hat Yai. Ranot Transportation Co., Ltd. 0 7431 1523 operates buses from Songkhla to Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Car
From Bangkok, take Highway 4 to Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat,Trang-Phatthalung, and Songkhla, a total distance of 950 kilometres.
Train
The State Railway of Thailand provides daily rapid and express train services from Bangkok to Hat Yai. The trains depart from Bangkok’s Hualamphong Railway Station at 12.25 p.m., 2.20 p.m., 2.45 p.m., 3.50 p.m. and 10.50 p.m. Travelling time is about 17 hours. For further information call 1690, 0 2223 7020, 0 2223 7030 or Hat Yai Railway Station at 0 7424 3705, 0 7423 8005 or visit www.srt.motc.go.th.
Air
Thai Airways has several daily flights connecting Bangkok and Phuket with Hat Yai. For more information, contact their Bangkok office at tel. 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000, their Hat Yai office at tel. 0 7424 5851-2, or view their website at www.thaiairways.com.
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