Songkhla

[Buadhai]

My wife has some legal work to do in Songkhla (city) next week. I'm tagging along. Depart home Sunday, all day Monday in Songkhla, fly back Tuesday.

Any point in trying to dive from there on Monday or should I stick to sightseeing?

 

[Buadhai]

I'm in Songkhla now. Fascinating place and not a tourist in site. Lovely beaches, interesting old buildings, huge inland sea "lake", and that's about it.

 

[Quero]

No dive shops?

As far as I recall, the nearest organized diving around there is at Tarutao NP on the other side in Satun province....

 

[limbo]

The beach and the promenade in Songhkla are indeed amazing and almost nobody there to share it with.

 

[Buadhai]

No dive shops?

No and nothing on the Internet, either, except for one dive shop for sale.

I think the place has potential. There are a couple of rock islands off of Samila beach that might be dive worthy, although the huge lagoon, Talay Sap Songkhla, might make for bad viz.

As Limbo noted, the beach and surrounds are impressive and mostly empty. In fact, I think the beaches are among the finest I've seen: nice and wide with loads if clean, white, soft sand. Plenty of tourism potential. Maybe best that it is yet to be realized.

 

[Buadhai]

Samila Beach

 

[Buadhai]

Off Samila Beach

 

[Buadhai]

Sunsets not too shabby...

 

[Buadhai]

Why hasn't the backpacker/traveler crowd discovered this place? Dirt cheap. Lots of guest houses. Plenty of bars and restaurants with farang friendly names and food (Mr Steak, Fresh Burger, Mr Joke Coffee Home, etc.). Astoundingly beautiful and empty beaches. Interesting old town. Easy transport (110 baht in a shared van from Hat Yai airport to your hotel in Songkhla). No taxi mafia.

I guess all is well.

 

[AleG]

Well, there's the thing about the thousands killed in the past few years on the Southern provinces "insurgency", I suppose Songkhla is too close for comfort for the average tourist.
Just a few weeks ago a car bomb was detonated in the parking of a popular hotel in Yala.