Welcome to Travelfish, original Asia travel intelligence you can trust.
Username: Password: | Join
 

Sungai Kolok




























 
 

Sungai Kolok

Travel guide

Quicklinks
 » Accommodation
 » Food & Drink
 » Sights & attractions
 » Getting there & away

This border town is located 66 km from Narathiwat and by virtue of its rail link is a much busier crossing point to Malaysia than Ban Taba which lies directly south of Narathiwat.

A typical border town, Sungai Kolok has more than its fair share of hotels, many of them short-time joints catering mainly to Malay men who skip over the border or a bit of action in the town's many karaoke bars and coffee houses. The restaurant scene is also pretty basic (though tasty) with noodle shops, roti stalls and typical shopfronts the staple.

The town itself has little to recommend it (unless you're after a bit of action yourself) although it is the closest town to the very interesting Pa Phru To Daeng peat swamp. Most travellers tend to move on through either south to Malaysia or to other destinations in the south such as Hat Yai, Narathiwat and Yala, but if you have the time, the couple of hour diversion to Pa Phru To Daeng peat swamp is well worth it. Sungai Kook can also be used as a base for visiting Hala Bala National Park on the Malay border.

Aside from the swamp, Sungai Kolok's main asset is as a transportation hub with the train station by the centre of town and convenient mini-bus and songtheaw transport to destinations throughout the region.

Sungai Kolok has suffered a series of bombings, arson attacks and killings as a result of the ongoing trouble in Thailand's far south and while none of these attacks have specifically targeted westerners, you should exercise care, particularly in the outlying districts. Expect to see a heightened military presence with humvees and soldiers fully kitted out both in town and in the surrounding area.


 
















Orientation
The TAT has a small office near the Thai immigration office, with some brochures and maps of Narathiwat province. All the major Thai banks have branch offices in Sungai Kolok and most offer exchange facilities. There is also a non-affiliated exchange kiosk near the train station -- we'd suggest you use a bank rather than the kiosk. The main police station is opposite the Thai Farmers Bank on Charoenkhet Rd, and the Tourist Police are by the Tourist Information Office by the border crossing. The municipal hospital is just north of the railway tracks off the Narathiwat Rd but if you are seriously ill, you would be better off to try and reach Hat Yai.

If you're crossing the border here, coming from Malaysia, after clearing immigration either take a motorbike taxi (20B) or just follow the main road into town -- it's about a ten minute walk to the start of town and the train station.

Text and/or map last updated on 12th August, 2009.

More information


Maps
  Sungai Kolok

Further reading
 » Far southern To go or not to go?
 » Narathiwat - residence of good people indeed

Considering a tour to Thailand?



Add to scrapbook

 

    Get orientated with our interactive map of Sungai Kolok, Thailand


    Check and uncheck the boxes below to show and hide the various icons on the map above and use the sliding bar at the left side of the map to zoom in and out. Have fun!
    Accommodation:    Restaurants:    Bars:    Attractions:    Transport:    Orientation:    Post & phone:    Banking:    Medical:    Other:
  

   Vision: Photos of Sungai Kolok

Click on any image below to be taken to see a larger version of the photo and to browse our Sungai Kolok photo gallery.

Narathiwat's peat swamp

You can add your own photos to this by joining the Travelfish Group on Flickr. Please click here more information.

 

  Search for accommodation


Search for guesthouses & hotels
where in Thailand?

Sort results by:
Travelfish ranking (best first)
Price (cheapest first)
Name (A-Z)
Show only properties bookable online


 

Fresh off our Asia travel forum

Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Sungai Kolok. You can find the full forum here.

Topic Replies  Views 
bus from sungai kolok 
In Thailand: by locatellisilvi, last reply by somtam2000
2 743

Sungai Kolok reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Not a soul has had a thing to say about this place -- why don't you get the ball rolling?

Have your say

You need to be logged in to add a review.
Username: Password:
Not a member? you can join here.

Review title

Snappiness encouraged ;-)

When did you visit here?

This gives your review a bit of context - especially if you were last in Sungai Kolok in 1932.

Your review

(Remotely sensible, non-ranting comments are much appreciated. If you don't like somewhere, please explain why -- it's all far more helpful for others that way.) Serial ranters, loons and spammers will be banished!
And please, no self-promotional URLs -- that's what your signature field is for.


So how does it rate?
On a scale of one to ten (with 10 being outstanding and 1 being bloody awful) how would you rate Sungai Kolok for the following criteria?

Note: Ratings are OUT OF TEN -- not five!

Sights & activities:  
History & culture:  
Scenery & environment:  
Eat & drink:  
        
Traveller scene:  
Romance:  
Value for money:  
I'll be back (or not):  

Please note comments are edited for clarity, typos and style before they appear. Ranting tirades, spam and anything else that really belongs somewhere else won't make the cut. If you want to rant, go to Thorntree.

Please login and refresh this screen before writing your review -- thanks!




 

The bottom line

This site was constructed out of 100% recycled electrons -- if you don't, you should recycle too!
All material copyright Travelfish Pty Ltd ACN 107 758 985 -- please don't steal our content
Thailand FAQ | Cambodia FAQ | Travel related links | Jobs with Travelfish | Press
For ZoneAlarm Users | Contact Travelfish | Privacy statement | About us
Advertise with Travelfish | How do I get my business listed on Travelfish?
Yahoo! FareChase
Last updated pretty recently ;-)
There are 192 visitors online, ignacio, sdasia10, and your boss!
Travelfish | Blog | Fourelephants | AsiaNewsDesk | BangkokMetro | Affiliates