Songkhla province
This medium sized province of just over 7,000 sq km is situated on the eastern coast of Southern Thailand with Satun to the west, Phattalung to the north, Malysia to the south and Pattani and Yala to the southeast. The main industries are rubber, fishing and cross border commerce, Malaysian and other regional tourism is also important whilst some small gas fields lie off the coast in the Gulf of Thailand.
The official administrative capital is Songkhla town, though neighbouring Hat Yai is much larger and considerably more commercially important -- it also acts as the transportation hub of the far south, with an international airport, rail and bus connections. The main urban areas tend to be Chinese, Thai dominated whilst rural areas contain a large muslim population.
Most travellers to Songkhla province tend to spend their time in Hat Yai. A large and lively city, Hat Yai has an ample supply of hotels, restaurants and bars and a very popular shopping district, while Songkhla is far more sleepy. Both boast excellent seafood and while there is a lot to do in and around Songkhla town, Hat Yai is somewhat lacking in activities (other than shopping). If you have time, try to make time for a sidetrip to Songkhla.
The troubles of the far south have reached both Hat Yai and Songkhla, with a number of killings and a bombimg of Hat Yai Internatinal airport having taken place. Compared to further south however, the incidence of these attacks is less frequent. Nevertheless caution is warranted -- as with the rest of the far south, keep an eye on the papers and television for the latest news.
