SONGKHLA

The bustling town of Hat Yai is the province's main shopping, commercial and entertainment centre, and a magnet for visiting Malaysian and Singaporean tourists. But it is the seaside town of Songkhla, southern Thailand's oldest beach resort, that gives the province its laid-back character. Samila Beach is the main leisure area with 8 kms of golden sand dotted with seafood restaurants and hotels, and guarded by a brass mermaid, the symbol of Songkhla.

Southern history can be traced at Songkhla National Museum, located in one of the Sino-Portuguese mansions so famous in this resort, and housing an outstanding collection of Thai and Chinese art treasures gathered from the southern provinces.

Songkhla Lake is Thailand's largest inland body of water, where fishing predominates. Yo island is famous for its fabrics, the Institute of Southern Studies and its collection of folk arts, and Wat Pha Kho, a temple where legend says a holy man prevented a pirate invasion by turning salt water into fresh water with his feet. At the northern end of the lake is Khu Khut Waterfowl Park, renowned for its wide variety of birdlife.