Surroundings, Songkhla

On the southern tip of the narrow strip of land opposite Songkhla stands the Wat Suwan Khiri, founded by the Na Songkhla family at the beginning of the 19th c. There is a fine chedi and Chinese bell tower together with the wiharn decorated with frescos.For generations the Na Songkhla family provided the governor of Songkhla; the first progenitor being Chinese. It supports the efforts of the Thai government to integrate the southern provinces.

A boat trip along the mountainous promontory north of Songkhla passes many picturesque fishing villages, built on stilts. Farther north a soaring limestone ridge divides the inland lake into two parts, Thale Sap and Thale Luang. The brackish freshwaters harbor many sunda-gaviale (Siam crocodiles); terns make their nests in the rocks, and the nests are a delicacy of Chinese cuisine. A possible destination of such a boat trip could be the island of Koh Yo with two temples.

On the spit of land to the north of Songkhla there are interesting ruins of numerous places of worship from the Srivijaya empire. The most important is probably Sathing Phra, 30 km (19 mi.) north of Songkhla right by the sea (easy access by bus or car, or ferry across the inlet). The stupa has niches on three sides and is a fine example of Srivijaya style. The nearby temple houses a beautiful Buddha statue and interesting frescos. The stucco decoration on the trapezia is thought to originate from the Ayutthaya period. Excavations revealed numerous bronze sculptures from the 8th to the 12th c., which are kept in the National Museum in Bangkok and the museum in Songkhla. Some display distinct Javanese influence, others are in the Khmer style.Other ruins of Srivijaya temples, mostly stupas and Buddha figures, together with a cave temple (Tham Khao Pi) are to be found farther north; these include the Wats Chedi Ngam, Khao Noi Chae Mae and Ko Mai. Additional places of interest include a coconut plantation where monkeys are trained to pick the nuts, and the Wat Khao Tum built on a rock.