Krabi Airport

Thailand is a wonderful country to either visit for a short holiday or to stay in on a more long term basis. The country is famed for its hospitality being nicknamed 'the land of smiles' and this can be seen up and down the country. 

Long term expats and regular travellers will be aware however that this mentality doesn't always spread the Thai borders, in particular the immigration staff who man them. I am going to write a post in the future talking more about the land border crossings but today I want to actually take the time to praise the immigration staff and their hospitality for once!

Krabi Airport is a fairly small international airport situated in the popular southern Thai province of Krabi. The airport is situated outside of town but most people will be heading to an island or off to Ao Nang anyway. The airport offers a shuttle bus service which goes to Krabi Town for 80 baht and to Ao Nang for 150 baht. The bus is air conditioned, white in colour and has all it''s destinations clearly stated in English. I would highly recommend the bus service although private taxis and car rental services are also available at the airport. If you're really looking to save money there is a songthaew which passes the airport and goes directly into town. The problem is that you have to exit the airport and then cross the very busy road and wait for an indeterminate amount of time at the side of the road for the songthaew to arrive and even then there is no guarantee that it will. 

Krabi Airport itself is very small and easy to navigate which makes both the check in and the arrival process extremely easy. The airports international services are mainly from Malaysia and Singapore although there are also services to mainland China as well as a large number of domestic services. I imagine Krabi is seen as a really nice local getaway for Singaporeans & Malaysians with beautiful beaches and cheap seafood found in abundance. 

There was one extraordinary thing I witnessed at Krabi airport though that I have witnessed at no other border crossing either by land or air. The immigration staff were polite and courteous and not just polite and courteous they were actually welcoming, friendly. They engaged with travellers and spoke amazing English. The immigration staff at a lot borders speak in grunts, gaze through your passport as though it was something from a magical far off fairy land and then begrudgingly stamp you through. When I went through Krabi Airport recently there were three desks open to stamp passport and two officers acting as 'greeters'. They were wandering between the lines checking everybody had the correct arrival cards, lending pens and chatting with the tourists. I would have assumed they were airline staff if they hadn't been dressed in immigration uniforms. 

I would highly recommend flying into Krabi Airport if you want an easy stress free immigration experience. I think the reason the staff are so moody at the other crossing is the sheer number of people they have to deal with each day. Krabi Airport only sees a handful of international flights a day which appear to be fairly spaced out. This gives the immigration staff plenty of time to eat, sleep, watch lakorns or whatever they do. A right little easy number!

Songkhla

I recently went on a short bike trip to discover some of the southern provinces. I decided to take a circular route which went through the provinces of Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Phattalung. I spent the first day in Nakhon Si Thammarat and had a really good time taking in the sights and exploring the town. The next day was to be spent in the coastal town of Songkhla. Songkhla is situated on the east coast of Thailand and is an important port city which is popular with Malaysian tourists. The town is much smaller and less developed then its next door neighbour Hat Yai and consequently doesn't perhaps get the credit it deserves. 

The journey between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla took the best part of four hours to complete on my little Honda Wave. I decided that instead of taking the boring route on highway 408 I would take the 4013 instead. The 4013 is a coastal road, which later joins with 408 and runs the entire length of the east coast. I really enjoyed the ride and having the ocean to the left of me for the entire trip made for not only some beautiful sea breezes but some awesome scenery as well. In order to enter Songkhla from the north you are required to cross over to Ko Yo and then finally into Songkhla over the large bridges which have been constructed. The views from these bridges are fantastic and they give you some excellent shots across the bay to Songkhla Town. I made a mental note that I wanted to come back and visit Ko Yo the next day because it looked so beautiful. 

(Songkhla at Sunset)

I arrived fairly late in the day so I decided that I would do most of my exploring the next day and head to the bay to get some sunset shots. The bay area of Songkhla is visually stunning and reminded me very much of an underdeveloped Singapore. The area is home to a number of family orientated tourist attractions such as an aquarium and a zoo. There was as to be expected a large number of Malaysian families here with its close proximity to the border. I think that Songkhla is a really good family destination for Malaysians because it has quite a lot of family attractions but doesn't have that over the top seedy vibe that is often seen in border towns.

I stayed at the Queen Hotel which is located in downtown Songkhla but not on the main tourist street. The hotel was nice enough and at 380 baht for an air conditioned double was very good value. The one negative was that absolutely nobody could speak English in the hotel and this could be a problem if you needed help at some point. That evening I explored the town a little on my bike and I could see that although the town sprawls out, all the tourist attractions and the main centre of activity was all confined to a relatively small part of town. The town is home to a number of tourist bars and restaurants where all the staff can speak English and where farang food can be ordered. I stuck to the Thai food and after dinner headed to a market on the other side of town to look for some snacks. Songkhla is like most towns in Thailand and features numerous markets which mostly sell the same things but they are all delicious. 

(Statues at the bay) 

The next morning I headed back the bay area to get some more pictures. The place was a lot quieter the next day with only a few tourists mulling about taking photos. One of the most striking attractions was the giant monk statue which bad been erected. The model in extremely intricate and great care and attention must have been taken when creating it. Behind the giant monks head is another visually striking monument. The giant dragon which spits water out into the bay has a very similar feel to the Merlion in Singapore. The fact that they are both mythical animals which spit water out into the bay and that both the areas in which they are located are spectacularly beautiful lead me to make the comparison that this area of Songkhla is like a poor mans Singapore. 

(Samila Beach)

I decided that after I had visited the bay and the adjacent park that I would head to Songhkla's primary beach resort of Samila Beach. The area was nice enough but when comparing it to some of the great beaches in Thailand this one doesn't even come close. I would say that as a general rule the beaches on the west coast of Thailand are far better then those on the east. The west coast has beautiful unspoilt beaches all the way up the coast from Satun to Trang, Krabi, Phang Nga and of course Phuket. While the beach didn't compare favourably to my local beaches it was nice enough and was certainly clean enough to swim in. The area around Samila beach was well catered for by vendors selling the usual array of food, drinks and souvenirs. There was also a team of salesman patrolling the beach with their horses selling rides. I didn't enquire into the price but I imagine this would be a nice activity for a young family.

(Ko Yo)

I had promised myself earlier when passing over Ko Yo to enter Songkhla that I would go back and have a closer look. So the next day I headed over to Ko Yo on the same bridge that bought me into Songkhla and took off on one of it's smaller roads to have a look around. The island is situated in the middle of the Songkhla lake and the people who live here are primarily fisherman and weavers. The island and the structures built in the sea to help the fisherman have a really rustic look and are the perfect backdrop for photography. I spent over an hour riding around the island and taking pictures of the beautiful natural landscape. The island is also home to Wat Phra Non Laem Pho which is a large temple. The primary focus of your attention at the temple is going to be the giant reclining buddha which is absolutely stunning and can actually be seen from the main road which passes right by it. The temple is also home to a number of other giant buddha monuments and is clearly very popular with locals of whom I saw numerous making merit. 

(Boat on Songkhla Lake)

I have to say that I really enjoyed my time in Songkhla and for me it was the highlight of my trip. I think that a lot of the time Songkhla gets lost in the shadow of its larger neighbour Hat Yai. Hat Yai is the forth largest city in Thailand and is a big draw for Malaysian tourists for a number of reasons not all of which are wholesome. There were a large amount of Malaysian tourists in Songkhla though and most of them were families taking advantage of the laid back family friendly environment. I would urge anyone who is visiting the south of Thailand especially if you are visiting Hat Yai to make the effort to check out the town of Songkhla. The town is about 20km from Hat Yai and has more then enough activities to keep you busy for a short break and the atmosphere is far more tranquil then its next door neighbour. I will definitely be visiting the area again because I want to climb Tang Kuan Hill, a large hill with a temple on top which has awesome views of the surrounding areas.

I think that Songkhla would be an ideal town for expats live in. It's close proximity to Hat Yai means that you would have to make no sacrifices on western amenities whilst you would still take full advantage of being able to live in a small town which has beautiful attractions. I know that a large number of offshore oil workers live in this region and that there are many schools within the town so I imagine the expat community is quite large which is also a plus for many expats. I would say that this would be one of the top five places I would consider living in the south of Thailand and I would recommend that you check in out too if you are considering becoming an expat in Thailand.

Nakhon Si Thammarat

I recently decided that with only only a couple of weeks left of the school holidays I would take the opportunity to head out on a short bike trip and visit  some of the southern provinces. I had previously visited Nakhon last year but I was working on the trip and didn't have the advantage of a motorcycle to fully explore the town. The first time I visited I was using the excellent songthaew service as my primary mode of transport and despite it's convenience it does limit you slightly in terms of what you can explore. 

(Clock Tower 1)

The town of Nakhon Si Thammarat is located on the east coast of Thailand but the town is not situated by the sea. The first thing that stuck me about the town was it's sheer size. The main road heading towards the train station up through the old town literally goes on for miles and suffers heavily from traffic congestion. After a very long drive up through Nakhon Province I arrived in town at around 2pm and immediately set about looking for my hotel. I had originally planned to stay at the Siam hotel but for the life of me I could not find it. I was determined to find it because they had air conditioned rooms available for only 300 baht but after nearly an hour of searching I decided to stay somewhere else. I ended up staying at the Nakhon Hotel which is only a stones throw away from the train station. The fan room was basic but generally clean and although the bed was extremely hard it was fine for one nights stay. The room cost 200 baht and they even let you park your bike in reception which was good for me.

(Nakhon Hotel)

After a shower and a quick nap I decided to explore the town a little and find some dinner. The last time I stayed here I only visited one part of town so I was shocked to discover how big Nakhon really is. I spent nearly an hour just driving around town and exploring before getting dinner. The town is very well developed and has every possible amenity under the sun. The town has large shopping centres, tons of markets and is full of places places to eat and drink. The town even has a stand alone McDonalds complete with drive through and delivery service. The town also sprawls out far and it was clear to see that the people living in the centre are very wealthy and affluent. There are some of the most beautiful houses you are ever going to see on the small Soi's linking the two main roads. I ate a standard dinner at a small restaurant and then headed to one of the cities numerous markets to get some snacks. Once snacks had been attained I headed back to my hotel room and called it a night because I wanted to be up early to check out the historic part of town. 

(Clock Tower 2)

The next day I woke up early and headed out to explore more of the town. My first task was to get some breakfast and then take it to Thalad park which I had found on my previous trip to Nakhon. The park is located about 2km north of the city on a small road on the left just before the entrance to the army complex. The park is extremely quiet and peaceful and does actually have roads running through it, which you can take your bike on if you don't fancy a stroll. The park is home to various lakes and picnic spots as well as a fairly well maintained Japanese garden. I would recommend that anyone who is looking for a quiet spot to relax in Nakhon should check out Thalad Park after all it is free. 

(Thalad Park)

The rest of the morning was spent discovering the old town. The old town is home to a number of tourist attractions such as relics and temples. I would say that the best way to see the old town is on foot by simply walking from the area around the train station south on the main road. There are various venders selling cold drinks and fruit along the road but the area isn't overly touristy so you will be free to make your own way without being hassled or caressed by touts or people trying to sell you things. One of the first attractions which will take your eye is the old city wall which was used to protect the town in case of attacks in times gone by. The place is full of statues and memorials to historic people connected to the town and of course Thai Kings, Princes and Princesses. I spent about an hour pottering around the old town and thoroughly enjoyed taking in the sights and taking advantage of the beautiful scenic photo opportunities. 

(Nakhon Si Thammarat Old Town)

One of the main attractions of Nakhon is its beautiful temples and the town is easily one of 

the best places for 'temple hopping' in the south of Thailand. The most visually striking temple is located right in the centre of the old town and is considered one of Nakhon's primary attractions. Wat Phra Mahathat Woromaha Vihan (วัดพระมหาธาตุวรมหาวิหาร) was constructed at the time of the towns founding and features an extremely large and striking chedi. I have been to the temple once before with my girlfriend who seemed very excited about visiting it and I would say this is the primary attraction for Thai's visiting the town. The temple has huge religious importance and is considered the most important temple in the south of Thailand. The temple grounds are also home to a large number of buddha statues and a small museum and is certainly one of the more impressive temples I have visited during my time in Thailand.  

(Wat Phra Mahathat Woromaha Vihan)

I really enjoyed my time in Nakhon Si Thammarat and would definitely recommend the town to potential visitors. The town has more then enough attractions for someone visiting for a few nights and I actually wished I had a little longer to stay here and explore more. The temples are absolutely beautiful and the relics found in the old town are more then worthy of a visit. I think that where Nakhon truly excels is in combining these old traditional parts of town with the new modern areas which feature every convenience you could possibly hope for. The town is awash with hotels and it is clear that the tourist industry is very well developed but I can honestly say that I barely encounted another western tourist during my entire stay there so I am guessing that most visitors are Thai. The prices in town are typical of a provincial capital so a trip here won't break the bank and the town is an ideal stop off point from either north to Surat Thani or south to Songkhla or Hat Yai. 

I think this would be one of the most ideal towns for an expat to live in Thailand. The town is extremely well developed and western amenities are well catered for but the costs are low and you could easily get by on a small budget if you lived here. Although I didn't encounter many westerners during my time here the fact that there are so many schools and the town is so developed leads me to believe that there is probably a sizeable expat community living within the town too. I would definitely consider living here if I were to move to another province although it's sheer size is a negative factor for me because I would prefer to live in a smaller town with slightly more character for example Satun. 

Tune Hotels

I recently wrote an article detailing my opinions of the low cost airline Air Asia. The low cost carrier business model where customers only pay for the specific services they require is very common in the airline industry. The founder of Air Asia Tony Fernandez has now established a range of hotels which are based on the same business principle as his hugely successful airline. 

The concept is certainly interesting and the company is having good success, increasing its portfolio of hotels in a wide range of countries. I have personally used tune hotels twice once in Hat Yai, Thailand and once Ipoh, Malaysia. Much like Air Asia the customer pays a low cost for a basic service which is the use of a hotel room and all additional services the customer requires will be charged on top of this price. The good thing is that both of the tune hotels I have stayed in had large spacious rooms with excellent beds and fantastic hot water power showers which was all included in the basic room price. The room also comes with a fan that can be used free of charge, if you don't wish to purchase the use of air conditioning as an additional add on. If you do require an air conditioner for the room then you can purchase it and it's actually not that expensive in comparison to the room. You will choose how many hours of air conditioning you require and then the unit will be set so that you are limited to the amount of time that you purchased. The customer will also have to bring their own towels and toiletries unless they wish to purchase a toiletry kit, which if purchased you will receive at checkin in a small red bag as well as an air-conditioning and television remote if you have purchased these as add ons. It certainly is a unique way to enter the hotel room with a little red bag and a handful of remote controls. 

(Tune Hotel in Hat Yai, Thailand)

Tune hotels is clearly aimed at budget travellers who still require a certain level of comfort in their accommodation. I have seen the word 'flashpacker' coined on the internet and I think this is the most likely group of people who would use Tune hotels in this part of the world. The basic cost of the room would be a little too much to make backpackers consider staying here especially when there are better value guesthouses out there if you are willing to make some compromises on comfort. Business travellers and western tourists on a set holiday will most likely choose to stay in a full service hotel because there are some beautiful hotels and resorts in this part of the world which are available at bargain prices. I would recommend that anyone who values the hotel highly at part of the travelling or holiday experience to NOT stay at Tune Hotels and instead choose a local hotel where the customer service will probably be more personalised and you can take full advantage of all the amenities the hotel has to offer. 

I would consider myself to be part of the target market Tune hotels is looking to attract. I value comfort and a hotel in a good location but I don't actually spend that long in the hotel room because I am usually out exploring. I don't usually watch the TV and only require limited use of amenities such as air conditioning so it makes more sense for me to only pay for the services which I require. I usually find that hotels in the same price range as Tune are old and usually fairly run down but then they obviously have unlimited use of services such as air conditioning, TV, WIFI etc. On both of my stays at Tune hotels I have purchased the comfort package which is a toiletry kit and the use of air conditioning for 24 hours. I felt this was enough to give me all the comfort I needed and that the modern room, great shower and extremely comfortable bed would rival any other local hotel in its price range. 

Below is a full list of prices from the Tune website for Hat Yai in Thailand. It is worth remembering that Hat Yai is an extremely large city in the south of Thailand and is very popular with Malaysian tourists so the prices are obviously in accordance with demand. 

Select Room(s)

Step

1 2 3 4 5

  
Please specify your Room requirements.

Hotel	Room Type	Description	Price	Qty
Tune Hotel - Hat Yai	Double Room	Double Room (1 Double Bed)	THB 870.00	0  1
Tune Hotel - Hat Yai	Twin Room	Twin Room (2 Single Beds)	THB 870.00	0  1

Double Room #1
Package Type	Price	Required
Cozy Package 24hr A/C + 24hr TV + 24hr Wifi + Towel & Toiletries (TH)	THB 370.00	No  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Comfort Package  24hr A/C + Towel & Toiletries (TH)	THB 280.00	No  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Addon	Price	Required
Air Conditioning (24 hours credit)	THB 230.00	No  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Towel Rental + Toiletries Kit (TH)	THB 120.00	No  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Entertainment Package (24 hr Cable TV) (TH)	THB 120.00	No  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
WIFI Internet Connection per device (24 hour period)	THB 80.00	No  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Early Check In (from 11.00am)	THB 120.00	No  1
Late Check Out (up to 2.00pm)	THB 120.00	No  1
Breakfast Set (for 1 set)	THB 150.00

Air Asia

Love it or hate it the fact is, that if you live in Asia you will at some point probably use Air Asia. Air Asia is a Malaysian airline which was founded in 1993 by Tony Fernandez. They are the equivalent of Easy Jet and Ryanair in Europe and provide budget flights throughout Asia. 

I personally have no problem with the service provided by Air Asia and am grateful that their existence allows me to visit places I perhaps wouldn't if cheap flights weren't available. I love the fact that I can leave work on a Friday evening head straight to the airport and be in Bangkok in one hour for a maximum of 1,500 baht. This gives me enough time to enjoy myself in the big city and return refreshed and well rested on Sunday evening ready for work on Monday. 

The problem people have with Air Asia and all low cost carriers is that they are sometimes not exactly entirely transparent with all the additional charges which will be added to the final bill. The business model employed by these companies is that you pay a low cost for a basic service (a flight) and that all additional services you require will be charged on top of this price. It is an interesting business model and allows Air Asia to proclaim quite rightly that 'now everybody can fly' unless of course they have a bag or more importantly they haven't read their bill correctly before paying. 

Let's start with baggage. Air Asia requires you to purchase baggage space under the aircraft but does allow you to carry on 7kg as hand luggage however the usual airport rules will apply so no liquids etc. This seems fair to me and although the baggage charges are perhaps high in proportion to the original ticket price it still usually works out cheaper then the full service airlines. The fact that you are not required to purchase baggage space within the cost of the ticket means that local tourists or people on weekend getaways can get cheaper tickets and travel more which is always a good thing. 

Most of the add ons available from Air Asia will quite honestly be of no need to the average traveller so their absence will also be of little matter. Add on's such as an inflight comfort kit and an inflight meal have little value because the flights are usually so short in duration. The cost of the inflight meals are naturally inflated dramatically and the quality is little better then the microwave meals you get at 7-11. The red carpet treatment is also available as an option but I don't know why anyone would want to 'hire' a red carpet to walk on when they are travelling on an economy flight for an hour.

The add on which I do have a problem with is the seat selection. I have no problem with them charging extra for their 'hot seats' which are the seats at the very front of the plane and the seats in the exit rows which provide additional leg room. I do however find it unfair that you are required to pay an additional fee to select seats so that the whole of your party is travelling together. The fact that you're away from your friend for an hour isn't particularly that big of a deal for adults but if a family is split this could cause problems. I am sure that if you were in the situation where you needed to sit next to your children then fellow passengers would be courteous enough to facilitate your request but the fact that Air Asia makes us pay to guarantee this privilege is a slight dour point. 

(Seat Selection on Air Asia)

The other add on which sits a little uneasy with me is the 'Air Asia Insure' insurance program. I have no problem with them providing an insurance program which protects against lost baggage and delayed flights etc and offering it as an additional optional service, in fact I am all for it. The thing I don't about like about it is that it is not presented to the customer as an option to include, but rather presented to the customer as an option they must remove. The 'Air Asia Insure' insurance policy WILL be included in your bill right up until the last screen where you have the option to remove it. The option to remove it though is not clear at all and i'm sure many people have purchased the policy without any knowledge of having done so or if they knew they had purchased it without the knowledge that the ticket could have been bought without it. It's these little additional charges as well as the administration fees which are charged to certain methods of payment which can turn that cheap getaway into an expensive trip. 

I am on the whole a huge fan of Air Asia's service because most of the time they suite my needs perfectly. I very rarely take heavy luggage with me on my trips and I find that having the option to carry on luggage for free is making me actively pack lighter, which is always a good thing.  I like the fact that I can pay for my flights at the local 7-11 and still take advantage of the web promos and discounted prices you may not find if you went through a travel agent. And most importantly I like the fact that I can take short trips to places I would never be able to if Air Asia didn't exist. 

Air Asia Tips

• Try to keep your luggage below 7kg and carry it on as hand luggage to save on baggage fees. Of course you can't take liquids on but you can always buy your shampoo and things at your destination and most of Air Asia's destinations are cheap. 
• Check the additional extras you have selected carefully before paying and decide beforehand whether or not you want to purchase insurance.
• The prices on Air Asia's website change almost daily so if you see a ticket to a place you want to go at a good price just go ahead and book it, but remember once its booked there is no cancellation with these web promo tickets.
• Sign up to Air Asia's email newsletter because they regularly have sales which are advertised on there.
• For a consistently competitive price book really early, before Air Asia have the means to evaluate demand and alter their price accordingly.

Phang Nga

I recently decided that I would take advantage of a cheap Air Asia flight and head to Bangkok for a week with my girlfriend. The returning flight a week later was however not part of their discount range so I was forced with a decision to either pay the full fare or return home on an alternative form of transport. The decision was made that we would return by bus however the thought of sitting on a bus for up to fourteen hours filled me with dread. We therefore decided that we should make a stop off for a couple of days en route and explore a southern province which we didn't know much about. 

(Phang Nga Town)

The province of Phang Nga is situated on the west coast of Thailand on the Andaman Sea bordering the provinces of Ranong, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phuket. The provincial capital is Phang Nga town and this is where we decided to stop off for a few days on the way back from Bangkok. The night bus from Bangkok took a whopping twelve hours and to say the ride was slightly uncomfortable would be an understatement but at 600 baht each it served its purpose of getting us back down south.  We arrived in Phang Nga town as the sun was rising and my first impressions were how beautiful it looked. The town is surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountains which are a joy to behold. For anyone with an interest in either photography or the natural environment this town is absolute bliss. 

The first thing I wanted to do once I arrived was rent a motorcycle so that I could explore the area with a bit more freedom. Peculiarly the tour guides at the bus station had little knowledge of motorcycle rental and one even told us that it was not possible in Phang Nga. There is quite a bit of information on the internet about places where you can rent a motorcycle in Phang Nga so I'm guessing that they just wanted to sell us some tour rather then tell us where we could rent bikes. It didn't take long for us to find numerous places to rent a motorcycle and within the hour I had done so. All of the places that rented motorcycles wanted to keep hold of my passport as a deposit which of course I was less then happy about. The compromise in my mind was to rent the motorcycle from my hotel and leave the passport with them. I felt more comfortable with this because at least I would not be leaving it at a random place, and not be able to get hold of it in the case of an emergency. 

(Suzuki Smash)

We stayed at the Thawesuk hotel which is situated right in the middle of the town and cost 700 baht per night. I am guessing that the hotel has been renovated within the last couple of years because some of the pictures and reviews that I checked out on the internet (after we had stayed there) didn't look too great and certainly didn't correlate with the experience we had. The best thing about this hotel is the staff who were very helpful throughout our stay and spoke perfect English. The staff were able to find me a manual motorbike after initially being told that only automatics were available and it only cost 200 baht per day. The staff also let me park the bike in the reception at night which I thought was pretty cool. The rooms at the hotel were basic but the bed was comfortable, the hot water in the shower worked perfectly and the wifi ran smoothly. My only real complaint was that the wooden floors were extremely creaky to the point where it almost felt like you had to tiptoe across the room to avoid being heard downstairs. 

(Beautiful roads in Phang Nga Province)

The plan for the first day was to take off on the bike on a bit of a road trip and explore the province. The roads I encountered were absolutely breathtaking with fantastic scenery and were extremely twisty which is a dream for all motorcyclists. I would really love to take my Honda wave out on these roads because as good as the roads were it was difficult to enjoy them fully on the little Suzuki Smash. The smash is incredibly light and very easy to control but you can really tell that it was designed to be used in a city at relatively low speeds and not thrashed on long distances. The small villages I passed were typical of those commonly seen throughout the south of Thailand with warm friendly faces shouting 'hello' as you pass. I passed through the small town of Takua Pa where I had my lunch and planned my route down to Koh Lak. 

(Beautiful Blue Seas at Koh Lak)

I had not planned to visit Koh Lak and actually only did so because it was on the route I wanted to take around Phang Nga. Koh Lak is situated on the west coast of the province facing the Andaman Sea. The area is a full on tourist area and the majority of people I saw there were foreigners. I was only in the area for a couple of hours but the beaches that I did see looked very beautiful and the waters perfectly clear. The main things I noticed were the amount of Russian tourists in the area and the high prices. The prices for food in Koh Lak's restaurants are about the same as nearby Phuket which means they are at least double Phang Nga town. I decided to wait until I got back to town to eat but I did decide that I wanted to visit the area again in the future because it really is beautiful and is perfectly set up for foreign tourists. 

The objective for the second (and last) day in Phang Nga was to see what the town area had to offer. The town of Phang Nga, like a lot of Thai towns comprises of one single road with various soi's leading off of it. There are a number of caves in the town to look at the pick of which was probably the 'heaven and hell' cave. I have found out that if you climb the steps before the cave you can get some magnificent views of Phang Nga Bay and the surrounding mountains but I hadn't done my research on the cave properly and missed it. This is a lesson that you should always do at least some research on tourist attractions before visiting them rather then just heading off with a map like I did. I am a sucker for a nice quiet park with a lake so I really enjoyed Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park. The park is very tranquil and is home to not only the obligatory pack of stray dogs but also quite a few monkeys. I enjoyed the park so much I decided to get my lunch as a take away and eat in it in the park. There are also a number of caves at the park which were nice to explore but obviously nowhere near as big as the other caves in Phang Nga town. 

(Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park)

I really enjoyed my little stop off in Phang Nga town and it has definitely given me the inspiration to return to the area again in the future. The town itself is not a tourist hotspot and nearly all of the hotels are family run guesthouses rather then upscale tourist resorts. I think for people visiting Phuket this would offer a nice change of pace for a couple of days and certainly allow your money to go a bit further, unless of course you are in Koh Lak. The town of Phang Nga is very liveable as an expat although it is very small and doesn't have as many western conveniences as other local provincial capitals such as Krabi or Trang. Phang Nga is however only 85km from Phuket which has every western convenience under the sun. I will definitely be coming back to the area to explore the Koh Lak area in more depth and I would also like to visit some of the islands to the south around Phang Nga Bay. 

Satun

It is the school holidays here in Thailand and with a full six weeks off I took the opportunity to spread my wings and do a little travelling to Malaysia and Singapore. The most common route taken into Malaysia is through Songhkla at either the Sadao or Padang Besar border crossings. I have crossed these borders a number of times in the past so I wanted to use a different border crossing this time. The alternative border crossings are in the provinces of Narathiwat, Satun and Yala. I didn't feel comfortable attempting the borders of Narathiwat or Yala as a solo traveller due to the ongoing political conflict at this time so my only other option was Satun. 

The town of Satun is situated in the deep south of Thailand on the border with Malaysia. The town while hardly a 'big ticket' tourist hotspot does see a steady stream of tourists, most of whom view the town as a transit point for their travels to either Langkawi or the southern Thai islands. I could have simply passed through the town in this manner but I decided that I wanted to stay for a few days and explore. 

(Welcome to Satun)

My first impression of Satun was that it had a very different atmosphere and feel to most of the other southern Thai provinces which can be explained by the people who live here. The vast majority of residents are ethnic Malay Muslims as appose to the Thai Buddhists who make up the majority in most other provinces. The people I met here were very friendly but I did find the level of English spoken was extremely low even in tourist areas. The people were thankfully able to speak Thai so I was able to communicate but it is clear that many of them are native Malay speakers and this can be heard throughout the town. I found that there was a sizeable number of Thai Buddhists in the downtown area but this filters out dramatically as you leave the city limits. The restaurants owned by the Thai Buddhists are the only places you can get a beer with your dinner so I'm sure you will find them. 

The province is very safe and does not have any of the political problems which have plagued the other southern provinces with a muslim majority. You will hear the muslim call to prayer throughout the day which adds a certain ethnic atmosphere which I really enjoyed. Satun central mosque is the most impressive of those found in the city and is worth a quick visit.

(Satun Central Mosque)

I knew that my impending trip to Malaysia and Singapore would be expensive so I decided that this leg of the trip must be done on the cheap. There are a large number of hotels and guesthouses in the town all of varying quality. It is very difficult to find information or reviews about these places because the information just simply isn't out there, at least in the English language. I decided to take a risk and just choose a hotel off the Satun wikitravel article which was in my price range. I could have stayed in a fan room for under 200 baht a night but I decided that I would 'splurge' on a 400 baht a night room with air conditioning, hot water and free wifi. I stayed at the Satun Thani Hotel right in the heart of town and was generally very satisfied with it. Yes of course it was old and a little bit rough around the edges but for the price I payed it was more then adequate for a two night stay. The hot water worked, the wifi stood up well and the location was perfect so I would recommend the hotel to anyone who is on a budget and doesn't require a luxury experience. 

I spent most of my time in Satun exploring the town on foot. I personally enjoy walking so this was fine for me but there are motorcycle taxis available everywhere and the prices quoted certainly didn't seem like a rip off. I took a motorcycle taxi to Tammalang Pier for 80 baht and it is a fair distance outside of the city. I usually try to avoid motorcycle taxies and use the public Songthaews to get around. The Songthaews in Satun are bright orange and it is very easy to get to grips with the way they work because they travel up and down the main road through the town. You can hop on and off at any point and the cost will always be the same. The main long distance bus terminal is situated to the south of the town just outside the city limits so a motorcycle taxi will probably be required if you want to get there. Long distance busses run to the usual destinations such as Bangkok and Phuket but most destinations are served by minivans. The minivans run to a large number of destinations in the south and although they are extremely bumpy you do have the added convenience that you can specify exactly (within reason) where you wish to be dropped off (if you can communicate this to the driver). The trip from Trang to Satun cost me 100 baht in a minivan. 

There are not a great deal of tourist attractions in the city but their are some small museums which are worth a look and only charge nominal entrance fees. The Satun national museum is probably the pick of the museums on offer and it gives visitors an insight into the history of the province and the traditional lives of the Satun people. I think the best attraction Satun town has to offer is its public park which is commonly referred to as monkey mountain. I have actually visited the park on a previous trip to Satun and the place has always been very quiet, with the exception of a handful of teenagers hanging out in the caves or the occasional passing car viewing the monkeys at a safe distance. The whole park is easily walkable but I think it would be nice to hire a bicycle to ride around on but I am not sure if this is possible. The monkeys are fantastic and it really is a great experience to be able to see them up close in a natural environment. The monkeys are very confident and didn't appear to be phased at the people milling around and were mainly interested in acquiring food from the people around. I spent about three hours in all walking around the monkey park and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who is coming to Satun even if only for a short period. 

(Monkey Mountain)

My next port of call after Satun was to be Kuala Perlis in Malaysia in order for me to get their I would have to take a long-tail boat from Tammalang pier. Tammalang Pier is situated about 8 kilometres south of the city and is best reached by motorcycle taxi. Most people using the port will be on their way to the Malaysian island of Langkawi on a commercial jetty there are however smaller long-tail boats which run to the mainland town of Kuala Perlis. The immigration officials are very relaxed at this border and the atmosphere appeared much more chilled then at the other border crossings I have taken into Malaysia probably due to the sheer amount of visitors seen at the crossings in Songkhla. The ferry terminal itself has the normal array of tour operators and convenience stores selling goods at inflated prices to tourists but there didn't appear to be that many touts and again the atmosphere was very relaxed and the people very friendly and helpful. My motorcycle taxi driver even escorted me to immigration which was a nice touch. 

(Tammalang Pier)

My overall impressions of Satun town were very positive and while there aren't a lot of tourist attractions in the city itself it's overall atmosphere and charm is an attraction in itself. After visiting the Malaysian town of Kuala Perlis which is situated just a few miles over the border I would have to say that Satun is far more like Malaysia then Thailand both in aesthetics and character. Everything from the shop fronts in downtown Satun to the language being spoken on the street both screamed Malaysia which was very interesting to say the least. I would thoroughly recommend people to give Satun a try even if you only stay for one day because this would be enough to take in the atmosphere and maybe even head to the monkey mountain. The province of Satun has a number of national parks and of corse the islands off the Andaman coast are considered 'big ticket' tourist attractions particularly Koh Lipe so you may very well find yourself down here if you visit Thailand. As an expat I think this would be a very interesting place to consider living but you would need to research it thoroughly because it really is so different to the rest of Thailand. I was so impressed with the town that I now consider it in my top five places places that I would consider moving too in Thailand.