Top Things to Do in Songkhla
20 must-see attractions and experiences
Songkhla is southern Thailand's most historically rich city, a former Malay-Chinese trading port on the shores of Songkhla Lake — the country's largest natural body of water — where Thai, Chinese, and Malay cultures have mixed for centuries. The old town retains a concentration of Sino-Portuguese shophouses, Chinese temples, and narrow lanes that rival Phuket's Old Town in architectural character but see a fraction of the visitors. This is deep southern Thailand, where the tourist infrastructure thins out and the cultural complexity deepens. The city occupies a narrow peninsula between the Gulf of Thailand to the east and the vast Songkhla Lake to the west, giving it a waterfront character from nearly every vantage point. The beaches along the eastern shore are long, clean, and uncrowded by Thai standards, while the lake side offers fishing communities, floating restaurants, and views across to the distant western shore. Songkhla's night market is one of the best in southern Thailand, with a hawker food scene that reflects the region's distinctive Malay-Thai-Chinese culinary fusion. Visitors typically reach Songkhla via the larger city of Hat Yai, 30 minutes to the west, which is the regional transport hub. The combination of old-town architecture, temple visits, beach time, and market eating makes Songkhla a compelling two or three-day stop for travelers exploring Thailand's deep south.
Don't Miss These
Our top picks for visitors to Songkhla
Song Tha Le Park
Natural WondersSong Tha Le Park stretches along the Songkhla Lake waterfront, a landscaped promenade with walking paths, exercise stations, and pavilions that is the city's principal outdoor gathering space. The park offers direct views across the vast lake, and the evening light on the water — when silhouetting the traditional fishing boats — is consistently beautiful. Locals use it for morning jogging, evening socializing, and family picnics, making it the best place to observe Songkhla's daily rhythms.
6HGH+M2V, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Wat Laem Pho
Cultural ExperiencesWat Laem Pho is a striking temple complex on the Songkhla Lake shore, distinguished by a large reclining Buddha and a multi-tiered pagoda that rises above the lakeside palm trees. The temple's location on a small promontory gives it panoramic views across the water, and the ornate decoration — including gilded nagas, ceramic mosaics, and elaborate rooflines — reflects the Thai-Malay decorative traditions of the deep south. The peaceful grounds and waterside setting distinguish it from more urban temples.
5H54+CM9, Ko Yo, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90100, Thailand · View on Map
Chalathat Beach
Natural WondersChalathat Beach is a long, wide stretch of white sand on Songkhla's eastern coast facing the Gulf of Thailand, backed by casuarina trees and a seaside promenade. The beach extends for several kilometers and remains refreshingly uncrowded — even on weekends, you can find stretches with few other visitors. The mermaid statue at the northern end has become Songkhla's unofficial symbol, and the beachfront seafood restaurants serve excellent fresh catch at local prices.
5JW4+RRW, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Songkhla Night Market
Markets & ShoppingThe Songkhla Night Market sprawls across several blocks of the old town on weekend evenings, offering one of southern Thailand's most diverse and affordable street food experiences. The stalls reflect the region's culinary fusion: kanom jeen (rice noodles with curry), Malay-influenced roti, Chinese-style roast meats, and fresh seafood grilled over charcoal. The market also sells clothing, household goods, and local handicrafts, but the food is the undisputed reason to visit.
6H2Q+RR3, Chana Rd, Tambon Bo Yang, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Krom Luang Chumphon Monument
Historic SitesThe Krom Luang Chumphon Monument honors Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, the father of the Royal Thai Navy, and occupies a prominent position along the Songkhla waterfront. The monument is a well-maintained site where both locals and navy personnel pay respects, and the surrounding plaza offers views across the harbor. It reflects the deep south's historical connection to Thailand's maritime defense tradition.
า, 6HHH+68V แหลมสนอ่อน ตำบลบ่อยาง อำเภอเมืองสงขลา สงขลา 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Hub Ho Hin (Red Rice Mill)
Cultural ExperiencesHub Ho Hin is a beautifully restored early 20th-century rice mill that has been converted into a cultural center and community space in Songkhla's old town. The preserved industrial machinery, including the original milling equipment, sits alongside exhibition spaces, a cafe, and a co-working area, making it a successful example of adaptive heritage reuse. The building's red-brick facade and interior timber structure are handsome, and rotating exhibitions focus on Songkhla's history and contemporary culture.
5HXQ+9C4, 13 Nakhonnok St, Tambon Bo Yang, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
General Prem Tinsulanonda Historical Park Songkhla
Historic SitesThis historical park honors General Prem Tinsulanonda, a former Thai Prime Minister born in Songkhla province, and includes landscaped gardens, a museum documenting his political career, and exhibits on the history of Songkhla province. The grounds are extensive and well-maintained, with shaded walking paths and pavilions set among tropical gardens. The museum provides context for understanding southern Thailand's role in national politics.
888, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90100, Thailand · View on Map
Old Town Songkhla Gate
Historic SitesThe Old Town Songkhla Gate marks the historic entrance to the old walled city, a remnant of the fortifications that once enclosed the Chinese-Malay trading settlement. The gate anchors the beginning of Songkhla's heritage walking route through lanes lined with Sino-Portuguese shophouses, Chinese shrines, and repurposed merchants' warehouses. Walking through the gate and into the old-town streets is the best way to begin exploring Songkhla's architectural and cultural layers.
5HRR+R68, 491 Nakhonnok St, Tambon Bo Yang, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Magic Museum HatYai Thailand
EntertainmentThe Magic Museum in nearby Hat Yai is a privately operated museum of magic and illusion, featuring interactive exhibits, optical illusions, and magic-themed displays that appeal to families and curiosity seekers. The museum's playful approach provides a light-hearted contrast to Songkhla's historical and cultural attractions, and the illusion rooms make for entertaining photographs. It is best understood as a fun diversion rather than a cultural destination.
412 Kanjanavanich Rd, Tambon Kho Hong, Amphoe Hat Yai, Chang Wat Songkhla 90110, Thailand · View on Map
Nakhon Nai Museum
Museums & GalleriesThe Nakhon Nai Museum occupies a restored historical building in Songkhla's old town and houses a collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents tracing the city's development as a maritime trading port and provincial capital. The exhibits cover Songkhla's Malay, Chinese, and Thai cultural influences, the fishing and trading economy, and the architectural heritage of the old town. It provides essential context for the walking tour of the surrounding streets.
117 ถนน Nakhonnai, Tambon Bo Yang, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Natural Wonders
Songkhla's natural appeal centers on its dual waterfront — the Gulf of Thailand's sandy beaches to the east and the vast Songkhla Lake to the west. The beaches are uncrowded by Thai standards, and the working fishing villages along the coast add cultural depth to the scenery.
Laem Son On
Natural WondersLaem Son On is a rocky headland at the northern tip of Songkhla's peninsula, where the Gulf of Thailand meets the mouth of Songkhla Lake. The promontory offers views in three directions — ocean, lake, and city — and the rocks and tidal pools at the point attract local families for picnicking and fishing. A small park and pavilion at the top provide shaded seating with panoramic views.
6HGH+R25, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Kao Seng Rock
Natural WondersKao Seng Rock is a distinctive rocky outcrop on the coast near the traditional Muslim fishing village of Kao Seng, its weathered form rising above the surf line as a natural landmark. The rock and the village behind it — where brightly painted fishing boats line the beach and nets dry in the sun — create one of the most photogenic compositions on the Songkhla coast. The village itself has a glimpse into the Malay-Muslim fishing culture that defines this part of southern Thailand.
5JMC+3Q2 ชลาทัศน์ Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Kao Seng Beach
Natural WondersKao Seng Beach is a working fishing beach fronting the traditional Malay-Muslim village of Kao Seng, where colorful korlae boats are drawn up on the sand and nets spread to dry in patterns that photographers find irresistible. The beach is not a swimming destination but rather a living workplace where the day's catch is sorted, boats are repaired, and village life unfolds at the water's edge. It offers the most authentic encounter with southern Thailand's coastal fishing culture.
Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
SUAN TOON Waterfall
Natural WondersSuan Toon Waterfall is a modest but pleasant cascade in a forested park area within Songkhla province, providing a natural retreat from the coastal heat. The waterfall is surrounded by tropical vegetation and has a shaded swimming area at its base during the wet season when water levels are sufficient. The park setting is well-maintained, with picnic facilities and walking trails through the surrounding forest.
4JV6+C6V, Khao Rup Chang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Museums & Galleries
The Folklore Museum at Thaksin University and the Nakhon Nai Museum together provide the most thorough introduction to southern Thai culture available anywhere. The shadow puppet collection alone makes the folklore museum essential for understanding the region's distinctive artistic traditions.
Folklore Museum The Institute for Southern Thai Studies, Thaksin University
Museums & GalleriesThis folklore museum at Thaksin University houses the most complete collection of southern Thai folk art and cultural artifacts in the region, including shadow puppet figures (nang talung), traditional musical instruments, textiles, and ritual objects from the Thai-Malay borderlands. The collection illuminates the distinctive cultural traditions of deep southern Thailand, which differ significantly from the central and northern regions most tourists experience. Academic curation gives the displays unusual depth.
หมู่ 1 บ้านอ่าวทราย, ตำบลเกาะยอ อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดสงขลา, 90100 Tambon Ko Yo, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90100, Thailand · View on Map
Wat Matchimawat National Museum
Museums & GalleriesWat Matchimawat is one of Songkhla's most historically significant temples, and the national museum within its grounds houses a collection of regional artifacts including Buddhist sculpture, Srivijaya-era objects, and traditional southern Thai decorative arts. The temple itself features distinctive southern Thai architectural details — ceramic roof ornamentation, carved wooden gable boards — that differ noticeably from central Thai temple styles. The combination of active temple and museum makes it a rich cultural stop.
222 Thanon Saiburi, ตำบลบ่อยาง Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Historic Sites
Songkhla's old town — its gates, walls, clock tower, and Sino-Portuguese shophouses — preserves the physical fabric of a Chinese-Malay trading port that flourished centuries ago. The heritage walking route through these streets is the single best way to understand the city's character.
Clock Tower Songkhla
Historic SitesThe Songkhla Clock Tower stands in the old town as a civic landmark from the early 20th century, its design reflecting the Chinese-European architectural blend characteristic of the region's commercial buildings. The tower sits at an intersection of old-town streets and is an orientation point for heritage walking tours. The surrounding buildings include some of the best-preserved Sino-Portuguese shophouses in the city.
28/19 Thanon Ramvithi, Tambon Bo Yang, Amphoe Mueang Songkhla, Chang Wat Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Songkhla City Wall
Historic SitesRemnants of Songkhla's historic city wall survive in several sections of the old town, providing physical evidence of the settlement's former fortifications. The best-preserved sections are integrated into the old-town walking route and give scale to the original walled enclosure that protected the Chinese-Malay trading community. Interpretive plaques at key points explain the wall's construction history and defensive function.
6H2R+R42, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Khao Noi Palace
Historic SitesKhao Noi Palace is a hilltop estate that was once a royal residence, set on a low hill overlooking Songkhla Lake and the city. The grounds feature a mixture of Thai and European architectural styles in the surviving structures, and the elevated position provides views across the lake that explain why this site was chosen for a royal retreat. The gardens, though modest, are peaceful and offer shade during the heat of the day.
6H5V+J73, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Notable Attractions
The Great Serpent naga sculpture on the lakefront has become Songkhla's signature landmark, its illuminated form creating a mythological spectacle against the lake at night.
หัวพญานาค The Great Serpent - Naga Head
Notable AttractionsThe Great Serpent (Naga Head) is a dramatic sculptural installation depicting a multi-headed naga rising from the water at the Songkhla lakefront, its scales and heads rendered in vivid color and considerable size. The naga — a serpent deity in Thai-Buddhist mythology — is a deeply significant cultural symbol, and this particular sculpture has become one of Songkhla's most recognizable landmarks. The setting on the lake, when illuminated at night, gives it a mythological grandeur.
6HGH+R25, Bo Yang, Mueang Songkhla District, Songkhla 90000, Thailand · View on Map
Planning Your Visit
Best Time to Visit
December through April offers the driest weather and most comfortable temperatures. The monsoon season (October-December) brings heavier rainfall, though mornings are often clear. Year-round temperatures hover between 25-35°C with high humidity.
Booking Advice
Most Songkhla attractions require no advance booking. Fly into Hat Yai airport and arrange transport to Songkhla (30 minutes). Hotels in Songkhla are limited — book accommodation in advance, during Thai holidays. The night market requires no reservation but arrives early for the best food stall selection.
Save Money
Nearly every worthwhile attraction in Songkhla is free or costs under 50 baht. The biggest savings come from eating at the night market and street stalls rather than restaurants — a full meal of kanom jeen and grilled seafood costs 50-80 baht ($1.50-2.50).
Local Etiquette
Songkhla's population is a mix of Thai Buddhist and Malay Muslim communities. Dress modestly, near mosques and in the Kao Seng fishing village. Remove shoes before entering temples and homes. When visiting the Muslim fishing villages, ask before photographing people, women. The local greeting is 'sawasdee' in Thai areas and 'assalamualaikum' in Muslim neighborhoods — using the appropriate greeting shows cultural awareness.
Book Your Experiences
Guided tours, tickets, and activities in Songkhla