Southern Provinces

[Kinok Farang]

Hi all,been here a while now and originally came here to travel.(yes i know,my mates don't believe me too)

Up to now i have visited and stayed in 71 of 77 provinces.

As i have OCD i have to stay in them all.There are 3 easy ones around Bkk but the other 3 are the Muslim provinces down south.Pattani,Yala and Naratiwat.

Has anyone on here stayed or better still lived down there?I have only ever travelled on the train from Hat Yai but each time there was armed police and army personnel through to the Malaysian border.

I'm determined to go but would still like to know the pitfalls.

As they say in Lancashire, "faint heart never fxxxed a pig"

Thanks.

[Pattaya57]

Why Pattaya forum?

[recom273]

This to be moved to the southern forum because there are some active posters there.

 

Yes, although I moved from there 2 years past, I have lived in HY for 10 years and travelled over the past 20.

 

Yala

The town isn't a a great place to visit, but if you have your own transport, the trip to Betong is great! There is enough for a long weekend, lots of Malaysians, all the fun of a border town and home to the biggest postbox in Thailand. Well worth a visit, communist insurgent tunnels, the best riding road in the south and very natural. Maybe one of the most isolated communities in Thailand, very unusual. There's also a couple of sea of mist / skybridge / viewpoint places down by the reservoir.

 

Narathiwat

I stayed there about 20 years back, was an interesting overnight in a wooden hotel over the water in the harbor. Upstairs were clean and basic guest rooms and downstairs was a brothel - the rather rotund middle aged ladies were great to talk to in the afternoon as they sat outside their rooms and then in the evening there were queues of Malaysian fishermen outside every door. Good seafood at night The only real attraction I saw was Ao Manao, I think. I returned a few years ago to get some petrol, lots of army and checkpoints, quite a developed town now and from what I could see, maybe not that muslim, but I could be wrong.

 

Pattani

Never really been there, sorry. I just stopped at some minor towns for breakfast and to fill up with petrol. Friendly enough people, but seems very strict, no 7-11 sells pork or alcohol. I gather you can enjoy some nice seafood by the coast, the beaches aren't much to look at, but I dont know much.

 

If you want to cross off some provinces, I think you will be safe enough. The trouble seems to occur in outlying villages, when police / army are the target. You might want to take a look over the border into Perak, I think its a great area to explore and then re enter Thailand via Dannock 

 

 

[Kinok Farang]

1 hour ago, Pattaya57 said:

Why Pattaya forum?

Probably because I'm a bit thick.

[Kinok Farang]

49 minutes ago, recom273 said:

This to be moved to the southern forum because there are some active posters there.

 

Yes, although I moved from there 2 years past, I have lived in HY for 10 years and travelled over the past 20.

 

Yala

The town isn't a a great place to visit, but if you have your own transport, the trip to Betong is great! There is enough for a long weekend, lots of Malaysians, all the fun of a border town and home to the biggest postbox in Thailand. Well worth a visit, communist insurgent tunnels, the best riding road in the south and very natural. Maybe one of the most isolated communities in Thailand, very unusual. There's also a couple of sea of mist / skybridge / viewpoint places down by the reservoir.

 

Narathiwat

I stayed there about 20 years back, was an interesting overnight in a wooden hotel over the water in the harbor. Upstairs were clean and basic guest rooms and downstairs was a brothel - the rather rotund middle aged ladies were great to talk to in the afternoon as they sat outside their rooms and then in the evening there were queues of Malaysian fishermen outside every door. Good seafood at night The only real attraction I saw was Ao Manao, I think. I returned a few years ago to get some petrol, lots of army and checkpoints, quite a developed town now and from what I could see, maybe not that muslim, but I could be wrong.

 

Pattani

Never really been there, sorry. I just stopped at some minor towns for breakfast and to fill up with petrol. Friendly enough people, but seems very strict, no 7-11 sells pork or alcohol. I gather you can enjoy some nice seafood by the coast, the beaches aren't much to look at, but I dont know much.

 

If you want to cross off some provinces, I think you will be safe enough. The trouble seems to occur in outlying villages, when police / army are the target. You might want to take a look over the border into Perak, I think its a great area to explore and then re enter Thailand via Dannock 

 

 

Lovely very helpful reply,thank you.

[bignok]

Go to Phattalung and NST.

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, bignok said:

Go to Phattalung and NST.

Read like they've been checked off the list already.

@recom273 Thanks

Was heading that way ourselves, but getting delayed probably another month.  Good read ????

[Kinok Farang]

37 minutes ago, bignok said:

Go to Phattalung and NST.

Read the OP.

[bignok]

7 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

Read the OP.

I did. I wouldnt go there.

[MarcelV]

I live in the region. It's certainly worth a visit, if only to see an authentic part of Thailand with its own culture, language and religion.

 

Like you, I also have the goal of visiting and staying at every province. Still quite a way to go, but I hope one day I can "complete" Thailand.

[KannikaP]

3 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

As they say in Lancashire, "faint heart never fxxxed a pig"

I am from Lancashire, and have NEVER heard that phrase before. In which part of the County did you hear it please?

[MarcelV]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Read like they've been checked off the list already.

@recom273 Thanks

Was heading that way ourselves, but getting delayed probably another month.  Good read ????

I would postpone my trip if I were you, until February or March. (Make sure to arrive well before Ramadan month)

The rain has been torrential for this time of the year. It's currently not a good time to visit.

[VinnieK]

36 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I am from Lancashire, and have NEVER heard that phrase before. In which part of the County did you hear it please?

You must circulate in different social circles????

[KannikaP]

2 minutes ago, VinnieK said:

You must circulate in different social circles????

So in which part of Lancashire should I be please.

I am slightly too pale to live in my home town of Ashton under Lyne. 555

[KannikaP]

7 minutes ago, MarcelV said:

(Make sure to arrive well before Ramadan month)

Irellevant answer from me. Sorry.

[Kinok Farang]

1 hour ago, MarcelV said:

I live in the region. It's certainly worth a visit, if only to see an authentic part of Thailand with its own culture, language and religion.

 

Like you, I also have the goal of visiting and staying at every province. Still quite a way to go, but I hope one day I can "complete" Thailand.

Thanks,and good luck.

[Kinok Farang]

59 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I am from Lancashire, and have NEVER heard that phrase before. In which part of the County did you hear it please?

Up the Clarets.

[Kinok Farang]

17 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Irellevant answer from me. Sorry.

,,,

 

22 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

So in which part of Lancashire should I be please.

I am slightly too pale to live in my home town of Ashton under Lyne. 555

That's probably why you know about Ramadan,me too.

[bignok]

Why do you want to f a pig?

 

The far south why? Go to Middle East if you want muslim culture.

 

 

[bignok]

Iran and Turkey. Southern Thailand makes no sense to me. 

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

,,,

 

That's probably why you know about Ramadan,me too.

Can we say that? 555

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

Iran and Turkey. Southern Thailand makes no sense to me. 

As do most of your posts/answers, for me.

[KhunLA]

31 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

,,,

 

That's probably why you know about Ramadan,me too.

Whoa ... seriously ... ????

edit: equal time, checked Philly, Pa, USA, and a lot more than I would have though.  None in my hometown area.

 

Wow ... World in Changes

 

 

[Kinok Farang]

53 minutes ago, bignok said:

Iran and Turkey. Southern Thailand makes no sense to me. 

You ok?If you've run out of meds call someone.

[petermik]

2 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

Up the Clarets.

And up the Dale.......Burnley Locarno...those were the days ????

[Kinok Farang]

24 minutes ago, petermik said:

And up the Dale.......Burnley Locarno...those were the days ????

555,Down there every Friday night.Even an ugly buggar like me could get a gal there.You are right,great days.

[bobandyson]

6 hours ago, recom273 said:

Well worth a visit, communist insurgent tunnels, the best riding road in the south and very natural.

Have to agree about Yala. The Deep South, for me, has the best roads for m/c cruising and I found the motorists are a little better behaved. I found the communist tunnels just outside of Songkhla more pleasant to crawl through.

 

Narathiwat. Wat Khuat (bottle temple) is worth a look. Made out of beer and tonic drink bottles along with sea shells. (Sisaket has something similar called Wat Lan Khuat, or 'Temple of a Million Bottles')

 

I only have 1 province to check off my 'Provinces to Visit' list. And that's Trat. I'm in no hurry to go there but I'm still looking for a nice feather to place in my cap for when the time should come. 

[Kinok Farang]

13 minutes ago, bobandyson said:

Have to agree about Yala. The Deep South, for me, has the best roads for m/c cruising and I found the motorists are a little better behaved. I found the communist tunnels just outside of Songkhla more pleasant to crawl through.

 

Narathiwat. Wat Khuat (bottle temple) is worth a look. Made out of beer and tonic drink bottles along with sea shells. (Sisaket has something similar called Wat Lan Khuat, or 'Temple of a Million Bottles')

 

I only have 1 province to check off my 'Provinces to Visit' list. And that's Trat. I'm in no hurry to go there but I'm still looking for a nice feather to place in my cap for when the time should come. 

Glad to hear there are other obsessives out there.I've had a ball doing it,hope you have too.

[bignok]

3 hours ago, Kinok Farang said:

You ok?If you've run out of meds call someone.

Dont use any champ. You must have run out of holiday ideas. 

[bignok]

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

As do most of your posts/answers, for me.

So you think a few crappy towns in Thailand are more interesting? Some people really have no idea