...........Songkhla City In south of Thailand..........

           

          

              Songkhla are The province is located on the Malay Peninsula, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The highest elevation is the Khao Mai Kaeo at 821 meters. In the north of the province is Songkhla lake, the largest natural lake in Thailand. This shallow lake covers an area of 1,040 km², and has a south-north extent of 78 kilometers. At its mouth on the Gulf of Thailand, near the city of Songkhla, the water becomes brackish. A small population of Irrawaddy Dolphins live in the lake, but are in danger of extinction due to accidental capture by the nets of the local fishing industry. Two national parks are located in the province. San Kala Khiri covers 214 km² of mountain highlands on the Thai-Malay border; Khao Nam Khang, is also located on the boundary mountains. Chinese Communist guerilla settled in this region until the 1980s.

          Mermaid statue at Laem SamilaWithin the boundaries of the city of Songkhla is the Samila cape beach, the most popular beach in the province. The famous mermaid statue can be found here. The two islands Ko Nu and Ko Maew (Mouse and Cat island), not far from the beach, are also a popular landmark, and a preferred fishing ground. According to the local legend, a cat, mouse and dog were traveling on a Chinese ship, when they attempted to steal a crystal from the merchant. Swimming ashore with the crystal, both the cat and the mouse drowned and became the two islands, while the dog reached the beach, but died and become the hill Khao Tang Kuan. The crystal turned into the white sandy beach.

           Songkhla has a lot to offer, whether you are interested in history and culture, appreciate stunning scenery or simply want to chill on the beach and swim in the sea. The town is endowed with ancient ruins, arts, and places of cultural importance. Songkhla is a melting pot of Thais, Chinese and Malays and charms visitors with its unique traditions, dialect, and folk entertainment.  To discover the area's history, the first stop should be The Songkhla National Museum, while the Phathammarong Museum is also a great source of local knowledge. The Bronze Mermaid Statue usually appears on postcards of Songkhla and represents the Hindu-Buddhist earth goddess Mae Thorani.

          Songkhla is well known for its interesting architectural styles, which can best be seen in its temples and chedis. Some good examples are Wat Cha Thing Phra, Wat Pha Kho, Wat Chai Mongkhon and Wat Matchimawat. The city's black and white stupas - known as Chedi Ong Dam and Chedi Ong Khao - should not be missed and Sating Phra Ancient Community is well worth a visit. Songkhla also contains some areas of stunning natural beauty. Top of the list are the Khao Nam Khang National Park with its jungle, caves and waterfalls and Khu Khut Waterfowl Park. As its name suggests, Namtok Boriphat Forestry Park features a large number of waterfalls and beautiful forest, while Wat Tham Khao Rup Chang is an interesting cave temple.

        Songkhla is blessed with a large number of caves to explore and mountain tops offering spectacular views over the area. A good place to start is Khao Nam Khang Historic Tunnel, while other mountains include Khao Tang Kuan, Khao Kao Seng and Khao Noi.  There are some very pretty beaches to soak up the sun on including Hat Samila and Hat Sakom, while Hat Yai is the liveliest town and famous for fresh seafood and Muay  Thai boxing matches. Whilst in Hat Yai, pay a visit to Wat Hat Yai Nai, which features a 35 meter reclining Buddha known as Phra Phut Mahatamongkon and the very pretty and peaceful Hat Yai Municipal Park. Amongst the area's small and somewhat secluded islands are Koh Maeo and Koh Nu (cat and mouse islands) and Koh Yo, which is a very pretty island famous for its cotton weaving community.
Of course, when it comes to eating, seafood dominates the menu. The best place to find a good selection of reasonably priced seafood is at the local night markets, where you can relax for a while at one of the small tables and watch the dramas of this charismatic area unfold around you.