There are three layers of Thailand from the point of traveling. Popular destinations are the first layer. As any part of Thailand, they are amazing: sun, sea, tropical nature, and fantastic food. But they are only 8 out of 10 at best.
The second layer includes destinations well-known among those who are familiar with Thailand. A good example is Ko Lipe — not internationally famous like Pattaya, but offering a better experience in every way.
Everything that doesn't belong to these two layers is below-the-radar stuff for people with special demands. You can include in this layer wild islands with very low service, incompatible with regular travelers' needs, or super authentic Thai towns or settlements offering a wonderful opportunity to explore wildlife, etc.
I believe Songkhla belongs to the last group. It's not known among travelers at all - I spent many hours during the research to understand how the town looked and what its beach looked like, and where the monkeys lived, etc. You can hardly see foreigners here except for groups from neighboring Malaysian cities who are rather excursionists.
Songkhla's old town
Songkhla's old town
Another attraction - cats are abundant in the old town:
Reasons for the town’s obscurity are:
- Songkhla isn't a beach destination, although it has the sea,
- This town has a reputation as a place where terrorist attacks sometimes happened,
- Songkhla is aside from the major routes,
- The largest city of the Songkhla province is Hat Yai, which hosts many more international travelers who want to transit or shop - huge malls are there, not in Songkhla Town.
As a result, Songkhla looks like a charming reserve of history.
Stupa on the monkey mountain is one of the symbols of the city
Common Thai cityscape, but let me share this charming commonness too
Great myna on the temple roof. They love being on watch this way
And that's another reason why Songkhla isn't famous:
- Although it has 200-year-old houses, much of its charm comes from buildings dating from the 1930s to 1960s, which have only recently begun to be seen as historical.
Some of those 70-year-old houses have individual designs, sometimes quite original.
Songkhla had greater importance than today; it was one of the key Southern Thai cities at that time, with many rich and middle-class people investing in the beauty of their dwellings.
The foundation date. It looks like it is 2482 in the Thai calendar (1939)
This is an example of bizarre residential architecture of... probably, the 1960s.
Blackened plank houses, typical for Thailand, are also present. Never could pass by without taking an image or two.
Songkhla is a city of textured walls
Love living in wooden houses in Thailand!
A cafe, one of many, in old Songkhla:
Songkhla is amazing for long stays if you prefer photography over beach-going. If you are a shopping lover, you can have a trip from Songkhla to Hat Yai by minibus or songthaew to visit malls - the distance isn't greater than between districts in Bangkok.
"I can't help mentioning another attraction of the town - a colony of macaques. My hotel is 700 meters from their mountain, and yet a gang of monkeys appeared outside my window yesterday early in the morning. 😀
All photos were taken with a Nikkor 50mm and Nikkor 70-300mm on a full-frame DSLR Nikon D750 by the author in May, 2025, in Songkhla, Thailand