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Songkhla travel guide: old town, Samila beach and a UNESCO food city

Songkhla is a historic port between Songkhla Lake and the Gulf of Thailand — the 'city of two seas' — and in 2025 UNESCO named it a Creative City of Gastronomy for a cuisine that blends Thai, Malay, Chinese and Persian influences, as TAT reports. Its old town of Sino-European shophouses is one of the most atmospheric in the south.

AsiaVela editorial teamUpdated 3 min read
Old shophouses with balconies lining Nakhon Nok Road in Songkhla Old Town
Nakhon Nok Road, Songkhla Old Town.
Suggested time
1–2 days
Where to stay
Songkhla Old Town
Season and timing
January to September is usually drier; October to December is the rainy season on this coast.

The short answer

Spend a day or two. Walk Nakhon Nok, Nakhon Nai and Nang Ngam roads in the old town, see the 19th-century city wall, eat khao stu and jar ice cream, and watch the sunset at Laem Samila by the Golden Mermaid statue. Hat Yai, inland, has the nearest airport. Check your government's travel advice for the province.

Songkhla Old Town

The old town, more than 200 years old, is built around three streets — Nakhon Nok, Nakhon Nai and Nang Ngam — with Sino-European shophouses, as the Ministry of Tourism and Sports' directory describes. Nakhon Nok, by the lake, was once a port for foreign trade with large rice mills.

TAT notes a growing café culture in the old shophouses. Walk in the morning or late afternoon.

The old city wall

Songkhla's city wall was begun in 1836 and completed in 1842, 7 metres high with 10 main gates and cannon towers, influenced by Chinese architecture, according to the directory. A section restored in 1987 survives near the old town.

It is a short walk from Nang Ngam Road.

A restored wooden-shuttered house with a tiled roof in Songkhla Old Town
A restored house in Songkhla Old Town.
A street mural of old men drinking coffee painted on a whitewashed wall in Songkhla Old Town
Street art in Songkhla Old Town.

Make time for the local food

What to eat and where to look

01

Khao stu

Pork stew on rice with a vinegar-chilli dip, which TAT calls edible proof of Songkhla's multiculturalism.

Where to look
Nang Ngam Road in the old town.
Fit it into your day
Breakfast or lunch.

Pork.

02

Khao yam

Southern rice salad with herbs, coconut and nam budu fermented fish sauce.

Where to look
Morning markets and local restaurants.
Fit it into your day
Breakfast.

Fermented fish sauce.

03

Jar ice cream

Coconut-milk ice cream served from a terracotta jar, as TAT describes.

Where to look
Old town lanes.
Fit it into your day
An afternoon treat.

May be topped with raw egg yolk.

Laem Samila

Laem Samila, about 2.5 kilometres from the municipal market, is a white-sand beach shaded by pines, with the Golden Mermaid statue that is a symbol of Songkhla and views of the Cat and Rat islands offshore, as the directory describes.

Come for sunset and a walk along the beach park.

The Golden Mermaid statue on rocks at Samila beach with islands offshore
The Golden Mermaid at Laem Samila.

A UNESCO city of gastronomy

TAT recommends khao stu, a pork stew on rice served on Nang Ngam Road; khao yam, a southern rice salad with fermented fish sauce; khai khrop, salted steamed egg yolks from the Songkhla Lake fishing communities; sea bass from Ko Yo; and jar ice cream of coconut milk.

Combine the old town's heritage kitchens with Hat Yai's night markets for the full picture.

Ko Nu island seen across calm water from Samila beach
An island off Samila beach.

Travel advice

Some governments advise against travel to parts of the far south, including areas of Songkhla province. Check your government's latest advice and your insurance before you go.

The old town and Hat Yai are well connected by road; stay informed locally.

The Chinese-style gate and flowerbed sign of Songkhla Old Town
The entrance to Songkhla Old Town.

Practical questions

Why is Songkhla a UNESCO Creative City?

For its gastronomy, recognised in 2025 for a cuisine blending Thai, Malay, Chinese and Persian influences, TAT reports.

What is there to see in Songkhla Old Town?

Sino-European shophouses on Nakhon Nok, Nakhon Nai and Nang Ngam roads, cafés and the old city wall.

Is it safe to visit Songkhla?

Check your government's travel advice, which may warn against parts of the province.

Where is the nearest airport?

Hat Yai International Airport, a short drive inland.

Sources and checks before you travel

Reference sources for the version dated 1 October 2026. Confirm opening times, access, transport and conditions for your travel dates.

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Photo credits

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