Songkhla, Thai seat of old Malay Kingdom
Local legend: Top, bronze statues representing Ko Nu and Ko Maew, the "Mouse and Cat Islands" off the southern Thai fishing town of Songkhla (Middle), whose prestigious Malay past is enshrined in its museum (Bottom). Pictures: Liz Price
Liz Price
SONGKHLA, SOUTHERN THAILAND
Sunday, June 1, 2008
IT WAS a tough decision each night. Should I have a local delicacy, such as a plate of fresh spicy noodles with seafood, or should I buy lots of snack items and make a picnic out of it? The food on display at the market stalls was enough to tempt the most discerning of gourmets.
I was with a friend in Songkhla in southern Thailand, and the trip was starting to turn into an eating binge. As we were on holiday we decided to indulge in our passion for food and eat our way around the town.
We had started in the bigger town of Hat Yai, where we immediately headed for one of my favourite eating-places, a small shop selling authentic Thai food, not often patronised by foreigners. A plateful of delicious spicy food costs less than RM3 ($1.26). Most Malaysians when visiting Hat Yai tend to go to expensive seafood restaurants catering for tourists, or to one of the many halal shops in the city centre. The food in these places is generally expensive and toned down for the Malaysian palate, so you don't get the kick of authentic Thai cooking.
The following day we made a day trip to Songkhla. This seaside town is the capital of Songkhla Province, not Hat Yai as many people think. We took a bus — big buses and minivans frequently ply this route. We spent the day wandering, sitting and looking. The town has a pleasant feel as it is quieter and less busy than Hat Yai, and has retained its charm with old buildings and temples.
Songkhla has an old history. The name may derive from a corruption of Singgora, which like Singapore, means "lion city". Here it refers to a lion-shaped mountain near the city of Songkhla.
Songkhla was the seat of an old Malay Kingdom with heavy Srivijayan influence until about 1400 CE, when it then became part of Nakhon Si Thammarat. From the 18th century many Chinese immigrants arrived to seek their fortune, and settled in the area. One family, the Na Songkhla became very wealthy and influential, and their residence is now used as the Songkhla National Museum.
The National Museum has to be one of the most attractive museum buildings in Thailand. It is housed in a 100-year-old building of southern Sino-Portuguese architecture, painted red and white with a curved roofline. The museum contains exhibits from all national art style periods as well as Thai and Chinese ceramics and furniture. Outside the museum is a stretch of the old city wall dating from the 17th century.
The inhabitants of Songkhla are a colourful mix of Thais, Chinese and Malays, and this is reflected in the architecture in the old part of town.
Wat Klang, also known as Wat Matchimawat, is a 17th century Sino-Thai temple and is the most important Buddhist temple in the province.
Songkhla is also southern Thailand's education centre, and this is seen in the number of universities and colleges.
Songkhla lies on a peninsula between the Gulf of Thailand and a large inland sea. This inland sea, Thaleh Sap, is a huge brackish lake stretching up to Phattalung about 90km away, where it merges with the Thaleh Noi (Little Sea). There are two wildlife sanctuaries on this inland sea, and these are important wetland areas and a haven for waterbirds.
The Tinsulanond Bridge crosses the Songkhla lake to connect the narrow land east of the lake with the main southern part of the province. At 2.6km long, it is the longest concrete bridge in Thailand.
Another attraction of Songkhla is the seafood, particularly along Hat Samila, a white stretch of beach lined with casuarina trees. At one end of the beach at the Samila cape is a bronze statue of a mermaid, similar to that found in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Near this beach are two famous islands, Ko Nu and Ko Maew (Mouse and Cat Islands). According to local legend, a cat, mouse and dog were travelling on a Chinese ship, and they tried to steal a crystal from a merchant. Swimming ashore with the crystal, the cat and the mouse both drowned and were turned into the islands, whilst the dog made it to the beach where he died and became the hill Khao Tang Kuan. The crystal turned into the white sandy beach.
When we had had enough of sitting looking at the sea, we headed into town to find a comfy cafe for a cool drink. The buildings definitely have a Chinese feel about them and it's nice just to wander the streets, absorbing the atmosphere. Then it was time to return to Hat Yai and worry about what to have for dinner.
The Brunei Times
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Source URL:
http://www.bt.com.bn/en/en/travel/2008/06/01/songkhla_thai_seat_of_old_malay_kingdom
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