Cat and Rat Island
These prominent marine landmarks facing Samila Beach and Laem Son Onn with rodent - like and feline shapes have been the symbol of Songkhla since ancient times. These islets' coastal waters are favored by local anglers.
Khao Tang Kuan
It is the highest hill in Songkhla town where the important pagoda of Songkhla is located. Khao Tang Kuan is the venue for the annual Buddhist ceremony of covering a robe around the pagoda, held in October or November (depending on the Thai lunar month), one day before the famous festival of “Lark Phra - Tak Bart Devo”. They are regularly held as the main traditional activities of Songkhla.The hilltop provides the panoramic view of Songkhla and the Gulf of Thailand that the Cat and Rat Islands can also be seen at a distance. As an elevator is going to be available soon, it will be very convenient to go up the hill for a scenic view of Songkhla town and the panoramic view of the Gulf of Thailand. Climbing up the stairway, you will find the Red Pavilion that was built in 1888 by the ruler of Songkhla, Pharya Wichian Kiri (Chom) under the command of King Rama V. The pavilion is painted red as its name indicates. Nowadays, it is used as a point for taking a rest before going further up to the hilltop.
Kao Seng
It is situated in Muang Songkhla. “Kao Seng” is the name of a beach and also refers to the rock on the cliff that is one of an unproved legend that there is some 900,000 Baht worth of treasure hidden under the rock since the old days of Siam.Literally, “kao” is a Thai word for “nine”, “seng” might be derived from “saen”, meaning “a hundred thousand”. So the “Koa Seng” might truly refer to a treasure of 900,000 Baht (it should be of higher value now).The scenery from the rock, within the compound of a Buddhist temple there, is quite an impressive one. Just imagine, in a nice sunny day, facing the right view standing a view of the rock itself and the sea, and to the left is another beautiful view of the rock, the sea, fishing boats, and Kao Seng Beach. The Cat and Rat Islands can be seen at a far distance beyond the rock.Entering the temple compound, you should behave properly because the rock is also within the Buddhist monks' sacred place.How to get there?Regular Hatyai-Songkhla bus is the cheapest way to get to Songkhla. Take it and get off at the Kao Seng intersection. It is about 1 km from the intersection to the beach and about 1.5 km to the rock. Turning right into a small concrete road. You may take a motorbike taxi that cost about 10 Baht/person.
