Deep south Travel Guide

As Thailand drops down to meet Malaysia, the cultures of the two countries begin to merge. Many inhabitants of the deep south are ethnically more akin to the Malaysians: most of the 1,500,000 followers of Islam here speak Yawi, an old Malay dialect, and many yearn for secession from Thailand. There are eight border crossings to Malaysia down here , with the most efficient transport connections to Malaysia starting at the ugly, modern city of Hat Yai . The nearby old town of Songkhla is a more sympathetic spot for sightseeing, but if you're after coastal attractions, either take a boat trip through the Thale Noi Waterbird Park , or head for the rarely visited beaches of the Trang coast and the spectacular Ko Tarutao islands .