Things to do in Songkhla.

Songkhla's signature stretch of khaki sand runs roughly two kilometres along the Gulf coast, anchored by the landmark Golden Mermaid statue and, further along toward Tang Kuan Hill, a naga staircase and statue where the beach meets the old town. Clear water, a steady sea breeze and a full run of seafood restaurants and shops make it the default evening spot for both residents and day-trippers.

The historic quarter just north of the City Gate preserves a run of Sino-Portuguese shophouses along Nang Ngam, Nakhon Nai and Nakhon Nok roads, revived by a resident-led restoration movement since 2009 and increasingly decorated with street art and small cafes. An easy, walkable couple of hours, best combined with the Songkhla National Museum nearby.

Housed in an 1878 Sino-Portuguese mansion in the Old Town -- built as the deputy governor's residence and later used as the town hall -- the museum traces the region's history from its 10th-14th century role as a maritime trading hub linked to China's Quanzhou, through the fortified port-city of Singora, to the present. Normal hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-4pm (closed Monday, Tuesday and public holidays), with a 30 baht Thai / 150 baht foreign admission. As of this writing multiple visitor reports describe the main mansion building closed for renovation with no confirmed reopening date -- the grounds remain open and free to walk, and the building is still worth seeing from outside, but confirm the mansion itself is open again before making it the reason for a special trip.

The taller of the city's twin hills, reached by an enclosed funicular for an easy ascent or a staircase for those who want the climb. Reported funicular fares vary by source -- most commonly cited around 60 baht adult / 30 baht child round trip, with some older reviews quoting closer to 30 baht, so treat it as an approximate band and expect a ticket window at the base station rather than a fixed online price. At the top, the Sala Phra Wihan Daeng Royal Pavilion and its dramatic naga staircase sit alongside a Buddhist temple, with panoramic views over Songkhla city and the Gulf best enjoyed at sunrise or sunset.

A centuries-old Chinese-Thai Buddhist temple in the old quarter, alongside Asasul Mosque -- an 1850s mosque that once served as the province's central mosque -- and the Chinese-style City Pillar Shrine. Together they trace Songkhla's layered Thai, Chinese and Malay-Muslim history as a trading port.

Southern Thailand's first zoo, spread across roughly 878 rai overlooking Songkhla Lake, with elephants, tigers, giraffes, zebras, bears and monkeys among its collection. Open daily, roughly 8:30am-5pm/5:30pm; admission runs 150 baht adult / 70 baht child, plus a separate vehicle fee (roughly 50-60 baht for a car, 10 baht for a motorbike). The zoo's on-site water park -- a hillside slide, fountains and pools -- is covered by the same zoo ticket rather than a separate charge. Built for wildlife breeding and conservation study as much as visitor entertainment, and a genuinely different half-day than the beach or Old Town.

A short crossing over Songkhla Lake via the Tinsulanonda Bridge -- built during General Prem Tinsulanonda's premiership so traffic no longer had to wait for the old car ferries, and still Thailand's longest concrete bridge -- brings you to Ko Yo. The crossing is really two linked sections rather than one continuous span: roughly 1.1km from the Songkhla City side to Ko Yo's southern shore, then a longer roughly 1.8km stretch from the island's northern shore across to Ban Khao Khieo in Singhanakhon district, for a combined length commonly cited around 2.6km. Ko Yo itself is known for centuries-old handloom weaving: nine weaving groups and roughly 200 weavers producing a five-star OTOP-certified cotton cloth.

A well-regarded collection of southern Thai art, tools and cultural artefacts -- more than 50,000 items by some counts -- spread across a hillside of traditional buildings on Ko Yo under Thaksin University's Institute for Southern Thai Studies, alongside genuine local seafood restaurants and boat trips onto Songkhla Lake past floating fishing villages and lotus-covered waters. Open daily, roughly 8:30/9am-5pm; admission is tiered -- 50 baht Thai adult, 20 baht student, 10 baht child, 100 baht foreign visitor -- with English or Thai guided tours available.

A roughly one-kilometre street-food market on Talay Luang Road, about 10 minutes from Old Town, best visited after 5pm, with seafood, noodles, fried chicken and traditional southern Thai dishes at low prices -- the easiest way to taste the everyday food culture behind Songkhla's November 2025 UNESCO City of Gastronomy recognition.

Billed as southern Thailand's first floating market, serving local street food in eco-friendly containers along the canal -- worth knowing it actually sits in Khlong Hae subdistrict of Hat Yai district, not Songkhla town itself, so it pairs more naturally with a Hat Yai day trip than a walk from the Old Town. Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays only, roughly 1pm-9pm; arriving around 5pm is the common tip for beating both the afternoon heat and the evening crowd crush. See our full Songkhla food culture guide for more on the city's UNESCO gastronomy status.

The region's much larger commercial hub, about 30km inland, has its own dedicated things-to-do guide covering Wat Hat Yai Nai's giant reclining Buddha, the Municipal Park cable car, and Central Festival and Lee Gardens malls -- the fuller shopping and dining scene Songkhla town itself doesn't have.

Roughly 45 minutes from Hat Yai and about an hour from Songkhla town, this waterfall inside Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary splits into two parallel cascades said to resemble a pair of elephant tusks, with hiking trails between the tiers. The sanctuary's non-Thai entrance fee is reported at 200 baht adult / 100 baht child; a specific Thai-national rate wasn't confirmed by any source read for this page, so budget for the foreign rate and treat a lower Thai price as likely but unverified here. Flow is strongest in the rainy season, roughly August through December.

What are the best things to do in Songkhla?

Samila Beach and the Golden Mermaid statue, Songkhla Old Town's Sino-Portuguese shophouses paired with the Songkhla National Museum, Tang Kuan Hill's funicular and viewpoint, and a half-day trip across the Tinsulanonda Bridge to Ko Yo island for the Thaksin Folklore Museum and handloom weaving.

Is Songkhla worth visiting, or should I just stay in Hat Yai?

They suit different things. Songkhla town is the historic, coastal option -- Old Town, Samila Beach, Songkhla Lake and Ko Yo -- while Hat Yai, about 30km inland, is the region's commercial hub with the bigger malls, temples and dining scene. Most long-stayers in the area end up using both.

What is there to do on Ko Yo island?

Ko Yo, reached via the Tinsulanonda Bridge over Songkhla Lake, is known for centuries-old handloom weaving and the Thaksin Folklore Museum, a well-regarded collection of southern Thai art and artefacts. Lakeside seafood restaurants and boat trips past floating fishing villages round out a half-day visit.

Is there a zoo in Songkhla?

Yes -- Songkhla Zoo, southern Thailand's first zoo, sits on roughly 878 rai overlooking Songkhla Lake and houses elephants, tigers, giraffes, zebras, bears and monkeys. It was built as much for wildlife breeding and conservation study as for visitors.

Where can I try Songkhla's UNESCO-recognised food culture?

Wachira Night Food Market on Talay Luang Road, about 10 minutes from Old Town and best after 5pm, and Khlong Hae Floating Market (Friday-Sunday and public holidays, roughly 1-9pm, and actually in Hat Yai district rather than Songkhla town) are the two accessible ways to taste the food culture behind Songkhla's November 2025 UNESCO City of Gastronomy status. See our full Songkhla cooking classes & food culture guide for the honest details.

What does it cost to visit Songkhla's main sights?

Most of Songkhla's landmarks are free (Samila Beach, Old Town, Wat Matchimawat). Where there is a charge: Songkhla National Museum is 30 baht Thai / 150 baht foreign (Wed-Sun, 9am-4pm -- though the mansion itself has been reported closed for renovation, so confirm it's reopened before visiting for that alone); Tang Kuan Hill's funicular runs roughly 60 baht adult / 30 baht child round trip; Songkhla Zoo is 150 baht adult / 70 baht child plus a small vehicle fee, with its water park included; and on Ko Yo, the Thaksin Folklore Museum is 50 baht Thai adult / 100 baht foreign.

Is the Songkhla National Museum open right now?

The grounds and the Sino-Portuguese mansion's exterior are accessible, but multiple recent visitor reports describe the main building itself closed for renovation with no confirmed reopening date. If seeing the interior is the point of your visit, check locally or via the museum's own Facebook page before you go rather than assuming the posted Wednesday-Sunday, 9am-4pm hours are currently in effect for the inside.