Phra Phutthanirokhantarai Chaiwat Chaturathit

Wat Tham Khuha Sawan 
is at the foot of Khao Khuha Sawan near Phatthalung market. A left-hand road at Khao Hua Taek takes visitors to the temple. The temple was built in the Ayutthaya period and was later upgraded to be the first royal temple in the province. Inside the cave is a large reclining Buddha image and another in a sitting posture. The cave walls and entrance are full of initials of many kings and royal family members.

Phu Khao Ok Thalu 
can be accessed from Wat Khuha Sawan by taking Highway No. 4047. Khao Ok Thalu rises majestically east of the train station. This mountain is a symbol of the province. It is about 250 meters high. Stairs lead up to the summit where visitors can get a panoramic view of the province. The name of the mountain derives from a hole near the top that allows people to see through it.

Wat Wang
is in Tambon Lam Pam, 6 kilometers from the city on Highway No. 4047 (on the same route as Khao Ok Thalu). This is an important historical site of the province. It was built by Phraya Phatthalung (Thongkhao) in the reign of King Rama III and was once the place where government officials performed allegiance pledges in the early Rattanakosin period. Inside the convocation hall are murals of dusted paint in the time of King Rama IV about the biography of Lord Buddha and about angels. The main plaster Buddha image is from the same period. A total of 108 images line the balcony around the building.

Wang Chao Muang Phatthalung (Wang Kao-Wang Mai)
is at Tambon Lam Pam, near Wat Wang. Originally a government place and the home of the city lord, the part called Wang Kao built in the time of Phraya Phatthalung (Noi Chantharotchanawong) when he was the provincial governor. The palace later became the property of Mrs. Praphai Mutamara, the daughter of Luang Si Worachat. The new palace, or Wang Mai, was built in 1889 by Phraya Aphaiborirakchakrawichitphiphitphakdi (Net Chantharotchanawong), the son of Phraya Phatthalung, then the provincial governor. The Chantharotchanawong family has given this palace to the country. The Fine Arts Department declared it a national historical site in 1983

Phraya Thukrat monument (Chuai)
is at Tha Miram intersection in Phatthalung municipality. Records show that Phraya Thukrat was a monk named Phra Maha Chuai who resided at Wat Pa Lilai during the reign of King Rama I. When the Nine Armies War took place, Phra Maha Chuai rallied villagers to help Phraya Phatthalung defeat Burmese forces. When he left the monkhood, he was appointed by the king to be Phraya Thukrat to help the city lord. His title of Phraya was of the same level as the city lord.

Hat Saen Suk Lam Pam
is about 2 kilometers past Wat Wang on Highway No. 4047. This shady pine-fringed beach on the bank of Songkhla Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Thailand. In the middle of the rotary is a sculpture of a school of Lam Pam fish native to the area. A water pavilion named Sala Lam Pam Thi Rak is ideal for viewing the scenery. A bridge spans the beach and an islet created by sediment from the river. In Lam Pam Lake are dolphins, which can be seen frequently.

Handicrafts village
is Ban Khok Wua, Tambon Chai Buri, Amphoe Muang. The village is about 6 kilometers from the city on the road from Sai Yuan intersection. The village is famous for making products from coconut shells, now called the Million Baht Coconut Shell Village. The community leader, Mr. Plum Chukhong, pioneered the idea of getting villagers to make products from coconut shells that can be found locally. Products include kitchenware, household items and decorations. Eventually over 100 households began such an industry and later received support from the Industrial Promotion Department. Popular items are spoons, coffee cups, mugs, ladles, plates, bowls, lamps, and other decorations sold domestically and to 16 countries worldwide. Visitors interested in seeing demonstrations and buying products can contact Mr. Plum Chukhong, No. 42, Mu 1, Ban Khok Wua, Tambon Chai Buri, tel. 01-4655751.

Shadow play handicrafts village
is at Mu 1, Ban Bang Kaeo, Tambon Tha Madua. It is about 9 kilometers from the Phetchakasem-railway intersection and 200 meters from the railway to the center. The total distance from Phatthalung city to the village is about 36 kilometers. The village has 25 members, all of whom make shadow play figures from hides in various styles made to order. The work is delicate and beautiful. The products are sold nationwide and exported to about 16 countries. For persons interested in seeing and buying shadow play products, please contact Mr. Im Chanchum, the center's president, or the Amphoe Bang Kaeo Community Development Office at tel. (074) 697380.

Wat Khian Bang Kaeo
is on Highway No. 4081, 7 kilometers past Khao Chai Son district office, in the area of Ban Bang Kaeo at Km. 14. A left-hand road leads to the temple. Wat Khian is situated on the bank of Songkhla Lake. This old monastery has the sacred Phra That Bang Kaeo, built in the same style as Phra Maha That Chedi in Nakhon Si Thammarat but smaller. This is one of the oldest historical sites of Phatthalung, dating back to the early Ayutthaya period. It is believed that the temple area was once the site of Phatthalung town because many laterite ruins and Buddha images have been found here.

Laem Chong Thanon
is at Tambon Chong Thanon. To get there from Amphoe Muang, drive along Phetchakasem Road and turn left past Khao Chai Son for 12 kilometers. The total distance is about 39 kilometers. Laem Chong Thanon is a fisherman's village on a dirt hill that slopes down to Songkhla Lake that has saline water. The village has a good view of islands and the surrounding area.

Phraiwan waterfall
is in Ban Phut Forest Protection Unit in Khao Banthat Wildlife Reserve, Tambon Khlong Chaloem. To get there, go from Khlong Muai by the Tambon Lam Sin-Ban Kong Ra road (Highway No. 4122) for about 20 kilometers. The waterfall entrance is to the west about 3 kilometers away. This is a large waterfall with serene natural surroundings that are rich in tropical flora. A parking area and a restaurant are available.

Thale Noi Waterfowl Reserve
is the largest waterfowl reserve in Thailand. It can be reached via Highway No. 4048 from Amphoe Muang to Amphoe Khuan Khanun and to Thale Noi, for a total distance of 32 kilometers. The road is paved asphalt all the way. The reserve is the responsibility of the Royal Forestry Department and covers 450 square kilometers, divided into 422 square kilometers of land (94%) and 28 square kilometers of water (6%), or Thale Noi.

The sea is 5 kilometers wide and 6 kilometers long with an average depth of 1.2 meters. The sea is covered with assorted flora such as lotus, bulrush, reed, and grass used for thatching. More than 187 species of waterfowls, migratory and indigenous birds make their home at Thale Noi. Some live here throughout the year and some migrate only in winter from October to March when the population density is at its highest.

The low season is June-September which is the nesting period. Species that are prevalent here are those of the heron and stork family such as yellow bittern, great egret, painted stork, red stork; ducks such as lesser  whistling duck, cotton pygmy goose, and garganey; grebe; rails such as white-browed crake, white-breasted waterhen, watercock, common moorhen, and Eurasian coot; jacanas such as pheasant-tailed jacana and bronze-winged jacana; cormorants such as great cormorant and little cormorant; black-winged stilt; Brahminy kite; red-wattled lapwing; whiskered tern; common kingfisher; and barn swallow. The best time to study flora and fauna is during October-March when there is an abundance of birds and pink lotus in full bloom cover the reserve. Moreover, tourists can visit villages and see cottage industries like reed mat making. Thale Noi has been named the first world wetland site in Thailand. This aims to preserve the sustainable ecology of the area, one that is being developed into one of the  country's most important nature study centers. As such, there is careful control of eco-tourism in Thale Noi in order to minimize impact on the environment. Tourists can take boats from Thale Noi pier and go on two routes; the first one for tourists with services by the Thale Noi community and the second for academics and nature study by requesting permission and guide from a reserve official. The reserve has comfortable accommodation. For more information, please contact the Royal Forestry Department in Bangkok, tel. 5797223, 5795734, and Thale Noi Non-hunting Area, Tel. (074) 615722. Travel to Thale Noi is easy by boat and car. Access can be made from seaside districts like Ranot, Sathing Phra and Muang of Songkhla, and Pak Phayun, Khuan Khanun and Muang of Phatthalung. Visitors by train can alight at Pak Khlong station and continue by car to Thale Noi for 8 kilometers.

Matcha Pla Won cave
is near the park headquarters. Inside the cave are beautiful curtain-like stalactites and stalagmites. A pond 400 of square meters is full of fish. This pond was formed from water that flows through Khao Nai Wang. The cave entrance is black rock and covered with shady trees.

Riang Thong waterfall
is around 3 kilometers from Talat Khao Pu community. The source originates from the Banthat and Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain ranges. The waterfall is called the Hundred-level Waterfall. The loveliest level is the 13th level where visitors can see Thale Noi and Khao Pu-Khao Ya.

Pha Phung observation point
is about 250 meters from the park headquarters. The outstanding feature of the cliff is that during February-April of every year, bees will make hives here numbering in the hundreds. When the rainy season comes, the bees will abandon the hives. The observation point gives a good view of the park and its flora.

Nature trails
are near the park headquarters. There are 2 trails that are ideal for studying flora.  Moreover, in the area of the headquarters is a tourist service center that is a small exhibition place for publicizing useful information for tourists. The park has set up a good exhibition of pictures with captions, plus a park official to help explain and answer questions. A meeting room is available for conferences and seminars. It can hold up to 30 people. In addition, there are about 50 tent sites around the park. For information on overnighting, please contact the park headquarters at Mu 9, Tambon Khao Pu, Amphoe Si Banphot, tel. (074) 619654.

Phutthakhodom cave
is in Mu 4, Tambon Ban Na, on the same way to Khao Khram waterfall. It is about 3 kilometers from Highway No. 4 (Phetchakasem Road).

Khao Banthat Wildlife Reserve
is at Tambon Ban Na, 27 kilometers from Phatthalung city on Highway No. 4. The park has an area of 167 square kilometers, covering Trang, Songkhla and Satun. The topography is mountainous. It is a watershed of several rivers and the home to many valuable plants.

set homepage |

Phatthalung