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Songkhla....yes..pronounced.."Song" "kaa" "la".

Well for those who dont know where this is, its at the eastern south tip of Thailand near the Malaysian border. It faces the South China Sea. Driving from Hadyai, takes about 1hour, and about 6 hours from Bangkok. This is your average sized Thai town. Its major roads are centered in the city center which is like about 3-4 blocks big.

If you are stuck here in Songkhla for a night or so, its good to know a few things that im about to share. Firstly, your hotel would either be near the beach, e.g BP Samila Resort or in town, e.g. Pavillion Hotel.

Which ever your hotel is, dont worry because the public transportation fleet is A one! The famous "tuk tuk" and "moto sike" will take you anywhere, anytime. Costs from THB 10 onwards.

There isnt much to do here in Songkla, so ill talk about food. One thing Songkhla prides it self on, is its food!

First stop, if you are hungry, make sure you visit 7-11 first. 7-11 in Thailand is a super saver! They stock up on everything from sandwhiches to sausages to even hot noodles and rice!

Of course this is where i get my beer!

So continueing on to my food expedition, i love to stop at any of the small little stalls to see what they sell. First is the steaming "Sarapao", which is similar to the steamed dumplings in China, Malaysia and Singapore which is served in "Dim Sum". The "Sarapao" is much smaller in size than the Chinese "Pao". Fillings include pork or chicken.

These are just bite sized and good for a munch before terrorizing the rest of the stalls.

Oh and don't forget the Bueno Chocolates. They are cheaper than Malaysia and Singapore. THB 18 in 7-11. (Unless you buy it in duty free, then its not counted)

Ok moving on to the heavy stuff. This is like the mother find of all times. I was walking along the street to look for a nice place to eat and i stumble upon this place. Wow weee the queue was like maybe in tens, and they just keep on coming and going. So i remembered what was the motto, "where there is alot of people, the food is surely good", i went and order a plate. There were two versions, one is the flat rice noodles and meat with vegetables and the other was rice with meat and vegetables. The man cooking this was literally using his two hands to scoop up meat in to its wok. And he prepares about 15 pla tes at once. Heres pictures to prove it. So this place is a must. (but this is a pork dish, so its not halal).

His stall is in front of the large super market with KFC in it. Don't really know the name, but there is only one center there.

I was on my way back when i spotted 3 more stalls. One was selling Thai Mango/Papaya Salad, which on normal days, if i wasnt such a glutton at the start, i would have ordered a helping of spicy sourish yet refreshing Som Tam (Salad). Vegetables like shaved cabbage, chopped green long beans, tomato,lots of chili puree and not forgetting the mango and papaya, are all mixed and stomped with a granite mallet. Fresh lime is squeezed to add to the tangy taste. MMMM mmmm! Absolutely tummy tantalizing! Cost about THB 30 a plate.

The other stall would be the fried chicken stall. Amazing that this guy has 4 huge woks filled with boiling oil to cook all his chicken. And this doesn't stop at just the opening of the stall. He is constantly throwing in the chicken and scooping it up with what ever free hand he has.

I had to try one, to see what the fuss was about. The chicken was ok. KFC must be hurting inside because his stall is just infront of KFC!

The last snack i got was the small strips of juicy deep fried pork. They are sold in packets and eaten with a type of chili sauce. Amazingly this compliments the beer i was drinking which was Leo beer. Great Stuff to try!

Hope you enjoy your stay in Songkhla. Please do write and tell me, about new places that you would like to recommend if you are ever in Songkhla.