11 Things to Enjoy in Samila Beach, Thailand

Samila Beach is one of the two beaches in Songkhla Province in Thailand, the land of smile. It is famous to locals and tourists alike; one’s visit to Songkhla is never complete without stopping by Samila Beach. It’s a 2 kilometers stretch of beige sand, from the mermaid statue at the south end, near PB Samila Hotel, to the northern end where the magnificent sculpture of Nag the serpent is.

It is a major stop over for tourists coming to Songkhla from Malaysia, Singapore, or nearby provinces. A tour of Songkhla is incomplete without coming here, after all the symbol of Songkhla is found here.  For now, let me share with you some of the things that you could enjoy in Samila Beach.

Here are list of things you can do when in Samila Beach

1. Frolic in the beach, and the best time to do this is late afternoon, when the sun is still out; it’s warm, but not scorching hot. The water is low and calm; it is safe for children, and a perfect time for swimming and sunbathing. In terms of swimwear, there are no rules. Wear whichever you are comfortable in. People are tolerant, courteous, and generally are just minding their own business.

2. Picnic or read a book. A large portion of Laem Samila is shaded by canopies of tall Pine trees. Benches are available, lounging at one of them with your favorite read is another awesome way to relax at Samila beach. If you are with friends be sure to bring a picnic mattress and some snacks from the nearby 7-11 or local food stalls, lie down, relax and gaze up at the blue skies, feel the cool sea breeze, and “chat the noon away.”

3. Enjoy local snacks. Along Laem Son Rod, there are variety of places where you could grab something to eat. As mentioned there’s 7-11 just outside BP Samila Hotel near the roundabout. There’s an Amazon Cafe for coffee aficionados, which is right in front of the beach, on the hillside. And there are plenty of local food stalls along the road selling variety of street food, deep-fried hotdogs, deep-fried shrimp-pancakes, papaya salad, grilled meats, variety of local drinks, and Thai ice cream.

4. Play bubbles. This one is for the kids and kids at heart.  There is no need for you to make your own bubble concoction, you can rent it there for 30 baht (0.91USD or 3.81RM).

5. Horse riding. Yes, you read it correctly. For 150 baht (4.55USD or 19.07RM) you can go on a horse ride, and gallop the whole stretch of Samila beach. I know what you’re thinking, horse manure. Of course, horses do their thing there (they can’t help it ^_^), but it’s owners look after this and see to it that their horse is not soiling the beach. So what they do is they use tissue paper to collect the manure, and place this in a plastic bag (yep plastic bag), and dispose of properly in a bin.

6. Fly a kite. The beach is a nice place to fly a kite. There is no shortage of space and wind. In the afternoon when the water is low, it exposes a vast area of the beach, a totally great place to enjoy kite flying.

7. Beach volleyball. Samila beach has been a regular venue for Beach Volleyball competition which includes the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships and  the AVC Asia Beach Volleyball Championships. Next year, June 19 to 23, 2019  Samila Beach will host the 2019 edition of the men’s and women’s FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships.

8. Take a photo with Samila mermaid statue. One of the most photographed part of Samila Beach is the Bronze Mermaid Statue.  It had been the symbol of Songkhla for over 50 years. Sculpted in 1966, this blackened bronze statuette was the work of master Jitr Buabut who was honored as a national artist and awarded a visual arts award in 2002. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 100.

Another prominent statue found in Samila beach are the Cat and Mouse which represents Songkhla and the Island in front of Samila Beach respectively. There is a bit of wonderful history behind these statues which I will be sharing in the next post.

9. Sunset photography, Wedding photography or selfie. Samila beach can be a sight to behold especially during sunset. Visitors could not help take photos of the beach or take a selfie with the sunset, or the long stretch of khaki sand, or the bright azure sky, or the lush green, shady Pine trees, or mermaid statue at the background.

10. Walk and feel the sand. During the late afternoon when the water is low, it exposes a long, off-white powdery sand, a perfect time and place to re-connect with Earth; ditch your footwear, walk, and feel it. After a days work or a long, cold stay in a conference room, or after long hours of being cramped up in a vehicle, wake your senses up and get your daily dose of vitamin D and “sea” by hanging out on the beach.

11. Dine. And after all these, it is time to fill your growling tummy with fresh, yummylicious seafood or any Thai cuisine of your choice. You don’t have to look far, as there are several seafood restaurants along Laem Son Road just outside the beach shore.

So there you go. I will keep this post updated for what’s up and what’s new with Samila beach.

If you have comments, suggestions, and questions please leave them at the comment section below or you could send me a message at my Facebook page which you could find at the right side bar of the post. Thanks.

Related Post

Driving Thailand: Nakorn Sri Thammarat Route

On this one day trip,  we visited Nakorn Srithammarat. It is one of the largest cities in the South of Thailand.

Windmills of your mind

On the way,  we were amazed by these incredibly huge windmills. There were approximately over fifty windmills scattered on both sides of the road. Wind is a great alternative source of energy.  It is environmentally friendly as this renewable power source does not emit greenhouse gas during operation.  Aside from these it is clean and does not consume water.  Hua Sai, where these windmills are located, is definitely stepping up their game with these non-conventional power source. Hua Sai is a district in the Southeastern part of Nakhon Sri Thammarat.  It is in between Ranot of Songkhla Province and Pak Phanang district.

We couldn’t get near the windmill as it is prohibited. I think this is not only a source of clean, affordable energy but could be a great tourist destination.

 

Finally in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat..

After almost three hours drive,  we reached our destination, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the main Buddhist temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat.  Its main stupa is called Phra Borommathat Chedi (Great Noble Relics Stupa, the center structure), which was constructed sometime in the 13th century and has already underwent several restoration works.  This 178-meter, bell shaped stupa is the most prominent structure in the temple.

The temple’s Ubosot and main Chedi

 

Other prominent features of the temple include

  • Countless seating Buddhas. These are found on the right wing of the temple upon entry.

Seated Buddhas

 

  • The reclining Buddha
  • Temple museum. It displays valuable artifacts which dates back to Bangkok period.  The collections were actually donations of visitors as part of their merit-making to the stupa of the temple.  The museum is a significant educational hub not only on an artistic standpoint but also in terms of history and culture of people before. This is a marvelous place to bring kids for some history lessons.
  • A forest of Chedis. Surrounding the main chedi are smaller ones. There are almost two hundred of them that it feels like you are walking in a forest of towering,  tall trees.

Chedis

 

Location:

Nai Mueang, Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80000

opens daily from 8.00 a.m to 4.30 p.m

admission:  free

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