Visiting Narathiwat is like stepping back in time (video)

Just to correct what Gringo writes: Narathiwat CAN be visited, as well as Pattani and Yala. The fact that there is travel advice that advises against this does not mean that you cannot travel through the region or that you cannot stay there for a shorter or longer period of time. Hey, if you want you can even move in there. There is no one who won't let you into the area, there is no fence around it and (mini) buses run to every place of significance in the three provinces. With a Western passport you will not be refused, neither on the train to Sungai Kolok, nor by self-drive/(rental) car past the multiple checkpoints.

My situation: I have traveled to these three 'border provinces' (which Pattani is not actually) four times since January 2014 and spent a total of sixteen nights there, one in Narathiwat, two in Yala and the rest in Pattani. Always in the cities of the same name and mainly out of pure interest in the region and its inhabitants, although I even found a girlfriend in Pattani via the internet. Unfortunately she has been living in Bangkok since this month, so I no longer have an excuse to travel to the deep south, other than my fascination for this beautiful area.

I have traveled to and through the region by train, minibus and rental car, but locally also by regular bus and in Pattani by motorbike taxi. Unfortunately, many soldiers are stationed there, often from other parts of the country, who keep the local population under control as a kind of occupying force, resulting in a few massacres such as in Tak Bai (Nar) and the Krue Se Mosque (Pat). It is understandable that the mostly Islamic population feels disadvantaged and oppressed. That does not condone the anonymous and never-claimed attacks by shadowy organizations such as the BRN-C, PULO and RKK, but it is understandable to a certain extent. The rulers in Bangkok care nothing about this part of the country that is literally and figuratively far from their beds, except that they want to keep it with Thailand at all costs. Something about loss of face…

The Thainess of its inhabitants, which the majority are ethnically, religiously and linguistically NOT, is forced upon the people with a firm and soft hand, think of the well-known national and yellow flags, images of the royal family and the daily playing of the national anthem, but also to so-called 'charm offensives' of the so hated army. All the average citizen wants is more respect, autonomy and control over their way of life. Think of making the language official, Yawi or Pattani-Malay, Islam alongside Buddhism as the state religion and more money and/or economic opportunities. This forgotten region is just as poor, if not poorer, than Isan. Especially outside a relatively prosperous city like Yala.

For me, 'Patani' (the three border provinces that formed the sultanate until the early 20th century) remains the most beautiful region of Thailand. Within a fairly small area – about a third of the continental Netherlands – you will find rice fields, rubber plantations, beaches, jungles, mountains, rivers, nature parks and waterfalls. For culture lovers there are mosques, temples, museums, (karaoke) bars and charming villages, where as a farang you are an attraction yourself. Many people never see a white face. For example, in Narathiwat city I experienced that a group of school children wanted to take a picture with me. Furthermore, I was spontaneously approached in many places by curious people who wanted to know everything about me and I was regularly offered food and drink. People laugh a little less than in the rest of Thailand – as a Westerner I often got surprised, sometimes slightly suspicious looks and in some places you feel a certain tension in the air, but at least the people are authentic. A smile means that people are actually happy to see you.

No, I have not had the misfortune to be near (bomb) attacks or shootings. Incidentally, the latter are almost always planned well in advance and are aimed at those in authority and their 'companions' and – unfortunately – against teachers, but fortunately not something you need to fear during a temporary stay as a tourist. Furthermore, certain precautions apply: do not travel after dark, avoid certain districts and/or villages and do not stay too long near checkpoints or schools around closing time when the teachers go home. Considering that I have walked and driven in many 'dangerous' rural districts, driven in the dark – much to the dismay of my concerned girlfriend – across the countryside and through Pattani town and (near midnight!) a long walk through made the deserted streets of Narathiwat, I was not the most careful, by the way. But I thought like this: fear is mainly in your head. Statistically speaking, the chance of a traffic accident is still greater than the chance of becoming involved in 'molest'.

I would therefore advise people who really want to get off the beaten track to visit the region (by car!), always warning that it is OFFICIAL, although not war! – is/can be dangerous. In any case, I enjoyed it myself, if only for the unique experience of being there as a farang and being able to say (or retell ;)).

By the way, I haven't been to all 33 districts by a long shot. Well in the provincial capitals, the southern border town of Betong, via a beautiful route through the mountains of Yala, and charming villages such as Yaring (P), Panare (P), Yaha (Y), Bannang Sata (Y) and Rueso (N). I also visited tourist attractions (haha) such as the Krue Se Mosque, Matsayit Klang, Yarang Ancient Town and the Wat Khuhaphimuk. Usually alone, sometimes with my friend June. Often I was the only visitor. Also on the beautiful beach with ditto sea of ​​Ao Manao / Khao Tanyong National Park, just south of Narathiwat City. Except for the Malaysian (sex) tourists in border towns such as Sungai Kolok, Tak Bai and Betong, there are very few – say no – tourists in the region. The only farangs I saw in and around the luxurious, dirt-cheap CS Hotel in Pattani, which is my main home base in the region. My guess was that none of them were tourists, but were there for business or family visits and hardly ever a farang comes / dares to go outside that reasonably safe enclave.
Rest assured that if you stay in a city like Yala without a Western-quality hotel—even if it's for a whole month—you won't see a single white person. Not to mention the villages.

I hope that the complicated conflict is resolved quickly (at least to some extent), the military goes back to where they came from and the tourist flow gradually picks up. The area can really use the financial boost and is perfect for the adventurous among tourists who want to put it on the map. I hope I was able to give at least a little help.

Danzig, farang baa from the Netherlands.

I traveled extensively in Songkhla, Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces in 2018 and 2019. I experienced no problems and never felt threatened. Regarding the travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: I have corresponded extensively with the responsible people in the Consular Affairs department in The Hague for more than two years about travel advice for various countries in this region. They are ignorant, ethnocentric amateurs. They copy information from websites of other Western countries and from other random websites without any fact checking. Attribution and transparency are completely absent. The contribution of embassies and consulates is negligible. They are too busy with completely different things and do not feel responsible. Ethnocentrism: the assessment of other cultures using one's own culture as the norm, sometimes viewing one's own culture as superior.