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Home » Reader question » Thailand question: Is southern Thailand safe?
Thailand question: Is southern Thailand safe?
Dear readers,
I'm figuring out to go to Thailand for a week, Hat Yai and Songkhla. I am going for the first time and was wondering if it is safe to travel to that area given the elections? Anyone who can tell me more about that?
Also, can I find cheap tickets if I fly with China Southern Airlines? Are there people familiar with this airline and the flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok?
I can also book a direct flight with KLM, but that is almost twice as expensive. Is it ok to take the cheaper flight or is the more expensive direct flight still better?
I'm also going on a plane for the first time.
Thanks in advance!
Thalien
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You can travel to Hat Yai or Songkhla without any problems. Traveling to Yala is not recommended.
Thanks for your comment.
Nice to hear that it is possible, I will avoid further south
I've been to both Haat Yai and Songkla several times in the past year, and never noticed any problem.
According to my friend who is from Phattalung, it is only in the very south of Songkhla province that it is possibly more risky.
By the way, why do you want to go to Hat Yai and Songkhla specifically?
Oh that's nice to hear!
Thought it wouldn't be too bad but still checking with people who have the experience.
I am adopted from Songkhla and would like to see where I have been in the children's home.
Still waiting to see if that is even possible.
Thanks for your comment!
Been coming to those parts for over 30 years and never experienced any inconvenience.
Thank you very much for your response, I'm not worried now that it would be unsafe. Thanks for that!
View government travel advice.
Various areas in the south, among others, are designated as code orange. This means that in case of problems you are not insured and the embassy probably cannot help you.
I had indeed looked up the government's travel advice, thought yellow is also dangerous.
I didn't know that you are not insured in areas marked orange, good to know!
Thank you for your response
Hi Thalien,
I don't read if you resit alone or with others.
My advice: if you don't speak Thai and have never been to Thailand, traveling alone is not wise.
It's not dangerous, just inconvenient. You will sometimes find yourself in a situation where you can use the help of others (as a negotiator, as a talking point).
In the south, even fewer Thais speak English than in Bangkok or a tourist resort.
China Southern is a great company.
Have 485 aircraft in service.
Thanks for your comment!
I'm going to fly with this airline anyway, it's all a bit overwhelming because I've never flown before.
No problem at all to visit the deep south. Hat Yai and Songkhla are certainly doable, with their modern conveniences and a wide range of hotels. The area is beautiful and there are many attractions.
I recommend asking around on Facebook and visiting sites like Tripadvisor.
It's what you want. You already set CA yourself, not directly, how many between stops then, how much time do you lose?
Are you up for it? 36 hours and 2 stops? After all, you are also going on such a trip for the first time.
Then you are in BK and you still have to go south, so fly again. So book in advance and plan ahead.
I always check the various companies myself, but always end up with KLM. Did EVA air once.
KLM always in one go to BK, 10-11 am.
What do you want after that, right on? Then you will also have to book the plane to Hatyai in advance.
You will have to plan it, taking into account the arrival of a foreign flight and the departure of a domestic flight. That can be quite stressful, I noticed in Nov 2022. KLM left an hour later, passenger not present?!
So my transfer time shortened by an hour. Flew to Hatyai with ThaiVietair. I didn't make my scheduled flight either. But was able to go on the next flight (without any administrative hassle), but this one was delayed for another 1.5 hours. You also have to consider whether the domestic flight departs from BK or Don Muang, otherwise you also have to take a shuttle bus to Don Muang, right through BK. They're not really next to each other.
In BK you first go to customs to check in. You're not the only one. you must then, after collecting your luggage, leave for the hall and find the right counter for your domestic flight. That is a hall of 2-300 meters wide. Everything is there. Search. Because of my schedule I had 3 hours, but KLM shortened that by an hour and therefore I didn't make it.
You certainly need the 3 hours and then it's still steps.
And provided you have arranged your domestic flight from Suvarnabhumi.
Do you want to continue to Hatyai without planning or do you first enter BK? You only have a week. You are traveling more than enjoying.
If you go with CA with transfers (?) or intermediate stops (?), waiting times in or outside the plane, you will immediately become a world traveler.
Elections are over and you never know when it comes to attacks. As mentioned Yala can be riskier.
You are only going to Thailand for a week, which is short. If you want to return to BK for the return flight, you will also have to leave a day earlier and stay in BK. This is due to connections between domestic flight times and foreign flight departures. You can't complete it in a day. OK, it is possible, but then you must have a first flight from Hatyai, but it again depends on your foreign flight departure. It's tight.
You will have to plan and book well in advance.
Otherwise you will have to deal with public taxis, short distances (250 baht) and booking a hotel for a night. A short distance from the airport.
Been that direction 3 times now and always plan, everything in advance. And then factors that you don't know and can be negative. Like a late passenger, they said. Lucky that the oen came, otherwise the cargo hold would have had to be opened to get the suitcases out again. Real?
'In BK you first go to customs to check in.'
Follow the crowd from your plane and you will automatically arrive at passport control; then you go to the baggage belts (there are light boxes that indicate where your luggage will arrive), take your luggage and finally you arrive at 'customs'. Choose the green walkway that almost everyone goes through; unless you have something to declare, then you take the red path. From Amsterdam the plane is full of Dutch people so ask if you don't know something.
The continuation depends on the airport from which your domestic flight departs. Is that also Suwannaphoem then go towards 'domestic'.
I wish you a lot of succes; flying for the first time is exciting, especially if you are traveling alone. I assume that you have read this blog about prohibited baggage or baggage with conditions, such as certain medicines, and about the validity period of your passport. When in doubt, ask here!
My mistake, it is indeed not customs but immigration. You'll come across customs later, sorry.
Wow thank you so much for your comprehensive story and information.
I'm talking about it, travel time depends on which airline I choose.
Had also seen that the return journey is getting tight and I have to book it differently, with more than enough transfer time for the journey there.
I want to go straight to Hat Yai. This will therefore look different for the return journey.
Am researching several options, such as domestic by train.
Calmly figuring out what the possibilities are before I book.
I take into account the duration of the trips so that I also have enough days in Thailand to see some of it.
Very nice to hear your experience, I will take it into account even more with fewer risks.
Thanks again.
Domestic by train is fine, but takes a lot of time.
I myself did the train journey from Bangkok to Hat Yai in February in a first-class sleeping compartment. You then leave at about 3 o'clock and arrive the next morning around 8 o'clock.
It is only very difficult to get tickets for a sleeper compartment.
When figuring out the options for the return journey, you could also look at Kuala Lumpur.
The journey from Hat Yai to Kuala Lumpur is roughly the same as from Hat Yai to Bangkok, and there are plenty of affordable flights.
If you really want to travel cheaply from HaT Yai to Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur you can opt for a bus trip, plenty of choice, but it is a long time, and I also find it difficult to sleep in VIP buses.
Your Dutch is quite good and understandable, but here's a corrected version to make the sentences a bit more fluid:
Hatyai and Songkhla are great to visit. I've been coming here for 25 years and will be going again at the end of August. I've never had any problems and I love coming here.
There's plenty to see there. In Songkhla you can eat delicious fish on the coast. Hatyai is a big city with everything and anything. Especially many tourists from Singapore and Malaysia come here to shop.
Transport to Hatyai is possible by bus, train or plane. I always fly with Thai Smile directly from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Hatyai.
Don't be put off by all the weird stories about it not being safe. Just be smart and don't do crazy things. This also applies to all of Thailand.
Regards, Gerrit
Gerrit, Hat Yai and the region were the subject of attacks in 2006 and 2012. Just look it up on the internet. Guarantees run to the door in Thailand as you know. I always followed the advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I can also recommend that to the questioner.
Like Gerrit, I believe that you should just use your common sense, Songkhla and Hat Yai are both safe cities.
Don't worry too much about the advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, read it and investigate its value, for example by looking at travel advice from other countries.
The Netherlands has a knack for giving rather illogical travel advice.
It's not 2006 or 2012 now.
There were also attacks in Paris in 2015. There is now no negative travel advice for Paris or even the entire Paris region?
Thanks for your comment!
Nice to hear your experiences, it sounds good. I also really like food, so Songkhla is the right place for me.
I think there are also nice routes that you can walk, which I definitely want to do.
Is the transport in Songkhla also well arranged?
No, am also a careful person who does not do crazy things.
Please respect that you are a guest in another country.
Hello Thalien,
Because you are going to Thailand for the first time and given the purpose of your trip (visit a children's home in Songhkhka), you may find it pleasant to be accompanied on the spot.
For years we have known a Thai who speaks excellent English, has traveled through Thailand many times with us and several others, has stayed with us several times in the Netherlands and lives in Songhkla.
She may be willing and able to guide you during your stay in the south and in your search for the children's home.
If you are interested in this, you can contact us at [email protected]
After additional information from you, we can put her in touch with you if desired.
Yours faithfully,
Gert Woudsma
Thanks for your comment.
How nice of you to offer it, all the comments by the way. Everyone is very helpful and cooperative, which I really appreciate.
I would be very happy to have a contact person in Songkhla who would be willing to guide me there.
In the meantime I have also contacted organizations that deal with intercountry adoption and the organization that mediated my adoption.
Let's see what comes out of that, just visiting the children's home turns out not to be that easy.
I will contact you by email.
Thanks!
I want to thank everyone for the helpful, thoughtful and reassuring responses.
Now know that I can easily travel to Songkhla and Hat Yai and have plenty to see and do there.
Now it's time to pick a date and go.
I have lived in Hatyai Songkhla for 10 years and have always felt safe and nothing is wrong
For tickets I would look at Skyscanner.nl
El Jan