Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DEEP SOUTH
TOP OF CHAPTER
Yala
POP 76,853
Landlocked Yala wiggles its way south to the Malaysian border, making it Thailand's
southernmost province. Its eponymous capital appears very different from other Thai met-
ropolises. The city's big boulevards and well-organised street grid are set around a huge
circular park and feel distinctly Western. Around three-quarters of the population are
Muslim and it is a university town; the educational centre of the Deep South.
Sights
Yala's biggest attraction is
Wat Kuha Pi Muk
(also called Wat Na Tham or Cave-front
Temple), one of the most important pilgrimage points in southern Thailand. Located 8km
west of town on the road connecting Yala to Hat Yai (Rte 409), the Srivijaya-period cave
temple features a reclining Buddha that dates back to AD 757. A statue of a giant guards
the temple's entrance, and inside small natural openings in the cave's roof let in the sun's
rays to illuminate a variety of ancient Buddhist cave drawings.
Further south, Betong is home to the largest
mail box
in Thailand, first built in 1924.
Betong also functions as a legal, but inconvenient, border crossing to Malaysia; contact
Yala's
immigration office
(
0 7323 1292)
.
MOBILE PHONES
When you arrive in the Deep South, you'll notice that your mobile (cell) phone won't work, whether or not you
have a Thai SIM card. Mobile phone signals are routinely jammed to prevent insurgents using them to set off
bombs. If you have a Thai SIM, you can reactivate it by visiting a local phone shop and handing over your passport
and 50B. They'll make a note of your details, so that the authorities know whose phone it is should it be used for
anything illegal, and an hour later your phone will work again.
Sleeping & Eating
