Southern Thailand Travel Guide
The southern ‘panhandle’ of Thailand is quite different from the rest of the country. Indeed, the further south you head, the less obviously Thai the surroundings get. Most people here are Muslim and speak Yawi, which has more in common with Malay than it does with Thai (although the latter is widely understood). When people say they’ve been to ‘the south’ they usually mean Phuket, Krabi or Ko Samui, but if you have the time to continue south, you’ll find an interesting, culturally rich area ripe for exploration. Note: Since 2004, there has been an insurgency in the three southernmost provinces, with loosely-affiliated groups using random violence to try and attain their goal of a separate Malay state. This situation should be taken into consideration if you travel here, and a visit to your consulate/embassy’s website is advised.