Satun Province Travel Guide
Satun is a province in the south of Thailand that sits on the Malaysian border. It is made up of beautiful and unexplored areas including Tarutao Island, which is the most popular destination for tourists visiting Satun.
Introduction
Satun is often used as a transit point for the nearby Malay island of Lankawi and is bordered by Trang, Songkhla and Phatthalung provinces as well as the Perils of Malaysia to the south. Satun in the Malay means ‘mangosteen tree’, and the region boasts a pretty coastline that is backed by mountains and national parks, including Ko Phetra and Ko Tarutao National Marine parks as well as the protected freshwater swamp area known as Thale Ban.
Satun is a massive 604 miles from Bangkok and there is a pleasant public park to wander around in the shade of the hill in the northwest of the town. There are many small shrines, which are home to monks in the area, and if you carry on through the mangroves, there is a local fishing village that has been untouched by tourism.
Getting There & Away
There are daily buses from Bangkok that leave Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal and although Satun has no airport, there are flights to Hat Yai, where minivans, songthaew or private taxis can take you to Satun. There is also a train station in Hat Yai that welcomes daily trains from Hualumphong Station in Bangkok, and there is a regular line of songthaew at the station waiting to take visitors to Satun.
Satun attractions
Satun National Museum: the building itself is interesting as it is an example of Thai, European and Spanish architecture and it houses artifacts from Satun’s past.
Namtok Ludu: a small yet pretty waterfall where there is also a nature trail for keen hikers to follow.
Ao Chak: a small bay with a pristine beach and clear seas.
Laem Tanyong Po and Hat Sai Yao: a stunning cape that protrudes into the Andaman that is home to a fishing village and a sandy stretch of beach that is lined with palm trees.