South ภาคใต้ paak3 dtai3 Southern Thailand is the least populous region of Thailand. It’s mainly a thin vertical stretch of land, surrounded by amazing beaches (ชายหาด, chaai1 haad2) on both sides. Although the south has it’s own Thai dialect of fast-talkers, large numbers of central-dialect people from Bangkok are moving there to start tourism companies and hotels. Phuket (ภูเก็ต, puu1 get2) is probably the most famous city there. I’ve only been there once, right after the tsunami, so it was pretty deserted and quite when I went. I generally enjoyed the place. But supposedly it’s normally filled with bar after bar of farang and bar girls, and the beaches are too crowded to enjoy them. I hear the Full Moon Party is good there, though. Koh Samui (เกาะสมุย, go2 sa2mui1) is probably the second most famous place, but it’s an island somewhat difficult to get to. It’s also not as pretty as Phuket, and the beaches are smaller. But I like it as it’s not as crowded or developed (yet).
There are two other famous cities of the south: Hua Hin (หัวหิน, hua5 hin5), which is a beach resort area where the King often resided; and Hat Yai หาดใหญ่ (haad2 yai2), famous for shopping. I’ve been to both, but only for a day each so my opinions of both places being so-so don’t really count.
If you travel really south, deep deep south to the southern three most provinces just before hitting Malaysia, that’s where the ‘southern insurgency’ can be found. Bombings and shootings happen weekly, with about a dozen people dying every month. Even after 10 years, no one knows for sure the cause of the violence.
