Songkhla Province Guide: History, Towns and Local Products
Songkhla is a province with two faces. Hat Yai, its biggest city, is a busy market town where shoppers from Malaysia come for the weekend, while the provincial capital, Songkhla itself, is a quiet old port of Sino-Portuguese shophouses between a lake and the sea.
What follows covers a thousand years of maritime trade, the districts from Hat Yai to the Malaysian border, the festivals of a mixed Buddhist and Muslim province, and the products its fishing and farming communities make. Producers will also find how to sell their work to buyers across Thailand and abroad.
Songkhla
Between the Lake and the Sea
The south's trading heart: bustling Hat Yai, a sleepy old port town, Thailand's largest natural lake and a coast of fishing villages.
By the SnapSellGo Thailand Desk · Updated September 2026 · 8 min read
Made in Songkhla
Specialities of Songkhla. Makers from the province are setting up shop.
Cards marked "Known for" describe local specialities, not live listings. Real products appear here automatically once Songkhla producers publish them.
Why Songkhla is the crossroads of the south
Songkhla has always looked out to sea. Between the 10th and 14th centuries, Satingpra on its peninsula was a major urban centre of international maritime trade, and in the 17th century the port prospered under Malay governors. Today about 64% of its people are Buddhist and 33% Muslim.
Its landscape is shaped by water. Songkhla Lake, the largest natural lake in Thailand at 1,040 km², fills the north of the province, and the thin strip of land between the lake and the Gulf of Thailand is lined with sugar palms, fishing villages and beaches.
Thailand's largest natural lake
Songkhla Lake covers 1,040 km² in the north of the province.
Hat Yai
The province's biggest city and the commercial hub of southern Thailand.
A maritime past
Satingpra was a centre of international sea trade from the 10th to the 14th century.
Two faiths
About 64% of residents are Buddhist and 33% Muslim.
A short history of Songkhla
Songkhla's story is written on the water: a medieval trading port, a Malay-ruled city, a fortified town and a battlefield in the Second World War.
- 900s–1300sSatingpra thrives as an urban centre of international maritime trade.
- 1619–1680Songkhla prospers as a port under Malay governors.
- 1836King Rama III orders new fortifications for the city.
- 1909The Anglo-Siamese Treaty fixes the southern border.
- 1932Songkhla becomes a province in the modern system.
- 1941Japanese forces land at Songkhla at the start of the Pacific War.
The main districts, and what each one is for
Songkhla has 16 districts and about 1.43 million residents (2024), the 11th largest population in Thailand. Here are the ones that matter most.
| District | What you find there |
|---|---|
| Mueang Songkhla | The old town, Samila beach and its mermaid statue, and Ko Yo island across the lake. |
| Hat Yai | The south's shopping and business city, with markets, malls and the regional airport. |
| Sathing Phra | The strip between lake and sea, known for sugar palms and palm sugar. |
| Singhanakhon | Historic sites of the old city and views over the lake. |
| Sadao | The main land border crossing into Malaysia. |
Songkhla's festival calendar
Songkhla's year mixes Chinese, Buddhist and Muslim celebrations. These are the highlights.
Local products and what OTOP means here
Thailand's OTOP programme, One Tambon One Product, pins each product to its home sub-district, and Songkhla's list follows its landscape. On the Sathing Phra peninsula, palm sugar is boiled from the sap of sugar palms, and the fishing villages along the coast produce dried and salted fish.
Ko Yo, an island in Songkhla Lake, is known for its traditional hand-woven cotton cloth, and the markets of Hat Yai are a showcase for southern snacks and sweets.
As Songkhla producers join SnapSellGo, their products show up in the carousel above. There is no commission to pay, just an annual fee for the shop.
Short on time? Songkhla's old town and Samila beach. Into shopping? A weekend in Hat Yai. Travelling with a camera? Sunset on Songkhla Lake. Buying local? Palm sugar and Ko Yo cloth.
Good to know before you go
Is Hat Yai the capital of Songkhla?
No. The provincial capital is the town of Songkhla. Hat Yai is the largest city in the province and the commercial hub of southern Thailand.
What is the largest natural lake in Thailand?
Songkhla Lake, which covers about 1,040 km² in the north of Songkhla province.
What is Samila beach known for?
Samila beach, in the town of Songkhla, is known for its bronze mermaid statue, a symbol of the city.
What is Ko Yo famous for?
Ko Yo, an island in Songkhla Lake, is famous for its traditional hand-woven cotton cloth.
Sources: Wikipedia entries for Songkhla province, Songkhla Lake and Hat Yai. Population: 2024 registration data. Lunar festivals move from year to year, so check dates before travelling. Cover photo: Songkhla mermaid by Andreas Hörstemeier, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.