Pattani: Exploring a laid-back cape in Thailand's Deep South
The tourism potential in Thailand's conflict-torn Deep South is obvious, but do consider the risks for yourself before visiting.
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In writing this newsletter I’ve always intended to draw coverage from all parts of coastal Thailand, including its islands but also its nearly 3,000 km of mainland shores. In addition to hot spots like Krabi and Hua Hin, I’ve devoted much attention to less-traveled coastal areas while presenting a comprehensive and detailed picture of all Thai provincial coastlines in the Thai Island & Coastal Directory.
But until recently, two of the 24 coastal provinces had alluded me.
Near Malaysia on Thailand’s Deep Southern Gulf coast, Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala have been strained by conflict ever since Siam, on its third try, forcibly subjugated the independent Kingdom of Pattani in 1786. With a steady drip of violence claiming over 7,000 lives since the Tak Bai Massacre of 2004, many foreign governments advise their citizens to avoid or reconsider travel to these provinces, and some travel insurance underwriters exclude them from coverage plans.
Let me make it crystal clear that the decision to travel to these provinces (or not) is a personal one that should involve careful consideration. Attacks tend to be isolated and certainly not a constant — Pattani does not feel like a war zone — but the threat of being in the wrong place at the wrong time is real. Westerners rarely visit the region, but Malay tourists are a fixture at the historical mosques that dot it.
Last month we ventured into the Deep South for the first time to do some on-the-ground research and photography to ensure that Pattani and Narathiwat are covered no differently than all other coastal provinces in the Thai Island & Coastal Directory (i.e., I’ve been to them). Before writing those sections, I felt it was important to visit the Deep South coast and experience it first-hand.
Having checked the news for any flare ups in violence beforehand, we expected a relatively quiet window of time due to the new Thai government having recently taken power, prompting insurgent groups to wait and watch for policy shifts. Some violence did occur near the border in Narathiwat a few days after our visit last month, but it was far away from the coastal areas that we prioritized.
Traveling by private car, we were pretty careful to stick close to the Deep Southern Thai tourist trail — yes, such a thing exists in the form of many well-known historical and natural attractions that bring in busloads of regional travelers from both sides of the border. We passed through more checkpoints than we could count, most of them unstaffed. The locals were as welcoming as anywhere we’ve been in Thailand, albeit surprised to see us at times. The same goes for soldiers and police, but they waved us past without a word when we did see them.
Once we pushed through the anxiety that comes from visiting an unfamiliar area that is also a conflict zone, we ended up having a leisurely time cataloging beaches that dropped us to a level of quietude which is rare in Thailand. The Deep South is fascinating, with much tourism potential along its 150 km of coastline.
And there is one beach, in particular, that hit the extraordinary mark.
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