Songkhla

Sadly , destined for the pot in Nakhon
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I've had a few days on the move , just stopping one night each time, so have lumped them all under the one entry.

After Ko Samui I stayed in Surat Thani. Most people just change buses here  without lingering. I'd had enough for one day so broke up the journey. Once past the travel operators it's evident not many tourists stop here as typified by the lack of a Western style loo in the Hotel!

One thing that annoyed me was the guys trying to sell me a bus ticket to my next stop. One was feverish in his excitement.

Wonky Chedhi in Nakhon
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" Where you go?"

" Nakhon Si Thammmarat"

" I can help. Come.come"

" How much?"

I hope this guy hasn't done a version of leaving the shopping on the roof.
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" good bus. come."

" How much?"

"250baht"

At this point I laughed and he looked crestfallen .With an "ok.bye,bye" he turned away.Cost of ticket on bus? 80 baht.The moral is - don't rely on travel operators or tourist buses if you want to save money! (I've picked up a few money and time saving tips on my travels ,totally boring to folks at home but maybe some use to other travelers ?, maybe I should stick them on ' Forum' .)

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Anyway, It was a lengthy ride to Nakhon.The stop was memorable for the power going off for a few hours in the hotel ( lucky i had my torch) and a nice bar called Rock99 that did a great steak diane and fries for a fraction of the cost i'd pay at home.

Then, Songkhla for a couple of nights.I took a stroll round the National Museum. It was built in the south Chinese style in 1878. It's been the home of the Governor of Songkhla , City Hall and the poorhouse , tho' mercifully at different times.

Songkhla fromKhao Tung Kuan.
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It has some nice exhibits though some could do with a little more explaining. Captions  like ' gun' and ' bell ' made me laugh but didn't leave me any wiser.  I had a walk along the beach which was totally deserted.

A cable car up Khao Tung Kuan gave a good view of the town and  the surrounding area but theres not much else to keep me here so will move on tomorrow.