Tak Bai

Tak Bai (ตากใบ) is a small town in Deep Southern Thailand, 3 kilometers north of the border with Malaysia. The local border crossing is at the village of Ban Taba (also known as Ban Ta Ba), and the nearest major town on the Malaysian side of the border is Kota Bharu, Kelantan's state capital. Get in Coming directly from Narathiwat airport, take a grey minibus to Taba (Tak Bai) checkpoint and get out in Tak Bai town. If coming from Narathiwat town, take a songtheaw or a public bus. The ride takes less than one hour and goes through a beautiful landscape with military checkpoints every few kilometers. If having your own transportation, stop over at Ao Manao beach and Phra Tamnak Thaksin Tarchaniwet palace outside Narathiwat town. Get around Tak Bai is a tiny town, so can walk almost everywhere, but motorcycle taxis should be available too. See Wat Chonlathara Singhe - A historically important small temple in a now huge temple compound, just a few hundred meters away from the Tak Bai Market intersection (signs lead the way). When the Tak Bai territory was separated between Siam and the UK in 1909, Siam held Buddhism and the temple as a reason to bargain over the land separation. The UK accepted such reason and the territory stayed with Siam. When visiting the temple in early 2011, there was a heavy military presence on the temple grounds, but you are allowed to enter after your luggage has been checked. Ask around for someone opening the museum (phiphithaphan). Ko Yao - Small island, just a few minutes walk away from Wat Chonlathara Singhe. A wooden bridge crossing the Tak Bai river leads to the island. The atmosphere is very tranquil, and it seems there are no shops around, so better bring water with you. Do Buy Eat Drink Sleep The Tak Bai lagoon Resort is a good place to stay. Clean and affordable. A few staff members speak pretty good English. Pleasant surroundings on the water and it has it's own restaurant. Not much else in town anyway. Get out Heading to Narathiwat, take a songtheaw or a public bus from the market intersection or anywhere along the main road. This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!