TAKBAI LAGOON RESORT
| Welcome to Tak Bai Lagoon Resort! We hope that you will have a pleasant stay. We will do our best to make you come back and to make you recommend Tak Bai Lagoon to all your friends. |
Background
Tak Bai is not a tourist area. Few people talk English but all are very friendly. The majority (80%) of the population is Muslim and you will regularly hear the sing-song calling for prayers. The Tak Bai Lagoon Resort is situated right beside the Tak Bai lagoon. It has a convenient location being only 1 km from the Tak Bai center and 3 km from Taba, the Thai border-post to Malaysia. The lagoon it-self is a stretch of water, between 150 to 300 m wide and with a length of more than 10 km. It runs parallel to the sea (the Gulf of Siam), from which it is divided by a narrow stretch of sandy beach (Koh Yau -Long Island) with a width varying from 20 to 200 m.
A few families live on this picturesque coconut-studded island. Their main livelihood is fishing. People in Tak Bai are farmers (rice),workers in coconut and rubber plantations, government officials etc.
Hospital
There is one modern hospital with a 24 hour service. There is no malaria in Tak Bai.
Banks
There are three (3) banks in the area, two in Tak Bai and one in Taba. You can use your visa card to get cash. Open hours between 08.30 and 15.30. No break for lunch.
Post Office
Open hours 09.00 -12.00 and 13.00 - 15.00. Letters to Europe is about 20 Baht. There are no fax or e-mail services (e-mail may be arranged locally).
Visa
We may arrange a visit to the Thai consulate in Kota Bahru, that is situated about 20 km south of Taba, for getting a new visa.
If you would need a new stamp in your passport (to prolong your stay in Thailand) you just need to go to Taba, cross the border by boat and come back again.
The Beach
The Beaches are fantastic. And so long! The waves are beautiful. The water is safe. There are no known dangerous currents. We have never heard of dangerous animals in the water. You will find a great variety of sea shells (for picking at your convenience). The easiest way to reach the Beach is to cross the Tak Bai Bridge. Or maybe by canoe.
There are few people on the Beach so most of the time you will be alone. If by chance some people are nearby just please remember that in this part of Thailand (because of the muslim influence) it is not considered so good for a woman to show her bare legs above the knees. If so, nothing will happen, of course. We just feel that we want to share this piece of information with persons, who want to try to adjust to the local customs.
The Beach Walk
The Beach Walk is advisable in the early morning or late afternoon. Otherwise you will find the sun to be too strong for you. Most Beach Walkers start at the Tak Bai bridge and walk either north or south and then come the same way back again. Other options are either Taba bridge - Tak Bai bridge (ca 4 km) or Fishery bridge - Tak Bai bridge (ca 3 km). It depends on how you want the sun shining on you. Transport may be arranged.
Another interesting -but more challenging- Beach Walk is from the Tak Bai bridge all the way to the Kubu Coconut Plantation, a distance of about 12 km. This Beach Walk also includes the need of swimming across (ca 50 m) an open "mouth" of the lagoon and can be somewhat tricky if the current is strong (the tide going out or in).
Remember that for a longer Beach Walk than 5 km the soles of your feet may suffer of the friction of the sand. Don’t forget to look for the wonderful sea-shells on the Beach.
Cycling
There are a numerous interesting stretches of country roads -along water or in the forest- with limited traffic. Look at the map. Remember to cycle on the LEFT SIDE of the road.
Canoeing
The lagoon -with virtually no waves- is excellent for this activity. The early morning tour -with a local breakfast on board- is appreciated.
Shopping
The Taba market place is a bustling, crowded market where you can find everything from fruits, clothes, knives, meat, cameras etc. It is advisable to try to negotiate prices.
The needs of your daily life -items such as toothpaste, soap, batteries etc.- you may find in the small Taba supermarket or in the small shops in Tak Bai.
The Temple
The temples are important buddist and historical landmarks, especially here in the south of Thailand. The temples here in Tak Bai are unusually important, being the southernmost temples of Thailand and once upon a time indicating "this is Thailand" for the English colonial powers in Malaysia, thus at the time clarifying a tricky borderline situation.
The Jungle at the "Peatswamp Forest"
There is a huge jungle -called the "Peatswamp Forest"- near Ko Lok and where a 4-month long fire destroyed a large area in 1998. A trail of 1 200 m of boardwalk lies prepared for you to walk comfortably along to study the nature. You will also find a hanging bridge and a tower to climb. Look at the map! 31.8 km after the Tak Bai / Ko Lok intersection there is a turn-off to the right (after the Susco / Caltex petrol stations). Drive further 5 km and you will reach the station. Begin at the 2:nd floor where you will find maps and photos. There is a small restaurant at the ground floor.
The Kings Mountain
A mountain near Narathivat along the road. On the top you find an intense growth, beautiful birds, rather cool air and a good view of the sea.
Below the mountain you will find the queens ceramic art factory, where the local people have been trained and turned into most fantastic artists. Prices are low and if you buy something you will receive good assistance with the packaging.
The KUBU Coconut Plantation
A grand plantation with more than 10 000 planted 10 to 20 meter high proud trees -giving shade and comfort- is situated near the see about 10 km north of Tak Bai along the road to Narathivat. Here you can find our monkeys at work, climbing the trees and plucking the ripe coconuts.
In-door Activities
The restaurant at the Tak Bai Lagoon Resort serves mainly Thai food. Other kind of food may be arranged (ie pasta). In each of the 16 guest-rooms room there is an air-con, TV with CNN and in some even a refridgerator.
Activities like seminars, music sessions, theater, card-playing etc. are also possible to arrange.
Updated 010404
Webmaster Stefan Höglund