Narathiwat

Wat Chon Thara Singhe

This temple is at Mu 3, Tambon Chehe, on the bank of Tak Bai River. From the town, take Highway No. 4985 (Narathiwat-Tak Bai) until the Tak Bai District Market intersection, turn left and proceed for another 100 meters to the temple entrance.

In 1873, Phra Khru Ophat Phutthakhun established the temple and requested land from Phraya Kelantan for its construction. At that time, Tak Bai was still a part of Kelantan in Malaysia. This Buddhist temple, which played an important role in the secession of land between Siam and Malaya (then a colony of the United Kingdom) during the reign of King Rama V in 1909, is located in a predominantly Muslim community. The Thai side raised the fact that since this is a Buddhist temple, it should remain with Thailand. The British relented and agreed to use the Klok River (Tak Bai River) that flows through Tak Bai as the boundary. Therefore, the temple is also called Wat Phithak Phaen Din Thai or the temple that protects Thai sovereignty.

The temple is generally peaceful and has a spacious lawn on the riverbank that is ideal for relaxation. The chapel, built in the reign of King Rama V, has murals drawn by monks from Songkhla. The paintings depict the life of the Lord Buddha and the daily life of locals at that time. It also houses a main Buddha image made of gold, which covers its original features of a red mouth and black hair and situated on a 1.5-meter high base. From the style of the base, it is believed that this is a Mon image. Another building housing a reclining Buddha image has inner walls covered with old Sangkhalok porcelain.

To get there, take a bus to Tak Bai district. Other transportation options are mini-buses (20 baht), vans (30 baht and board at the roundabout in town) and buses. If traveling by bus, get off at Tak Bai intersection and walk for around 500 meters. Vans will take you right into the temple.


Chao Mae Tomo Shrine

The shrine is located in Soi Phuthon, Charoen Khet Road. Originally housed at Ban Tomo in Amphoe Su Khirin, villagers transferred Chao Mae Tomo to Su-ngai Kolok District. The goddess is highly revered by the local residents and residents of nearby provinces, as well as Chinese Malaysians. Every year, a festival is held at the shrine on the 23rd day of the third month of the Chinese calendar (around April). Activities undertaken include a procession, lion parade, a fancy acrobatic stilts procession, a long drum procession, and walking over hot coal.


New Central Mosque

The mosque is located at Ban Bang Nara, just before Narathat Beach. This mosque, which is the provinces second central mosque built in 1981, is a religious site highly revered by Thai Muslims. This 3-story Arabian-style building with a large dome on top has the main convention hall on the ground floor and the prayer rooms on the top 2 floors. In addition, there is a high tower that is used to call Muslims to prayer.


Taloh-manoh Mosque (Wadil-husen Mosque or the 200-year Mosque)

Situated in Bacho District, the mosque is usually dubbed the 200-year mosque or 300-year mosque by the locals. It is believed that Haji Saihu, a religious teacher ordered a builder named Sae-ma to build the mosque in 1769.

Instead of using nails and screws, the whole mosque was traditionally built using old building tools such as Malarbar ironwood (a local timber known as Mai Takien) and wooden bolts and pins. The 26 wooden poles are 10x10 inches, the floor is two inches thick and window shutters are of solid wood boards. The mosque itself consists of two adjacent buildings built in a mixture of local Thai, Chinese, and Malay architectural styles. The most prominent feature is the buildings three-tiered roof where the Imam prays. The top tier features a dome constructed in the Chinese pavilion style. In the past, it functioned as the minaret or tower where people were called from at prayer times. Visitors can see the building from the surrounding area, however, those wishing to see the interior are are required to receive permission from the village Imam.

Next to the mosque is a Muslim graveyard. Rocks decorating the grave of deceased males will be round, while those for females would be half buried, with only half of the rock visible above ground.

The mosque is located in Ban Talo Mano, Tambon Subo Sawo, 25 kilometers from Narathiwat town. Take Highway No. 42 and make a turn at Burangae intersection.