First-time solo trip to Nakhon Si Thammarat with a budget under 4,000 baht.

The journey began with a complimentary train ride from Hua Lamphong Railway Station.

Upon arrival, I had lunch at Dao Coffee while waiting to board. My Air Asia boarding pass gave me a 15% discount. The meal, including rice and coffee, cost only 131.75 baht.

We booked a round-trip flight with Air Asia in advance for 150 baht. We traveled on Monday and returned on Thursday, so we got a very cheap ticket, the cheapest we have ever booked. The trip started on 28/8/2017, flight FD3186.

Upon arrival, a limousine counter offering rides into town for 300 baht caught our eye (a rather steep price for a solo traveler, so finding a travel companion is recommended). We noticed an elderly woman and inquired if she was heading into town. She replied that her younger sister would be picking her up and offered us a ride. During the journey, we had the pleasure of conversing with Kru Tim, an English teacher at the Song Phi Nong School in Pak Phanang. The kindness of the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat truly shone through as she dropped us off right at our accommodation.

We chose to stay at Baan Suphannika because the accommodation provided good advice and offered motorbike rentals for 200 baht per day. The accommodation here costs 550 baht per night with a 200 baht key deposit.

The room is clean and includes a TV, refrigerator, and two bottles of drinking water.

Upon arrival, a visit to the Phra Maha That Woramahawihan temple is a must. However, due to the late arrival and the temple's closure, I was unable to enter and pay respects to the Buddha statue inside. Instead, I took a leisurely stroll around the temple grounds.

Night view of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan

For dinner tonight, we ate at the Bang Bua Tea Shop, which is located opposite Wat Phra Mahathat School.

The restaurant recommends the crab roe curry with rice, which has a creamy, sour, and sweet flavor. It is best enjoyed with a glass of iced tea and a chocolate roti. The meal costs 105 baht. After a satisfying meal, I took a leisurely ride through the city at night.

Breakfast at Baan Suphannika included fruits, bread, coffee, and sticky rice with custard.

And we rode our bikes to pay respects at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan again.

The interior of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan

We visited the Phra Maha That Woramahawihan Buddhist Temple Museum, which offers free admission. Donations are welcome.

Take a break from the heat at Pixzel Caffe, located directly opposite the temple.

While visiting the southern region, I enjoyed a refreshing glass of lightly blended mango juice. The slightly tart flavor was a welcome treat, and the drink cost 80 baht.

After a satisfying meal, I took a leisurely bike ride through the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, enjoying the sights as I made my way towards Pak Nakhon.

We have reached the viewpoint of Pak Nam Khon. From this angle, we can see Laem Talumphuk, although it is not very clear.

Enjoy the scenery along the way.

Lunch at Muean Kon restaurant, fresh noodles.

The restaurant's signature dish is crab curry with rice noodles, priced at 40 baht.

The vegetables are served in abundance.

After a satisfying meal, we returned the rented motorbike to the accommodation and requested the staff to call a taxi for us.

The accommodation provides excellent service. The staff, especially "Nong Waeo," offers outstanding recommendations for tourist attractions, restaurants, and travel information.

A taxi ride to the local shared taxi stand costs 80 baht in total.

Take a songthaew to Khao Kiri Wong. The songthaew will stop at Khao Kiri Wong Temple. The fare is 25 baht per person.

We took a songthaew to our accommodation, which cost 30 baht.

We booked a room at Phetkhiri Homestay. There are two houses available, one in Moo 8 and the other in Moo 10. The room rate is 250 baht per night, dinner is 150 baht, and bicycle rental is 50 baht, for a total of 450 baht.

The songthaew dropped us off at Village 8, where Auntie Aown warmly welcomed us and informed us to wait for the owner's confirmation on which house we would be staying in. We met some fellow travelers from Ang Thong province who invited us to share their accommodation.

Interior of the residence

After settling into our accommodation, our hosts invited us to join them on a bike ride.

We cycled to Wang Mai Pak Waterfall, and it started raining just as we arrived.

After waiting for the rain to stop, we hiked up to visit Wat Pa Khao Khun Nam Kiriwong.

Along the way, villagers were seen carrying fruits to sell at the market below.

The Wat Pa Khao Khun Nam Kiriwong temple is located 600 meters from the waterfall, but it took us half an hour to walk there.

While descending the mountain, we noticed garbage along the trail. We decided to collect it and dispose of it properly.

It brings joy to be able to make oneself useful.

This is a nice spot for photos. Let's stop and take some pictures for the team on our way.

We stopped by Baan Ton Nam, a local cafe where children from the community work together. They earn 2 baht per drink sold, which they use for community activities. The children were incredibly friendly and took turns serving our five drinks and roti orders. They clearly divided the tasks among themselves, which was heartwarming to see. Our generous hosts treated us to drinks and snacks. Thank you!

For dinner, we enjoyed a local meal prepared by our hosts. The spread included stir-fried fiddlehead ferns with coconut milk, a flavorful yellow curry, and fried fish. The generous portions left us with plenty of leftovers.

Tonight, we sat down with the owner, Ms. Hanam, who warmly welcomed us, making us feel right at home. She offered us a chance to try her mangosteen scrub, which left our skin feeling incredibly soft. We were so impressed that we couldn't resist buying some of the mangosteen products, which are available at the accommodation at affordable prices.

This morning, we cycled to watch the sunrise at Kiriwong Bridge.

The weather is beautiful this morning.

Observe the morning life of the community.

Offering alms to monks for good fortune (purchased two sets of sticky rice and grilled pork for a total of 40 baht).

We then cycled to Nan Hin Tha Ha, enjoying the view of the wire suspension bridge.

This morning, I took a refreshing shower at the waterfall. The water was cool and invigorating.

While cycling back to our accommodation, we came across a roadside fruit stall and decided to stop for a quick break. The mangosteens there were 40 baht per kilogram, and the small, seedless ones were incredibly sweet. We also bought a tie-dye shirt to take home as a souvenir.

Stop by "Thip Thip Khao Kradong" restaurant, where dishes start at 40-50 baht.

We ordered super spicy pork bone soup, rice omelet with steamed fish curry, and iced black coffee. This meal cost 120 baht.

After a satisfying meal, we headed to Khun Urai's shop to purchase souvenirs. The Baimhai Group offers a unique selection of hand-crafted items dyed with natural leaf colors, making them both beautiful and affordable.

Aunty Urai is kind and gave us a discount on the products. The villagers here are so friendly.

Products in P'Urai's shop

I would like to stay another night, but my heart yearns to see the sunrise at Khanom Beach.

We decided to take a songthaew back from Khao Kiri Wong, catching the last afternoon ride at 3:30 PM.

As I journeyed to board the van, I watched the relentless rain fall throughout the trip. Fortunately, I chose to sit in the front with the driver.

The kind driver dropped us off at the Khanom van terminal. The fare for the shared taxi was 30 baht.

The van fare to Khanom is 80 baht. At the van station, there are also vans going to Hat Yai, Phatthalung, and Koh Samui.

Witnessing the sunset during a journey to Khanom.

We disembarked at the bus station and took a motorbike taxi to our accommodation for 50 baht. We asked the motorbike driver for his phone number in case we needed a ride back to the bus station later. The van could pick us up and drop us off at our accommodation for an additional 100 baht per trip. If we wanted to be dropped off at the airport, there would be an additional 200 baht charge.

Tonight, I am staying at Tal Khoo Beach Resort in Khanom. The price for a weekday stay is 700 baht, including breakfast.

The receptionist, Noy Fai, kindly upgraded our room to one near the lobby. It is fully equipped with amenities such as a refrigerator, water heater, television, and a swimming pool.

I traveled almost a hundred kilometers to see the pink dolphins and the sunrise by the sea in front of my accommodation.

The accommodation offers a pink dolphin watching tour for 750 baht per person, but this program is not available on weekdays.

Let's watch the pink dolphins swim in the pool first.

This morning, we woke up to watch the sunrise by the sea in front of our accommodation.

Breakfast here is a set menu, which looks like this:

We greeted the guests sitting at the table next to us. Her name was Nice, which perfectly matched her personality. She was with her family, a total of four people. She invited us to see the pink dolphins together. We met another kind-hearted person in the city of Khanom.

We must arrive at Laem Phatthap Pier no later than eight o'clock. If we are late, we may miss the opportunity to see the pink dolphins.

The more people we go with, the more we can share the cost of the boat. The boat costs 1,000 baht, which averages 200 baht per person.

The boat driver took us to a spot to see the pink dolphins.

From this vantage point, you can also see the ferry to Koh Samui.

En route to see the pink dolphins, you will see Khao Phab Pha, which features multiple layers of sedimentary rock formations.

This is the first time I've seen a dolphin. I only managed to capture this photo.

Dolphins chase and catch mullets, splashing water as they capture their prey.

After watching the dolphins chase and eat the mullets, we went to pay respects to Luang Pu Thuad at Koh Nui.

Amidst the vast expanse of the sea, a freshwater spring emerges, offering a unique and captivating spectacle. We sampled its waters, and to our astonishment, they were indeed fresh, with a subtle hint of saltiness. This extraordinary phenomenon is a testament to the wonders of nature.

We spent approximately 1.5 hours admiring the pink dolphins and paying respects to Luang Pu Thuat at Koh Nui.

Niece's family sent us to the van to travel back to Nakhon Si Thammarat city.

The van fare is 80 baht. We get off at Ratchadamnoen Road and take a 10 baht songthaew to the Kopi shop, which is next to the provincial hall.

We ordered Bak Kut Teh for 70 baht, roasted pork ribs with rice for 75 baht, iced coffee for 25 baht, and Kopi for 20 baht. The total cost of the meal was 190 baht.

After a hearty meal, let's take a tour of Khun Ratchawutvichan's house.

The atmosphere inside the house

Afterward, we stopped by the area next to Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan to buy souvenirs.

Most of the products are silverware. We therefore got a silver belt for 100 baht.

After receiving the silver medal, we came across Nong Namfon's shop, located next to Pixel Cafe near Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan. This shop sells affordable clothing. We bought two ready-made sarong skirts for 200 baht each.

I told the shop owner that I had just seen dolphins in Khanom. The seawater made me feel sticky, so I didn't want to try on clothes in the shop for fear of getting them dirty. However, the owner was incredibly kind and let me try on several outfits. They also let me charge my phone and take a shower before returning to Bangkok.

While waiting for our flight back at 20.10, we sat down to write postcards at Pixel Cafe. They sell postcards here for 10 baht each.

We sipped on a passion fruit and butterfly pea flower drink, priced at 80 baht. The slightly tart flavor was refreshing.

Share your travel stories through postcards and drop them off at the mailbox inside Wat Phra Mahathat.

A taxi was called to take me to the airport. The total fare was 220 baht.

Four days and three nights in Nakhon Si Thammarat have passed quickly. It's time to return to the capital city.

Summary of expenses:

1. Total travel expenses = 1,180 baht

• Round-trip Air Asia flight ticket for 150 baht.

• Motorcycle rental fee per day is 200 baht + fuel cost 50 baht, total 250 baht.

- The taxi fare from the hotel to the songthaew station is 80 baht.

- Roundtrip fare to Khao Kiri Wong by songthaew is 60 baht (30 baht each way).

• The round-trip van fare to Khanom is 160 baht (80 baht each way).

- The cost of a motorbike taxi to your accommodation in Khanom is 50 baht. The motorbike taxi driver's phone number is 087-328-9512.

- Boat fare: 200 baht

• The fare for a songthaew within the city is 10 baht.

- Taxi from the city to the airport costs 200 baht + phone charges 20 baht, total 220 baht.

Taxi driver Ole's contact numbers are 065-059-1878 or 087-888-9966. Alternatively, you can call the central number at 075-357-888.

2. Accommodation cost: 3 nights = 1,700 baht.

• The first night at Baan Suphannika costs 550 baht per night.

- Second night at Phetkhiri Homestay, including dinner and bicycle, 450 baht.

- Third night at Tal Khoo Beach Resort, Khanom, 700 baht per night.

3. Food expenses (eating at regular restaurants, no alcohol) approximately 947 baht

- First day lunch at the airport, price 132 baht.

• Enjoy a light mango juice at Pixel Cafe for 80 baht.

- Dinner at Bang Bao Tea Shop on the first day, totaling 105 baht.

• Second day lunch at Muang Kon restaurant with fresh noodles, total 60 baht.

- Offering alms with 2 sets for 40 baht and buying mangosteen for 40 baht, totaling 80 baht.

- Breakfast at Tiep Tiep Kiriwong Restaurant on the third day, 120 baht

- Lunch at Kopi on the fourth day, totaling 190 baht.

• Sipped water and bought postcards at Pixel Cafe for a total of 180 baht.

The total cost of this trip is approximately 3,827 baht.