There’s not much to hold the passing traveller in Satun.

It’s a mainly Muslim city and if you stay a few hours you’ll certainly hear the central mosque shouting out the call to prayer across the downtown. A handful of internet cafes, a large market, a small museum round out Satun’s attractions.

Most people fly through here going to or from Malaysia. For the cyclist, it makes a convenient stop between the border and Trang. There are also ferries from Satun to Langkawi in Malaysia and the Thai island of Lipe.

Sleeping:
Satul Thanee Hotel, next to the main mosque, is an aging relic of a hotel. The rooms definitely fall into the basic category but they’re clean and good value at just 200 Baht. The only downside is lugging your gear up three flights of stairs and the lights that can filter from the hallway into your room in the middle of the night.

Self-catering:
There’s a large market selling food, clothing and all the usual goodies. You’ll find it west of the main road and close to the town centre. The market is next to the Mum Bang river that runs through Satun.

Eating out:
As in all Thai towns, there’s no shortage of small restaurants and food stalls serving up dozens of noodle and rice dishes at bargain prices. Try the night market, not far from the main mosque.

On’s Living Room should be a popular travellers meeting point. It’s central, on the street that runs just behind the mosque, has a menu with pasta dishes and curries and offers friendly advice on where to stay. Unfortunately, the wifi they advertise and that we came specifically to use wasn’t working – we only found out after we ordered – and the menu they gave us had old prices so they tried to raise our bill by 50% when we went to pay. If they clean up their act it could be good but we left disappointed.

Staying connected:
Any of the numerous internet cafes in town will set you up with access running around 20 Baht an hour. Satun Internet is a good option, just a few hundred meters down from the mosque. You can use Skype here and there are discounts if you’re using a few hours at a time. Rose Internet charges 25 Baht an hour and is just around the corner from Satul Thanee Hotel.