Sichon

Introduction

The Gulf coast before tourism

One district south of Khanom, Sichon is what the Gulf coast looked like before anyone built a resort: a string of pretty local beaches, a busy fishing harbour, coconut groves running down to the sand and small towns getting on with life. There is essentially no tourist infrastructure — and that is exactly the charm.

The beaches come in a row: Hin Ngam with its smooth wave-polished boulders, Hat Sichon curving around the fishing bay, and long, quiet Hat Piti. Inland, Wat Chedi — home of the boy spirit Ai Khai — draws pilgrims from all over Thailand, who leave behind one of the strangest and most wonderful sights in the south: thousands upon thousands of rooster statues.

Transport

Tickets & connections

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Quick facts

About 420 km south of Ban Krut, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province
Hin Ngam, Hat Sichon and Hat Piti form a string of quiet local beaches
The fishing harbour still lands the district's dinner every morning
Wat Chedi (Ai Khai) is one of southern Thailand's most visited merit-making temples
Almost no tourist infrastructure — bring cash and a sense of adventure

Getting there

Getting there from Ban Krut

Take the southern-line train towards Nakhon Si Thammarat and get off at Sichon's little station, or ride to Surat Thani and finish by road — either way it's a proper journey, best broken with a night in Chumphon or Surat Thani if you're not in a hurry.

By car, follow Highway 4 south to Surat Thani and pick up Highway 401 down the coast — around five to six hours from Ban Krut, with the last stretch running through coconut plantations within sight of the sea.

Sichon pairs naturally with Khanom, twenty minutes up the coast: many visitors base themselves on Khanom's beaches and visit Sichon's boulders, harbour and Wat Chedi as an easy day out.

Good to know

Sichon

Only slower ordinary and rapid trains stop at small southern stations — check the timetable carefully.
A scooter or car is essential here; there is no tourist transport at all.
Wat Chedi gets very busy on weekends and Buddhist holidays — go early on a weekday.
Dress modestly at the temple: covered shoulders and knees, as anywhere sacred.

See & do

See & do in Sichon

Temple

Wat Chedi (Ai Khai)

Thais travel the length of the country to ask favours of Ai Khai, the temple's boy spirit — and repay granted wishes with rooster statues and firecrackers. The result is a sea of thousands of ceramic roosters, from palm-sized to giant. Utterly unique.

Beach

Hin Ngam beach

The name means 'beautiful stones', and the smooth granite boulders scattered along the tideline are exactly that — best photographed at sunrise, when the light is soft and you'll have the beach entirely to yourself.

Harbour

Hat Sichon fishing bay

The town beach curves around a genuine working harbour: longtails and trawlers unloading, nets being mended, cats supervising. Come late afternoon when the boats return and the whole bay smells of the evening's dinner.

Explore

The coast road to Hat Piti

Rent a scooter and follow the small coastal roads south — Hat Piti's long, empty stretch of sand is the reward, with casuarina shade, a few noodle shacks and kilometres of nobody.

Relax

Small-town coffee

Sichon town has quietly grown a handful of good little cafés between the shophouses — proper southern-Thai coffee, cakes and air-conditioning. Perfect for the hot hours between beach and temple.

Food stop

Roadside sweets

Keep an eye out for roadside stalls selling southern sweets, grilled bananas and mango sticky rice in season — the kind of stops that turn a twenty-minute drive into a very happy hour.

Food

Prawns worth the drive

Sichon's kitchen is its harbour. The district is locally famous for kung yang — big grilled prawns served with a fierce seafood dipping sauce — and the simple restaurants around Hat Sichon serve them within hours of landing, alongside grilled fish, squid and proper southern curries.

Nothing here is aimed at tourists, which is the highest recommendation: menus are Thai, prices are local, and the food is exactly what the fishing families themselves eat. Point at what looks good, ask for it 'phet nit noi' if you fear the chilli, and enjoy.

Kung yang grilled prawnsSeafood dipping sauceGrilled squidSouthern fish curryKhanom jeenGrilled bananas

Grilled prawns, Sichon's local speciality

Markets

Markets for locals

Sichon town's fresh market runs from before dawn: fish straight off the boats, vegetables from the hills, southern curry pastes pounded that morning. Go early, walk slowly, and buy fruit for the beach.

Around Wat Chedi a permanent bazaar of stalls sells rooster statues, amulets, snacks and lottery tickets to the pilgrim crowds — a spectacle in its own right, and the place to pick up the most memorable souvenir on the entire coast.

Where to stay

Accommodation in Sichon is sparse and simple — a few small resorts and guesthouses near the beaches — which keeps the coast exactly as quiet as it is. Many visitors stay in Khanom and day-trip here.

Sichon

Beach resorts

A handful of small, locally run resorts sit near Hin Ngam and Hat Piti — simple air-con bungalows, big breakfasts and the sound of the sea. Book ahead; there aren't many rooms.

Sichon

In-town guesthouses

Sichon town has basic guesthouses and mini-hotels within walking distance of the market and harbour — cheap, clean and perfectly placed for an early market morning.

Sichon

Base in Khanom

For more choice and beachfront comfort, stay on Khanom's Nai Phlao beach twenty minutes north and visit Sichon's beaches and Wat Chedi by scooter or car.

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Sichon

The Gulf coast before tourism

Tickets & connections

Sichon

Getting there from Ban Krut

Sichon

See & do in Sichon

Wat Chedi (Ai Khai)

Hin Ngam beach

Hat Sichon fishing bay

The coast road to Hat Piti

Small-town coffee

Roadside sweets

Prawns worth the drive

Markets for locals

Where to stay

Beach resorts

In-town guesthouses

Base in Khanom

Travel guides