Extensive exhibits on southern Thai culture and artistry make Thaksin Folklore Museum worth a visit; it’s open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. except closed Tuesday; buy the 100B ticket at the entrance gate before you start up the 400-meter climb to the museum on top of the hill. You can ascend a view tower atop the hill for panoramas of the island, lake, and Songkhla.
The museum entrance is a bit tricky to find among all the many buildings here, but it’s down a level in one of the large new buildings on your right when you arrive. Arrows on the paths point the way through what must be more than a dozen exhibit halls atop the hill and spilling the slope. Don’t miss the erotic coconut graters! The Room of Pottery has two kiln exhibits. Room of Local Woven Fabric has many beautiful pieces as well as looms. Traditional-style wooden buildings near the top of the hill have detailed dioramas of village life. The museum has a snack bar, souvenir shop, and a resort.
Website for the museum and The Institute for Southern Thai Studies is www.tsu.ac.th/istse