Thailand Guide
The deep south
Trang town
The town of TRANG (aka Taptieng) is fast developing as a popular jumping-off point for backpackers drawn to the pristine beaches and islands of the nearby coast. The town, which prospers on rubber, oil palms, fisheries and – increasingly – tourism, is a sociable place whose wide, clean streets are dotted with crumbling, wooden-shuttered houses. In the evening, restaurant tables sprawl onto the main Thanon Rama VI and Thanon Sathanee, and during the day, many of the town's Chinese inhabitants hang out in the cafés, drinking the local filtered coffee. Trang's Chinese population makes the Vegetarian Festival at the beginning of October almost as frenetic as Phuket's – and for veggie travellers it's an opportunity to feast at the stalls set up around the temples. Getting there is easy, as Trang is ninety minutes from Phatthalung and well served by buses and air-con minibuses from all the surrounding provinces.
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