As Thailand drops down to meet Malaysia, the cultures of the two countries begin to merge. Many inhabitants of the deep south are ethnically more akin to the Malaysians: most of the 1,500,000 followers of Islam here speak Yawi, an old Malay dialect, and many yearn for secession from Thailand. There are eight border crossings to Malaysia down here , with the most efficient transport connections to Malaysia starting at the ugly, modern city of Hat Yai . The nearby old town of Songkhla is a more sympathetic spot for sightseeing, but if you're after coastal attractions, either take a boat trip through the Thale Noi Waterbird Park , or head for the rarely visited beaches of the Trang coast and the spectacular Ko Tarutao islands .