Betong
Thailand'S Southernmost Town, On The Malaysian Border; The Talay Mok Aiyoeweng Sea Of Mist Skywalk; Travel Advisories Apply To Yala Province · Betong, Yala
Betong is the southernmost town in Thailand, a hill town in a narrow valley of Yala province, hemmed in on three sides by the Malaysian border. Cooler than the lowland south and long settled by a large Chinese community, it feels unlike anywhere else in the country: shophouse streets climbing the hills, Chinese temples, dim sum breakfasts, and a steady flow of Malaysian visitors across the nearby border. Its best-known sight is the Aiyoeweng skywalk, a curving walkway that juts from a mountainside over a valley that fills with a sea of mist at dawn. In town stands a giant mailbox, often described as one of the largest in the world, and outside it the Piyamit tunnels, dug by guerrillas of the Communist Party of Malaya, whose former members settled here after peace. IMPORTANT: Yala is one of the three southern border provinces affected by a long-running insurgency, and several governments advise against all but essential travel there. Check your government's current travel advice, and whether your insurance covers the area, before going.
Betong, Betong, Yala, 95110, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the Aiyoeweng skywalk has opened before dawn, around 5 am, for the sunrise and mist and closed in the afternoon or evening; the Piyamit tunnels and museum and the hot springs have opened roughly from 7 or 8 am to 5 or 6 pm; tea houses open around 5 or 6 am and the morning market is busiest before 9 am. The border checkpoint keeps limited hours, and flights have run only on some days. The traps are travelling without checking your government's current travel advice and insurance, finding no transport to the skywalk at dawn, arriving on a flight that has been suspended, and planning to cross to Malaysia after the checkpoint has closed. Confirm current times before relying on them.