Where are the tourists? (Thailand)

An inn-keeper on the lookout for guests in Narathiwat, South Thailand.

Terrorism has scared away the tourists here. I spent a couple of days in the southern provinces of Yala and Narathiwat. At Yala train station, a soldier saw me taking some pictures and borrowed my camera for inspection. Luckily, I had some photos of some pretty ladies from up north, which seemed to work its magic. He asked me to delete all the pictures showing the train and the station and then let me go.

After that, I avoided the built-up areas and spent most of my time in a little fishing village and on the quiet beach at Narathiwat. Many older hotels in Thailand have 1980s furniture. It’s like they haven’t changed the decor since they first opened for business.