Betong (Thai: เบตง, pronounced [bēː.tōŋ]; Malay: Betung (Jawi: بيتوڠ ) ; Chinese: 勿洞) is a town (thesaban mueang) in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. It is the capital of Betong District, the southernmost district of Yala Province. As of 2005, the town has a population of 24,688.
Betong is the southernmost town of Thailand and its location on the border with the Malaysian state of Perak makes it popular with tourists.
Betong is known for food, especially Betong-Chinese food which is mostly cooked by Hakka-Chinese. Betong is also known for Thai traditional food and Muslim food. Many mouth-watering restaurants are around Betong Market and close to Betong clock tower. Betong Noodles (หมี่เบตง), the egg noodles that are very tasty. Betong Soy Sauce (ซีอิ๊วเบตง) is made from soy beans with a special method.
Tourists can also enjoy the wide variety of Betong specialties. They are: chopped Betong chicken, prepared with local chicken and ladled with Betong soy sauce; steamed Chinese carp in plum sauce - the fish is raised only in Betong and can be prepared for several dishes; khao yok (เคาหยก) is made from fatty pork roasted with taro; phak nam (ผักน้ำ) is a vegetable that grows in flowing streams found only in Betong, and is prepared for a soup or stir-fried.
The four southernmost provinces of Thailand are muslim-majority areas, so alcohol is far from ubiquitous. Most teenagers will go cafes to socialise. You can find alcoholic drinks in KTV lounges, clubs and hotels.
*Betong Soya Sauce (ซีอิ๊วเบตง) *Betong Noodles (หมี่เบตง) *Watercress (ผักน้ำเบตง) *The ZON duty free shop on the Malaysia-Thailand border. Cheap, since it's duty-free, but not as cheap as other duty-free shops in other places, like major airports. *Dry market, also on the Malaysia-Thailand border. Lots of small stalls sell various knick-knacks which make good, cheap souvenirs.
Betong has a newly-built airport, which Nok Air flew to from Bangkok. However this route was cancelled in 2023 due to low demand. As of October 2023 no scheduled flights use this airport. If you're flying, fly to Hat Yai. Fares from Bangkok start at THB 1000, with multiple departures daily.
From Yala, one can take the van or taxi that operates hourly from across the Yala Railway Station. From Hat Yai there is an air-conditioned van to Yala and Betong. . The service departs at 08:00, 10:00, and 13:00. This journey takes around 4 hours.
You can get around Betong city by songthaew which is very cheap. Moreover, if you want to get a bit further from the city, you can rent a songthaew or motorbike-taxi.
The word betong (เบตง) is Malay, meaning 'bamboo'. The district is at the southernmost point of Thailand, about 140 km from Yala, on Highway 410. The road between Than To and Betong winds on the hillside, affording the scenery of the lake, forest, and rubber plantations. Betong is a large developed district. Malaysian tourists often visit the area because of its proximity to the border.
