 |
Non Airconditioned Train
Hat Yai > Sungai Golok (256km) |
Day 9 Monday June 29 2026 (Sungai Golok) - an exciting visit by train from Hat Yai > Sungai Golok & an overnight stay, my Mid Summer Night dream has been fulfilled on this very day after a lapse of over 40 years when I visited this notorious southern Thailand country town in the early 1980s.
Sungai Golok is a bustling border town in Narathiwat Province, Thailand, located directly across the Golok River from Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, Malaysia, it serves as a major gateway for cross border trade, travel & cultural exchange.
Unfortunately, today at 11.41am (prior to my arrival in Sungei Golok at 12.05), there was a bomb blast incident injuring 2 Malaysians who was traveling in a sport utility vehicle in Phrai Wan (approx. 52km from Sungai Golok), Tak Bai District, Narathiwat Province. It was upon my return to Malaysia on July 1 2026, I came to know about this bomb blast incident from Malaysian press media reporting ! No wonder the entire Sungai Golok was deserted while we were doing the walkabout in downtown Golok.
Following this incident, the Malaysian Government has issued a notice in local press & social media advising " Malaysians residing in or travelling through Thailand's southern border provinces are being urged to remain vigilant, prioritise their personal safety & strictly follow all safety & security advice issued by local authorities, according to an advice by Malaysian Foreign Ministry "
 |
| Map of Southern Thailand |
 |
| Hat Yai > Sungai Golok (approx 256km) |
1) Bought my takeaway breakfast from a nearby eatery / coffee shop ie pork dumpling (40bht), 2 char siew bun / bao (20bht x 2) & a pack of roasted pork rice (70bht) to fill our stomach of the day !
2) Bought our train tickets (42bht = Rm5.15)) from Hat Yai Junction for our overnight stay in Sungai Golok, train expected to depart Hat Yai at 07.58 & arriving Sungai Golok at 12.05, travelling time approx 4 hours, a traditional non air-conditioned train, cheap & economical (compared with taking an airconditioned coach from Hat Yai Bus Terminal which costs 250bht = Rm31 but if you want a cool comfort ride, the choice is yours), the train has a number of brief stopovers in rural towns along this southern train line route which gave me the opportunity to see a bit of rural life in the countryside.
3) Hat Yai Junction, Thailand - the start of my "rock & roll" train ride from Hat Yai > Sungai Golok ! Take it as a fun ride & bear with the basic amenities & warm air inside the train especially from the late morning to mid-day (around 34c outside) !
4) Countryside scenery as viewed from the moving train's windows - looking forward to see Sungai Golok town soon !
5) Train arriving in Sungai Golok Railway Station, southern Thailand - great to be here in Sungai Golok after a lapse of 40 year since my last visit in the early 1980s !
6) My first glimpse of Sungai Golok town as we walked casually from the Sungai Golok train station towards our hotel (Intertower Hotel) located appox. 1 km away; the main streets were quiet & deserted during the day as though the town was under curfew, not to mention when nightfall making your mind unsettling should you decide to wander around for sightseeing & food ! Only 2 bravo Malaysian tourists dare to show up in Sungai Golok town, what a real eye opener & experience both of us faced in this "cowboy" town ! Grab food riders & taxi bikers offering their services could be visibly seen near the train station / F & B places
!
7) Hotel accommodation (1 night): Intertower Hotel, room tariff Rm72 (US$17.50), 2 single beds.
8) A panoramic view of Sungai Golok town from the 10th floor of Intertower Hotel.
9) Walkabout in Sungai Golok town & the Thai / Malaysia border - after the hotel check-in & 3 hours of resting in our hotel room, we decided to explore the town & the border checkpoint areas before nightfall !
10) Continuing our walkabout along the Sungai Golok train station towards the Thai / Malaysia border checkpoint (approx 1km)
11) Sungai Golok Municipality Market - window shopping for me, my travel buddy bought a kilo of dried longans (380bht = Rm46) & I bought 1/2 kilo of roasted cashew nuts (180bht = Rm22).
12) A inner street leading to Thai / Malaysia border checkpoint.
13) Genting Hotel, Sungai Golok, Thailand - this premier hotel is ideally located near the Thai / Malaysia border checkpoint.
14) A statute of a prominent royalty near the Sirinahorn Garden, Sungai Golok.
15) A signboard at a street junction near Genting Hotel pointing the direction to Chat Varin Waterfall & Sirindhorn Waterfall - have fun in the waterfall if Google GPS could lead you there !
16) This attractive gold color designed arch is 200m to Sungai Golok CIQ (Custom, Immigration & Quarantine) Complex.
17) Sungai Golok CIQ (Custom, Immigration & Quarantine) Complex, Thailand - opening hours 05.00 > 21.00, stay overnight in a nearby hotel if you miss exiting or entering the Thai / Malaysia check point during the opening hours & enjoy your "quarantine" time in Sungai Golok town if you have a settling mind !
18) Kolok City Garden opposite the Golok CIQ - an ideal spot for a photo shooting, a piece of remembrance !
19) An iconic landmark of Sungai Golok / Thailand map erected next to the Golok City Garden & a railway track.
20) Street Art & Public Park near the Sungai Golok Immigration Checkpoint.
21) Sungai Golok Hospital, Thailand - bought a 1.5 kilo Thai mango for 35bht (Rm4.30) to be eaten as a dessert in our hotel room tonight !
22) Fresh Fruit Market, Sungai Golok, Thailand
23) Phumin Park, Sungai Golok, Thailand - a small public park, a little sighseeing here !
24) The sun has set & it was time to walk our way back to Intertower hotel for a good night rest. A great achievement even though we had a few hours of daylight to see & get a feel of Sungai Golok, a quaint little countrytown in southern Thailand which I visited 40 years ago !
 |
| Intertower Hotel, Sungai Golok |
