Thailand (Hatyai) August 2018 D-1, D-11 & D-12

Day 1 - A brief stopover (2.5 hrs) in Hatyai for an early dinner before departing by a sleeper train from Hatyai > Bangkok (18.45 > 10.30) 

Day 11 & 12 - Jalan Jalan (Walkabout) in Hatyai - our final day & night in Hatyai before departing by train to Padang Besar on the following morning ! 

Map of Hatyai City, Thaialnd

Hostel Accommodation- My groups overnight stay in Aree Hostel, Hatyai (267bht dorm) - last minute shopping, eating & a good way to unwind ourselves before heading back home !

Jalan Jalan (Walkabout) in downtown Hatyai 

1) Kim Yong Market, Hatyai - our group members bought cashew nuts to bring home & 1/2 kilo of roasted pork for takeaway to be eaten in our hostel.

2) Grand Market, Hatyai - main purpose was to buy salted fish; I bought a small piece (whole fish) for 230bht.

Salted fish -1,000bht  per piece
 for an extra large

3) Robinson Department Store & Supermarket, Hatyai - bought a pack of Monthong durian for 175bht for first time eating in front of the hostel ! Also bought bread, tuna sandwiches, pastries as quick snacks & food for our dinner & breakfast to be eaten on board the train bounds from Hatyai > Bangkok

4) Hostels in downtown Hatyai, within walking distance to Odean Department Store - for low season, online booking per room is Rm70-100 so pick your choice of hotel to suite your budget & location ! The 4 -5 star hotels could probably costs more - double the price of a 2-3 star hotels ! 

Lee Garden Hotel 

Hatyai Central Hotel

Sakura Hotel

Hatyai Central Hotel

5) Pubs, restaurants, food stalls & retail shops in downtown Hatyai

Irish Pub in Hatyai ! 

A Little Dim Sum Restaurant ! 

King of the Bird Nest Shop ! 

Suckling pigs at a back lane
 in downtown Hatyai ! 

Pork Burger Fast Food in Hatyai !
Must be very yummy in taste !

A popular steamed duck noodle soup
with special recipe in Hatyai

6) A Chinese Temple in downtown Hatyai

7) Lee Garden Plaza Hotel & Shopping Mall

8) Night Market, Hatyai

Makan Makan (Eating) on our final day in Hatyai - Food Glorious Food ! 

1) Roasted pork as food "snack" eaten in our hostel

2) Lunch at a beef noodle stall near our hostel

3) A light dinner with Lam at a noodle stall near our hostel (60bht), courtesy of Lam ! 

4) Dinner (750bht) at a popular Thai restaurant in downtown Hatyai

Fish Maw soup

Thai Amok fish paste 

5) A taste of Thai Monthong durian at our hostel (175bht per pack)

6) Supper at a roadside food stall near our hostel - ice / warm dessert (30bht) per bowl

7) Local sweet desserts at a food stall (Maew Sister) in front of Lee Garden Plaza Hotel

Thai sweet dessert - 15bht per piece
really taste good ! 

8) Bought some freshly baked pastries / buns (30bht per piece) from a Bakery shop near the Hatyai train station; as breakfast for our early departure to catch a shuttle train (50bht) from Hatyai > Padang Besar (07.30 > 08.15). Malaysian time in Padang Besar is 09.15.

Day 12 - Tuesday 14th August 2018 (our Final Day in Thailand) 

1) Departing Hatyai Junction Train Station > Padang Besar (07.30 > 08.25) - 50bht one way; Malaysian time in Padang Besar is 09.25

2) Economical noodle sold by a peddler on board the Thai train during a brief stop at a train station (10bht per pack)

3) My simple breakfast at the KTM café prior to boarding the KTM train to KL Sentral - a pack of fried rice with egg (Rm3.50)

My breakfast - fried rice with egg (Rm3.50)

My buddies' breakfast - Nasi Lemak
+ fried noodle (RM5.50)

4) Countryside scenery from Hatyai, Thailand > Padang Besar, Malaysia

5) Padang Besar, Malaysia - after the immigration clearance & security check at both the Thai / Malaysia Immigration Centre, next is queuing up at the KTM ticketing counter (KTM ticket counter opens at 10.00) - buying our KTM ERL train tickets for our departure from Padang Besar to KL Sentral (11.15 > 16.55) - Rm55 for seniors & Rm102 for normal adult (Platinum seat) - no need for advance booking ! 

6) Countryside scenery from Padang Besar > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

7) A cup of hot KTM coffee drink for refreshment before our train arrives in KL Sentral ! Courtesy of Mr Chim !

8) Country road take me home to the place I belong ! Thank you all for the hospitality,  friendship & team spirit displayed throughout our 12 day trip to Southern Thailand in this  Land of Smiles ! To Lam, a great thank you for your company & helping the group to pick the right hotels & guiding us to visit the various tourist attractions in the various cities/towns we visited for this trip. 

Let the country trains take you home to
the place you belong ! Home Sweet Home ! 

9) A "gift" - a natural outcome from this 12 day trip from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Southern Thailand - my 2nd left toe has a small blister on the 7th day of this visit - slight pain when our group was doing an evening walk to the Walking Street of Pattaya ! But I walk & walk as I was anxious to see the limelight of Pattaya before the night withered away !