" In travelling, you don't take all the credit. You learn. It makes you a better person "
After my Singapore visit in late Oct 2022, Thailand was my 2nd overseas country I visited during this post Covid-19 period (my last visit to Thailand was in Jan 2019). For both of these free & easy overseas visits, my wife was able to accompany me, though she felt tired towards the end of the journey but she thoroughly enjoyed every moment of her time in Hat Yai, Songkhla, Hua Hin & Bangkok. Hope my travel buddies felt the same too!
Why Thailand ? A few of these factors maybe the main driver why I favour visiting this country over the last 3-4 decades (a total of 15 visits to Thailand thus far) ie close proximity, being Malaysia's closest neighbour; hotel accommodation, food & transport are affordable & comparable to that of my home country; Thailand is also known as Land of Smiles so people are friendly / hospitable & their service industry is efficient; Thai food wise, it suits Malaysian taste bud, plenty of street food for you to savour, day & night!
For this 13 days Thai trip, my 2 travel buddies, KF Wong & Thompson (plus wife) were able to join me! With a little bit of micro planning & together with the team work & spirit, I must confess that our travel group was able to achieve more & accomplish our mission in visiting most of the touristy places we yearn to see despite traveling during a monsoon season!
In the next few weeks, many will be celebrating Christmas, ushering the New Year 2023 & Chinese Lunar New Year (Year of Rabbit, falls on Sunday Jan 22 2023), so the season spinning round again, the years keep rollin' by! As age is catching up, I could love to do a few more free & easy overseas trips, preferably Asia in 2023 - so KM, wishing you another year of happy & pleasant travelling with your family members & travel buddies! Hope your current mental, physical & spiritual strength could help you to achieve all your travel goals in 2023! To all my readers, you too take care, always in good health & last but not the least, happy travelling!
Travel itinerary: Subang Jaya > KL Sentral > Padang Besar > Hatyai > Songkhla > Hatyai > Hua Hin > Bangkok; Bangkok > Hatyai > Padang Besar > Bandar Tasik Selatan, KL > Subang Jaya (approx 1,578km one way)
Kuala Lumpur > Bangkok - approx 1578km
Kuala Lumpur > Padang Besar, Malaysia / Thailand Border - approx 530km
Padang Besar > Hatyai, Thailand - approx 53km
Hat Yai > Songkhla - approx 30km
Hat Yai > Hua Hin, Thailand - approx 747km
Hua Hin > Bangkok - approx 199km
Total cost incurred (13 days): 7158bht (Rm930) + Rm593 = Rm1,523 (US$350) per pax
Thai Sim Card: Rm15
KTM Trains: Rm58
Thai Trains: 1029bht + 290bht +1105bht = 2424bht (Rm315)
VIP Van (Padang Besar>Hatyai): Rm30
Hotel (10 nights): Rm475 per pax (twin sharing)
BTS Sky Train & MRT: 1108bht (Rm144)
Tuk Tuk: 180bht (Rm23)
Bus: 120bht (Rm16)
Car Hire (Hua Hin): 200bht (Rm26)
Petrol: 86bht (Rm11)
Tour Boat (Chao Phraya): 60bht (Rm7.80)
Food: 2260bht (Rm294) + Rm15
Entrance fee: 100bht (Rm13 - Venezia)
Alisan VIP Coach: 620bht (Rm81)
Exchange Rate: 10bht = Rm1.295; US$1-Rm4.35
My travel buddies (5 in a group): My wife, KF Wong, Thompson Tham & wife
 |
Embracing Happiness, CentralwOrld
Bangkok, Thailand |
 |
Stainless Steel Pagoda
Hat Yai, Thailand |
Travel Highlights:
1) Hat Yai, Thailand
 |
Stainless Steel Pagoda
Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
Kim Yong Market, Hat Yai
Thailand |
 |
Lee Garden Night Market
Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
| Clock Tower, Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
| Wat Lian Hua Ko, Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
Wat Thaworn Wararam
Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
| Wat Chu Chang, Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
| Street Art, Hat Yai, Thailand |
2) Songkhla, Thailand
 |
| Samila Beach, Songkhla, Thailand |
 |
| Cat & Rat Statute, Songkhla, Thailand |
 |
| Golden Mermaid, Songkhla, Thailand |
 |
Maritime Silk Road Heritage Museum
Songkhla, Thailand |
 |
| Songkhla Oldtown, Thailand |
 |
| Red Mill Plant, Songkhla, Thailand |
3) Hua Hin, Thailand
 |
| Hua Hin Railway Station, Thailand |
 |
| Hua Hin Beach, Thailand |
 |
| Chat Chai Market, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Hua Hin Night Market, Thailand |
|
| Artist Village, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Wat Kao Hisukato
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Khao Hin Lek Fei Viewpoint
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Wat Khao Takiab
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Fishing Village Nong Kae-Takiap
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Takiap Reservoir Park,
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Sanae Beach, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Rajabkhati Park, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Wat Huay Mongol, Hua Hin, Thailand |
4) Bangkok, Thailand
 |
Chao Phraya Tourist Boat Cruise
Bangkok, Thailand |
 |
| Four Faced Buddha, Bangkok |
 |
| Central World, Bangkok |
 |
| Siam Paragon, Bangkok |
 |
| Siam Center, Bangkok |
 |
| Asiatique Riverfront, Bangkok |
 |
| Wat Arun, Bangkok |
 |
| Chatucak Weekend Market, Bangkok |
 |
| Hua Lampong Railway Station, Bangkok |
 |
| Grand Palace, Bangkok |
 |
| Ministry of Defence, Bangkok |
 |
| Icon Siam, Bangkok |
 |
| Chinatown By Night, Bangkok |
 |
| Lumpini Park, Bangkok |
 |
| MBK Center, Bangkok |
 |
| Terminal 21 Asok, Bangkok |
 |
| Terminal 21 Rama 111, Bangkok |
 |
| Pratunam Market, Bangkok |
Selfies taken by my travel buddy, Thompson Tham in each of the city our group visited in this Thailand trip! Smiles everlasting smiles in the Land of Smiles (Nov 2022)! For every free & easy visit, we make our memories in our own little way!
1) Hat Yai, Thailand
 |
Stainless Steel Pagoda,
Hat Yai, Thailand |
 |
Stainless Steel Pagoda
Hat Yai, Thailand |
2) Songkhla, Thailand
.jpg) |
| Songkhla City, Thailand |
.jpg) |
| Samila Beach, Songkhla, Thailand |
 |
Rat & Cat Statute, Samila Beach
Songkhla, Thailand |
.jpg) |
Golden Mermaid, Samila Beach
Songkhla, Thailand |
3) Hua Hin, Thailand
 |
| Hua Hin railway Station, Thailand |
 |
| Elephant Village, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Huay Mongol, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Khao Hin Lek Fai Viewpoint
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Khao Hin Lek Fai Viewpoint
Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Khao Hin Lek Fai Viewpoint
Hua Hin, Thailand |
.jpg) |
| Wat Khao Takiab, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Sanae Beach, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Rajabhakti Park, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
| Rajabhakti Park, Hua Hin, Thailand |
 |
Wat Huay Mongol
Hua Hin, Thailand |
4) Bangkok, Thailand
.jpg) |
| Asiatique, Bangkok |
A New Day - Day 1 Sunday Nov 20 2022 - the start of our group's KTM train ride from KL Sentral (ETD07.08) to Padang Besar (ETA12.41) & van ride to Hat Yai, Thailand, our Day 1 in Hat Yai mainly focused on visits to Kim Yong Market & Lee Garden Night Market! Activated our Thai Sim Cards (Rm15, bought online from Lazada in KL) for inter-communication among one another in Thailand from now on. In my 16 years of travelling thus far, this is the 1st time I bought & used a Sim Card in my overseas visit! Amazing, isn't it!
 |
| Thai Sim Card (16 days expiry Rm15) |
1) KTM train ride for KM & wife + KF Wong (whereas Thompson & wife took an express Alisan coach from Bandar Tasik Selatan KL direct to Hat Yai via Sadao) from KL Sentral > Padang Besar, Malaysia (07.08 > 12.41).
 |
| Train Cafe |
 |
Meals & Hot / Cold Drinks on Sale Inside the Train |
2) KTM train arriving at the Padang Besar train station (12.45 Malaysia Time, Thai Time is 11.45) ); as our next shuttle Thai train (70bht = Rm9) is expected to arrive at around 15.40 (Thai Time), our group opted to take a van ride (Rm30) from Padang Besar to Hat Yai town, a better choice in terms of time saving (otherwise we had to endure a 4 hours of waiting time), so just paid the fare (also to fill up a Thai Arrival / Departure Card) at a Ticketing Booth at the train station & you will be guided to take a private taxi to the Malaysian Immigration Checkpoint for passport processing & then to the Thai Immigration Check Point for passport stamping etc. After that, you will be guided to take a van at the Thai Immigration Check Point (Exit End) to your destination & drop off to your hotel in Hat Yai!
4) VIP van ride (entertained by a loud music inside a fanciful decor van) from Padang Besar, Thailand > Hat Yai (approx 1 hr), gloomy weather & heavy rain as the van approached closer to the Hat Yai town)
5) Our group's 2 nights stay in Red Planet Hotel (but KF had opted to stay in another hotel near Lee Garden Night Market), room tariff 635bht = Rm82, twin sharing, 400m from Lee Garden Night Market & Hat Yai Railway station.
6) Our group dinner in a braised pork leg rice stall in downtown Hat Yai - a yummy dinner for everyone - a plate of braised pork leg rice 100bht (Rm13), very filling & satisfying for my group's 1st day dinner in Hat Yai!
7) Walkabout (familiarisation visit) in downtown Hat Yai (after our early dinner) - gloomy weather ahead so all of us brought along our small umbrellas in case rain drops keep fallen on your head!
8) Walkabout in Lee Garden Night Market & Clock Tower, Hat Yai - a tourist favourite haunt (shopping & street food etc), as for me a down the memory lane visit (visited Hat Yai 4 to 5 times over the last decade) - the likes of Odeon Department Store, Lee Garden Plaza & Hotel, Lee Garden Night Market, Central Market, Clock Tower etc; if you are a glutton, this is the place for you, so just eat & eat till you can't stomach anymore!
9) An iced dessert treat for my wife at a street food stall in Lee Garden Night Market & also for our group before retiring to bed! A wonderful day in Hat Yai!
 |
| Bubur Cha Cha 50bht (Rm6.50) |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment