There was nothing much for me to do in Hat Yai. The place was filled with Malaysians and Singaporeans, it didn’t really feel like Thailand at all to me, except for the Thai TV programmes and signboards.
I went to check out a local club and it felt like Hollywood (a thai club) in BKK.
(taking random photos in the hotel room)
I stayed at Golden Crown Plaza Hotel and it had sheltered parking! It is also conveniently located near Lee Gardens Plaza where most of the people go to for shopping and hanging out.
(Virtua Cop! Haven’t seen this since 1994!)
My helmet was starting to give way, the glue wasn’t holding some parts together, so I had to go get it repaired. I went to a roadside cobbler and paid 20THB for his services. But while waiting for the glue to dry, I damaged his makeshift seat, which was actually a drawer flipped upside down.
(the cobbler repairing the drawer)
I can probably last 2 nights maximum at Hat Yai, I was getting bored on the second day already. So I went online to make a change, I shifted my arrival to BKK one day earlier.
The day passed really slowly and I set my alarm to move off at 4am (Thai time)
(4.30am and ready to go!)
(The road was pretty misty on the way up)
Unlike the North South Highway where I knew where I wanted to stop, stopping within Thailand was based on looking at my fuel gauge and my mileage. I arrived at my first stop just when the sun rose a little.
A car pulled up next to me as I was sitting outside 7-11. A middle aged man came out and spoke to me in Chinese, he asked me where I was going to.
“Chiangmai”
“One person?”
“Yeah…”
“Usually people travel in groups, it is very rare to see one person travelling all the way up”
The conversation went on to my bike, how fast it could go, how much it costs, what did I work as, the roads past Chumpon would be better…
Soon I had to move, otherwise I’d reach BKK in the late evening. I said goodbye to the family and proceeded with my journey.
At my 2nd stop, a car pulled up next to me and the driver hopped out and walked quickly towards me with a big smile on his face.
“ความเร็วเท่าไร?” (speed how much?) he asked.
“เมื่อไร?” (when?) i replied
“วิ่งเร็วที่สุดเท่าไร?” (what is the fastest speed?)
“erm…. ประมาณ 270km. คนอื่นวิ่ง 270. ผมวิ่งเร็วที่สุดประมาณ 240km” (about 270km/hr. Other people did 270. The fastest I did was about 240).
The smile on the guy’s face got even bigger.
“คันเท่าไร?” (how much is the vehicle?)
after doing some calculations, I showed him the result on my phone.
“705000THB!!!” he exclaimed, “ซื้อ Vigo ได้!” (can buy a Vigo!). A Hilux Vigo is a popular pick up in Thailand made by Toyota.
Later he found out that I was from Singapore and another car pulled up next to me. A couple came out and the man told them about my journey.
More questions and answers later, the couple and man went off, not before saying “โชคดี!” (Good Luck!) to me
My 3rd stop was around Hua Hin, more and more people were looking at me and my very foreign vehicle. An old man came up to me and said he loved to ride, but he is old now. Many agreed that I should be doing this while I am still young.
(stopping at around Hua Hin)
(around 2pm)
The rest of the trip was largely uneventful, the traffic started to get heavier as I got nearer to BKK. For the first time, I went on the Rama 3 bridge, it was really a sight to behold but I couldn’t stop to take photos! There was no place to stop on that bridge, not even a road shoulder.
I arrived at CMYK Hotel. My stay there wasn’t fantastic and I won’t be going back there again. The moment I checked into my room, I contacted my usual waiter to book a table.
One thing that I have always wanted to do was to ride to BKK, ride to SLIM, drink and party, then ride back to the hotel in one piece. And for this trip, I am happy to say that it is one major check on my bucket list!
(first SG vehicle ever to park outside SLIM!!!)
It was also the Songkran period. I usually try to avoid Songkran because I don’t want to get wet. I had 2 years of Songkran and that was enough for me. Then I didn’t attend 3 years of Songkran. After this trip, I am reminded why I avoided it in the first place. It is crowded, it is wet and my waiters are too busy to come have a chat and a drink with me. But since this is my first solo trip up, I’ll play with water for one day.
(songkran set up at SLIM)
(favourite supper. fried chicken at RCA)
The next day I wanted to try this dim sum buffet at Swissotel, it was just walking distance from where I was staying at. It was my 2nd last piece of dry clothing and I got wet while walking to Swissotel.
The selection was not bad, roasted duck, beef was available too! I will go back there again.
Tomorrow morning I will be setting off for Chiang Mai!