SIMPLY (t)RAVELLING

Wandering Hatyai

 

24 Nov 2011.

We arrived in Hatyai, Thailand via Airasia despite the massive flooding at Bangkok and recent bombing in neighbouring Golok.  I wasn’t sure why it was in my travel list at the first place, a trip perhaps aroused out of total curiousity. My first impression of the place when we landed was that it flocked with Malaysians (as if we are not. LOL!) especially the Chinese, doing the border crossing for some weekend gateaway for cheap shopping and cheap what-ever-else (if you know what I mean), and it didn’t really help on the fact that we were actually in another country. Even the signboards were written in Malay and Chinese, so as the Thai’s dialect uttered by the locals somehow sounds like Hokkien (or was it my imagination?).

 

While queuing for immigration (it was such a long queue!) I couldn’t help spotted the green notice board on the wall behind us. Hatyai is definitely not for alien in skimpy outfit!

 

As we were looking for cheap transport to the city center, we stumbled into a lone English dude who seemed lost like us, of which we quickly made acquitance. Josh (or what ever his name, sorry Josh for my short term memory) was going to Pakbara, and intent to take a bus from Hatyai. Together we passed the swarming taxi drivers at the airport exit and walked towards the end of the parking lot, which to our relief there was this blue tuk tuk waiting (it cost us 30bhat per person compared to the standard 500bhat taxi charges). 

The journey to the town center was smooth sailing, as we squeezed in with the locals in the sardine-packed tuk tuk. Before long we reached the town, and I was inspecting the landmarks trying to figure out where to get off. We were dispatched at the clock tower; and soon made our separate ways after a handshake and a goodbye - Josh headed off to the bus station for Pakbara and us wandering into the maze of Hatyai town.

 

I was so caught up with work after returning from our Hanoi trip, and didn’t have the chance of making any arrangement nor research before coming to Hatyai. My only source of information was from wiki, and one of the budget hotel recommended was this particular Pink Lady. The name struck me as a bit peculiar at first, however being in haste I didn’t pay much attention to it. So when we arrived in Hatyai, finding accomodation was on top of our list. Checking out from one budget hostel to another we ended up at Pink Lady doorstep, and from the striking pink neon sign up to the candid photos, we were sure the hotel was defnitely not for us (LOL!). I’ve to remind myself to do future travel planning, proper!

 

After we settled with our lodging (and a decent one, mind you), we walked to the nearby Hamid Restaurant in front of Lee Garden Plaza for a quick lunch. I was already giddy over the lack of carbo especially after the long walk, and once the food arrived we attacked it like Somalians. There’s nothing to shout about the taste, but paying for 400 bhat over two plates of plain fried rice and some egg beefsteak surely a highway robbery!

 

We set off for a tour around town after the meal, and the first place we visited was the Santisuk Market at Nipututhit 2 Road. Walking around Hatyai was like walking in my own small hometown back in Malaysia, with two storey shop houses of colonial architecture lining up the streets, side by side with the more modern, posh hotels and shopping complexes.

 

 

Inside the Santisuk Market. The business here concentrated more on digital and electronics items, ranging from the cheap-but-never-heard-off China merchandise up to explicit DVDs. I bought a travel iron from the lady in red, a Germany brand name but I doubt the originality.

 

From Santisuk we walked to Kim Yong, another market in Hatyai. Hatyai is all about shopping, thus expect to see a lot of markets, street peddlers, cash-and-carry, supermarkets, stalls, shops, shops and more shops. 

 

 

Like most of Hatyai five-foot ways, Kim Yong’s was also flooded with street vendors selling fruits, tidbits, chestnuts etc. Most of these vendors are muslim ladies, and some can even speak malays with Thai accent.

 

DH can’t resists the temptation for tidbits, although the price here was a bit expensive. The price for a pack of thin-layer cashew nuts and pistachio costs about 120bhat each. My mom said that when she visited Hatyai a few years back she could easily get three packs of the same thing at only 100bhat! Not sure if overflow in Bangkok played any role on the step up of the inflation rate in Hatyai.

 

Inside Kim Yong Market. More nuts and snacks.

 

Found nothing interesting, we left the monotonous market and walked to the side of the building and arrived at the more lively market.

 

Late afternoon, but the place was still a hive of activity.

 

  

  

    

Fruits and flowers are the market main commodities. Although you could spotted some food stalls (majority selling porks) in between.

 

 Flower seller, Hatyai Thailand.

 

Phuang Malai, a local translation for fresh flower garlands. The art of flower arrangement in Thailand was a trend started during the King Chulalongkorn dynasty, and the purpose differs on  event-type basis. If hung inside a house it just meant as aromathic air freshener, and alternately an offering if it is put around the buddha statues or praying altars. It could also be used as a farewell symbols for the dearly departed, in contrast of a welcoming symbol if it is offered to the guests. It could be a lucky charm to others in put in the vehicles, as the locals believe that it is able to prevent accidents. 

 

The day was getting late, so we walked back to our hotel in Saengchan Road bypasing these colorful rides.

 

Apart from shopping, Hatyai is also famous as food paradise. Fried seafood stuffs spotted at a stall somewhere at the intersection in front of Lee Garden Plaza, with the big prawns (I mean really big!) as its main attraction. A luxury bite at 200Bhat each!  Food is DH weakness, again he was tempted to try but due to the price thought the better of it. After all, prawns will all taste like prawns, big or small.

 

Street halal dimsum, in front Lee Garden Plaza.

 

Next to it was a Briyani stall. Unlike Malaysia typical gravylicious briyani, the rice here is complemented with deep fried chicken and Thai sweet sauce. Easy on our taste bud, and of course our pocket!

 

Night, at Hatyai Walking Street. A shoppers haven and a colorful one, if you fancy the t-shirts and souvenirs, from the typical key chains and fridge magnets up to samurai sword and sharp fist rings use for fightings. We ended our day with foot massage,  in one of the many parlours available in front Grand Mayflower Hotel. The price was 200Bhat per person. A bit expensive from the one we had in Bangkok, but still the cheapest in Hatyai.  

 

End of Day 1.