day 1 - 4 lodging guide.

Just a lodging guide....

Day 1, had a late packing schedule. packing for 3 weeks is the same for 3 years. gosh, got to settle our work.

we set off 7am from home and is the first time traveling North South Highway in the day time. the view is really different.

for the Hatyai experts, the Sadao border crossing close from 12 midnight till 6am daily.

still can't escape Hatyai, we stayed here for a night. after going round, all the lodging were really expensive!

Day 2: something interesting. we only travelled 450km and settled at a beach.

N9 34.753 E99 12.387

300B, fan with mosquito.

We realized that the general Thai people are very polite. we did not hear much road users using their horn and they are very cool and patient driver. The young boy, about 10 years old behaved very mature towards us.

Day 3 to Kanchanaburi, to where we went on our very first trip in 2005.

 Jolly Frog Backpackers was a nice place, filled with white people of all ages. The older ones might be the war veterans. The young ones, party goers.

150B for non-aircon with share bathroom.
200B for non-aircon with bathroom.
park within compound.
Mosquitoes.
WIFI depend on luck.
nice garden.
N14 01.949 E99 31.225
I notice the Thai people here, in this hostel is very different, not so polite. Even business is good, they should maintain their courtesy and Thai culture. It is not uncommon to see an old white guy to hang out with a dark looking lady.

The stretch of backpacker's place is becoming like the ah-gogo street.

What amused us was that the Thai here spoke Mandarine because there were many visitors from China!

 See the picture difference? taken 2013 and 2005.

We didn't plan much on the exact place that we will go and must visit. we plan along the way.

 This junction is like a center of asia:

To Vientiane, Laos is 509km
To Danang, Vietnam is 1010km
To Kunming, China is 1460km
To Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is 1840km.

A Suzuki GSX R1000 motorbike cost 790,000B (S$32244.00)

A Toyota Hilux cost 625,000B (S$25510.00)

 Not knowing, we stayed at Uttaradit town. Seldom, bikers will come here because there is not much special tourist attraction. It is very cool in the evening. Not much traffic in the town. We were lucky to stay in a good hotel, yes, HOTEL for 400B.

N17 37.745 E100 06.076

Hotel name? i dunno....

We were very lucky because we met Phraya Phichai Dap Hak and Red Cross Fair is organized to commemorate the heroic deeds of Phraya Phichai during 7–16 January every year at Phraya Phichai Dap Hak Stadium. There are the Provincial Red Cross Centre’s booths selling products, traditional and cultural performances, various forms of entertainment and a ceremony to worship Phraya Phichai Dap Hak. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttaradit_Province)

 there were 'ti-kam' games to play, like the fun fair in Singapore that ended in the 90's.

Food and food, this is the freshest 'som-tam' we ate with the fresh prawn and crab!

And this too.... 

Best hospital in Singapore

So, what actually happened to my hand on 2013 New Year’s Eve? The following is a statement of what actually happened, based on a true story.

I was pruning a Nibong palm on a ladder. I was about 1.5m above ground. The Nibong palm has a lot of thorns. I feel off the ladder and my hand just grabbed onto the stem of the palm. The thorns just pricked onto my right palm and each and every thorn broke. I had some abrasion on my left palm and left leg. Very slight abrasion, like a fall from bicycle. No injury from the fall.

Wait, let me answer your questions: yes, I am wearing rubber glove but the thorns are like needles. Unless I wear metal glove? Also, from what I know, the thorns contain no poison.

Since it is just thorns, I wanted to see my neighbourhood doctor. I call up Samantha to ask her to get the queue number for me but asked them if the doctor is willing to take out my thorns. They said: yes, can.

So I went to see my neighbourhood doctor. She is shocked that I got so many thorns on my palm. She used a tweezer, trying to pluck the thorns from my palm.

By the way, I had my first aid kit with me and that was what I did. Because the thorns broke once it is inserted onto my flesh, there is no way the tweezer could pluck the thorns out.

I was expecting that the doctor has some other equipments to get the thorns out. She was nervous because in the end, she couldn’t do it and there are a lot of patient waiting for her. She recommended me to go to the nearest one: NUH (National University hospital) or AH (Alibaba hospital). It was 10am and i chose the Alibaba Hospital. I drove straight to A&E of Alibaba hospital with Samantha.

The first check was quick. A nurse will check my blood pressure and body temperature.

Then I waited for about 20 minutes for another person. This person seems to be a doctor but do not look like one, lets call her ‘Doctor 1’. She said that I need to go to an operation theater to do a micro surgery to take out all the thorns. But to know how deep and how many thorns, I have to go for an X-ray. For all these, I have to be warded because I need to wait for the operation theater and the surgeon to be available. I asked if there are any other options since this is just some thorns, she said, no. I must be warded.

 She saw my bleeding abrasions and thorns but didn’t do anything.

I went to the x-ray department. The x-ray guy turn my hand here and there to aim… he didn’t know that the x-ray was to see the thorns. He thought it was to see my bones. I reminded him.

In-process for ward: a polite receptionist helped me filled up forms and explained to me the conditions of each ward and she knew that I have my AVIVA insurance for hospitalization. She asked me to sign 3 items.

One of it was:

Mr Goh, are you willing to stay in the hospital?

My reply: of course I am NOT willing to stay in the hospital, the doctor forced me to.

She was shocked by my answer. 

She said:

You wait there for a while, I get the doctor to talk to you.

Then, a lady come and explain that it was because I have to use the operation theater, have to see the surgeon, have to access my conditions by the experts, so need time, so need to be warded.

Ok, I accept.

Then I go back to the same receptionist and she shouted at me:

HELLO! IF YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO SIGN THIS, SORRY YOU CANNOT STAY.

It was 12noon and I believe she is hungry...

She left and another receptionist took over. I waited for her for about 20 minutes.

This 2^nd receptionist asked me the same 3 questions and one of it was again:

Mr Goh, are you willing to stay in the hospital?

My reply: of course I am NOT willing, the doctor forced me to.

Her face turned black and told me: sorry, my job is only here. You have to sign this in order to complete the process. else you cannot be warded.

Somehow, I agreed to sign the papers after seeing the what was written was not what was spoken, so its ok. I chose C ward even I can claim from my insurance or medisave and i want to give the chance to other people that need it more.

I went up to the ward and bed. A big sized young local nurse came to do pre-ward assessment to check my current status. When talking to her, another nurse use a long cotton bud to prick in my nose to collect bacterial sample.

That irritates me! She didn’t warn me about that before she insert that into me.

The big size young nurse then gave me a set of hospital uniform. I felt like being in jail. I ask her why must I wear it? 

She said:

This is hospital, you must wear, else doctor come I will get scolding, or do you want me to help you the change?!

Actually I know part of the reason was hygiene but she didn’t explained to me.

I was wearing my work boots. I requested if she has any flip flops for me. Nope, they do not have any.

see the black dots on my palm? they are the thorns.

see the blue plastic tweezer she had, the surgical stainless steel tweezer i borrowed her and the wound she created without cleaning up?

Then, 2 doctors came and see my condition. Dr Tony (Indonesian accent english, young guy) and Dr Tan (Malaysian accent english, young lady). 

Tony told Tan: wah lao. Why they (doctor 1) warded him?! No need whatt… just ask your nurse to use the needles to take out the thorns. X-ray cannot see any thorns… the thorns are too fine to be seen from the x-ray.

Both left.

I waited for another half hour for a staff nurse to arrive. Later I got to know this nurse came from south India and is not a local. What she did was she use the needles for injections to scrape my skin around the black spot where the needles are, until the first layer of skin is exposed and bleed, then she dig and scrape deeper trying anchor onto the head of the thorns. This was done at the chair beside my bed. I was crying because the pain of scraping the new exposed skin that she made was unbearable.

She had a tweezer, a plastic one. She tried using it for 2 times and she put it aside. I offered her my surgical stainless steel one that I had in my first aid box. She used it.

The whole process was pain pain pain. She would look around my palm only to see any possible black spot and start digging.

She did NOT clean my hand prior to the digging operation.

She only used 3 small pieces of alcohol swap to clean the blood that is blocking her view to dig.

After more than 20 wounds she created, I was so glad. Some parts of my palm still hurt when I apply pressure on it. I suspect that there are some thorns inside.

Dr Tan came, she look around my palm. I told her that the Indian nurse have not clean up my wound.

5 minutes later, that Indian nurse came and used 2 small pieces of alcohol swap to wipe my hand briefly, even less brief than wiping off shit from the ass.

these alcohol swap is about 2cm x 2cm, the standard type.

I asked her: what about my abrasion on my left hand and leg.

She said: okok, later.

And she did not do it! And she did not clean up my tweezer.

I kept on asking doctor Tan if I can leave, she said that the other doctor wants to come but still in the operation theater.

I waited and waited. Nothing was done on me. I lost confident in all of them. I closed the curtain, changed and escape from the ‘prison/hell’.

the size of the thorn that i tried to DIY.

No water was served. i bought a can of potato chips for my lunch. once i was warded, they put up 2 signage. 1st was no food and drink. i ask the big sized young nurse why, she says this is SOP. 2nd sign was the falling danger sign. where ever i go, even i go to toilet, i must wait for someone to come to accompany me because i come in due to a fall. they also put this as a police case because the 1st doctor asked me if i was working during the accident. then the police called me, i told the police that i am not going to do any report, any claim or any thing. i guess the police felt relieved to hear that because he had lesser paperwork to do.

About 2 hours later, I was with Samantha and she received a phone call from the Alibaba hospital. She can’t really hear what they were trying to say and I asked her to hang up immediately. The hospital did not call me.

Samantha applied medication onto all my wound that the Indian nurse has scrape and on the abrasion on my left hand and legs. Samantha also managed to take out another long thorn in my left leg and various small thorns on my right palm.

The next day, I went back to the hospital, back to my bed. No one was looking for me. There was no conclusion for my case. They didn’t ask me to go back for re-consultation or anything. The only person that want to see me is the admin girl.

That admin girl was pretty looking and sweet. What I was left was the bill. I wasn’t afraid of the bill because I used my CPF money to buy all the insurance I could buy, that was for any kind of hospitalization matters in Singapore. I am sure the healthcare system in Singapore will take good care of me. Even if the bill does not exceed X amount, I still can use my medisave from CPF.

In the end, I have to use cash. I cannot use medisave from CPF because:

In order to use the money from your medisave, you have to be warded 8 hours and above, and you (Mr Goh) only warded for 7 and half hours. So have to pay cash.

i went back to another nurse, requesting to see the doctor because some of the wound are swelling and I suspect some other new thorns within my skin.

Nurse: sorry ah, doctor not around. Today 1^st of January but if u really want to see doctor, you go back to A&E.

me: what? Go A&E must pay again, about $80+, also have to wait leyyy

nurse: I think they should be able to do something.

I went back to A&E, waited for 2 hours until I meet a proper doctor that can explain clearly and do the right thing.

He showed me that there is no thorn in the x-ray not because it is too small to be seen but it is maybe only on my skin.

I showed him the one of the swelling part that is hurting. He and I suspect that there is thorn inside. He explained that he has to do a small cut and observe. I agree.

He arranged me to go to a small room. I lie down with a surgical spot light on my hand. I could feel the heat. He used a ‘thong’ to spread a pink lotion to clean my hands before any cut. Then he lay the dark green cloth to cover the other parts of my hand except the swelling part. He took out a needle and just before he wanted to inject the aenestatic, I was totally freaked out by the whole atmospheres and requested him to stop. Yes, this guy knows what he is doing and is the correct procedure. He also instructed his assistant to clean up the abration on my left hand and leg.

It was only about 29 hours after I came to this Alibaba Hospital (AH) that I got my minor abrasion cleaned.

Is that how AH work?

Anyway, this is not sad. While I was settling the cash bill with the sweet lady, the friend of the patient that was beside my bed was there too. my ‘neighbour’ was 62 years old, male, not married, no children, working as relieve taxi driver, medisave left with $400, had a surgery on the intestine, cash bill come out to be $4000. I went to talk to him after seeing the bill to find out about his condition. We chatted for a while and I told him:

DON’T take up the installment scheme. Go look for the social help and see what they can do for you. In any case, do not pay cash because you are a Singaporean and our government will sure take care of you. Go look for you insurance agent to buy insurance using CPF.

What upset me most was he has to look for social helper to help him solve the $4000 hospital bill. He is a true blue Singaporean and was neglected by the government’s policy.

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anyway, i am writing this blog in Thailand now. We left on 6 January 2013, 8am from Tuas. This is the very first time that we had holiday before the Lunar New Year because this is the most busiest period in our industry. We choose to give up and go. why? why this time? why?

hee.. soon you will know. will update on the next blog.

we bought a new tent and try out at our neighbourhood lawn. it is super heavy. we want to try out camping in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Not sure if it works.

7am: Samantha waiting for me as the bike has to leave the carpark, then i could remove the ERP device from the bike, store it with my truck and walk back to the bike. When we come home, will try to sneak into the carpark without going thro the gantry. 

Slow service.

Just a reminder why will NOT use Vpost for online purchase and shipping, by Singapore Post.
1) more expensive compare apple to apple.
2) website is slow.
3) Email that i recieved from them are not user friendly, no link to click to check on my orders.
4) Details are just summary, not details.

I tried others and it is the opposite.

Singapore's Identity: Roti Prata

Today we went to a prata outlet at Clementi. It is located below the public housing estate. It occupies 2 shops space and one of it is allocated as the sitting area for customer and has air-condition.

When we enter the shop, a guy actually greeted us with a big smile. It was not common for a prata shop to do this.

We sat down and the menu was served. It is in a thick folder.

I ordered: 1 egg prata, 1 plain prata and a coke light.

Samantha ordered: 1 Nasi Goreng and 1 Teh Halia.

The bill came out to be about $10.

I think it is a good business selling prata. They could modify the prata by adding some other ingredients and 1 prata could cost up to $4. Such prata shop would be quite profitable. I noticed that there is a trend of upmarket prata shop to hire PRC to help out.

Singaporedream team would rate this outlet as an expensive and yet normal standard prata shop.

The prata shop trend is not about food. It is about hanging out.

The prata shop is always a place to go after clubbing. It also served as a meeting point for bikers to hang out. Although some prata shop are very pricy but the owner allow us to stay and chit-chat as long as we want… if our cup is not empty. Usually they will not chase us away even we do not order any big meal from them. Also, many prata shop is located at places where we could park our vehicle within our sight and so convenient for vehicle owners.

Importantly, what we notice is that prata is something very Singapore. All races would come to the prata shop to eat and hangout. The 3 main races: Malay, Chinese and Indian. This is one of the very few places that we, Singaporean, has an identity.

The PRC would eat at the Sze Chuan food outlet.

The Pinoys would eat at the San Jose Papa restaurant.

The new India immigrant would eat out… hmm, never see them eat out before… they are always in a pair and have a stroller. We witness many at Clementi Mall and Jurong Point. Their baby/child would ridiculously do something, like sitting down on the floor crying and shouting for something, doing things as if he/she owe the whole shopping mall. Their parent would quickly attend to he/she and pamper them. these new baby/child are our new immigrant. What can you see in 15-25 years when they are older which they carry such family and social values? I can see.

Point here, I am not talking bad things about our new immigrant friends. I would want to welcome them and help them to adopt to Singapore life, but this is not my first priority. What come very first is our own citizens, like my dad. He came from China and served his National Services for 6 years in the police force in the 1960s – 1970s. He contributed to nation building when Singapore back then was much simpler. So as your parents, when the nation needs you, we would step forward and help.

Going back to the prata topic, it is one of our very own identity where all our races share…

Don’t you agree?

what am i doing?

What am i doing? im not sure. im looking for something.

it seems that a part of me has left. what is that? biking. what continues me to biking? that is Sam Leong.

Biking is not just biking to some destination. it also involves companionship. the success of a person does not determine by what he does but by a group of people that agrees on what you have done. If Samantha and I did the first round the world trip on a motorcycle trip for Singapore, without the nodding of head by my close biking friends, we are just another begger going around to look for home.

Sam Leong always organize outing amoung our friends. many would turn up because of him, not because of the number bikes gathered.

Sam Leong is just a taxi driver. he treat his career seriously. He once told us: our job is very simple, that is to bring our customer to his required destination fast, cheap and safe. He also complained about some other friends in the same industry that did not do this 3 simple task.

being an ex-navy cook, he got to know many people along the same boat. he told us stories about the life in the ship. he needs to feed people but he NEVER use his authority to press on anyone.

riding to thailand on a motorcycle in the 1990s sounds like a hero? he did it using the trunk road, first time, leading another fleet of newbies to thailand. so don't boost around when u have ridden to thailand on your bike on the north south highway.

the community of friends he made were very wide. i had never felt shy introducing him to new friends, telling my new friends that he is a cabbie because i felt proud of him.

on the later days of our friendship, he often drive our older friends, like mr lim of about 70 years old, to our coffee session. friends like mr lim does ride with us but due to his old age, he deteriorates on his judgement and riding skills. Mr Lim just live 2 blocks away from us. Sam would use his cabby time to ferry Mr Lim, me and samantha to the coffee session. Sam would offer to go back early because Mr Lim need to rest. the kind of respect he had for the elderly is a great learning lesson that we must learn.

I had a Singapore - Dallas friend. He came back to Singapore to stay. I intro him to Sam Leong and they clicked well in just a few days. We gathered a few times together. In a moment, Sam Leong was gone and i could see the blood in his eyes, as if he has lost an arm. Aaron, i am sorry. my friend his ahead of you. i am sorry.

When we just came back to singapore in 2010 August, he helped me by giving me a space to work in his small home. he intro me to his family and that is the very first time i see him with his family, so caring, so warm, so true and having fun with the presence of his family members. that was 2010 aug 09, Teban.

Now, he has gone, i feel something is missing in my life. friends go after their work and living expenses. when sam was around, we would throw away what ever we had and gather for biking. Mr Lim ask me to take over this role of Sam, which i will never never be a substitute of such a great person.

i am hiding. hiding somewhere to hope he will appear in some dark corner. i am hoping some miracle to happen. i was hoping i had a deep dream and all this is just a dream. my life just couldnt carry on.

Sam Leong has great biking dreams. He told many that i sparked his life. sorry, it was him that allow us to continue our biking life. he once told: one that has no dream is similar than an salted egg. meaning: dream is important.

there was once i envied his horn. i told him i want to get a set verbally. one night he called me but i couldnt answer the call. few hours later, i called him back. he said:
" i bought the horn for you. i called u just to check if u r at home but u did not answer. i just left it at your doorstep."
i wanted to pay him but it seems like he wanted to give me as a gift.

Friends, although we had lost him, please chose to stay around. i have been hiding. i know it was hard to lose him. everytime we hear the song we would tear and think of him. there are many biking groups out there but we choose to be 'color ball' because we love the companionship of each other, not restricting ourself to some society but to be friends with friends, truely, true hearted and no hidden agenda.

Sam Leong Chee Wah, please come back...

NDP National Day Parade 2012

Where to get free National Day Parade 2012 tickets? As a true blue Singaporean, I have never attended the live NDP, other than participating in the 1994 NDP parade.

National Day is a time where we get together, remember that the soil, the road, the chair, the roof and shelter we have now is not given, but being fought. Fighting? not the physical way but persistence.

New Singaporeans must adopt to the way we live. The true blue Singaporean may influence them. Slowly, they will forget about their country and when you ask them: where are you from, they will not say the country where they are born but Singapore.

There have been words spreading, in Social Media, Facebook and other unreliable sources about our Ex prime minister, one of our nation's founding father, now our minister mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew has passed away few days before the National Day 2012. Some asked: Lee Kuan Yew died? Is Lee Kuan Yew attending NDP national day parade 2012? Upon hearing this, it is quite of a mix feeling. Yes, we have lost someone that has contributed much to the nation for the past century.
No, because we do not know each other personally and has no feelings.

True or not, even Mr Lee Kuan Yew has passed away, we must hold hands, be strong and united, tell off foreign policy that wants to use monetary benefit to buy our heart.

Yes, with money, they can buy a heart but they cannot buy love.

If integrity, love and value can be exchanged for other benefit, it will be a beheaded offense.



Few weeks ago, I was driving my truck along Kranji Road. It was an area where many heavy vehicles passed by for work around this industry area. There was a road block on both ways. The purpose of the operation was to stop Singapore lorry drivers that do not put on the seat belt. I was being stopped. Gladly gave the policeman my details.


I found the company that does professional house moving job!


I asked if why did they decide to do this operation and he said that he is just the person executing instructions from his boss, back in the office.

I asked: then why your boss decide to execute this operation?

Policeman: I think they receive information that there are many truck drivers along this road that do not put on seat belt.


so, so.... Singapore law is: To let you learn, you have to be punished first before educating.

I did not appeal against it. I accept it because it was a rule.

Ask yourself this question: why do we have to put on a seat belt?

a) because it is a law and the fine is $120 and will have 3 demerit points deducted.
b) because it will save our life.

I feel that the answer will be 'b'. We should be educated this way.

There were many truck and lorry drivers out there, doing hard work, rushing to earn the hard money, skipping their meal to earn extra $10 for the family they have to feed. Most truck drivers out there have heavy burden and family to feed.

If, the operation would be to educate all truck drivers, the intelligence team of the traffic police should have:

1) public awareness. Putting up posters around and through radio broadcast to remind because there was a myth that lorry or truck drivers do not need to put on seat belt.

2) send out letter to individual lorry/truck drivers that putting seat belt is mandatory.

3) after a few months, then it will be more justifiable to set up road block and punish the offenders.


I drove off, parked aside. I walked 100 meters before the road block, standing by the side of the road, waving to all drivers that did not put on their seat belt to do it immediately. For my half hour effort, the traffic police had maybe lost $1200 of revenue from the fine that they are suppose to generate from this operation.

As I was walking back to my lorry, a policeman stopped me and asked why did I take pictures.

I asked, why can't I do it?

He replied: only with valid reasons.

and he requested to have my identity card to take down my details.

So? I pity these officers. Standing under the sun, got all the curse from the drivers.


Look at the tree, it has good trunk and root flare. Unless abnormal wind conditions or soil disturbance, it will be good.


Anyway, I was very impressed by their work efficiency because the offense letter came to my mailbox 3 days after.

Happy National Day Singapore 2012!

Ride to the 'unrest' area of South Thailand

Extracted from Wikitravel:

WARNING: Travelling to Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala provinces can be dangerous and is strongly discouraged by most embassies due to an insurgency between Malay separatists and the Thai armed/paramilitary forces and police. Since the start of the conflict in 2004, there have been more than 4,000 fatalities. Tourists have been killed during car bomb attacks in Hat Yai (Songkhla Province) in 2006 and in Sungai Kolok (Narathiwat Province) in 2011. However, it should be said that most attacks are aimed at the armed forces, police, government officials and people seen as collaborators with the Thai state. If it is necessary to visit, inform your embassy, remain cautious at all times and follow the advice of locals.

What is life in a big city, a big ‘state’ of Singapore?

Hope, version 2.0 on the way. Bring us back to memories of how a virgin would feels like. We got the bike, with Leong and Cheryl, we headed toward the ‘unrest’ area of South Thailand.

Going for this short trip was not easy. We planned it too tight for me. I have to settle my company’s ‘unrest’ issue, making sure I have no phone calls while away. The next day after touch down to Singapore, I have to attend to my annual military in camp training on the next morning.

We loaded all weights on Hope 2.0 and relized that there were clicking sound when it moved. The first destination was to head 80 meters to the petrol station, remove the sticky new panniers, insert the key to open the seat, took out the tools to re-adjust the chain tension. Sweating at 11pm with our full gear.

Our intension was to pass through motion via North South highway in the night, reaching Kuala Kangsar exit when day breaks. Breakfast at a local nasi lemak stall where the owner was so nice to us and the cats around. No funky usual food but nice local folks.


Morning view of Northsouth Highway Malaysia near Ipoh.

Staff of petrol kiosk at Griek needed to be educated that Singapore registered motorcycle can top up fuel, regardless of RON 95 or 97. The first hurdle was to temporary import the number FQ3515B into Kingdom of Thailand. In 2008 January, during our RTW, we exported Hope Too via airfreight from Bangkok. We hand over all documents to Mr Thanit of TAC. He had our temporary import permit and suppose to hand over to the custom. Now, at the Betong border, the authorities did not receive information that we had returned the document when we freight out in 2008. We did show them the airway bill, convincing them that we DID export out the bike and the authority at Bangkok gave us the greeeeeeen light. Friends, how can we prove that we did hand over the documents to them? No way right? We had to pay 2000 Baht for someone else’s error.

By the time we entered Thailand, Betong, it was noon of the next day. 4 of us were sleepy and tired, especially Leong, staying awake for the past 30 hours. The border town of Betong was flimsy. We went around to search for a comfortable place with safe parking and nice bed but was IMMPOSSIBLE! Rounds and rounds, we gambled. Leong and Cheryl had a taste of how we lived during our RTW.


The original biggest post box.





Clock tower of Betong.


The dinner we enjoyed at Betong. Show this to the locals.



So, this is the famous 'ko-lok-mee'.



And the biggest post box in the world...

If you don’t compare Betong with Hatyai, you will be a very happy person.

Our only catch in Betong was the nice BBQ dinner. Ask me about the location!

The bike trip starts from Betong. Windy roads and countless of military check post, the 2 new bikes were too shy to test the limit. Rolling on to the tar road that I used to ride, was dirt and dust. The scenery maintained.


nice and quiet curvy road towards Yala.

We got our pee stop in the first ‘unrest’ town of Yala. The Thai lady was putting in air to her tires when we parked beside her. She wanted to offer us the pump after she finished the job. The mechnics at the workshop gladly gave us good directions to Pattani.

Our objective: to explore the unexplored. The beach town of Panare had more stray goat than cats in Singapore. Little drops on the road ain’t road tars but fertile goat poo. The beach was unpolluted. We witness fishing nets being knitted, long benches to dry fish products and curious kids wanted to know why we are here and showing off their English that they have learned from school.


we went outskirt, out of the usual highway.

Back to Pattanii, it rained. We lost our way. Samantha went to the convinent store to buy drinks and asked for the direction to the lodging. I went over to listen to the manager explaining 10 minutes, in detail, the direction. She was very patient and I tried my best to take out my thai-english dictionary figuring out left was not right.


Getting out of Thailand, we took the new Buketa Immigration post. Built in 2009.






At the Thailand side, there are only 4 container offices. On the Malaysian side, it is a massive huge building!

I was clear of the drawing she drew and went back to the gang to discuss. She came out, telling us that she wants to drive us to the destination. She was much polite and insisting.

The lodging we had was worth 10 times what we paid for at the border town. The boss and the general manager were of Chinese descendent, could speak the same frequency as we did, really treating us as a guest. Even our KFC dinner, we felt being as a guest when we asked about the Pattani currency policy. The cleaning staff would try all ways to get our Singaporean questions answered.

What is money? Some would think that the neighbouring country is poorer. We went to an Internet café and I owe them 10% of the bill. The cashier has no issue with it.

We went to a touristic temple. The other local visitors were glad to make friends with us. This was the very first time where I parked the bike, leaving my helmet and GPS on it and walked away. I felt not at threat at all. Being such a defensive person, I could let down all and leave them there.

The biggest mosque in Thailand

Thinking back, we didn’t see any people being touts, any feel of threat, any thought of bombs.

the cosy lodging we stayed at Patanii. So affordable!

But it was the very first experience that I had body massage served by a man. Ohhh.

Best Massage in Hatyai, Thailand. 2012.

It was in 2008 January, where we rode our Hope Too into Thailand using the Betong border.

2012 June, that’s 4 and half years later, we are back. All seems so familiar but so far. Seems like everything was in our dream.

Even Oliver massage, has changed. The smell is not the same, the staircase, room, friendliness and the massage standard has been amended to the tourist standard. bye bye Oliver.

Thro Joe Chan’s recommendation, we found

Only One Massage.

Quiet, no gimmicks, no joking, no loud music, no shouting. Truly, if you are a person that has experienced with thai massage, from the first stance where the masseur will first stretch your feet and you know how serious is she.

Best Massage in Hatyai. Highly recommended for serious massage lover. For party group, do not come here.

 

It is a little expensive but worth! At point of visit, we paid 350Baht for 2 hours standard thai massage, excluding tips. If you take a tuk tuk, they may bring you in and get commission, in the end, you still pay 350Baht but the massage parlor earn lesser. What we did was pay the tuk tuk 20Baht each, get down and walk into Hakka Association, wait for the tuk tuk to leave, then we walk into ONLY ONE.

Located infront of the Hatyai Hakka Association.


 
The Hakka association in Hatyai is worth a quick walk. We found this in the hall, which means all Hakka people belongs to one family.

ONLY ONE MASSAGE GPS location at:

7.003709,100.472744

or

N07° 0.2238', E100° 28.3614'

Another place we found out to have cheap, fresh local seafood is at the clock tower market.

We always have misconception that fresh seafood should be at the beach, where they will do the fresh catch and we eat the fresh catch.


Just like last year, we went to Tioman Island and stayed for a week, ordered some seafood which is not really affordable. Some of the seafood we wanted was not available and the owner said: there is no shipment from mainland today. When we leave Tioman, we saw they really shipped the seafood from mainland into Tioman.

  

This roadside seafood hawker stall is just located 1 street away from the local wholesale night market where tonnes of fresh seafood, vegetable, meat and spices were distributed from here to other restaurant.

 


BBQ Prawn was 400gm for 210Baht.
Fresh Oyster at 40Baht per piece.
Flower crab at 160Baht per big piece (BBQ).
Squid for 2 person BBQ at 100 Baht.
Beer and whisky available.
Park your bike just 1 meter of yourself.
May need to bring your own umbrella if it rain.
Toilet, ermmm.... ask the local.

Located at Thanon Montri 1, west of clock tower.

7.011283,100.468179

or

N07° 0.6768', E100° 28.1259'

Hatyai is well known for the oldies bar and restaurant. One of the retro and oldies restaurant we can find is at Sakura hotel, where the ladies will just sing while you eat. 

 

We have not tried the food of this restaurant but, we love to sit outside this restaurant, having a beer, looking at the street and wait for the best ‘som-tum’  (papaya salad) motorcycle to arrive.

Where else can we eat KFC with a plate, fork and knife, and drink the Pepsi with a glass?