Hatyai Merlin Hotel Hat Yai

... laid back and smaller than Ko Phangan, so I didn't do much of anything in terms of sightseeing. The days were spent laying by the beach or the pool and the nights were spent out either at clubs or little pubs in the area. Both nights on the island were a lot of fun though. <br> After three days in Ko Tao, I hopped on another boat and headed to another island nearby called Ko Samui. Ko Samui is by far the ...

... heavy military issued boots banging heavily on the metal floor, their big guns slung around their shoulders looking menacingly, checking papers of passengers. The always festive air that rules King Bhumipol`s Kingdom and for so many Farang the main reason for falling in love with this mystic Asian kingdom, GONE!!! Instead I sense a strange mixture of hate and fear at the same time. We pass small dusty village where I can hear the call of the muezzins coming from hidden mosques ...

... over to Daya Resort on the larger, more popular Pattaya Beach where we wer able to snag a cool little bungalow right on the beach, anywhere from 30 to 60 metres from the ocean depending on the fickle tides. It was perfect - great view of the bay, good restaurant, comfortable deck excellent for lounging, writing and subtly creeping on the nearby sunbathers. We soon picked ourselves up a hammock which Laynni proceeded to monopolize for all but about the two waking ...

... We were the only people without vouchers and didn't have a clue what to do! We got by eventually though as we always do. We stayed in Hat Yai for 2 nights to get our bearings (and enjoy some modern comforts after being stranded on the island). We got told about a hotel there and it was a real treat to stay in a hotel for the first time in our travels! All for only 350 baht (less than 6 pound).

... and suggested, in Thai, some of the dishes we should have, was a challenge of diplomacy, nerves of steel and infinate patience. The only dish they knew in English was fried rice and chicken, but we just wanted egg fried rice so that is what we ordered - fried rice with egg. This got us some peculiar looks and when the waitresses scuttled off to give our oreder to the kitchen, some of the cooks even came out to take a look at the mad farrang in the corner; a little smile ...

... and got a train up to the Thai border which was as far as the ticket went. The ticket was pretty cheap considering we had seats that you could turn into beds and we went quite a distance...however at the border we had to get off and buy a ticket to Hat Yai, the closest main town which was not a huge distance but for some reason this seemed to be rather expensive. We argued the fare with the officials and asked how far it was to walk across the border and we'd ...

... out. Once we get called there's that many people hat it doesn't look like everyone will fit on, but somehow they do. The journey of 4 hours feels quick and i don't fell queasy at all. We dock at Suratthani and then we're taken on a open doored taxi to our drop off point with three lads holding on to the back for dear life as the taxi careers along. We're stuck at this **** hole for 1 1/2 hours as no one seems to want to move to ...

... familiarity. A place where you can call "Home Base". On Friday we took a 14.5hour train ride to Hat Yai, Thailand. Because our train didn't leave until the evening, we had a "sleeper car" - a train car lined with beds instead of seats. Now a lot of people would think, "Neat! You get to sleep in a train!", however it's not as fabulous as it sounds. It's not the smooth-riding, quiet ...

I was only here for half a day but I thought I'd throw an entry in anyway as it was a dodgy stop and we had a couple of entertaining adventures. By we I mean Lindsay and I, deciding to travel from Langkawi into Thailand together as we're heading roughly the same route. Being honest, it's nice having a someone to look out for you on annoyingly long travel days like this one. So we set off early through the drizzle for ...

... moins elle ne parrait pas a moins d'etre tres tres perspicace... Je suis doc reste a Surat Thani une seule nuit et me revoila reparti vers Hat Yai ou je suis toujours, du moins jusqu'a demain ou apres-demain! Je devrais donc etre dans un futur tres proche etre en Malaisie. Je suis en retard de 2 semaines sur mon horaire etant donne qu'il ne me reste qu'un mois et demi pour la Malaisie et l'Indonesie!!!