First thing first, NEVER TRAVEL DURING PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. Yes, that is a lesson I learned through the hard way. You thought Singapore immigration was tough, think that again after lining up for 4 freaking hours at the immigration just to get a stamp... Gila mampus

Ok, we planned to travel to Hatyai before the Merdeka holiday but it was canceled because Isa just recovered from HFMD, thank God the hotel accepted our cancellation without any charges through Bookings.com

Fast forward, I booked the same hotel again a month before the recent holiday. Best part was, I did not noticed that it was a public holiday until around 2 weeks before we departed. But I thought, redah ja la. Bila lagi kan. I wanted to drive into Hatyai but because Pak Yeo was a kiasu person and he doesn't like to get stuck in traffic in a confined place, he suggested the train. I thought why not. Secara logic, we will think that a human queue would move faster than a car queue. NO! We were so wrong.

We woke up at 5.30 just to catch the 7.57am train. I thought 'Eh sikitnya orang hari ni', Happy giler. When the train came from Butterworth, we had to stand for around 20mins. Pack giler train.

We arrived at the Malaysia-Thai border train station at around 8.30am. But because there is a 1 hour time different, Thai was only at 7.30am. So we waited another 30 mins before the ticket counter opens. And so I thought. We had to line up 2 hours just to get to the ticket counter. Hell why? Apparently, their ticketing system still uses the old method with only one counter. Itu pun, fax printer is set up on piece of table. Bukan laser printer or printer moden lain yang kita nampak di counter KTMB Malaysia. With the PH at that time, the line could go up to half of the station. Every ticket print is counted because there are quotas for each train. Kalau Malaysia ada ticket counter mcm ni, sampai esok pun xhabis print lagi  *sigh*

Their 7-Eleven is a must place to go when in Thailand. It is similar to Japan's but at a smaller scale. Not many halal food is available there but I purchase some of their cosmetic products :-). Prices are quite reasonable. Definitely cheaper if they were imported into Malaysia. There are many choices of drinks too.


Souvenirs: RM110
Grab: RM30
ASEAN night bazaar: RM100
Clothes shopping: RM40.00
Tuk-tuk : RM12.50
Food massage: RM72 for 3 person / an hour

Tips if you're traveling with a kid or toddler:

1. Bring at least 2 USB fan.
2. Loads of water.
3. Kid's snacks. There is a cafe upstairs too.
4. Bring change of clothes and wet wipes.
5. Bring a stroller for your kid to sleep while waiting.
6. Wear comfortable clothes because it's gonna be really sweaty and warm.

Tips at the Thai immigration:

Thai has a very strict practice when it comes to their law. Do not jump queue when lining up at the immigration because they noticed details. You'll end up having to line up all over again if they sees this. Always stay in your line. Obey the laws when you're in their country. Punishments and penalties are no joke in Thailand.