I made a quick two day tour of Hatyai over the weekend to see if there is anything at all that has changed over the years since my last visit. This once old sleepy town has indeed transformed into a bustling mini-city. Crowds in droves throng Hatyai daily. Hatyai is no more viewed for its notoriety anymore. It is now famous for commercial purposes.
Hatyai is the commercial district of Songkla and it has grown from what use to be the pinnacle sex city of Southern Thailand into one of the most busiest town anywhere near the Thai-Msian border. The saying - shop till you drop befits Hatyai.
After a "2-day of Hatyai tour," I came to the conclusion the Hatyai I use to know then and the Hatyai now had indeed changed vastly. The once bustling red-light district of the city is no more visible to the naked eye but it still thrives quintessentially. The sex entertainment part of this city, slowly and definitely, had moved to Dannnok - the border town of Thailand. It is fitting and timely as it well suits Malaysians crossing over the border at Bukit Kayu Hitam for their "quick-rendezvous-fix."
Hatyai today is all about eating good food and shopping. Rows of stalls selling souvenirs, knick-knacks, packed foods, massage parlours and eateries are ever so endless. Good four star hotels had sprouted out and prices of commodity had risen compared to the likes of ten years ago. Tourism has definitely come a long way and if I were to compare with Malaysia, the Thais have a better niche in tourism then Malaysians.
The hospitality of the Thais towards tourist is ever so prominent. The warm "sawadika" greetings will make you feel right at home. The tuk-tuks are also there and I did notice the Thais in Hatyai are now well-equipped with better command of English then before.
Anyway, for those wanting to visit Hatyai for the very first time, here are some tips and quick fixes on what to do and not when travelling to Hatyai.
By Train :
Night train from KL Central - will take you all the way to Hatyai Railway Station via Butterworth arriving somewhat like 1000hrs (Thai time) the next day. Your border transit / embarkation / immigration check point is at Padang Besar Railway station.(Malaysia)
No hassles with the train ride as the journey is rather smooth. The only problem is the long train travel and / or the immigration checks which can delay you by two hours the least. I'll not suggest train travel but if you're a train enthusiast, no harm in taking the trains. And looking at statistics, its a lot safer to travel by rail than road anyway.
Train travellers need to fill your embarkation forms at the Padang Besar Railway Station. The forms are readily available at the counters.
By Bus :
Buses are aplenty from KL. It's better to board the night bus as it will arrive at Bukit Kayu Hitam at about 0530hrs (Msian time). The border at Bukit Kayu Hitam between Malaysia and Thailand open their gates at 0600hrs (Msian time). Malaysia is 1 hour ahead of Thailand.
By Air :
Hadyai International Airport is about 40 minutes from Hadyai Central. Taxis are the best mode of transport to and from the airport to anywhere. The private taxis outside the airport are cheaper then the ones operating from the airport. The self owned and operated taxis are bargainable. The ones from the airport are fixed-rate charges.
The cheapest flights are the low cost ones plying Hadyai and other smaller cities around South East Asia. Air Asia is the hot favourite but its a bloody rip-off.
* Embarkation FORM :
You need not fill up any embarkation form if you travel by bus. Instead, your passports will be collected by the driver 5 minutes before the border at an eatery and will forward all passports to the counter clerks employed by the eatery.
This is a a good ploy; as your embarkation forms are being filled-up, you may choose to stretch or limber or even have a very early morning breakfast at this eatery. The passports together with the E-form will be returned to the owners before leaving for the border.
Weekend travelling may be a hazard with delays due to the queues and crowd. So preempt yourselves for extended time wasting on such days. If you need to change your money to THB, you can do here as well but on a personal note I would not recommend as the rates are expensive. You can get better rates in KL or elsewhere.
* Arriving at the Malaysian Immigration :
Leave your bags / luggages / belongings in the bus. Take only your passport and your valuables with you. Here, you will get your passports checked and endorsed by the Malaysian Immigration. By the time this is done, your bus would have gone through security check and will be waiting beyond the Malaysia Check Point booths.
DO NOT walk to the Thai immigration check points or to the crossing of the border to wait for your bus. Board your bus and travel with the other passengers to the border from the Malaysia Immigration Checkpost.
Your bus will stop in front of the Thai Immigration check post. Take your bags and belongings with you together with your passports and get in line in one of the Thai immigration booths. Here your passports will be endorsed with an arrival Visa and later (if you are unlucky), your bags will be checked as well by the Thai Immigration.
NOTE :
For Non-Malaysians, do check with your local embassy for needs and requirements. Non-Malaysians travelling into Thailand may have different Visa requirements - especially if you are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or even China.
When done, take your belongings and walk to your bus waiting for you at the car park on the left side of the Thai Immigration Booths. You may need to walk a distance with your luggages to board the bus. If you decide not to go to Hatyai, you may breakoff from your journey and walk to Dannok which is like two minutes away from the Thai Immigration.
* A tinker : If you plan to be in Dannok, use MYR instead of THB. It's a lot cheaper.
When done, take your belongings and walk to your bus waiting for you at the car park on the left side of the Thai Immigration Booths. You may need to walk a distance with your luggages to board the bus. If you decide not to go to Hatyai, you may breakoff from your journey and walk to Dannok which is like two minutes away from the Thai Immigration.
* A tinker : If you plan to be in Dannok, use MYR instead of THB. It's a lot cheaper.
Awesome blow-by-blow as to what expect when crossing the border. Sadly most of these crossings are scam heavy, and so its good to know this info.
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