Siam - The Land of a Thousand Smiles

7-9 Aug – “Sawadee Krap” this is the phrase that I have to learn and get used to as I venture into Thailand aka Siam. Known by many as the land of a thousand smiles, Thai people's warm reception for foreign guest is definitely indisputable.

As my RM33 minivan from Sungai Petani left early next morning, the feeling of sadness from the parting subsided and grew into anxiety. Finally, I am leaving the comfort of my home country where I have lived for 24 years to venture into a foreign land where I neither speak nor understand the language and culture.

This might not be my first time in Thailand, but it is certainly my first time traveling alone as a backpacker without having prior arrangements made for hotel and sightseeing activities. Therefore I was overwhelmed by anxiety for what my journey holds for me. Traveling in a country where English is not widely spoken and understood makes things more challenging for me.

As the minivan leaves from Padang Besar into Sadao (Thai border town), the neat and tidy Malaysian North South highway gives way for unruly streets overrun with pickups, sawng thaew (small pickups with 2 rows of bench on each side), tut-tut (trishaw driven by a motorcycle) and crazy electrical wiring. This is truely a Thai thing where you can never find elsewhere.

The minivan went on for another 1 1/2 hours more hours before reaching Hat Yai my first stop in Thailand. Hat Yai is Southern Thai's commercial centre where East and West railway and roads all meet. True to the tradition of being a border town, Hat Yai has some of the most expensive road side food in all of Thailand. A bowl of noodle soup cost 50B while in the rest of the country you can get one at 25B to 30B. This reminds me of the crazy food prices in Johor Bahru.

I checked in to a sleazy guesthouse called Cathay Guesthouse for 100B per night right in the middle of town. All the major shopping centers and markets is just a stone throw away. I spend the rest of the day exploring the town on foot and at night I watched The Mummy 3 in the cinema. One thing worth noting is that before the start of any movies, the national anthem along with photos of the Thai king will be played and all audience will be required to stand.

The next day I continued my exploration of Hat Yai. I went to the market which has an extensive array of fresh produce and yummy food. No wonder Malaysians living near the Thai border love to come here for shopping. Naturally this is where I had my lunch.

At night, I decide to check out a restaurant recommended by my guidebook (Lonely Planet) called Dao Thiam while watching Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The Phad Thai (Fried Thai Noodle) I had is really tasty and goes along excellently with Chang Beer.