Hat Yai to Penang

John on ferry to George Town, Malaysia
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We returned to Trang town to pick up transport to Malaysia via Hat Yai.  Dropped off from Koh Lipe on the mainland we've made great time, "Is it possible to get an earlier bus" we ask.  "Sure" they say, and alter the time on our tickets.  We wait...and wait..................and wait some more.  All they had done was alter the time on the ticket to keep us happy (bless 'em) there was only one bus.  A mini van eventually turns up, Kim and I and one other bloke get in, the driver gets in, lights a fag, starts the engine, he gets out and walks over to a cafe and sits down with a cup of coffee leaving us in the road.  A lady from the bus compay wanders over, "he refues to drive" she says.....It's pointless to argue.  She drives us to a bus stop, writes "Trang" on a peice of paper and signs it then drives off.  A fifty seater eventually turns up, we've lost all the time we gained on the boat and more, the 2.5 hour trip has taken 6!.  Amazingly the driver accepts the handwritten "ticket" and a few hours later we're in Trang again.

John and Kim on ferry to George Town, Malaysia
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We pop out for a reasonable meal and sit up in our room watching a huge firework display and flights of beautiful paper balloons propelled by candles floating into the night sky, our last night in Thailand until, god knows when, not too long we hope.  We loved Thailand the first time we came here, this time, unbelievably has been better, the more we see and learn of the place the more we love it, everyone should come here.

To make the connections we need to be ready to move by 05:40.  We're picked up by Tuk Tuk in the sullen pre dawn heat by a sullen pre dawn tuk tuk driver.   The markets are already in full swing and families clutch bundles of carrier bags, live chickens, drum kits, bathroom suites etc on mopeds as they rocket through the grey streets illuminated by ochre robed monks out for early morning Alms (as opposed to alarms which is what we had).  We arrive at the bus station which is a desk on the pavement outside a garage.  Behind the desk is a sullen pre dawn Thai gent, on the desk a couple of candles illuminate a ticket pad, some incense sticks perfume the air, two trays contain palm leave packets of cooked rice and plastic bags of curry sauce as offerings for the monks who, in return bless the business for the day.

View of George Town
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We show Mr Sullen our ticket.  he carefully writes 10 and 11 on two long ticket strips, he hands them to me, I hand them to Kim, he watches as Kim puts the tickets in an envelope, then into her bag, she zips it up for security.  He gets up blows out the candles takes 5 steps to a mini bus and gestures for us to enter.  I try to get in

"tickets please" he demands

"You just gave them to me" I reply

"I must see tickets" he insists

"But"

"Tickets tickets"

It's pointless to argue..........

Happy with our tickets he gets in and drives us off

Hat Yai is another transit town and we only get to kill a couple of hours here waiting for yet another bus for yet another 4 hour trip. After some brekky we stroll the streets having fun in the apothecarys where they sell dried bits of just about everything to cure just about everything.  Crossing into Malaysia is another bloody farce.  Leaving Thailand is OK, passport and visa checks as you'd expect then a short no mans land then the bus pulls up.

We all lug out all our luggage and haul it into the border office, passports stamped we enter "customs" the officers don't even look up from the TV programme they are watching they just wave us through except one who insists Kim walks through the metal detector (Psst...don't tell him....it's not switched on) He has his feet on his desk.

200 meters up the road the van is stopped by some soldiers, they make the driver get out, open the rear door, they see the pile of rucksacks, packed with contraband, weapons, illegal substances........... they snort their sinuses back through the tops of their heads......... grumble about "Ingrish wever".. wave us off and we're in the land of Ling.