It has been seven months since my last vacation with my family. Before the year 2024 wraps up, I’ve planned a 3-day, 2-night vacation to Hatyai with them. This will be my first visit to this part of Thailand.
I had the option either to get a flight or drive, but after checking the flight ticket prices for four persons, I figured I’d rather save that money and use it on other things while in Hatyai. So I decided to drive there.
Because of the long holiday in Malaysia, the trip from Kuala Lumpur to the Thailand border at Dannok took me more than 8 hours. Then I spent another 1 hour at the immigration to stamp my passport.
Once I passed Thailand immigration and customs, my first stop was at the Erawadi House of Traditional Thai Medicine and Cosmetics. I didn’t take any pictures there, but I did grab a few souvenirs from the shop.
Next, I made a stop at the Khong Hae Floating Market, which is about 20 minutes from Erawadi. It’s quite different from the floating market I visited in Bangkok, as it’s more of a lineup of stationary sampans or small boats. Also, it is smaller if I were to compare it with the one in Bangkok. Still, it was a new experience for me.
I arrive there before the rush hour. The market got so crowded in the evening, and unfortunately, it started raining heavily 20 minutes after I arrived. Most of my time there was taking shelter from the rain instead of exploring the area.
The majority of the food sold there is halal. You can find things like Thai salads, soup noodles, luk chup, fried snacks, and drinks served in bamboo or clay cups. As for the prices, they’re quite affordable. Many items are priced around 30 to 60 baht.
After the visit to the floating market, we head to the hotel to check in and clean up. During the night, I went to Lee Garden market for night sightseeing