Back to Hat Yai
Trip Start
May 03, 2006
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31
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Trip End
Ongoing
Hat Yai, Thailand
Sunday, September 24, 2006
(Summary) Up and out, said cheerio to Sarah - wish her all the best for her onward travels. Unremarkable journey to Hat Yoi apart from a brief stop at Krabi ferry port, whilst waiting to pick a few folk from the ferry I browsed a book stall and found 'Piece of Cake' Derek Robinson - I'd read this 7yrs ago, thought it excellent at the time and felt it was time to have another flick through. Reached Hat Yoi mid-afternoon and headed for the train station with the intent on cacthing a train down to Singapore. No direct train - what train there was went to Butterworth and took an age, not knowing what to do I went back to the hotel I stayed at last time and checked in for the night. Later went for a stroll and had a drink at some bar I visited previously.
3 or 4 bombs had been set off in Hat Yai a week ago by some muslim group wanting independence for a couple of the southern states of the country where the population is mainly muslim. The bar I went to had been one target, a bomb had been left outside in a motorbike basket and set off by mobile phone/remote control, the damage was evident on the street and unfortunately claimed lives, one Canadian, a teacher in the city was killed in the blast. Down the street another bar was closed - it's front and part of it's interior in rubble, I met the owner an Anglo/Thai who had lived for many years in London and he gave me the full story on what happened. In total - Thai press claimed - 8 or 9 people had been killed, but in reality it was at least double! Anyways - it was all quite surreal - ex-pats/workers were still talking about it and some almost in shock still.
Following day I couldn't get on the intended bus to KL and so was forced to wait until the next morning, I'm sure there might have been mini-vans in the afternoon but it was a long journey and I wanted the comfort of a bus seat - I spent the day wandering around the city, checking out markets, eating some fine street food and later reading 'Piece of Cake' which I was thoroughly enjoying. Oh I also moved Hotel - to a slightly cheaper one - got to keep an eye on my pennies!
The bombings had been cruel to the city centre, especially so to a few areas where foreign people gathered at the weekend after a week of work to relax and catch up with one another. There was shadow cast over the centre - shop-keepers and restaurant/bar owners cordoned off the street in front of their premises with tape - there was to be no parking of any such vehicle - they were still nervous - and had every right to be!
Couldn't wait to get out if truth be known and managed to get a seat aboard a so called VIP coach on Monday 25th. Will stay in KL for a night or two and then move on down to Singapore.
