Day 23: The Good Old Days...

"Happy times come and go, but the memories stay forever..."

(A lonely cowboy)

Date: 05 October 2026, Monday
Route: Thung Song – Hat Yai
Hotel: Golden Crown Hotel, Hat Yai

There is something comforting about staying in a familiar place. Familiar surroundings give us a sense of psychological safety, helping to lower stress and bring a feeling of calm and ease. For us, Smile Resort in Thung Song gave us exactly that feeling.

After checking out, the first thing we looked for was a place to have breakfast. This morning, we decided to deviate from our usual 7-Eleven breakfast routine and headed to Kak Da Restaurant at PTT Thung Song Southbound. It was our first time having breakfast there.

The restaurant offered a typical Thai breakfast spread, with a variety of local dishes served with white rice. We had omelette and kaeng som, a sour and spicy Thai curry, with rice. A simple but satisfying breakfast before continuing our journey south.

Along the way, we stopped at a PTT station in Pa Bon for a comfort break. Some PTT stations along Thailand's major highways have become destinations in themselves, with distinctive themes and designs. We particularly enjoyed the cowboy-themed, country-and-western-style stations, which turn an ordinary highway stop into a more interesting travel experience.

We were heading back to Hat Yai, and unfortunately, we had just missed the International Book Sale featuring Big Bad Wolf Books, which was held at Hat Yai Hall from 25 September to 4 October. One of the attractions of the book sale was the popular “Book Buffet”, where readers could fill a bag with books for a fixed price. Back home, we seldom missed the Big Bad Wolf Books sales whenever they came to town. So, knowing that we had missed it by just one day felt a little disappointing. Perhaps next time!

Since it was still too early to check in, we made a detour to Makro Hat Yai for some shopping. The large wholesale-style store is a popular stop for both locals and Malaysian visitors, particularly those looking to stock up on Thai groceries and household provisions. We browsed the aisles and picked up some of our usual favourites to bring home.

By the time we left Makro, it was raining quite heavily. Eventually, we arrived back at our familiar Golden Crown Hotel in Hat Yai. It felt good to be back. We noticed that the room rate this time was considerably cheaper than during some of our previous stays. Hotel prices can fluctuate quite a bit, especially with dynamic pricing, where rates are adjusted according to demand, availability, weekends and holiday periods.

Golden Crown is particularly popular with Malaysian visitors during Fridays, weekends, school holidays and long weekends. Unfortunately, we cannot always choose our travel dates according to hotel rates, so sometimes we simply have to take whatever price is available.

For a late lunch, we walked next door to Ayutthaya Halal Noodles, a Muslim-owned eatery specialising in halal Thai-style noodles. We ordered beef noodle soup and pad thai. It was convenient, comforting and just what we needed after a long drive.

Back at the hotel, we took a refreshing nap until it was time for our usual one-hour foot and shoulder massage. Hubby particularly chose his favourite masseur from Isaan. Many traditional Thai masseurs working in Hat Yai come from the northeastern region of Thailand, known as Isaan. Their style is often firmer and more energetic, incorporating deep pressure, stretching and acupressure rather than a gentle oil massage. That is exactly the kind of massage we both enjoy.

Later in the evening, the weather had cleared, with no sign of the earlier rain. So, we decided to walk to the Lee Gardens Night Market to look for something to eat. Although it was already quite late, the night market was still bustling with people. The streets were lively, colourful and full of familiar sights and smells.

Tonight, we had nasi lemak near the Lee Gardens Night Market, followed, as usual, by our favourite pulut durian for dessert. Sitting by the roadside, enjoying our food while watching the crowds go about their evening, brought back memories of our younger days.

Years ago, this was something we often did with the gang during our biking days, when Haji Stall would open late and remain busy well past midnight. Those were wonderful days of friendship, laughter, motorcycles and long nights in Hat Yai. Tonight, sitting there again brought back a little piece of that past. What a nostalgic brotherhood moment - a memory we will forever cherish in our hearts.

We eventually returned to the hotel, tired but happy. After a good shower, we slipped into bed and had a blissful, deeply recharging sleep.

A familiar hotel, familiar streets, familiar food and familiar memories - a simple but beautiful way to end another day on the road.