“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes - including you...” - Anne Lamott
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| (Do not disturb - Leave me alone...) |
Date: 06 October 2026, Tuesday
Activity: Hat Yai Free & Easy
Hotel: Golden Crown Hotel, Hat Yai
After 24 days on the road, today was all about slowing down, taking it easy, and simply enjoying our final full day in Thailand.
Breakfast was a delicious spread of nasi dagang and roti canai at Khaled Restaurant. The restaurant has its roots in the southern Thai provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, where the culinary traditions are quite similar to ours. Perhaps that is why the food here always feels so familiar to us - making Khaled Restaurant our first choice whenever we are in Hat Yai.
We spent most of the morning in bed, watching movies and keeping up with the news on the flood situation in other parts of Thailand. We felt fortunate that we had left Bangkok in time, just before the second wave of flooding affected Bangkok and the surrounding provinces.
By noon, we were beginning to feel that we had rested enough. It was time to get some exercise, so we walked under the blazing afternoon sun towards Kim Yong Market.
For lunch, we headed to the famous Kaitod Meena stall, where we had nasi khaomok and their signature fried chicken, generously topped with crispy fried shallots. We washed it all down with refreshing coconut and sugar cane juice.
Kaitod Meena is one of Hat Yai's most famous and iconic fried chicken stalls. This Muslim-owned street-food business has been operating for more than 30 years and is located right in front of the bustling Kim Yong Market in downtown Hat Yai. Its fried chicken is especially popular for its wonderfully crispy exterior and juicy, tender meat inside.
After a short rest back at the hotel, we ventured out again for dinner at the Lee Gardens Night Market. The market was already buzzing with tourists, but thankfully, we managed to find a table for two and enjoyed a simple dinner of nasi lemak.
The Lee Gardens Night Market is truly the energetic pulse of downtown Hat Yai. Situated in front of the iconic Lee Gardens Hotel, the area comes alive every evening with food stalls, shoppers and visitors, transforming the heart of the city into a lively gathering place.
And, of course, we could not leave without our favourite dessert - pulut durian. The sweet, aromatic durian served with soft sticky rice drenched in creamy coconut milk was, once again, the perfect way to end our dinner.
Later in the evening, we treated ourselves to an hour of therapeutic foot massage at Leon's Four Seasons Massage, conveniently located not far from our hotel. It was good to see Leon again. We chatted and reminisced about the better business days before the devastating Hat Yai floods in December 2025. Leon was hopeful about the coming year's festivities and celebrations, looking forward to seeing Hat Yai once again filled with visitors from Malaysia and Singapore.
Back at the Golden Crown Hotel, it was finally time for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we will leave Thailand and make our way home to Malaysia, crossing the border via Sadao and Bukit Kayu Hitam.
Twenty-four days on the road. So many places, roads, meals, unexpected changes and little memories along the way. Tonight, we rest - grateful for the journey, and quietly looking forward to reach home.
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