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| At Hatyai Junction waiting to board our train @ 10.53 am. Note that Jac has donned the Singapore jersey in respect of Singapore National Day |
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| With our parcel officer after we had successfully purchased our train tickets and passage for our bikes @7.50 am |
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| Many peddlers at the train platform |
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| Cleaning in progress. Common sights at Thai train stations |
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| Here comes our train |
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| Our 11.15 am train arrived late 25 minutes late! |
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| Settling into our carriage. We chose the cargo box for more space for our bikes |
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| All prepared for a long journey |
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| But wait !!! Where's the head? They are changing the locomotive. |
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| Petai and other produce are brought down from the train by strong porters |
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| Ban Din Lan @ 12.04 pm |
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| One of the many tunnels we went through |
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| Gorgeous windy tracks as the train chugs around the mountain |
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| Narrow kampung road runs parallel to the train tracks |
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| Chong Khao, a village train stop |
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| Scattered housing by the train station |
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| Wat That Noi @ 4.20 pm |
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| A grandma travelling with her grandson communicated with us in Thai to look out for this temple. Somehow, we understood her! |
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| This must have been a famous monk to have a statue placed here |
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| Fancy seeing a cyclist here! |
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| Wat Phen Yat @ 4.45 pm |
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| A township so close to the train station. Note the laundry hanging in the background |
There were a lot of uncertainties this morning. We were still unsure if there will be a train to Surat Thani and if we will be able to secure tickets for ourselves and our bikes. Even though enough research and consultation had been done including contacting Claudine's friends, Kitiphong and Ugrid who were both based in Bangkok, not getting our hands on physical tickets can be a bit unnerving.
Ugrid had been extremely helpful, having personally called State Railway of Thailand for us. Through him, we had our hands on the train schedule and what to expect especially travelling on trains with bikes.
Last night, after dinner, Pastor Cheah had escorted VT, Mr Lim and Claudine to Hatyai Junction, the main train station. Unfortunately, they arrived too late to find the ticketing office closed. Enquiring with the security guard with reference to the schedule on the notice board, he had given them the thumbs up which could only mean all trains are running as usual.
There are a few trains which stops at Surat Thani but train 448 departing Hatyai Junction at 11.15 am seems most suitable for us. Having that in mind, our tall order of the day was to secure the train tickets first and foremost.
Riding out at 7 am with our passports in hand, we were amazed the city was already bustling with activities. Most noticeable were the number of motorcycles on the road which doubled that of other vehicles. People thronged the roadside stalls for quick takeaways whilst some could be seen dining over steaming bowls of khao tum.
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| Note the time at the counter |
As soon as we arrived at the train station, we made a beeline for the ticketing counter. Getting passenger tickets was easy. We were then directed to the parcel room to secure passage for our bikes. This took a bit longer as the person in charge had gone for breakfast!
It would have been easier had they given us a time to expect his/her return and so we went up and down between the ticketing counter, station master's office and parcel room trying to determine this. You see, we have yet had our breakfasts and checked out from our hotel and hence wanted desperately to settle this very important issue.
Luckily for us, the person in charge arrived in less than 20 minutes. Her arrival did nothing to expedite matters as she was unsure how to charge us! Another long process prevailed!! She had to consult her colleagues several times before arriving at a formula!!!
As usual, from past experiences, cargo rates are always more expensive than passenger rates! We were charged 90 baht for each bike versus 55 baht per passenger. Anyway, we were more than happy to pay as it was overall a very low rate for a 6 hours 40 minutes journey which spanned more than 300 km.
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| The stall is placed at the car porch |
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| Breakfast @ 8.09 am. Note the grilled door, TV cabinets and marbled flooring which is part of the living area. |
Once our train tickets were purchased, we left for breakfast. This we found in a cosy home with a stall frontage at Chontara Road, overlooking the Toei Canal. The small family business was so overwhelmed by our large group, their regular patrons had to stop eating to help!
There was ample time for breakfast and packing. We even packed our lunch for the train journey from the nearby 7 Eleven and roadside stalls. But we had a short scare upon checkout when Tommy did not arrive on the dot.
He had lost a nut which secured the bolt to his suspension block since Namtok Ton Plio. A quick fix at a motorcycle shop did not solve the problem. The bolt fell off upon arrival at Behind the Hill Resort and had to be secured with cable ties which also drops off every now and then. Ever since, Tommy had been trying to find a solution!
We were relieved when he finally rolled in to Bhava Residence. A short delay, no matter but not LOST as feared by Raymond, his roommate!
Together again, we waited for Tommy to hurry through his packings and check outs. When this was done, we returned to Hatyai Junction in a hurry only to find out our train will be delayed!
At Hatyai Junction, we had to carry our bikes over several tracks to our platform. That was the easy task! The real struggle was finding out exactly where the locomotive will stop.
Initially, a train officer pointed to the pillar at one end of the platform. We followed and should not have moved backwards upon the traders' advice. So after moving to the middle of the station, we then struggled back to our original spot! Not an easy task when our bikes are folded!
Our train arrived half an hour late but it doesn't mean it was late on arrival at Surat Thani. It just screamed a lot LOUDER down the tracks!
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| Binge eating begins for some! |
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| While some slept, others began updating their social media |
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| Different styles of sleeping |
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| Pannier for pillows |
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| Take photos lahhhh! |
Everyone had different ways of coping with the long journey. Some started eating within an hour and started to snooze. Others preferred to take photos and chat.
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| Peddlers on standby at bigger stations |
The train stopped at one too many stations! We soon learnt that there were goodies to be bought from traders on bigger stations as the train made longer stops. Coconut ice cream was one memorable treat!
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| The first thing we see on our way to the toilet....a chair for the train officers |
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| Living quarters for the train officers. Check out the briefcase placed on the wooden chest!!! |
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| A moving kitchen! |
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| Food rations in the ice box |
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| Passenger carriage |
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| Don't fall into the hole!!! |
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| Sink |
As we were seated at the cargo box, access to the toilet was NOT as convenient. The door connecting to the back carriages are constantly locked for security reasons. There was no way to call for emergencies as the train officers seated at the next carriage could not hear us through all the noise. We soon learnt to signal the train officer whenever he juts his head and hand out to performs the flag exchange with the guards as the train approaches a station.
It was a good thing we took train 448 as Surat Thani was its last destination. This gave us ample time to unload our bikes and bags. The downside to taking the cargo box is it stops at the front and away from the platform. As such there's a big drop between door of the train and the ground. Unloading the bikes required upper body strength.
As mentioned earlier, even though the train arrived late at Hatyai Junction, it chugs quickly down the tracks to make up for the delay. We arrived at the station close to 6 pm. Unloading and setting up our bikes plus restocking on water supplies shaved off some essential minutes and soon we were looking at longer shadows cast by a setting sun.
Our hotel was 18 km away and we were in a hurry to clock as much mileage as we could before daylight disappears. Focused on this, we worked ourselves into an effective riding team.
As usual, VT will navigate while Claudine will stoke him with instructions. Every time we take a turn at a junction, she will look back to check if the entire team is following. Scanning for Raymond who assumed the sweeper role, she looked forward to his thumbs up from far away. Sometimes, when Raymond was yet visible, she will call out to VT to stop for regrouping.
We managed to cover a good distance before the sun finally dips into the horizon. By this time, we were only too thankful we have left the city traffic and were riding through the quiet suburbs.
A few hundred meters from our hotel, we came across Bingsu Nam 6, a restaurant located at a crossroad. As our hotel is just a stone's throw away, we decided to stop for dinner first before checking into our hotel. A fusion restaurant, most of us ordered western food as spicy Asian food was beginning to bore our taste buds.
That night, Jac, Mindy, VT and Claudine met again for supper. Disappointingly, the section of the town where their hotel is located is quiet. Only a few shops were opened for business. With not many to choose from, they settled on one, more for chats than food before calling it a night.
Click on below video to watch how the locomotive is coupled to our carriage :
Breakfast :
ร้านก๋วยเตี๋ยวเลิศรส
+66 89 464 9687
https://goo.gl/maps/GAQpZQvMraembDJEA
Tunnel
อุโมงค์ช่องเขา
https://goo.gl/maps/9W6Aqzzue3tPXyam8
Photo credits :
Kelvin
Mindy
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S22 Hotel, Surat Thani
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