Post date: 16 April 2005
Travel Date: 11-13 April 2005
This is my first shot at blogging so I hope to entertain you with my thoughts and my entries into my page in my past.
Airasia advertised in January 2005, to go online 3am to claim 50,000 free seats to 3 destinations - namely Hatyai, Bandung and Palembang. Kiasu as I was, I remember going online 3am and booked a total of 10 tickets to Hatyai (3 return FREE flights) and Jakarta (7 return very cheap flights)
The week before travelling to Hatyai 11-13 April, 3 bombs went off in Hatyai airport, Carrefour and a hotel. Shaken…but never stirred, I decided what the heck, we only live once. Coincidental was that it was Songkran - the water festival, and that was the drawing attraction to risk the bombs and go.
The good news was due to the bombs, the hotel cancelled the peak season surcharge (300bht) and I paid regular rates (650bht/night). Only knew this when I got my hotel voucher from Choo - an old travel agent friend from S & L. Her currency exchange rates are good also…RM100 got me 1037 Bht. But then again the thai currency dropped cos of the bombs.
Pink Hotel has good and cheap food, location good, and rooms big, clean and well serviced. Hotel is in an entertainment complex housing karaoke lounge, show time at the cafe nightly, traditional thai massage( 2 hours 200bht), turkish bath and the usual 90 minutes body massage with rates from 1,300 to 1,500 bht.
12th April Songkran eve, big parades everywhere, fireworks, and concerts all around the hotel area. Be prepared with your camera, and dressed to get wet. Kids, teens, adults, and old folks truly enjoy this unique celebration.
13th April Songkran day….there is no way, you gonna stay dry, as everywhere u go, including in the hotel, everyone has a gun, bucket, hose or cup to get you wet. Met Tim the hotel shift manager, and she arranged for me to get safely in the car to get me off to the airport. Mistake - should stay one more day, and leave on 14th.
I highly recommend going to Hatyai for next year Songkran. Anyone interested, contact me and I can arrange so we can go in a big group and truly enjoy this wet wet celebration. You really got to experience it at least once, or else you never really lived!.
Korb khun krab
