Sun 1st July

Crossing the border was thankfully easy and simple. We queued up outside Malaysia Immigration for our exit stamp. On the coach, round the corner and inside the Thailand Immigration centre for our Thai entry stamp. Our arrival/departure cards being filled out for us made it quick. They had to double check about mine as Ireland was put down as my nationality (oversight I guess/just copied Frank's). Through there, then waited a few minutes for the others. A new bloke boarded the bus, his bus drove off without him and he was "very upset!" So he was let on.

Within metres of arrival in Thailand, it already felt so much like a different country. Electric cables twisted and low hanging, dustier roads, more painted houses with iron grates on the windows. The roofs looked the same, more colours I guess.

Arrived in town under a shower of rain, but it was easing off. We had passed our hostel Silla House on the way in on our coach. So no trouble finding it (Google maps helped too). The hostel was immaculately clean, it reminded us of Rainbow Lodge Hostel in Hong Kong. It's very much a boutique hostel. Small, cosy and clean. 2 free water bottles every day. Separate toilet and showers and a little common area and kitchen. Fab. Checked in with the guy on reception - think we woke him up, a sun lounger was set up with pillows/blankets in the lobby.

Off out for some supplies at 7Eleven and Chinese for dinner. A spicy vegetable and chicken dish with rice shared between us. And a big bottle of Chang. We were asked to pose for a selfie for that!

Back to the hostel to bed. Our twin room had a single glaze window that was at the front of the building. In other words next to a very main and very loud road. Ear plugs tonight.

Mon 2nd July

We were up and the staff ladies were finishing their breakie. "You want breakfast?" Yes please.

On lady jumped up and started cooking.

A cooked breakfast - sausage, fried egg, steamed rice, lettuce and cucumber. A good start for the day.

Spent the day walking around town. Mainly around the mall and along one or two market roads. A woman's food stall was cooking sweet coconut treats - they smelt far too good to pass. 8 pieces for 30 baht (68p). Some had a fortune cookie texture with a creamy cococnut/sweet filling others were more spongy. Oh we'll get them again. Bought two bananas for 10 baht (23p). Good spending so far! A few bathroom supplies and then for a bit of luxury ... We got hair cuts, washed and blow dried, all for 550 baht (£12.50). And got selfies with the hairdressers too. Everyone 'Cheese'! Looked for a book shop with no real success (we found lots of Thai and Chinese books. None in English).

Lunch - roasted pork and steamed rice - 160 baht (£3.64). Later in the darker evening, wandering the streets we got dinner at a food court - pork steaks, peppercorn sauce and fries for 118 baht (£2.68). Not including the haircut and supplies to last a few weeks, we would've found it hard to break a tenner! He he.

Hat Yai seems a fairly laid back place lots going on in the streets (bought a magnet) markets and food etc. Stalls were packing away before 9pm. One last look for those sweets treats again. No joy. Ah well probably for the best I guess.

Whilst up and down the streets we spy quite a lot of rats scutterling along the gutter. Some cockroaches too. So long as they arr on the streets. It doesn't stop us flinching though.

 Tue 3rd July
Tues 3rd July
Cooked breakfast cut up sausage in egg fried rice with lettuce and cucumber.
Whilst eating breakfast the telly was on with pictures about the boys trapped in Tham Louang cave. We spoke briefly with one of the Thai staff ladies about the cave rescue and how it was going.
We then checked out. Had some fun with the women there about a tiny weeny bikini left on our balcony. You had to be there, but they were teasing one another about who it belonged to.