Yala-Betong : beautiful southernmost cities of THAILAND - Page 3

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:47 PM

You will have to walk through the tunnel yourself to feel it. It was really a good experience.

As we know, the chinese in singapore will burn joss stick and the paper when praying to the god. There is a slight different in the practise in betong. They do not burn the paper, instead, they set off firecracker after the joss stick. I tried it too. At the TAU PEY GONG outside the tunnel.

TAU PEY GONG

Thai gas station

You do not need to worry about not being able to find the places of interest as there will be sign like these along the way.

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:49 PM

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:50 PM

Betong people

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:51 PM

The Gates of Gerik (Malaysia Side)

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:51 PM

We went to Betong

Have a taste of the Thai culture

We visited the Piyamit Tunnel too. It's a must-go!

Had a fun time traversing the beautiful, steep and tight Route 4017

Scenic Bailing Highway

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:54 PM

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:55 PM

Compared to the high-tech sprawling Singapore custom at second link, the Thai Custom office is very "traditional". Not many travellers. But still lazy queue, queue, stamp, stamp.

Official payment of 2 ringgit or 20 bahbt to Thai custom officer.
Then fill up a vehicle registration form, which you need to keep and return back to the Thai custom on your return trip. This form could be to ensure you are not illegally importing vehicles into Thailand.

As the Thai custom is very "traditional", I found myself getting one signature from one Thai officer, walked another 10 metres to get another signature from another Thai officer. Why can't they all just sit at one place?

I thought Thailand is the land of a thousand smiles. But the lady Thai custom officer who clears our bike is the most unsmiling creature on earth.

Cleared the Thai custom with no difficulties.

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:55 PM

Map of Yala province. Betong a town at the south of Yala.

We did not book any hotel in advanced. We just rode around the small Betong town and picked a hotel.

We chose and stayed at Merlin Betong hotel. It's right in the town centre. It also has a sheltered carpark with a security guard. We saw other large touring motorcycles from Malaysia parked there too. It cost each of us S$50 per night. We reached the hotel at 12 pm.

You can also stay at Mandarin Betong. It's a new hotel and looks posh. But it should not be expensive.

There is also Sri Betong Hotel. It looked more dated than Merlin so we did not stay there. But there were also other Malaysian touring motorcycles that parked there.

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 03:59 PM

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 04:05 PM

Monday, July 14, 2008

BETONG - The Town Over The Border (Part 1)

image hosted on flickr

Typical rules & regulations before entering the country

Not many realize that Perak has a Thai border, with the neighbouring town being Betong. Located a mere 10 minutes drive from Pengkalan Hulu (Perak's northern most town), many Malaysians cross over on a daily basis, and vice versa.

image hosted on flickr

The queue at the Immigration Checkpoint is bearable on a weekday, but not on weekends and public holidaysBasic requirement before entering ??

International passport/border pass (a no-brainer)
Fill up an arrival form at the checkpoint, but pay RM2/person. The kind lady seated at the counter will perform her magically-rapid-fast hands trick and fill up one by one.
Exchanging your Ringgit to Thai Baht is NOT necessary, as most, if not all, shops accept payment in RM, for a RM1=10Baht rate. Except 7-11, where RM5=45Baht.
A crash course in Thai language is deemed UNnecessary as most vendors/hawkers/restaurant owners speak Malay, English or Chinese. No language barrier at all. Phew ....

image hosted on flickr

In order to get your vehicle CLEARED, first you have to DE-CLEAR your car ... =P5. If you're driving into the town (yup, you can drive to your heart's content, bearing in mind you bring your driving licence along), photostat your car grant and get it certified by an officer at Air Panas police station in Pengkalan Hulu, OR if you're not the owner of your vehicle, get a written attestation from the owner (ie. dad, mum, whoever) permitting you to drive over the border. Just don't drive a stolen car, that's all.

image hosted on flickr

The roads in Betong

Once you're through, drive to your heart's content, and head straight for the town area. A straight path nonetheless, no twists and turns.

image hosted on flickr

The famous clock tower of Betong town

image hosted on flickr

Betong Merlin Hotel -5 Stars they ain't, but it's certainly one of the better ones in town

image hosted on flickr

Delicate folding of a basic amenity ... a touch of hospitality?

We stayed at [size=130%]Betong Merlin Hotel[/size], situated on 33, Chayachaowalit Road. Turn right once you reach a 4-way traffic lights intersection with Sri Betong on your right. Then go straight, and take the 2nd left turn. Once you see Betong Merlin Plaza on your right, turn right into the small path right after the plaza. The hotel is the tall white building right behind the plaza.

image hosted on flickr

Mandarin Betong Hotel - A touch of class, but at slightly premium rate of 1380 Baht/night. OK, not THAT expensive, but be prudent at times like this.

Our room has a queen-sized bed, attached bathroom with bathtub, TV, and basic amenities. Rate per night is 875 Baht/room for two. Reasonable, as we managed to squeeze 4 pax/room and still slept comfortably. =) Oh, and parking's at the basement is FOC too.

image hosted on flickr

Betong Mongkollit Tunnel

The Betong Mongkollit tunnel is situated in town area, a pretty short tunnel connecting to the south. The temple behind is an abandoned building named Hilltop Yala Shrine (correct me if I'm wrong, anyone?).

image hosted on flickr

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? ...

image hosted on flickr

A closer view of the hilltop shrine, with locals performing morning dance routine

image hosted on flickr

Somehow, the passengers are hanging on for dear life ... haha ...Funnily enough, not many public transportation can be seen roaming, with the exception of the small trucks (pic above) not unlike Chiang Mai's Songthaew, or Bangkok's Tuk-Tuk. No buses was in sight, nor taxis.
image hosted on flickr

The majestic clock tower at night ... OK, so my HP camera sucks. Sue me! =P

image hosted on flickr

A corner shop at a backlane selling sweet desserts (tong sui)Enough about the town, let's see some [size=130%]food[/size]

ya? Hmm, let's start with what I had for tea time ALONE on the first day, as KYT, LaughingGal, and TallGal were fast asleep in the middle of the day. Hmmm .... Guess the drive took its toll? Or they probably learnt a tips or two from the Lyrical one when it comes to travelling and sleeping. LOL.

image hosted on flickr

Nifty hands at work, scooping bowls after bowls of tong suiOh, Chinese style tong sui (sweet soup)in Betong? Not surprising, given the demographic distribution of Chinese citizens in Betong. This auntie speaks good Mandarin, fortunately. But UN-fortunately, mine sucks. Big time. But still, conveying my views and opinions on food works on any platform, be it English, Chinese or even Thai language. =P

image hosted on flickr

Sweet banana desserts, a Thai specialty

image hosted on flickr

Weird combination of ginkgo nuts, quail's eggs, and chicken (or duck?) eggs tong sui

image hosted on flickr

My bowl of Bubur Cha-Cha (RM1/10Baht) - Dirt cheap?

The bubur cha-cha with lots of sago, red beans, sweet potatoes and yam cubes was satisfying. Served warm in a porcelain bowl, the flavour reminded me of Malaysia's version, with the exception of red beans added for good measure. Slightly sweet, and salty at the same time, this bowl of sweet delight is reasonably tagged at 10Baht ONLY.

image hosted on flickr

I was curious about the ginkgo tong sui with eggs, therefore that very night we raided the same shop and I got my fix of the mysterious concoction. Pleasantly surprised that the combination works wonders, resembling the addition of quail's egg into Lin Chee Kang (a popular Chinese sweet soup). The abundance of quail's eggs and chicken egg provided much of a scare for health freak, as the cholesterol content of that bowl may exceed your average daily intake! At RM3/30 Baht per bowl, no less.

image hosted on flickr

Auntie Yoong frying her crunchy bits ...That same evening, on the way back to my room, I passed by a stall and got a whiff of deep-fried bananas. For RM1/10 Baht, you get a whole load of deep-fried bananas sprinkled with sesame seeds, fried yams, and sweet potato balls. Coincidentally, Auntie Yoong has connection to Malaysia, as her parents are from Penang, while her husband's are from Ipoh!!! Yeah! She assisted a lot in providing directions, and recommendations, and made our stay a tad more pleasant that it already was.

A million THANKS, to Auntie Yoong and her husband. Her shop's on Sukkayang Road, a road branching north from the clock tower in Betong town.
Wanna know in what way she helped us? Stay tuned for later instalments ...

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 04:10 PM

image hosted on flickr

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 04:25 PM

image hosted on flickr

all dish

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 04:30 PM

image hosted on flickr

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 04:31 PM

image hosted on flickr

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 04:42 PM

At the border

Big mail box

Phra Mahathat Chedi Phra Buddha Dhamma Prakat

Hot Spring

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 05:02 PM

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 05:03 PM

Some photos of the lake taken on route 4106 between Betong and Yala:

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 05:06 PM

Entering a roadblock / checkpoint in Yala.

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 05:09 PM

Communist Underground Tunnel (Piyamit Tunnel)

chumpon · April 5th, 2009, 05:12 PM

Ex-Malaysian communist

Scenery in the Communist Underground Tunnel (Piyamit Tunnel)

Guess how long can they keep their food ?

You want this type of office ??

Radio broadcast station

April 5th, 2009, 03:47 PM	#41
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	You will have to walk through the tunnel yourself to feel it. It was really a good experience. As we know, the chinese in singapore will burn joss stick and the paper when praying to the god. There is a slight different in the practise in betong. They do not burn the paper, instead, they set off firecracker after the joss stick. I tried it too. At the TAU PEY GONG outside the tunnel. TAU PEY GONG Thai gas station You do not need to worry about not being able to find the places of interest as there will be sign like these along the way. __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:49 PM	#42
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	__________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:50 PM	#43
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Betong people __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:51 PM	#44
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	The Gates of Gerik (Malaysia Side) __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:51 PM	#45
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	We went to Betong Have a taste of the Thai culture We visited the Piyamit Tunnel too. It's a must-go! Had a fun time traversing the beautiful, steep and tight Route 4017 Scenic Bailing Highway __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:54 PM	#46
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	__________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:55 PM	#47
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Compared to the high-tech sprawling Singapore custom at second link, the Thai Custom office is very "traditional". Not many travellers. But still lazy queue, queue, stamp, stamp. Official payment of 2 ringgit or 20 bahbt to Thai custom officer. Then fill up a vehicle registration form, which you need to keep and return back to the Thai custom on your return trip. This form could be to ensure you are not illegally importing vehicles into Thailand. As the Thai custom is very "traditional", I found myself getting one signature from one Thai officer, walked another 10 metres to get another signature from another Thai officer. Why can't they all just sit at one place? I thought Thailand is the land of a thousand smiles. But the lady Thai custom officer who clears our bike is the most unsmiling creature on earth. Cleared the Thai custom with no difficulties. __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 03:59 PM	#49
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	__________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 04:05 PM	#50
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Monday, July 14, 2008 BETONG - The Town Over The Border (Part 1) image hosted on flickr Typical rules & regulations before entering the country Not many realize that Perak has a Thai border, with the neighbouring town being Betong. Located a mere 10 minutes drive from Pengkalan Hulu (Perak's northern most town), many Malaysians cross over on a daily basis, and vice versa. image hosted on flickr The queue at the Immigration Checkpoint is bearable on a weekday, but not on weekends and public holidaysBasic requirement before entering ?? International passport/border pass (a no-brainer) Fill up an arrival form at the checkpoint, but pay RM2/person. The kind lady seated at the counter will perform her magically-rapid-fast hands trick and fill up one by one. Exchanging your Ringgit to Thai Baht is NOT necessary, as most, if not all, shops accept payment in RM, for a RM1=10Baht rate. Except 7-11, where RM5=45Baht. A crash course in Thai language is deemed UNnecessary as most vendors/hawkers/restaurant owners speak Malay, English or Chinese. No language barrier at all. Phew .... image hosted on flickr In order to get your vehicle CLEARED, first you have to DE-CLEAR your car ... =P5. If you're driving into the town (yup, you can drive to your heart's content, bearing in mind you bring your driving licence along), photostat your car grant and get it certified by an officer at Air Panas police station in Pengkalan Hulu, OR if you're not the owner of your vehicle, get a written attestation from the owner (ie. dad, mum, whoever) permitting you to drive over the border. Just don't drive a stolen car, that's all. image hosted on flickr The roads in Betong Once you're through, drive to your heart's content, and head straight for the town area. A straight path nonetheless, no twists and turns. image hosted on flickr The famous clock tower of Betong town image hosted on flickr Betong Merlin Hotel -5 Stars they ain't, but it's certainly one of the better ones in town image hosted on flickr Delicate folding of a basic amenity ... a touch of hospitality? We stayed at [size=130%]Betong Merlin Hotel[/size], situated on 33, Chayachaowalit Road. Turn right once you reach a 4-way traffic lights intersection with Sri Betong on your right. Then go straight, and take the 2nd left turn. Once you see Betong Merlin Plaza on your right, turn right into the small path right after the plaza. The hotel is the tall white building right behind the plaza. image hosted on flickr Mandarin Betong Hotel - A touch of class, but at slightly premium rate of 1380 Baht/night. OK, not THAT expensive, but be prudent at times like this. Our room has a queen-sized bed, attached bathroom with bathtub, TV, and basic amenities. Rate per night is 875 Baht/room for two. Reasonable, as we managed to squeeze 4 pax/room and still slept comfortably. =) Oh, and parking's at the basement is FOC too. image hosted on flickr Betong Mongkollit Tunnel The Betong Mongkollit tunnel is situated in town area, a pretty short tunnel connecting to the south. The temple behind is an abandoned building named Hilltop Yala Shrine (correct me if I'm wrong, anyone?). image hosted on flickr Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? ... image hosted on flickr A closer view of the hilltop shrine, with locals performing morning dance routine image hosted on flickr Somehow, the passengers are hanging on for dear life ... haha ...Funnily enough, not many public transportation can be seen roaming, with the exception of the small trucks (pic above) not unlike Chiang Mai's Songthaew, or Bangkok's Tuk-Tuk. No buses was in sight, nor taxis. image hosted on flickr The majestic clock tower at night ... OK, so my HP camera sucks. Sue me! =P image hosted on flickr A corner shop at a backlane selling sweet desserts (tong sui)Enough about the town, let's see some [size=130%]food[/size] ya? Hmm, let's start with what I had for tea time ALONE on the first day, as KYT, LaughingGal, and TallGal were fast asleep in the middle of the day. Hmmm .... Guess the drive took its toll? Or they probably learnt a tips or two from the Lyrical one when it comes to travelling and sleeping. LOL. image hosted on flickr Nifty hands at work, scooping bowls after bowls of tong suiOh, Chinese style tong sui (sweet soup)in Betong? Not surprising, given the demographic distribution of Chinese citizens in Betong. This auntie speaks good Mandarin, fortunately. But UN-fortunately, mine sucks. Big time. But still, conveying my views and opinions on food works on any platform, be it English, Chinese or even Thai language. =P image hosted on flickr Sweet banana desserts, a Thai specialty image hosted on flickr Weird combination of ginkgo nuts, quail's eggs, and chicken (or duck?) eggs tong sui image hosted on flickr My bowl of Bubur Cha-Cha (RM1/10Baht) - Dirt cheap? The bubur cha-cha with lots of sago, red beans, sweet potatoes and yam cubes was satisfying. Served warm in a porcelain bowl, the flavour reminded me of Malaysia's version, with the exception of red beans added for good measure. Slightly sweet, and salty at the same time, this bowl of sweet delight is reasonably tagged at 10Baht ONLY. image hosted on flickr I was curious about the ginkgo tong sui with eggs, therefore that very night we raided the same shop and I got my fix of the mysterious concoction. Pleasantly surprised that the combination works wonders, resembling the addition of quail's egg into Lin Chee Kang (a popular Chinese sweet soup). The abundance of quail's eggs and chicken egg provided much of a scare for health freak, as the cholesterol content of that bowl may exceed your average daily intake! At RM3/30 Baht per bowl, no less. image hosted on flickr Auntie Yoong frying her crunchy bits ...That same evening, on the way back to my room, I passed by a stall and got a whiff of deep-fried bananas. For RM1/10 Baht, you get a whole load of deep-fried bananas sprinkled with sesame seeds, fried yams, and sweet potato balls. Coincidentally, Auntie Yoong has connection to Malaysia, as her parents are from Penang, while her husband's are from Ipoh!!! Yeah! She assisted a lot in providing directions, and recommendations, and made our stay a tad more pleasant that it already was. A million THANKS, to Auntie Yoong and her husband. Her shop's on Sukkayang Road, a road branching north from the clock tower in Betong town. Wanna know in what way she helped us? Stay tuned for later instalments ... __________________ Malaysia truly asia... Last edited by chumpon; April 5th, 2009 at 04:39 PM.

April 5th, 2009, 04:10 PM	#51
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 04:25 PM	#52
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr all dish __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 04:30 PM	#53
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 04:31 PM	#54
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	image hosted on flickr image hosted on flickr __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 04:42 PM	#55
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	At the border Big mail box Phra Mahathat Chedi Phra Buddha Dhamma Prakat Hot Spring __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 05:02 PM	#56
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	__________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 05:03 PM	#57
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Some photos of the lake taken on route 4106 between Betong and Yala: __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 05:06 PM	#58
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Entering a roadblock / checkpoint in Yala. __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 05:09 PM	#59
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Communist Underground Tunnel (Piyamit Tunnel) __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

April 5th, 2009, 05:12 PM	#60
chumpon Member Legend Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur Posts: 363 Likes (Received): 0	Ex-Malaysian communist Scenery in the Communist Underground Tunnel (Piyamit Tunnel) Guess how long can they keep their food ? You want this type of office ?? Radio broadcast station __________________ Malaysia truly asia...

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