THE LONGEST BUS JOURNEY

We planned, but sometimes what happened was not as we wanted. There are a number of reasons for that. In travelling, we need to ensure we get a ticket early. In my case, I took the thing for granted as I thought buying a train ticket from Su-ngai Kolok to Bangkok was as easy as buying a local train ticket. A few days before the departure date we went to the Su-ngai Kolok Train Station and found no ticket left for the train ride to the capital city. To cancel our trip was not an option, instead, we chose a bus trip and embarked on the overnight bus journey. Riding a bus from Su-ngai Kolok to Bangkok and returning offered memorable journeys. I used this unexpected but enjoyable mode of travel to narrate my story as the longest bus journey that I have ever had. 

Pre-departure day

A few days earlier we decided to go to the border town Su-ngai Golok to get train tickets to Bangkok. Fetching Rika, Yusri, Citra and Edward, all UMK's PhD students from Padang, Western Sumatra, Indonesia.  Rika passed viva voce with a minor correction and is looking forward to amending her thesis accordingly. And Yusri, the happiest amongst them was now waiting for his hard bound theses done. Meanwhile, Edward is now waiting for viva voce and Citra is soon to submit her PhD after a revision and improved draft. They planned their trips to Bangkok as a reward for their hard labour. The journey from Kota Bharu to Rantau Panjang, the border town was a smooth one as not many vehicles were on the road. The queue at the ICQS was also fast. Soon afterwards we got our passport stamps from the Thai immigration officers. When we arrived at the railway station, passengers who had arrived with the train were just about to leave, crossing the rail track of the southernmost train in Thailand. Here, there is a separate entry and exit where the entrance of the station is equipped with security equipment including baggage and a body scanner. As we were just about to pass through the security checkpoint, the female security guard who manned the small post gave us a signal to pass through without scanning our phones and bags. A few customers queued in front of the ticket counter and when our time came we inquired about train tickets to Bangkok from Su-ngai Kolok, our faces furrowed when we were told by the middle-aged man, the ticket clerk that no ticket was available for the journey in a three-day time. The same was true for return tickets from Bangkok. He advised us to make an effort to get train tickets at least a month earlier. I nodded and left the counter empty-handed. I left the station with a tinge of disappointment that I didn't book tickets early. However, realising we could also take a bus to Bangkok from this border town, I drove my car to the bus terminal situated about 1.5 km away. Luckily, luxury coach's tickets available. One-person ticket to Bangkok cost us around 1,500 Baht and for both ways, we paid around 3,000 Baht for each one of us. I was told by the female bus ticket clerk that this overnight journey usually takes 18 hours. It would be the longest bus journey in my life. If you compare it with Malaysia, the longest bus trip from KB to JB only takes approximately 10 hours, so our journey would take two times more than that. While we were happy to ride to Bangkok by bus, an important lesson we learned was that we needed to plan any trip including getting a mode of transportation of our choice at least a month before the date we decided to embark on our journey. 

First Day 

I left my house at five past eight in the morning to pick up my student and her friends in Kota Bharu. The traffic was smooth because it was after a rush morning hour. When I arrived, all already waiting in front of their residence except Edward who could not join us as he had an important assignment from his university. Off we went. As I didn't want to park my car in Thailand, I asked my Thai acquaintance, Kak Ya, from Waeng, Narathiwat to ferry us to the Su-ngai Kolok bus terminal from the ICQS Rantau Panjang. Since it was early, I decided to have a light breakfast at Kedai Pa'ti Teh O Bing 50 sen. I drank a small glass of sugarless teh tarik and ate two half-boiled eggs sprinkled with white pepper that were strangely served in a small cup. I found the Indonesian students still confused with the local words: teh, teh o, teh bing, teh o bing. When Citra asked teh with less sugar, a young woman staff of the stall told her that teh means no sugar, it came with sweetened condensed milk, but if teh o, yes it was served with sugar. Rika ordered milo ice. Yusri and Rika had only drinks, Citra and I enjoyed half-boiled eggs. 

While drinking, I received a text from Kak Ya who told me that she couldn't come to fetch us, her husband Abe Tar would go instead. Since not many people at the ICQS complex like the day we visited earlier, the queue to stamp our passports only took less than 10 minutes. Once my international passport was physically stamped, I told the young woman immigration officer that behind me were my Indonesian students who were on their way to visit Bangkok. According to the statistics year 2024, Bangkok was the most visited city in the world, with more than 32 million visitors followed by Istanbul. Kuala Lumpur was in 10th place with 16.5 million visitors, a position we can be proud of. Since this would be their first-time visit to Bangkok, they were on cloud nine. As for me, including this visit, it would be my sixth visit to the capital city of the Land of Smile.

Since it was early, we decided to have breakfast at Jeerapan, eating Khao Mok; yellow rice served with crispy fried chicken. Customers filled to the brim because this shop is a popular spot for local people and Malaysian customers alike. Soon afterwards Abe Tar who dropped us at the restaurant came back to take us to the bus terminal. We arrived very early, around 11.30, with only a handful of people waiting for buses to ferry them to their destinations. We lay down and rest our feet at the Madrasah while waiting to perform Zohor and Asar prayers. 

1 o'clock sharp, the bus left the station, punctuality is its policy. Before the departure, two immigration officers got on board and checked my passport. One of them, a Malay guy who stood in the front flipped through pages of the passport and looked at the page where the entry to Thailand was stamped. I told him about my occupation as Ajahn; a Thai word for a professor and I accompanied my Indonesian students to visit the capital. Once he was satisfied with his inspection, he extended his hand and we shook hands and then he and his friend, a Siamese-looking officer left. The bus was almost empty, only a few seats on the upper deck occupied now left the station. 

The bus plied the road that I was familiar with, to the northeast, leading to Narathiwat town. Unlike my previous journeys either I rode my motorcycle or drove my car and rode a train, I didn't have the opportunity to see views like a bus ride, especially sitting on the upper deck allowed me to see wider views of the surroundings. In the distance green rice fields, I saw a herd of buffaloes grazing. We passed a young palm oil plantation one after another, I observed more and more rubber plantations make way to the more profitable oil palm plantations. Huge fields stretched as far as my eyes could see. Rubber plantations, palm oil plantations and coconut grooves were intermittently visible along this stretch of the road to Narathiwat -highway 42. The bus stopped at Tak Bai junction to pick passengers up. The driver and his companion spoke Pattani- Kelantan's dialect and Thai language. Unlike a highway in Malaysia, a swale or depression was constructed to separate two opposite directions of roads of the highway where grasses and trees thrive. I am not an engineer, but as a layman, I found the ingenuity of this highway design for several reasons: first, when a driver lost control of his or her vehicle, it would go down to a depression instead of hitting the guard rail that causes severe damage for a vehicle. It prevents a collision of vehicles from other directions. Second, without a fence and guard rail, the cost of building and maintenance would be less. Apart from these two advantages, more often than I found the depression covered by green grasses where cows were grazing. As for local folks who rear cows, bulls and goats, this kind of highway is not only for road users but also for them. You would easily see a lonely or a herd of brown cows grazing. On a different stretch of the road, a few cows were lying under the shade of the trees, avoiding the afternoon scorching sun. 

On the left and the right were Malay settlements, surrounded by tall and slender coconut trees, fruit trees like mango, rambutan, mangosteen, cashew trees as well as banana preponderance. Followed by the area where a groove of tall and slender coconut trees stands. In the distance, a row of casuarina trees lined the nondescript beach. Blue red and white Thai flags and yellow royal flags fluttered in the winds. We just passed a stretch of the road of the sand mining area, no human settlement was observed here except bushes, you could also see roadside makeshift stalls, selling fruits and other things. A pile of watermelon created black and green stripy mounds, one or two cuts revealed their watery red, black seeds studded interiors to entice customers. 

An excellent and well-maintained highway in the southern Thailand region, with free toll, is something we can learn from Thailand. Our journey was smooth as less traffic on the road, occasionally, other vehicles overtook our bus. Rubber plantations and rice fields were still visible. We just now crossing the bridge over the Ban Nara river. Female riders wearing face masks but not wearing helmets was a common scene here. Just our bus turned right at the fourth junction to Narathiwat's town. An ambulance with an emergency siren blasted in the air. A roadblock was mounted on the bridge to the town. Here, ones need to go through a security checkpoint to enter a city and a town. Afterwards, the golden arch stretched the road greeted us; yellow flowers on the dividers blossomed, welcoming us to the capital of Narathiwat's province. Soon at ten past two, we arrived at the Narathiwat Bus Terminal. When the bus was stopped at the platform 2, a few passengers got on the board. A male bus inspector, wearing a white and black uniform inspected our passports. A spotless clean bus terminal with passengers sitting on benches while waiting for buses to ferry them to their destinations. On the concrete green pillars, an overhanging signpost tells destinations in both Thai and English languages. The stop was short, just a few minutes, the bus left the terminal and continued its long journey to the capital. We only covered a short stretch of the long roads. After crossing the bridge, I saw a rubber plantation where small black cups were attached at the lower trunks of the trees to gather latex. A familiar view of the left and ride in the countryside in our country.

We were now slid left to Pattani, which would approximately take one hour to the said town. I saw a herd of water buffaloes and brown cows grazing in the same field. Later, in another location, a herd of black buffaloes grazed on the bank of a long and straight irrigation canal. We passed the PTT petrol station which I stopped a few times during my travel by car and motorcycle, not too far from the junction to the Narathiwat Airport. A green mosque with a green dome not too far from the fourth junction. While stopping at the red traffic light, I looked at the sky, it's no sign of rain, although the sky was an outcast. We passed schools, a small white wash colour madrasah, blue dustbins alongside the roadside, a rice field with cows and white herons behind a row of tall rubber trees. We travelled passed the earth-coloured mosque by the bridge and a row of shop houses. Since almost all signboards are in Thai language I needed to look at them attentively. Now we arrived in Bacho. Masjid Darul Kausar, the big green mosque would not be missed by those who passed the area. A flock of white herons dotted some coconut fronds near the rice field. A few old wooden houses on stilts with zinc or metal walls and thin terracotta roofs still standing, albeit in a rundown situation, reminiscing me of my grandparents' house when I was a little kid. Later new houses used asbestos roofs.

Passing the golden colour arch with pictures of the king adorned with elephant statues marking the end of Narathiwat province and the beginning of Pattani province, orange dustbins now replaced navy blue dustbins. But the landscapes and the views were almost the same. A stretch of the road with crop nurseries, young durian trees on sale, waiting for customers, Monthong is the most popular durian in Thailand. Tricycle motorcycles are a popular mode of transportation here, just now I saw a man riding his tricycle motorcycle with his wife as a pillion; the real romantic scene that envy those who watched such a thing that is unreal in movies.  Nearby, a new Wat with its sharp pointing roof was under construction. I thought the bus would go through Hat Yai town but it bypassed the city when the sun was just about to set. The buildings were transfigured by the rays of the setting sun. When it was dark I couldn't see the surrounding view outside except the lights of the oncoming vehicles from the opposite direction. 

Second day

Arrived at the bus station around 7 o'clock in the morning and only a few passengers at the terminal. The young Thai woman that we met during dinner at the bus stop asked me where I would go. She said her sister would fetch her and her mother. I told her that I would go to Ban Boutique Hotel in the Ramkhamheng area. When I told her that I am familiar with Bangkok, she nodded and somewhat understood that I knew where I wanted to go. We parted when we left for 7 Eleven nearby. The funny thing that we encountered was using the public toilet at the bus station worth mentioning here. It is not a free toilet and user needs to pay to use it. I tried a few times to slot the coins but to no avail. The two types of coins are shown by the machine -5 and 10-coin Baht. But every time I wanted to slot in 5 coins it couldn't go through the hole as it was relatively bigger, and from nowhere, an old guy, with his messy hair and untidy clothes approached me from behind and took 1-Baht coin on my right palm and slotted it inside the hole, I repeated with two other coins and the turnstile was could be easily rotated. I thanked him with a smile and said khaap. A new experience at the Bangkok bus terminal. By so doing it doesn't not need someone to man the restroom. 

We took a Toyota Vios Grab to Ban Thai Boutique Hotel at Ramkhamheing. To speed up our journey, we plied toll roads. In Bangkok, traffic jams are quite unbearable, taxi drivers prefer to carry passengers via toll roads, usually overhead roads built by private companies to ease traffic congestion. When we arrived at the hotel we found many Chinese tourists, we asked permission from a Muslim lady at the front desk to leave our luggage as we wanted to get breakfast at the food shop by the riverside. All sorts of Malay meals are available like the ones in our place. I chose fried fish and rice, what a delicious food for my hungry tummy. Once our bellies were full we went to the Ramkhamhaeng pier or known as the university pier to the Platinum Mall which is situated about half our ride away by boat. The fare was reasonably cheap, 20 Baht per person. It is easy to know the right pier as it is the last destination and all passengers alighted from a wooden boat. Along the boat ride, you would see high-rise buildings, houses, small parks, hotels, cafes and a new golden colour Wat. Instead of accompanying the students, I showed and told them where to shop and went to the Amazon Cafe to have a cup of cappuccino while waiting for them shopping. Like a woman, a man also loves shopping but a man usually does it rather quickly but a woman prefers to look around first, judging prices and not a big deal for her to revisit the earlier shop that is preferable to her. Yusri and I waited Rika and Citra, and at the same time enjoyed a hot and creamy cappuccino at the Amazon Cafe. After almost two hours of waiting both of them came with smiling faces and shopping bags in both their hands

4 pm after late lunch at the food court just across the road from the main gate of the Ramkhamhaeng University, we walked back to the hotel which was about 15 minutes away. During the meal Rika had Telur Dadar with white rice, Citra ate Kailam Ikan Masin with rice, Yusri had chicken paprika and as for myself, I ordered chicken doner from the Turkish booth which was manned or served by a tall Pakistani woman. Light meal enough as I had a heavy breakfast in the morning with rice and a fried fish - ikan kerisi. Many customers thronged this place, overwhelmingly Muslims, many university students prefer to eat here as prices of food are reasonably affordable by them. Jokingly, I made a statement; if apples do not fall far from a tree; the same is true for lectures, where students eat we also do the same. As my Indonesian students are also lecturers, they understood the idiom well, we laughed together. 

The hotel's room was quite spacious with two single beds, reasonably priced. We refreshed ourselves by taking a bath and performing a combined and short prayers of Zohor and Asar. When Yusri and I went to the lobby, Rika and Citra were already there. I left the room's key to the Muslim lady at the front desk as I didn't want to bring it with me as I was afraid to lose it when I forgot to look after it. We ordered a car through Grab, soon the Mitsubishi car was driven by a smartly dressed female driver, who wore a black baseball hat. I greeted her and tried to talk with her in English but got a cold shoulder. This came as no surprise to me as a majority of Grab drivers here couldn't communicate well in English, so a casual and friendly conversation did not happen along the journey. However, when it comes to basic communication about services like prices, toll highway, arrival at destinations and so forth they can talk to their passengers. Unlike Thailand, in Malaysia, English language is widely used. The experience in Bangkok reminded me of what my student from China said to her mother "mum, everybody in Malaysia can speak English, including grab driver". She told me her mother was in awe when she heard that. 

The journey to Pattavikorn Market, the largest pre-loved items in entire Bangkok took a half hour from our hotel. We arrived by 5 pm, the journey was a smooth one although it was during rush hour when many people just drove back home after a long working hour at the offices. When I sat my foot there, as usual, I located the best meeting place after we were done with shopping and window shopping. It was at the entry point in front of the jewellery shop which hard to miss by everyone who passed it. We were excited, seeing various booths selling different pre-loved items which ranged from clothes, shoes, furniture, televisions, radios, iPads, bracelets, rings to name but a few. Anything, everything and everywhere here. If I came earlier I could spend the whole day here; I was duck to water, to say the least but I was not alone; my students also felt the same feeling of excitement. 

Hitting the ground running, I started watching interesting items some overhanging and some lying on the floors. Owners sit on chairs near their sale items, waiting for buyers to ask prices of those items. Some sold their products at fixed prices but some allowed customers to ask for reductions. The first item that I had the intention to buy was a pair of army gloves. I put it on my hands, its size perfectly fit and when I asked the price from the owner, the tall and lanky guy who was sitting on a foldable camping chair, he said 250 Baht without getting up from his seat, my jaws dropping, I was startled as that was not the price I was expected and put the pairs back. I thanked him and left. If the price of the pairs is around 100 Baht, I would grab the pairs. Actually, I already have two pairs of motorcycle gloves and do not necessarily need the new ones, unless they are cheap. I browsed row after row and when I found at same spot I where I first entered the place I moved to another area. Luckily, I spotted a booth that sold items that I was looking. I perused the long-sleeved shirts and put on my body the ones that fit me well. As someone who is short and small like me; XS, S suit me well, sometime M size is also perfect if it follows Asia's man size. I ended up selecting 3 shirts and put them above one another. When I asked the young guy with the tattoo on both of his hands the price of each, I shook my head in the negative, and abandoned the intention. The lowest was 1500 Baht. It ended up when I politely said thank you and left. Of course, he sold branded brands, but I didn't want to separate myself with my money. Coming to this flea market to get cheap items was my aim after all, if I needed to spend the same price for new items it was not a good decision. I am not the one who is willing to buy expensive old items like others. I went to another area, a rather rundown section where not many customers were around except a few women sitting in the middle of the heaps of clothes. It was not clear to me whether they were staff or buyers like. I approached overhanging clothes on the steel lines, looking at suitable ones. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. 

A young man, wearing an Arabic robe or jubah, his black penetrating eyes looked at me, sitting around a sea of clothes where close to a heap of clothes that he already sorted out to buy. After about half an hour, I managed to find a few long-sleeved shirts, a round-neck t-shirt and a few cotton bags from branded brands. When I approached the female vendor the guy that I mentioned just paid his full big plastic bag of clothes. I told the lady the price of each and every item that I chose. On the whole, 330 Baht, what a great buy! I was euphoric. With their unusually low price, it came as a no surprise that the guy before me and previous customers after him bought so many items. If I had time I could spend more time here. 

Now it was sunset, I hurriedly went to the meeting point and found my students there. I raised my hand and she did so in return. They said they yet finished shopping and asked me to wait for another hour. I told them I preferred to wait for them in the cafe because of conducive or suitable environment was suitable for me to read and write. I ended up at Ai- Cha Ice Cream & Tea. After taking an order they left, leaving me with two plastic bags full of clothes. I used the opportunity to write down my experience in this pre-loved market on paper as my hand phone battery was low. After 45 minutes they came back with more pre-loved items. It was time for us to call it a day. On our way to the bus stop, we dropped by at the Uniclo shop, after a brief tour to look over clothes and their prices which were no different from the ones in Malaysia we left without buying anything.

Third Day

Half past seven in the morning we went to the dining hall on the ground floor for breakfast. I chose fried rice to fill my empty stomach. Yusri helped me with the drink, when he inquired about coffee or tea I told him the former, with no sugar. During breakfast, we were approached by a bald, skinny and average height man from Hainan Island, China. He greeted us Salam and introduced himself as a Chinese Muslim. His name is Daud, one of the names of our beloved prophets. He said no mosque there with just a small population of Muslims around 10,000. He asked me whether I knew about the said island, and I nodded. The island is situated in the South China Sea and the southernmost province of China. He is now in the security business, before this, we worked in broadcasting, no wonder I said he has good English command. Briefly, he said it comes through a lot of practice. Most of the people here are Chinese. Enjoying the sweet fruits of the labour during their young age by travelling and Thailand is their favourite country as it is a cheaper option compared to other countries. Moreover, Thais as well as Chinese have the same belief - Buddhism. 

After a hearty breakfast with fried rice, chicken, two slices of bread with butter spread and washed my throat with sugarless tea I went to the lobby of the hotel. After a while waiting the cab arrived at the hotel to take us to the Chatuchak Weekend market. I have been here several times and already knew what could be expected. Again, was about the meeting place. Once arrived at the market, I asked Rika, Yusri and Citra to follow me to find Amazon Cafe. It turned out as our landmark. I told them to find me here by 1 o'clock. They nodded and soon left to find their own needs. Leaving me alone with my agenda. I walked passed various shops in the shopping mall to the end and entered a new block where a few Europeans had their breakfasts. Later I arrived at the second-hand books section. Browsing for a while, I found a stack of used National Geographic magazines, some in Thai language and others in English. When I asked a man there he told me 50 Baht each, I also asked the price of a book, also asked him for 10 or 5 magazines at a discounted price, hardly understood he left and got someone who later explained to me the price of the said items. And no discount if I bought more he informed me. Thinking of the expensive price of the magazine and the book that I was interested so I left without buying any. A funny thing happened about 1 and a half hours later when I went back to the same spot. After I spent some time browsing and choosing the interesting issues of the National Geographic to buy to add to my collection of the magazine. Once I found one in particular to buy, I approached a man who was sitting in a corner of the shop, when I asked him how much it cost. He said 30 Baht. What a surprise! If I bought earlier I would pay a little bit extra. The one who I asked earlier perhaps a security guard rather than the owner of the second-hand book shop. Actually, I was the one who looked for books. Sadly, unlike before, nowadays not many read physical magazines and books. I am the generation who loves buying books and am happy to carry any with me when travelling as I love flipping pages, the smell of it, and proudly carrying it in my hands and holding it on my palm when reading. Not to mention of worrying of low battery of my hand phone when I overused it for a long reading and browsing. 

A visit to Bangkok would not be complete if one doesn't visit Chatuchak Weekend market. Bangkok has grown from a population of five million in 1990 to a surging metropolis of more than eleven million people at present. It is not an exaggeration to say it is the most cosmopolitan of Southeast Asia. The city resonates with the vitality and energetic atmosphere of its people, characterised by glitzy riverside hotels, office towers, and expensive cars. A preponderance of electric vehicles or EV where BYD and Telstra are two dominant brands that scorch Bangkok roads. 

Done with the shopping at the market and a short rest at the Amazon Cafe with a hot cappuccino, we took the underground train and followed the sky train to the Icon Siam because there is no direct link between both tourist places. Icon Siam is situated on the bank of Chao Phraya River. This iconic multipurpose building houses shopping mall, hotels and residences. We found the shopping mall was bustling with people, restaurants as well as food kiosks situated in the middle of the mall sold varieties of foods; international chain restaurants, fast-food restaurants, cafes, traditional food as well as fruit booths. The Chinese New Year celebration was around the corner, no wonder red Chinese lanterns which represent wealth and prosperity to believers adorned the mall. We ordered beef noodles at the stall run by female vendors who originated from Pattani. Finding a vacant table was a challenge due to the huge crowds, but we were lucky enough to get one. While the food was delicious we couldn't stay long as the space was overcrowded. 

Shortly, we crossed Chao Phraya River by boat to Asiatique. Many people were on the upper deck of the boat. The yellow Royal Flag and a Blue White and Red Thai flags on the rear of the boat flapping proudly as a welcoming remark to all passengers on board. Everybody was eager to have the best photos with the background of Icon Siam and thistle-like-shinning glass skyscrapers. The red-orange sky above the city added the beauty of the panorama. You could be easily bewitched. It would be soon sunset. At the Asiatique pier docked the iconic majestic three mastec sailing ship, named Sirimahanopp. Many people didn't miss the opportunity to snap their photos. Looking at how this river was utilised, together with its tributaries for social, economic and cultural purposes it was clear to me that Bangkok which was once known as the Venice of the east hitherto still maintains the name despite its modernisation.

We prayed at the white mosque which is a short walk from the Asiatic. Once done with the combined prayers of zohor and asar, a young muezzin called for a prayer. A young black jet-haired Pakistani man sat on the first row near the window, wearing a prayer cloth on his head sat cross-legged waiting to pray with the others. We prayed a non-compulsory prayer and proceeded with sunset or magrib prayer. Lining in a straight position like an army on a battlefield, we stood, bowed and prostrated to Allah SWT, the Almighty, the Omnipotent. The old imam who led the prayer recited loudly a short surah from the holy Quran as he memorised them by heart. In prayer, it is a must for Muslims to recite Al-fatihah, the opening surah of the Quran. It contains 7 sentences that represent the tenet of the teaching of Islam. This is the most recited verse which is the first surah in the holly book of Islam. As travellers, we are entitled to shorter and combine our prayers - praying isyak subsequently, magrib prayer. 

Since I had yet to top-up my telephone service, booking a car through the Grab platform was impossible, what should I do was to signal any available taxi by the roadside. As the proverb says "you never miss the water until the well is dry" I now fully realised it's really tough without the internet. One after another taxi passed us but all occupied, suddenly, Rika saw a tut-tut ride by a young man with a long hair, she waived her hand as a sign of wanting the service. When we told and showed the name of the hotel, the rider checked it with his hand phone and showed us a picture of it, and we nodded. "Too far," he said, asking us how much we wanted to pay, when we said we didn't know, he asked, 300 Baht is enough? We agreed and went off. This was my first tut-tut ride in Bangkok, I saw many European tourists riding them before. 

Riding the tut-tut on our way back to the hotel was a new experience on its own which I couldn't easily forget. With no glasses like riding a car, we heard the sound of vehicles' exhausts, our olfactory smelt fumes and felt too close to vehicles that furiously overtook us. Not to mention the ears piercing of its own exhaust. We passed a few big shopping malls, expensive international chain hotels, food courts and many others. Cars of various brands, prices, new and old, overtaking us. At the traffic light next to us was a sporty metallic colour Audi, with two doors, jokingly, Rika told us, a professor afforded to buy it. In another row, was a Porsche. Of course, all of them beyond the means as a salaried employee, unless I am a successful entrepreneur. We were happy when we arrived at the hotel, thankful to the young rider for his service. 

Last day

Putting on my clothes, had breakfast at half past seven. Sipping a white cup of sugarless coffee, my eyes observed the six extra sized photos, highlighting the traditional scenes of rustic rural life in Thailand, overhanging on the wall, revolving rural folks' activities around rice fields including traditional fishing. One photo showed a father tending a big fat water buffalo and his son sitting on its back. Another photo, next to it showed shirtless father and his son, the former, shouldering a bamboo plank, carrying bunches of young paddy. Another photo was about a lone old fisherman, with a round straw hat standing on his small wooden boat or Perahu as old as him, pulling his fishnet in a big river or a lake. On the rear was a bamboo fish trap. When guests see this kind of pastoral life of Thailand on the wall, they could easily picture the laidback countryside where the activities of its people revolve around rice crop activities in fields. 

Most of the guests of this hotel are Chinese, talking loudly with each other like they usually talk with their neighbours in their home country. Outside of the window, I saw a middle age lady hugging a coconut trunk, posing for photos taken by her friend who was partly hidden by a flowerless ornamental plant planted in a big vase. As this group is from Hainan province, the Southernmost province in China with a tropical climate, coconuts have become their cultural icon, coconut based are the main part of their diets. Dominating 99% of coconut production in China, no wonder this island is also known as Coconut Island. 

It took about 20 minutes by a grab cab to the bus terminal, but when we arrived I noticed it looked different. Relatively, bigger and new compared to the one we arrived from Su-ngai Kolok, I tried to show a photo of the right station to the grab driver but abandoned my intention when he said the bus platforms inside the building. We were lucky enough to find we were in the wrong bus station when the lady security told us so when we showed our tickets. She led us to the waiting cabs and told a skinny lady who served there of our right bus station. An old taxi driver drove us to the destination and when we arrived it was exactly 3 pm, we just arrived in the nick of time. 

It was on the same platform - platform 28. Through the window on my right, I saw the new blue and metallic Bangkok-Nakhonsithamamarat-Huasai bus parked on platform 36. The bus drivers in their white and black uniforms were busy, arranging luggage and boxes inside the bus trunk. They carefully stored and sorted them to ensure they fit, and used a ladder to store them on the upper trunk.

The returning journey, Bangkok to Su-ngai Kolok, was scheduled for 3.30 pm, 2 hours later than our going journey that started at 1.30 pm. I was delighted as the journey home happened in the evening as I could see the panorama of Bangkok and its outskirt areas and other provinces before sunset by 6 pm. We were expected to arrive by half past nine in the morning on the following day. Judging by this, I could only see views during the daytime journey; one in the afternoon and another one the next morning once the morning was broken. 

The bus was yet to leave the terminal at 3.30 pm, here the drivers made their last preparations before the long journey to the border of Malaysia. Unlike Malaysia, the bus drivers in Thailand are smartly dressed; wearing white short sleeve shirt with a necktie above dark trousers. More or less like a pilot but avoids of black hat.

3.37 pm, after a slight delay our bus was leaving the station, beginning a long journey to Sun-gai Kolok and for me would be the longest journey home. Actually, I experienced twice on land journeys from Su-ngai Kolok to Bangkok by train before. I rode a daily local train from Su-ngai Kolok to Hat Yai and then continued overnight sleeping on the train from Hat Yai Station to Bangkok on the same day. But my return journey for both trips was by the airplane via Narathiwat Airport. So I missed back of the country's views of Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces. The bus journey experience would be very interesting to me. Many things came into play; road conditions, topographies, landscapes, social and economic activities which could be seen along the journey. After all, it could provide me with knowledge of other provinces in Thailand apart from the three dominant Muslim provinces in the southern region of Thailand - Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani. In Bangkok, everywhere and everywhere you go you will see photos of its king, Maha Vajiralongko, either alone or with his wife. All pictures have golden frames. Thai people venerate and love their king and it comes as no surprise to see his photos everywhere, every nook and cranny in Bangkok and throughout the country.

Along the journey to the South, I came across familiar names of businesses where some of them are operating in Malaysia including Black Canyon restaurant, Lotus's hyper mall, Bangkcak petrol station, Chang mineral company with its elephant as representing the company and Big C and mini C version of it. Unlike at the beginning of my journey to Bangkok from the southernmost region of the country where mosques played a preponderating part in building landscape, here I didn't see any of them. Buddhist golden Vat with their sharp roofs were here and there. A few were still under construction. Strangely enough, I had yet to see vast rice fields. In schools, during Geography class, we were told by our teachers that Thailand, the largest producer of rice where huge rice fields available in floodplains of Bangkok and along Chao Phraya River. Later after one and half hours of the journey miles of rice fields were visible in the views interspersed between villages that line the side of the road. 

At 5.09 pm, the bus briefly stopped at the bus terminal on the outskirts of the city along the busy highway. We were now in Phetchaburi district. The bus was steadily moving at 75 km/hour, displayed on a small electronic screen on the left of the bus. The setting sun shining brightly on the western horizon, and in an hour would be sunset. Brown rice fields that left their stumps indicated rice was already being harvested. Now and then tall Tar or Tal palm trees dotted the brown fields, unlike in our country coconut trees are preponderance, but I could not see any of them. A herd of cattle, more or less the same as ours grazing in the field. Part of the land was ploughed to prepare for the coming planting season. Old wooden houses, some with asbestos roofs, and some other houses with metal roofs similar to the ones in Kelantan. We were plying the 3 lanes busy highway with all sorts of vehicles. I saw a boy, playing with his kite, the one that was familiar to me - known as wau tukung, a diamond-shaped kite that is easy to create by children as it does not involve a high skill of making a kite. I squinted at the sky and saw a flock of white birds flying, perhaps on their way back to nests somewhere at a nearby tree.

I yet to come across a mosque. That's not surprising, considering the overwhelming majority Thais are Buddhist. After all, I was still far away from the Southern region where Muslims are the majority. I knew I was now somewhere in Thailand. Rolling hills in a far distance- perhaps the borders between Thai and Myanmar. We passed a few stretches of roads which were still under construction despite the detour the traffic was reasonably smooth.

The sky was now turned grey and a streak of thin elongated orange colour clouds on the western horizon seemingly following our bus. What a pleasurable excitement seeing the magical sky during this time. Sooner rather than later it would be a twilight. Mile after mile of sugarcane plantations on the right of the road. Later a lorry full of sugarcanes in the silhouette overtook us. Before the dark, I saw a lorry flipping over in the middle of the road causing heavy traffic congestion in the opposite direction.  A few policemen there navigated the traffic. I didn't know when a bumper-to-bumper crawl would be last. As nothing to see during the night, it was time for me to hit the sack. 

13 January - Last Day

When the morning was broken we just reached Pattani province and soon afterwards approaching Pattani town, Yaring was about 5 km ahead. Life came to a stir with cars, and motorcycles plying the busy road, and people drove and rode their vehicles to workplaces on the opposite side of the road to the city. Sitting in the front seat gave me unobstructed views ahead. A white mosque with a big blue dome in the middle surrounded by tall and slender minarets looked so impressive. Sai Buri more than 30 km ahead clearly printed on the signboard. A herd of cows lazily grazing by the roadside. The sky was an outcast and the sun yet be shine. One kilometre ahead, another mosque on the right side of the road in view. The speeds of our bus were maintained throughout the journey between 70 to 79 km/hour, complying with 80km/ hour speed limit here. This taught us how to abide by the speed limit. Since speed kills, one must be careful not to cross the red line. I observed that Thai drivers were obedient to the road safety rules. This is a thing that bus companies and drivers in Malaysia need to learn and emulate from Thailand. Never take road safety for granted. 

I don't know whether wearing helmets is compulsory or not here, if it is compulsory but the law is not enforced, allowing many people to ride motorcycles without one on their heads. Safety should be a priority. I saw parents and children waiting to cross the road to the school. A marooned pickup truck ferried a group of students who wore the same colour of uniform to a religious school nearby. At Palat, the bus stopped to deliver boxes to a waiting person who was wearing sarong. I found a bus here was not only carried passengers but also delivered goods. I also used this kind of service in Kelantan before to deliver my books. It was much cheaper than ordinarily used parcel services. Just gave RM50 to the driver and shared the hand phone number with the guy who would pick it up at the agreed destination.   

Writing on the signboard, Sai Buri is only 12 km away. A brown cow was grazing in the depression or the pit between the road. A group of teenagers with dark green uniforms were waiting for a vehicle at the roadside. I had yet to steep my feet there, my inquisitive mind questioning what interesting things I could find there. The bus stopped after the T junction to Sai Buri and continued the journey to Su-ngai Kolok. Now we entered Narathiwat province, knowing it as there was a big golden arch showing the photos of the King with the golden frame. The bus stopped again to drop off a box to a young woman, a food stall nearby was surrounded by female customers, buying take-away morning meals for their families. Many roadblock structures were mounted here and there, but none in operation, only to be used by Thai soldiers when necessary. 

Yingo is another place that I was looking forward to visiting. There is a viral eatery on TikTok that sells traditional Malay meals against the background of vast rice fields. Now and then the school zone limits 50 km/h road signs to remind motorists to slow down their vehicles as a precaution. At the fourth junction to the Narathiwat Airport, a man hawked fish crackers to the stopping vehicles. Nearby, a full black blue-black uniform army, holding a machine gun with both of his hands on the duty. In a full alert, preparing for coming trouble. It comes as a no surprise to see this phenomenon as this southern region is a troubled region in Thailand. Attacks of terrorists or separatists or freedom fighters, whatever name people call according to how they perceive them on soldiers, police and government infrastructure and interests happen from time to time. Agreements between both conflicting parties are yet to be achieved. Hopefully, when both parties agree with the terms, this region will attract more tourists to come and spur its economy. If you visit Summer Thon and Talay Sea you will find customers from Malaysia thronging these two eating outlets by the South China Sea. The potential of Narathiwat as a food heaven for Malaysian tourists is much bigger with the security of this region. 

A photo of the King and the Queen on the left of the road sight. The bus then followed the Su-ngai Kolok signage to the right lane, where it was about 68 km away to the south. From my observation, the pickup truck is a popular means of transportation in this area. This multiple purpose vehicle is preferred to a car as it can carry people and goods. On its way to the Narathiwat bus terminal, an Indian looking man waved his hand and the conductor of the bus quickly handed in the small box to him in a slow moving bus. When the bus stopped at the said terminal, a young woman got off the bus and hurriedly ran to the motorcycle taxi, sitting on its back as a pillion rider and off she went. Disappearing from our views. Here, a motorcycle taxi is a popular means of carrying passengers, you know who offer such a service via the vest worn by riders. It is convenient as it can carry one passenger at a time. Its fee is also cheaper than a cab or a grab service. 

While in Malaysia we can drive up to 110 km/hour on a highway, the speed limit for lorries and buses here is only 80 km/hour, and for cars and motorcycles 90 km/hour. You should be careful and mindful of these speed limits. Once caught speeding I overheard ones need to pay the fines before leaving the country. I noticed many Malaysian plat numbers over speeding which is dangerous to other people, not to mention those who fail to slow down when they were approaching school zones. Looking out over the vast field not too far from Su-ngai Kolok town, it was an idyllic pastoral scene where a big herd of black buffaloes grazing and roaming freely, the lower parts of their feet were under the water, and the skinny old man was standing nearby, perhaps the owner, checking his buffaloes. Some things that have gone, some things that we missed in our places, some things that don't change here. The scene unfolded before my eyes looked just the same as when I was a young boy, travelling back to my father's village somewhere in Machang with a car almost half a century ago. Unfolding before my eyes were some things I wanted to capture and share in my writing. As a newbie travel writer, I am actually a student of writing, narrating and describing things that I saw, my feelings and moments I encountered during the longest bus journey that I have so far experience could be an exercise to sharpen and refine my writing capabilities. This kind of exposure was what I was looking forward to. It was not about the destination alone, as for me travelling and writing go hand in hand, it’s natural. As for a travel writer his or her inquisitive mindset and ability to write well make mundane and everyday things we do seem very interesting in writing. 

We arrived at Su-ngai Kolok Bas Terminal quarter past ten. The journey that we started at half past three the previous day came to the end. I had come a full circle. Overall, it was 18 hours ride from Bangkok to Su-ngai Kolok. Counting together the journey from Su-ngai Kolok to Bangkok 5 days ago, altogether we spent 36 hours on the double decker buses. The distance between the two places by road is approximately 1,200 kilometres, twice the length of Kota Bharu to Johor Bharu. Jotting down what I encountered; places, people, man-made structures as well as landscapes and sky-capes not only made a long bus journey seemingly shorter but also enjoyable and satisfying.