Day 2: Anxious ride from Penang to Krabi

Spent the last night in Malaysia without any nightmare 🙂 Woke up around 5 AM and I think I was earliest person on the street.

A little moment on the beach of Penang:

Very few traffic, compare to the day before:

Fish noodle for the breakfast, not too bad:

Leaving Penang island:

On another Penang Bridge:

I had crossed Sadao-Bukit Kayu Hitam border sometimes already. This time tried another one, a bit to the South East of the Sadao border. It called Betong-Pengkalan Hulu border gate.

South East of Thailand is the land with lots of stories and history. It has never been a peaceful place since I know about Thailand.

Let me try how hot this area is, this time.

On the way to the border:

Check point is right at the front:

As I heard quite a lot of issues at this area and the check point, so I did not dare to take any more photos. Especially they have a signboard says “no photo” 😀

With all legal documents and no record of over-speeding (Pssssst….), I passed thru Thailand real quick.

Look back the Malay check point:

Still in Malaysia:

That’s Thailand:

Waiting…

I used to have good experience with Thai borders, but not this time.

Quite long queue, officers there could not communicate by English, requested me quite number of paperwork, some Malaysian helped me to translate, they all speak Bahasa.

Finally, there was an female officer can speak English and asked me to come inside to fill in the papers. Some sort of confirmation that the bike belong to me (even though registration on my name).

Not sure how long I spent at Betong check point, but surely it was not less than 1 hour. Well, whatever, I still have many days to ride…. At least, I crossed into Thailand safely 🙂

First town in Thailand. I need to find some bank or ATM to get some Baht Thai.

I noticed some strange looks from locals to my appearance. I can realized the military enforcement around this town.

Just realized it was Saturday that day after I found some banks closed.

Finally, got some notes from an ATM

It’s sooo much comfortable when traveling with local money 🙂

I was advised by a local that try to stay away from crowd, because this area is unstable, could have bomb thread or similar at any time.

This place is not so many people around. Looks like a very old Post office:

Interesting mail box:

Leaving the little town on a nice twisty road:

From the border, seen quite many checkpoints, with and without attendance of armed soldiers.

This is one of those:

As there is no such thing in my country, so anytime I saw this I got very strange feeling. Last time when riding in Myanmar, there were many checkpoints like that as well, however, this time I am on my own, everything I have to handle my own, having none to help.

A nice spot after the check point:

Been on a very nice bridge:

Another check point:

Looks like I should not cross the bridge, thus I turned back:

See the local soldier:

Heading to Yala, the most dangerous area in Thailand… Brrrrr….

Check point and check point…. so many of them…

I got off the main road to see a hydro power plant which I suddenly saw on the GPS:

Saw the dam not too far away:

Kept riding… I hit a patrol team and they stopped me for checking.

They asked me all paperworks, from passport, bike registration, and also check my camera…

They seemed surprising when found I am alone for a long way. They also told me that this area is unsafe, advised me to stay away from the crowd, try to stick to the main roads….

Keep riding deep inside the mountain, on a small road…

It is the large lake for the hydro power plant:

Looks like an old turbine at this place:

Take a rest beside the small old building. So quiet there, just me, my breath, birds sing and the wind…

Had my super light lunch there, some biscuit, some cheese, and some salted shredded pork. Simple as such 🙂

If I am not getting back on the bike, I would fall into sleep… as the place was so peaceful…

Gotta climb to the top of the hill to see the plant:

Looked down to the lake:

Some info of the place,  cannot read:

Standing there a real big turbine impeller:

Time to go downhill and head to the place for the night.

Near to the Yala town, I hit massive quantity of checkpoints:

This is to prove that I have been in Yala, the most dangerous area in Thailand:

Left Yala, I got back to seaside, got back to the fresh air, stay away from stuffy atmosphere at the dangerous area.

It’s soooo comfortable staying here:

Very nice beach, so windy:

Enjoy watching kids playing on the beach. Think of the time reunion with my boy at home…

On the way chasing the sunset, met this guy:

It was fun having riding buddy:

Chasing the sun:

I planed to stay at Krabi, but it was quite hard finding a suitable hotel as what I needed. Thus I tried to ride some more, to find a place in Ao Nang, better place to hang out.

After more than 700 km for the second day, it was really good having some beers by the beach with some wind…

It was Saturday. Checking some news on internet, and I just found that I was so so so lucky passing the most dangerous area Yala, Pattani, Songkla without any issue, as it was a bloody bomb thread on Friday, just less than 24 hrs before I came, which killed some police officers and children.

Phew….