Sungai Golok, Southern Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

NARATHIWAT
A small town with many old wooden buildings, Narathiwat has some exceptional beaches on its coastline, right the way down to the Malaysian border. Wonderful seafood restaurants dot the beaches. The coast also provides probably the best windsurfing in Thailand, and postcards with its motif-painted fishing boats. Taksin Palace (open to the public except from August to October for 2 months, when the royal family are in residence) is in this area. There is an annual fair during the 3rd week of September. Sungai Golok, is the main border crossing point with Malaysia with a substantial number of brothels awaiting visiting Malaysian men.

For those travelling from Bangkok to Singapore by rail, there's another route they can take other than the standard Penang-Kuala Lumpur route. This one is not on the main tourist trail, and thus not as well known. A branch line running from Hat Yai to Sungai Golok on the east coast, on the Gulf of Thailand takes you to the Eastern border with Malaysia. Although Sungai Golok marks the end of the Thai line, passengers can cross the border and continue by rail from Khota Bharu in Malaysia to both Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The crossing is not difficult, providing you are not carrying a lot of luggage. From the railway station it's only a short distance by trishaw/sorngthaew to the Thai immigration post on the border.

Porters are on hand to take you to Malaysian immigration and customs. From here, off-station taxis make the 28 km run through some lovely Malay country side into Khota Bharu, for a fare of only a few Malaysian ringit (dollars) per person. From Khota Bharu there's a rail line that runs down the central highlands of the Malay Peninsula to Singapore. It is an exciting train trip through some dense jungle, parts of which are still unexplored to this day. For the return trip, two trains leave from Sungai Golok for Bangkok each morning, at 9:20 and 11:20 and arrive in the capital the next morning. Sleepers are available for the overnight trip.

It has to be said though, that most obvious reason for passing through Sungai Golok would be to get to the Perhentian Islands. Even if you do only need a visa stamp it seems a waste of a trip not to stop off to visit the Perhentian islands for a couple of days particularly for the diving enthusiast.

THINGS TO SEE & DO
In reality, not very much in the town itself. A couple of faded Mosques impress upon the visitor that this is largely a Muslim community, a park with murky fish pond, an old steam locomotive and a statue of King Rama V and another park with a rarely used fitness area and a pair of water fountains virtually takes up the sightseeing. Many of the signs in the town are in Malay script as well as Chinese and Thai. The 7-11 convenience store is the only franchise operation in town. A couple of Internet Cafes have sprung up to cater for the tourists.

Older buildings still outnumber newer constructions unlike so many Thai towns and cities. One building on Chuen Makka Road bears the Romanized year 1957 in concrete while in Prashavivat Soi 2 the Stellar Hotel boasts a garish red-brick Martello Tower.

Reason to Visit
Besides visiting the Perhentian Islands then, the other seemingly common reason for going to Sungai Golok is to walk over the border and get that Visa stamp. The Thai Immigration officers are a friendly bunch, probably because they don't get to see large numbers of foreigners (other than Malays) traversing back and forth. Some people even opt to press on to Khota Baru for a 2-month tourist visa.

The Sungai River separates the border only about 20 metres wide in places and the two sides could easily lob rocks onto each other's roofs.
Once through Thai immigration a short walk takes you to Malay immigration where it is necessary to fill out an Arrival Card.

ACCOMMODATION
One thing Sungai Golok is not short of is hotels, of all shapes, sizes and catering to all budgets. Some 41 places to lay your weary head in a town not much bigger than a postage stamp. Rooms can be had from as little as 80 baht a night to more palatial sleeping palaces at anything up to 2,000 baht. They do not really seem to cater to Western tourists probably because most visitors pass through on their way to the Perhenthian Islands or Khota Baru if planning to take the train down to Kuala Lumpur.


GETTING THERE & AWAY
By far the easiest and most comfortable way to travel is the train. From Suratthani it takes about 9-10 hours in an overnight train and about 22-23 hours all the way from Bangkok. Carriages are 2nd class - either fan or air-con. There are no private 1st class compartments on this lesser frequented route. Beware, book at least 4 days ahead as there is only the one service. During public holidays you would be advised to allow longer. See festivals.

It's also possible to catch a bus from Suratthani.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 1 May 2006 :-

Thais rush for cheaper fuel in Malaysia

Hundreds of vehicles from southernmost provinces are queueing up at the Sungai Kolok checkpoint everyday as motorists try to stock up on the cheaper Malaysian fuel.

This follows rumours that Malaysia will soon impose a fuel surcharge on Thais filling up at its petrol stations.

Private cars and buses have been forming long queues everyday for over a week now at the border checkpoint in Narathiwat province as more and more vehicles head for petrol stations in Rantau Panjang in the Malaysian state of Kelantan to stock up.

The vehicles mostly come from Narathiwat and nearby provinces.

It has been rumoured the Malaysian authorities may soon impose a fuel surcharge of 200 baht for a car and 40 baht for a motorcycle in order to discourage the influx of motorists from Thailand.

The petrol rush has drawn complaints from Malaysians in Rantau Panjang that they sometimes have to wait for almost an hour to top up their tanks. Sometimes the petrol stations run dry, which really annoys the local people.

Higher oil prices are also hitting fishermen in the deep South. About half of the trawlers in Krabi and Satun remain tied up in port.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times dated Friday 14 April 2006 :-

Things looking up for Sungai Golok

SUNGAI GOLOK: Things appear to be slowly on the mend for this once-thriving town on the Malaysian-Thai border that is popular with Malaysians.

If in the two previous years, operators of hotels, bars and restaurants were reeling from the sudden drop in tourist arrivals because of the violence, "this year" they seem to be off to a good a start — "this year" being the start of the traditional Thai lunar year which the locals call "Songkran", and celebrated over three days.

In Sanskrit, Songkran means "to enter".

The streets of the town were choked with revellers and vehicles as Thais came out in droves to drench each other with water to mark the auspicious occasion.

Children and adults rode around the streets on the back of pick-up trucks with tanks, water guns and pails ready to drench any passing motorist or pedestrian.

Most of the motorcyclists were seen riding around drenched to the bone, courtesy of groups of men and women who waited on the sidewalks with buckets and hoses.

For businesses here dependent on the Malaysian tourist ringgit, the celebrations marked a tentative hope that the cycle of violence seen in the last two years is beginning to end.

"Malaysians are trickling back. No doubt about it," said a soup seller on Marina Road known as Ming Ming.

The 44-year-old attributes this to tighter security in the town, seen in the almost hourly police and military patrols.

"It is still not as good as five years ago. But this year, Malaysians are more confident of travelling here," he said.

The act of greeting the new year by splashing water signifies the cleansing and purification of all ills, misfortune and evil, and starting with all that is good and pure for the new year.

Water is symbolic of cleanliness and purity.

Before the insurgency began in January 2004, the occupancy rate of the town’s hotels was 100 per cent during the Songkran festival.

According to Narathiwat Business Council chairman Abdul Aziz Awang Seman, the hotel occupancy rate fell to 10 per cent in 2004 and last year as Malaysians shied away.

Aziz said in the same period this year, hotels recorded a slight rise of 15 per cent in reservations by Malaysians.

Mariana Hotel manager Walairat Chot is guardedly optimistic about the future despite the fact that all the hotel’s 156 rooms have been taken up.

"I would say that this year is more or less the same as the previous two. But Malaysians do seem to be trickling back," she said.

Tourist Charles Wong, from Kuala Lumpur, said this was his first trip to Sungai Golok.

"My friends and I wanted to come here last year, but were advised against it by other friends as it was not very safe," the 46-year-old businessman said.

This year, Wong and six of this friends decided that it was safe enough for them to visit.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 17 May 2006 :-

More Malaysian tourists expected to visit Sungai Golok

SUNGAI GOLOK: Thailand is expecting an upsurge in Malaysian tourists to the southern provinces this year, following a slowdown in violence in the areas.

About 1.4 million Malaysians visited the provinces annually before an upsurge in bombings and attacks saw the numbers dwindle to about 300,000 last year.

Narathiwat Tourist Business Association chairman Abdul Aziz Awang Seman said 600,000 Malaysians were expected to cross the border this year.

"The confidence is based on the overwhelming turnout of Malaysians during the recent Songkran (water festival).

"It showed renewed confidence among Malaysians, especially with fewer shootings and bombings," he said.

Aziz said many hotels and shopping complexes, forced to close down because of poor business, had reopened.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[Yokosi]

KatoeyLover69,

So, what else do you know about about Sungai Golok ?.

Have you ever walked at 2 am on the railway bridge ( escorted by Malaysian soldiers ) and without stamp on passport or borderpass across the border ?.

Have you ever been to the thai bars on that dirt lane just behind Grand Hotel ?.

Have you ever been to House 69 with the most friendly un pushing papasan ?.

Have you ever seen Russians doing agg on the Sky Lounge of Marina Hotel ?.

Have you ever seen the Mona Lisa picture with perky tits in the massage parlour on the second floor of Marina Hotel ?.

Have you seen the unique VVIP room with round bed and mirrors in Grand Hotel ?.

Do you know what god that chinese temple is dedicated to which is next to Marina Hotel and what dialect that caretaker speaks ?.

What other useful information can you tell us SBF members ?.

[spawn jimmy]

Originally Posted by Yokosi

KatoeyLover69,

So, what else do you know about about Sungai Golok ?.

Have you ever walked at 2 am on the railway bridge ( escorted by Malaysian soldiers ) and without stamp on passport or borderpass across the border ?.

Have you ever been to the thai bars on that dirt lane just behind Grand Hotel ?.

Have you ever been to House 69 with the most friendly un pushing papasan ?.

Have you ever seen Russians doing agg on the Sky Lounge of Marina Hotel ?.

Have you ever seen the Mona Lisa picture with perky tits in the massage parlour on the second floor of Marina Hotel ?.

Have you seen the unique VVIP room with round bed and mirrors in Grand Hotel ?.

Do you know what god that chinese temple is dedicated to which is next to Marina Hotel and what dialect that caretaker speaks ?.

What other useful information can you tell us SBF members ?.

good day,yokosi sifu.
Mind to provide more detail about sg golok cheong places?
I'm newbie and going to golok next week with my friends.
i'm first time there and moved cheong place from danok to golok.
Mainly because my friend t ruk moved to there.
So, pity and lonely , I need more info to look for better Golok T RUK.
TQ

[Yokosi]

Originally Posted by spawn jimmy

good day,yokosi sifu.
Mind to provide more detail about sg golok cheong places?
I'm newbie and going to golok next week with my friends.
i'm first time there and moved cheong place from danok to golok.
Mainly because my friend t ruk moved to there.
So, pity and lonely , I need more info to look for better Golok T RUK.
TQ

spawn jimmy,
1. How many of u going to Sg. Golok ?.
2. Anyone of you been there before ?.
3. Sing or M'sian ?.

Hotel to stay:
1. Genting Hotel ,Marina Hotel ( both top end ) with their respective restaurants ( with singers on stage ), KTV, disco, inhouse barber, pool room, MPs, outdoor swimming pool.Both hotels have car parking. Rooms nothing more than 750thb.
2. Venice Hotel is center of town ( only restaurant and MP ) room not more than 60 thb.
3. Grand Hotel with MP, restuarant, swimming pool. Located at the end of a notorious road with many farms. Rooms are small.
4. Cheap stays abound, Tiara Hotel, Merlin Hotel.
5. No guest fine by hotels.

Cheong places :
1. Mostly farms. See line ups in many farms ( many with pushy with fake friendly atitudes papasans ). Booking and girl staying with u time is until next morning 7 to 9 am. Price THB2000 onwards. Can bonk more than thrice ( depending on the chemistry between you and girl ).
2. MPs, not the soapy type ( none are available in Sg.Golok ). Bonk prices = u negiotate with the MP lady.

Discos:
Genting Hotel, Marina Hotel, Tiara Hotel.

Got free ah kua ( LB ) shows, fashion parade near the end of the night. The shows ( up to my knowledge until now ) are free provided you drink something
in the disco. Its like an agg show in Bangkok, Pattaya or in Shalala in Danok. Drinks you pay, free shows to watch.

Dangers:
1. At all cost , avoid the motor bike touts, all touts in fact when going across the bridge from Rantau Panjang to Sg.Golok. Get through the Thai immigration
and walk on , when you see the motor bike taxi with their colour vests with numbers on it in one corner ( usually many bikes are parked and there is usually a group of them there ), get on one, say your Hotel and the bike taxi driver will take you there safely.

Get on one of those touts and you are dead !!!. These touts are not those motor bike taxi riders with their colour vests. The touts will surely take you to a farm, where girls are ugly, force u to take one for LT for THB 5000, and if you refuse, you will be surrounded by thugs and papasan will draw out a small firearm ( pistol or revolver ) and start inserting bullets into the chamber and start cleaning the gun with a cloth. If any tout comes to you, ignore them at all cost.

2. Never ever cross the river in row boat if you are not a local

[Yokosi]

edited. Double post.

[Yokosi]

Originally Posted by spawn jimmy

good day,yokosi sifu.
Mind to provide more detail about sg golok cheong places?
I'm newbie and going to golok next week with my friends.
i'm first time there and moved cheong place from danok to golok.
Mainly because my friend t ruk moved to there.
So, pity and lonely , I need more info to look for better Golok T RUK.
TQ

spawn jimmy,
1. How many of u going to Sg. Golok ?.
2. Anyone of you been there before ?.
3. Ant thai speaker among you and are you Sing or M'sian ?.

Hotel to stay:
1. Genting Hotel ,Marina Hotel ( both top end ) with their respective restaurants ( with singers on stage ), KTV, disco, inhouse barber, pool room, MPs, outdoor swimming pool.Both hotels have car parking. Rooms nothing more than 750thb.
2. Venice Hotel is center of town ( only restaurant and MP ) room not more than 60 thb.
3. Grand Hotel with MP, restuarant, swimming pool. Located at the end of a notorious road with many farms. Rooms are small.
4. Cheap stays abound, Tiara Hotel, Merlin Hotel.
5. No guest fine by hotels.

Cheong places :
1. Mostly farms. See line ups in many farms ( many with pushy with fake friendly atitudes papasans ). Booking and girl staying with u time is until next morning 7 to 9 am. Price THB2000 onwards. Can bonk more than thrice ( depending on the chemistry between you and girl ).
2. MPs, not the soapy type ( none are available in Sg.Golok ). Bonk prices = u negiotate with the MP lady.

Discos:
Genting Hotel, Marina Hotel, Tiara Hotel.

Got free ah kua ( LB ) shows, fashion parade near the end of the night. The shows ( up to my knowledge until now ) are free provided you drink something
in the disco. Its like an agg show in Bangkok, Pattaya or in Shalala in Danok. Drinks you pay, free shows to watch.

Dangers:
1. At all cost , avoid the motor bike touts, all touts in fact when going across the bridge from Rantau Panjang to Sg.Golok. Get through the Thai immigration
and walk on , when you see the motor bike taxi with their colour vests with numbers on it in one corner ( usually many bikes are parked and there is usually a group of them there ), get on one, say your Hotel and the bike taxi driver will take you there safely.

Get on one of those touts and you are dead !!!. Sure take you to a farm, where girls are ugly, force u to take one for LT for THB 5000, and if you refuse, you will be surrounded by thugs and papasan will draw out a small firearm ( pistol or revolver ) and start inserting bullets into the chamber and start cleaning the gun with a cloth.

2. Never ever cross the river in row boat if you are not a local

[Wizolf]

Originally Posted by Yokosi

spawn jimmy,
1. How many of u going to Sg. Golok ?.
2. Anyone of you been there before ?.
3. Ant thai speaker among you and are you Sing or M'sian ?.

Thanks for sharing such valuable info about this little down. Now answer to your questions

1. How many of u going to Sg. Golok ?.

No plan to go there in any foreseenable future as Danok & Betong is good enough.

2. Anyone of you been there before ?.

Yes been there donkey years ago where the terrorist have not learn how to make bomb or hold firearm yet. It was peaceful and quiet little town then.

3. Ant thai speaker among you and are you Sing or M'sian ?.

Many bros here speak reasonably good thai. Just catch up their post you will notice.

[The Oracle]

Originally Posted by Yokosi

spawn jimmy,
1. How many of u going to Sg. Golok ?.
2. Anyone of you been there before ?.
3. Ant thai speaker among you and are you Sing or M'sian ?.

Originally Posted by Wizolf

Thanks for sharing such valuable info about this little down. Now answer to your questions

1. How many of u going to Sg. Golok ?.

No plan to go there in any foreseenable future as Danok & Betong is good enough.

2. Anyone of you been there before ?.

Yes been there donkey years ago where the terrorist have not learn how to make bomb or hold firearm yet. It was peaceful and quiet little town then.

3. Ant thai speaker among you and are you Sing or M'sian ?.

Many bros here speak reasonably good thai. Just catch up their post you will notice.

Hey, dickhead Wizolf, now I know you're more than a kaypoh chee , u answer questions on other's samsters behalf also, or is that stupid jimmy ur clone?

[sex crusader]

bro,
leave him alone for another week lah coz school going to re-open liao!

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The STAR (Malaysia) dated Wednesday 14 January 2009 :-

Bomb blasts at Malaysian-Thai border checkpoint

GOLOK : Two bombs exploded at the Malaysia-Thailand checkpoint Wednesday morning, destroying three new posts belonged to Thai immigration at the Golok bridge.

The first bomb went off at 6.30am (7.30am Malaysian time), destroying three of the six posts.

Fifteen minutes later another bomb exploded nearby, forcing the closure of the busy bridge which connects Golok in Thailand to Rantau Panjang in Kelantan.

Thai deputy consul-general in Malaysia, Niran Boonjit, told Bernama that no one was injured in the incident.

“The posts were being used by the Immigration Department as a temporary office and had not started operations yet. There was nobody near the place when the explosions occurred,” he said.

A Thai police spokesman told Bernama in Bangkok that both bombs, weighing 1kg and 2kg, were triggered using digital watches.

Members of the media were not allowed near the scene.

The bridge, which is open daily from 6am to 10pm, had been reopened and the situation returned to normal by Wednesday afternoon.

“The situation is under control. Everything is back to normal at the entry gate,” Niran said.

A worker at the checkpoint, Mokhtar Che Mat, said workers, fearing for their safety, had for cover upon hearing the explosions.

Tour guide Shaari Jusoh said the explosions could be heard in Rantau Panjang some 300m away.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said police were on the alert and had taken steps to ensure safety at the border.

He reminded Malaysians to be extra careful when visiting restive southern Thailand provinces.

More than 3,500 people have died since suspected separatists resumed their armed campaign to seek independence for the Muslim-majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[teckaik]

Some infos on 2 days Short Trip (Sg Golok), From KL and friends from Kota Bahru.

Went there 2 days ago 3.00 pm, check in at Merlin Hotel RM42.00 /THB390 cause exchange went up. Mini bar only two bottles of water (free). You can buy beer outside and fill it up. Save money if some girls will finish the mini bar tit bits and drinks.


Notice a lot of army walking and guarding at T junction, corners with M16 guns and police setting road blocks checking mostly motorcycles and car/4WD beside Merlin Hotel its like a curfew town.

Notice a lot of motorcycles park outside shops with the seat open (make sure no explosive inside).

2nd night stay at Genting Hotel RM60.00/ THB580, Mini bar full of beverages. Beer (Heneiken Large bottle) you can order at Reception counter RM6.50 per bottle but minimum of 6 bottles and hotel boy will bring it up to your room.

At night Disco at Marina and Genting smells a lot of Ganja and people taking pills (careful sometime checkpoint got urin test but they want money only)
.
Walk behind Marina Hotel about 10-12 beer bars quite a lot of girls at the bars, but also a lot of police and army with M16 guarding the entrance.

Not safe there, these coward bombers normally like to attack police. Walk towards Merlin Hotel a long the road there are a few beer bars, sat there and drink few bottles and saw road block checking motobikes, in front the bars ask the motobikes to push far away to avoid high risk of blasting.

So quickly left the place went to a Karoake "NOK SUPER SUKI" beside Garden Hotel.

Drinks:Beer (heineken (L) bottle only) RM12.00,
Stout RM9.00 (Can) no other brands Singha/Chang/Leo

Girls:Laos age 17-23 yrs 15-20 girls, speak Thai a bit chinese and english. can speak thai then you enjoy. Friendly girls.

Tips: up to you and you can book at RM150-200

Other: If you can drink 10 bottles then the girls can drink double.
But with other brands like (Singha) i think they cannot do it, because heineken very light. Songs chinese and english (not much variety)

Enjoy there with less army and police.

Near this karaoke have a lot of farms and a AGO GO in Riveria Hotel.

The girls ask us to come 3 days time cause is Songkran Festival she said we will enjoy but ...... like curfew town.. no..no..come back.

Later take a uniform motorbike taxi RM3 back to hotel.

To be safe stay at Hotels which have bar,disco, restron so no need to go out.

------
I'ii Stop here Getting sleepy. Sorry if grammer wrong 2.00 am now.

[fcukger]

any1 out there can advise on the damages currently on the hotel and ger charges?? rumours gers from the pro hse range from 1000+ onwards depending on the grade of the ger.... iz truth???