Day 13, Saturday, 16th March - Betong

Betong First Day....... The room at Betong Hills Resort has proved spacious and comfortable. In the recent past there have been upgrades and you can see how they have adapted by the plumbing. There must have been a bathtub in the room but an electric shower is now feeding the taps. It's curious but effective. For this room without breakfast I've paid at the high end of my budget but as the weekend is approaching I had to secure something so it's two nights here now.
Despite arriving in a new province, neither of us is raring to go this morning and it's 11.00 am before we make a move. As far as progress against my broad plan goes, we're just about on target. Today will tell us more about how much more time we need here. The direction of travel today is west into the mountains as far as the Malaysian border. There is a loop we can use as the basis for a tour which will take in several attractions. The first is something quite familiar to us just 15 minutes out of the town.
Betong Hot Spring....... Arriving at Betong Hot Spring I'm most impressed. There is no entry free and the facility is a big level up from any other hot spring we've visited. The hot spring is located in Charo Paro, Ta No Mae Ro Sub-district surrounded by mountains. It has natural hot water that springs up from the soil surface. There are baths and foot baths created by bringing the hot spring water from the original well and mixing it with normal temperature water until there is a level of heat that the body can soak in. For the second time on my latest visit to Thailand I try cooking eggs in the hot water. By the time we've finished here it's time for lunch anyway as we look for options.
Smart Farmer Restaurant....... The Smart Farmer Restaurant is on our list for today, and we must check it out under the circumstances. We are aware what 'Farmer' here means by now by the signboards at least. We arrive at the restaurant which is well-supported this weekend. It's just a short distance to the border from here. It's so easy for Malays to come and take advantage of what Thailand has to offer and what is on offer is fish. As well as being a restaurant this is a fish farm where they breed fish for the table. The fish are freshwater tilapia a species of cichlid originating from Japan. The large tanks here fed by natural water from the surrounding hills holds more fish than you ever can count. It's time to make enquiries that reveal a 1 kilogram fish will cost 450 baht and right now we're not budgeting for such a large lunch during our tour so take something less expensive. We are not the only ones not tempted as the owner here beleaves he can charge what he likes. Nevertheless, it's another box we can tick. We continue to climb up to the border where there is a must see attraction. As we approach I note a new building marked as Piyamit Historical Museum but I wonder what this is about as it's still under construction. Then nearby are fields growing vegetables although there is supposed to be a Durian Orchard here. Now let's see some flowers!
Suan Mai Dok Mueang Nao Betong....... The Ten-Thousand-Flower Garden is translated from the Chinese and there is no arguing about whether the name is appropriate. This garden is one of a number in Thailand that are connected with the Thai Royal Family and in each case there is more attached to Royal patronage than just creating something of beauty. Armed with more information about this area's recent history I know that not long ago, as recent as 1989 there was conflict here involving Malaysian Communists. After peace negotiations concluded, Princess Sirindhorn came to visit and helped set up the flower garden with the help of local officials. The project blossomed so to speak and put Batong on the map. Ever since there has been a steady increase in tourists making it here allowing tourism to establish green shoots. To say that it's blossoming may be a bit premature as I'm sure there is a lot more potential here but things are a lot better than just 30 years ago when very few people had heard of Betong.
As mentioned, we are at the end of the road here, but we can return another way where I know there is an important historic site.
Piyamit Tunnel....... Wherever you go in the mountainous borderlands of Narathiwat, Yala and Songkhla you cannot miss learning about the area's recent history. It was here the the Malay Communists established a foothold and created bases in the mountains. To secure their bases and protect against attack they created underground tunnels. One of the best preserved is here at Piyamit.
The tunnel was used for storing food and ammunition in this remote area of Yala Province. It was built in 1977 at over 1 km in length and took 3 months of hard labour to excavate. The tunnel has 9 entrances/exits.
I'm determined not to miss out here and progress up to the tunnel entrances via a long staircase. Within the complex there are a number of features besides the tunnels. The museum contains books and documents supporting communist ideology and well as exhibits of items used for sustenance and survival, much of it really crude by today's standards. There is a guard post, charcoal furnace, cookhouse and dormitories not forgetting the iconic Rukkha tree and bomb crater.
Inthason Waterfall....... Now in late afternoon we head back into town stopping only at the Inthason Waterfall which is quite attractive but without facilities and sadly attracting too much litter. That should be it for the day, but we end up passing through the town and head for the border check-point. This is labeled as The Southern Most (Point) of Thailand which it is not. I see it just as a border post. Time to head back to Betong Hill Residence where we need just light food after a big meal at lunchtime.
At the end of the day I have to look at Yala differently. Betong had been seriously underestimated and I could easily get blown off track here. However, I can't leave with so much unfinished business. I have to book a third night here before heading to Yala.
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