Betong is a small sleepy town just across the border from Pengkalan Hulu. Compared to Phuket and Hat Yai, Betong seems to be crawling along at snail pace. Although there were bus loads of tourist at the hotels, the usual touristy haunts are somewhat lacking. There is no central food court to savour all the unique Thai delicacies. No night market to sell the colorful trinkets and t-shirts that are seen everywhere in Thailand. Hunting for a place to eat lunch on a rainy afternoon turned out to be a wearisome task. Most eating stalls and restaurants are either sold out or closed by 1pm. There is a restaurant recommended by a blogger that we wanted to try but it was either closed, sold out or packed to brim for the 2 days we were in town. For first timers in Betong, hunting for food you want to try is an adventure by itself.
As border town, Betong too has its seedier side. There are many small bars and karaoke joints. Old uncles walking hand in hand with young “working girls” in town and hanging around the hotel lobby is a common sight.
For people who have never been there, the Piyamit tunnel would probably be rated the No. 1 attraction of Betong. Well, the saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. Hopefully the photos below will do justice to that.
