I've slept well after yesterday's exertions, but I won't be sad to leave Bishop Hotel with apologies to his Holiness. The point is that otherwise I've enjoyed by stay in Georgetown and would be happy to visit again if I could resolve the accommodation issue.
For breakfast, I return to the food court at the end of the street and bring back enough food that will help with lunch too. Incredibly, I still have 15 Ringgit left for anything we need as we transit back to Thailand.
We leave the bishop alone and head for the jetty picking up last minute food then cross over to Butterworth on the 11.00 am ferry. There's plenty of time to check in for the train back to Padang Basar. The transition is as smooth as it can be, but it's a busy time of day and the weekend is coming. This draws the worst in people as they scramble for seats not allowing others to exit the arriving train.
When we arrive at the terminal station at Pedang Basar, there is a long wait for passport control to open. Too long, meaning the train for Hat Yai will be delayed. The late checking of passports is due to there being no waiting area after Thai immigration, but the whole process seems chaotic to me. Aboard the Hat Yai service the difference in class of equipment in so obvious. Thailand has been slow to develop its transport infrastructure especially here in the South. While I gaze at endless plantations and forest I'm no longer in a concrete jungle, but soon we're in Hat Yai.
At Hat Yai station there is plenty of activity I'd like to record, but we're loaded with luggage and we haven't eaten since midday. That takes priority as we cross over to a restaurant, as does finding some transport which is difficult at the start of Songkran (Thai New Year). We finally emerge from the chaos finding a songthaew to take us to Sukura Budget Hotel where we have a return booking. We're also reunited with our Toyota thus ending our reliance on public transport. Sukura needs no introduction. It was all good last time and so it is now. For a far better room we've paid not much more than half the price as in Georgetown.
We end the day by rearranging things, adding something for breakfast tomorrow from 7-Eleven and securing accommodation for the following night.

Source: Visit