It’s no secret that Malaysians love to travel to Thailand, with the country’s popularity among Malaysian tourists seemingly being at an all-time high, especially in Hatyai City and Songkhla Province.
In fact, last year, Malaysians topped the chart for the number of foreign travellers to the Kingdom, with a whopping 4,626,422 visitors.
Malaysian man dumbfounded by Hatyai’s popularity among fellow Malaysians
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However, not all Malaysians are big fans of Hatyai, including this social media personality who recently took to his Facebook page to express his bewilderment at Hatyai’s popularity among fellow Malaysians as a travel and holiday destination.
In the post, the man, Mujahidin Zulkiffli, shared a photo of Hatyai’s Khlong Hae floating market and his thoughts on the “non-floating floating market”, as well as Hatyai in general.
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For the Khlong Hae floating market, Mujahidin said that he was perplexed by its popularity among Malaysians, especially since it’s not even really a floating market as the wooden boats are static.
He added,
“Food sold here is hardly any different than what you can find in Malaysia, especially in the northern region.”
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Moreover, Mujahidin said that while Hatyai has lower prices than Kuala Lumpur, other places in Malaysia, such as Alor Setar, are still cheaper.
He admittedly said that seafood such as prawns and cuttlefish sold in Hatyai is indeed cheaper, but for everything else, they’re about the same prices.
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He lamented how Malaysian Muslims seem to be more tolerant while in Hatyai
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The social media personality also took aim at fellow Malaysian Muslims who seem to have a double standard when it comes to vendors selling Halal food near a non-Halal store, as they’re apparently more tolerated in Thailand but not in Malaysia.
He asserted,
“The funniest not-funny-thing of all is how Malaysian Muslim tourists here are OK with buying food right next door to hawkers selling pork. Not a common scene in Malaysia where someone would have made a lot of noise.
“Why is it not ok in Malaysia, but it’s ok to accept it there, and then everyone goes there like it’s a food haven?”
Mujahidin ended the post by claiming that Penang is way better than Hatyai as a food and travel destination.
The man compared prices between two dishes in Penang and Hatyai
In a separate post, he reiterated his claim that Penang is better by comparing a Tom Yum dish he ate in Songkhla Province, where Hatyai is located, with a Mee Udang dish he ate in Penang.
He revealed that there were 3 medium-sized freshwater prawns, 1 cuttlefish and 1 mussel inside the Tom Yum dish in Songkhla, and it cost RM39. Meanwhile, the Mee Udang dish in Penang had 5 big-sized freshwater prawns for RM25.
Mujahiddin then asserted,
“See why I prefer Penang?”
Malaysians share their opinions on the matter
In the comments, many Malaysians shared their 2 cents on the matter, with some agreeing with Mujahidin while others disagreed.
One commenter said that, like Mujahidin, he was not a fan of the Khlong Mae floating market, saying that the food is average while the cleanliness is unsatisfactory.
Meanwhile, one commenter said that Mujahidin shouldn’t have visited touristy places in Hatyai but instead searched for hidden gems.
Besides that, several Malaysians agreed with Mujahidin’s thoughts on the double standards regarding Halal vendors in Thailand and Malaysia.
One commenter said that in Malaysia, extremism, including in the issue of Halal and non-Halal, is “the most saleable political tool”.
Another commenter echoed the same sentiment, saying that in Thailand, its citizens know how to respect and tolerate each other.
So, what are your thoughts on Mujahidin’s post? Do you agree with him, or do you have the opposite view? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
