• Firenze,  Italy,  KLM,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Florence – the city of lilies

    After the bookfair I had a day free and took the chance to visit Florence with Evi. Our intention was to visit Uffizi Gallery but we had to skip it as the queue was quite long. We didn’t booked the ticket online because we did not plan the visiting date. I guess this will give reason to visit Florence next time.

    firenze_queue
    This was only part of the queue.

    Nonetheless, I took interesting pictures around the gallery:

    firenze_cupid firenze_realman
    Both were real men disguising as statues.

    Evi and I later wandered to the nearby Piazza Della Signoria and saw Neptune Fountain. Neptune seems to be everywhere in Italy.

    firenze_fountain

    The Fountain of was commissioned in 1565 and the work-of-art of sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati. The Neptune figure, whose face resembles that of Cosimo I de’ Medici, was meant to be an allusion to the dominion of the Florentines over the sea. The figure stands on a high pedestal in the middle of an octagonal fountain. The pedestal in the middle is decorated with the mythical chained figures of Scylla and Charybdis. The statue of Neptune is a copy made in the nineteenth century, while the original is in the National Museum.

    However, when the work was finished, it was not appreciated in particular by the Florentines, who called it Il Biancone (the white giant).

    Work continued on this fountain during the next ten years. Ammannati, with the assistance of the best Florentine sculptors and casters, added around the perimeter of the basin, in a mannerist style, suave, reclining, bronze river gods, laughing satyrs and marble sea-horses emerging from the water. The monumental marble and the dynamic bronzes give nevertheless a coherent impression. The fountain served as an example for future fountain-makers.

    And then, we walked to the great Il Duomo!

    firenze_dumo

    Il Duomo or Florence Cathedral or The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower) is the main church of Florence, Italy. Il Duomo construction was begun in 1296 in the Gothic style to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio and completed structurally in 1436 with the dome engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and has an elaborate 19th-century Gothic Revival façade by Emilio De Fabris.

    The cathedral is one of Italy’s largest churches and the the 150-foot-wide (46-meter-wide) dome remains the largest brick dome ever constructed, built without flying buttresses or freestanding scaffolding, using experimental methods that many contemporaries believed would surely fail. But it didn’t, it stood there for nearly 6 centuries now. And do you believe that the creator of the dome, Filippo, was just a homely, hot-tempered goldsmith with no serious architectural training? I admire his brilliant masterpiece.

    firenze_draw

    Geared with a cup of hot coffee, a Moleskine sketchbook and watercolor, I sat at Smalzi Café with Evi and tried to draw the building:

    firenze_duomodrawing

    Massimo Ricci, an architect from an ancient Florentine family, dedicated his life trying to work out the construction techniques that Brunelleschi used to build the dome. After 40 years, he concluded that the geometry of the dome resembles the petals of a flower. Massimo, in his interview with Tom Mueller from National Geographic, laid out some of the evidence for his theory of the dome’s flower, which he considers to be the breakthrough in his conception of Brunelleschi’s method. He told Mueller, “In fact, Santa Maria del Fiore means Saint Mary of the Flower and the symbol of Florence is a flower, the lily.”

    Getting to Florence: KLM operated 2 time(s) daily from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Florence – Peretola (FLR).

    Source:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_of_Neptune,_Florence
    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140210-duomo-florence-brunelleschi-cathedral-architecture/

  • Bologna,  Italy,  KLM,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Bologna Children’s Book Fair

    The Bologna Children’s Book Fair is the most important international event dedicated to the children’s publishing and multimedia industry. I was here in 2010. I wanted to go back this year because previously I didn’t have much chance to really explore the halls and really look at children’s books displayed at the book fair. I also didn’t have the chance to stick my illustrations on the Illustrator Wall because I didn’t know about it until I was there. As I wrote in my previous post, KLM agreed to fly me to Bologna to realise the many dreams that I wanted to do. I am truly thankful to KLM.

    illustratorwallMe at Illustrator Wall.

    You see, this is the kind of book fair that I quickly feel belonged. There were children’s books everywhere. There were millions of books on display! Just imagine that I was like a child in her playground getting the right toys! And oh, Oliver Jeffers was even there this year! But too bad I didn’t get the chance to meet him. I collect his children’s books.

    For your information, Bologna Children’s Book Fair has been around for 53 years. Bologna Children’s Book Fair is an annual event where authors, illustrators, literary agents, licensors and licensees, packagers, distributors, printers, booksellers, and librarians meet. Here they sell and buy copyright, find the very best of children’s publishing and multimedia production, generate and gather new contacts while strengthening professional relationships, discover new business opportunities, discuss and debate the latest sector trends.

    I am proud that this year, my books and books that I illustrated were also being displayed at the Malaysia Pavilion.

    mybooks

    Here are some photos from the book fair:

    dinabookfair
    Dina, the character from my books was on display alongside with illustrations by Yusof Gajah and Jainal Amambing, two award-winning illustrators from Malaysia.

    Malaysia Pavilion
    Malaysia Pavilion.

    emilaandbook
    Me holding my book, Dapur Emak Saya, together with (from left) Yusof Gajah, MamaZakian andPuan Sri Diah, from Karangkraf.

    bookfair2
    Award-winning books.

    bookfair3
    I am crazy over The Forever Flowers by Michael J. Rosen and Sonja Danowski but it was not for sale. The illustrations only have 2 colors: black and red. Loving the illustrations and color concept. Beautiful book!

    marcosoma
    Marco Somà, illustrator of La Gallinella Rossa book, the book that I bought and offered as giveaway last March.

    emilabookfair2
    Me already thinking of going next year 🙂

    Getting to Bologna: KLM operated 2 time(s) daily from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Bologna (BLQ).

  • Bologna,  Italy,  KLM,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Bologna

    I stayed in a room (booked via airbnb) with another illustrator friend, Evi, and the room was cosier than Lorenzo’s place. It has hot shower and heater. We stayed with the owners, Katerina and Fabio, a very friendly and nice couple. We rented the room because it is situated near the book fair; about 10 minutes walk.

    I had a day free before the bookfair and went to visit Bologna town with Evi, Pak Yusof (well-known illustrator from Malaysia) and his wife, Mama Zakiah. We took bus 35 to town and from the station we walked along Via dell’Indipendenza to Piazza Dell’8 Agosto. Previously there would be a massive Sunday market but when we reached the square, there were only few stalls selling cheese, vegetables and fruits.

    bologna

    bolognavege

    We didn’t buy anything, so we walked back on Via dell’Indipendenza before reaching Piazza Nettuno.

    bologna_indipendenzaVia dell’Indipendenza

    When we got to Piazza Nettuno, we saw a rally going on. The rally, called S.O.S. Venezuela, was in support of students and protesters in Venezuela who are standing up against President Nicolas Maduro’s regime. S.O.S Venezuela was simultaneously held in dozens of cities throughout the world. The objective of the gathering was to create public awareness of what is happening in Venezuela as well as gain signatures for a petition to get elected officials to take a stand and denounce the human rights violations.

    SOS Venezuela

    We sat for a while looking at the rally while looking at beautiful buildings and Fountain of Neptune at the square.

    bolognanettuno

    The Fountain of Neptune (Fontana di Nettuno) is a monumental civic fountain with a bronze figure of Neptune, extending his reach in a lordly gesture of stilling and controlling the waters, is an early work by Giambologna, completed about 1567.

    The logo of the Maserati car company is based on the trident in this Neptune statue. In 1920 one of the Maserati brothers, the artist Mario Maserati, used this symbol in the logo at the suggestion of family friend Marquis Diego de Sterlich. It was considered particularly appropriate for the sports car company due to fact that Neptune represents strength and vigor; additionally the statue is a characteristic symbol of the company’s original home city. Maserati was established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. Other than from Maserati, Ducati and Lamborghini was also established in Bologna in 1926 and 1963 respectively.

    Apart from the fountain, there’s the City Hall.

    bologna_cityhall

    The Town Hall (or Palazzo d’Accursio ) consists of a set of buildings, that over the centuries have gradually been joined to the oldest acquired by the city at the end of the thirteenth century. Renovated and expanded in the first half of the fifteenth century, with the help of Architect Fioravante Fioravanti, it was enriched with a clock tower in Accursio and according to examples common in central Europe, a carousel with wooden automata (Madonna with Child and the court of Magi). It was removed in 1796 (some of this still remains today, and is preserved with the Municipal Art Collections on the second floor).

    The Town Hall could be trace back to 14th century. It became the seat of the Anziani (“Elder”), the magistrates of the commune in 1336, and later served as the city’s Town Hall until November 11, 2008.

    Later we went walking to Piazza XX Settembre to look for 2nd hands books. We bought some art books at very good price.

    bologna_books

    After that were all very hungry and went to a Pakistani’s café near the station to have a late lunch. Lunch was rice and chicken and salad! Yums. I had been eating Pizza al Pomodoro and spaghetti for few days that it was good to have rice for a change.  After lunch, Pak Yusof and Mama Zakiah went to the book fair to see the preparation while Evi and I went back to our room because it was about to rain. We took bus 35 to reach Viale Aldo Moro, the nearest stop to walk to our room and walked pass Don Bosco Park. We had fun taking pictures of flowers and birds before it was raining.

    bologna_park01

    bologna_park02

    bologna_park03

    Getting to Bologna: KLM operated 2 time(s) daily from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Bologna (BLQ).

    Source:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_of_Neptune,_Bologna
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_d%27Accursio

     

  • Italy,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS,  Tuscany

    Arcidosso, Grosseto, Tuscany

    lorenzosplace

    Evelyn had warned me earlier that we will be couch-surfing at Lorenzo’s Place and that means that we have to share the place with other couch-surfers. She had told me that the place is like a dorm. When we reached, there was actually no beds for us. Lorenzo had to borrow a bed for Evelyn while converting a sofa to a bed lined with big cushions for me. As I was tired and sleepy, any bed will do for me. We settled the night sleeping with 3 layers of blanket. Lorenzo does not have a heater but I am ok with that.

    As agreed earlier, the deal was that Lorenzo provide us place to sleep for free and we just have to help him with his garden and cooking. Both Evelyn and me decided to help him at his garden; you know pick olive fruits and things like that.

    The morning came and breakfast was Tuscan bread (rubbed with garlic clove and spread with fresh-pressed olive oil, seasoned to taste with salt) and coffee. I love the real Italian breakfast idea! The breakfast is called Fettunta. I am so ok with this. I will use the idea to make my own breakfast (or snack) at home; but maybe with addition of chopped olive fruit and cherry tomato and come up with Fettunta Al Oliva e Pomodoro! But the real challengeis to look for Tuscan bread in Malaysia but perhaps I can just use French bread that I can easily get at home.

    Later after that we went down the hill to get to his new garden. He actually has 4 gardens and the new one is a green project where he designed the whole garden to have the word ‘Arcidosso’ in a form of trees. I imagined picking olive fruits and did not expected to be working on a new garden. The soil was hard and I had to help get good soil further down near a river. Being a sedentary woman who sits behind her sketchpad and watercolors and laptop all the time, I was not prepared for this. I am not ok with this hahaha. I had a backache after few scoops of soil. I later went up back to the garden to help Evelyn separates rocks from hard soil. It was easy as we just had to sit and gather rocks and later spread them on the pavement of the garden. A little bit after afternoon, Lorenzo said that we could leave the work and explore Arcidosso. We were happy to run away from the garden. Haha!

    lorenzoatwork
    Lorenzo (in green) and his wife (in purple) working with other couch-surfers at his garden.

    We took a walk and take photos around the village. Here are some pictures that I like to share:

    arcidosso

    arcidosso2

    arcidosso3

    arcidosso4

    arcidossoflower

    arcidossobee

    Arcidosso is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 100 km south of Florence and about 35 km northeast of Grosseto and near the town of Montalcino.

    The first certain documentation of the existence of the settlement of Arcidosso is from the year 860, when it is said to belong to the Abbey of San Salvatore. In 1331, Guidoriccio da Fogliano besieged it for four months with an army of 4,000 soldiers and 400 horsemen, until it surrendered. After the fall of the Republic of Siena in 1556, it passed under the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Cosimo I de’ Medici established many outlying offices here.

    Following the Leopoldina Reformation of 1786, there was a remarkable population increase and the number of Arcidosso’s citizens quadrupled in about 100 years. Arcidosso thus became historically the most important political and administrative center in the Monte Amiata area.

    We spent the last night at Lorenzo’s Place before heading out the next morning (as early as 7am to catch the 7.20am bus) to head to Florence before heading to Bologna. We missed the 8.20am bus to Firenze and had to wait for the next bus at 9.15am. Taking the Florence route is much nearer as Florence is also in the same Tuscany region and the journey took about 1 and a half hours. We reached Firenze around 11am.

    Upon reaching Florence, we went for lunch (Pizza al Pomodoro and coffee) at the Florence Santa Maria Novella train station and later bought our tickets to Bologna (around 1pm). While waiting for our train, we just walked around the station doing a window shopping.

    Getting to Florence: KLM operated 2 time(s) daily from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to Florence – Peretola (FLR).

  • Italy,  KLM,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS,  Tuscany

    From Rome to Tuscany

    It had been my dream to visit the countryside of Italy and when I got the flight booked few days earlier than Bologna’s Children Book Fair, I quickly agreed to follow my illustrator friend from Indonesia, Evelyn, to visit Arcidosso, a commune located in the Grosseto province, Tuscany region.

    When I arrived at Fiumicino Airport in Rome,Italy, I quickly got on the next Leonardo Express (Trenitalia) train to Roma Termini, the main railway station of Rome, Italy. I paid Euro 14 for the ticket. I know I could get on the cheaper train but I was running late to meet Evelyn. I promised her to be at the termini around 1pm. The time was 1.30pm.

    The station has regular train services to all major Italian cities, as well as daily international services to Paris, Munich, Geneva, Basel, and Vienna. With twenty-nine platforms and over 150 million passengers each year, Roma Termini is one of the largest railway stations in Europe.

    Termini is also the main hub for public transport inside Rome. Both current Rome Metro lines (A and B) intersect at Termini metro station, and a major bus station is located at Piazza dei Cinquecento, the square in front of the station. However, the main tram lines of the city cross at Porta Maggiore, some 1,500 metres east of the station.

    When I reached the station, first thing I did was to look for Evelyn. I found her at the main entrance waiting with her host in Rome, Pasquel. She got herself on airbnb room for few days at Pasquel’s home. Before we leave for Grosseto, I got myself a Vodafone prepaid data sim card for Euro 35. It is valid for one month.

    Later, Evelyn and I bought our tickets to Grosseto by using one of the ticket machines located almost everywhere at the station. The fare to Grosseto is Euro12.95 each. We got the 16.20pm ticket so while waiting for the time to board the train, we walked a bit to Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore just to pass the time. I had been there before.

    piazza maggiore

    The piazza (or square in English) is a place where Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and Baroque bronze statue of Mary and child are situated. The current church dates from the time of pope Sixtus III, who reigned from 432 to 440 while the statue was erected in 1614.

    maggiorechurch

    statue maggiore

    After sitting at the piazza for an hour admiring buidings, we walked back to the station to catch our train to Grosseto.

    The journey took us about 2 and a half hour before reaching Grosseto Station. Took some pictures along the way.

    grosetto1

    marinella

    By the time we got there, the night already fell. We bought a bus ticket of Euro 4 to get to Arcidosso.

    At first we did not know which bus to take. We asked around and a bus driver told us to take bus number 15 or 30. Then another bus driver came to us. He had heard our conversation. He told us to take any bus to Sienna, get down at Paganico and take another bus to Grosseto. He spoke in Italian with a little bit of sign language so that we understand what he was trying to convey. He had been so helpful and we thanked him In Italian words: grazie mille (million thanks). He seemed happy that we speak a little Italian.

    If he had not told us that, I think Evelyn and me would’ve ended in the middle of nowhere in Tuscany. But I did told Evelyn that if we got lost, we should find any hotel and stay for the night before finding our way to Grosseto the next day.

    nightbus

    A bus came and we saw that the sign shows that it will go to Sienna, so we boarded the bus. The journey took more than two hours to reach and we had to change bus at Paganico before reaching Archidosso. When we reached Arcidosso small town, it was around 9pm and most shops were already closed. As we walked looking for the place that we would be staying (Lorenzo’s Place), we saw one pizza shop that was about to close. We dropped by and ask for direction. The boy was so kind to show us the way and finally we reached Lorenzo’s Place.

    Stay tuned for my blog post on Archidosso.

    Getting to Rome: KLM operated 2 time(s) daily from KUL to FCO (Rome).

  • Amsterdam,  KLM,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Amsterdam Schiphol Airport

    I had 3 hours and 6 hours layover from and to KUL respectively. That left me ample times to discover some of the facilities that I make use and came across at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam.

    Internet connection
    Before exploring further, I went to get Internet connection at KPN Internet Centre & Zones. There are signs everywhere and I could locate the centre easily. The KPN Internet Zones are located at Departure Lounge 1, Pier C (near C10), Departure Lounge 3 (Pier G), Pier D and Departure Lounge 4 (Pier M). Schiphol, in collaboration with KPN, offers wireless Internet throughout the airport. I could even access the Internet right up to the gates. Options available:
    15 minutes – Euro 3
    30 minutes – Euro 6
    90 minutes – Euro 12
    24 hours – Euro 16

    I chose to pay Euro 16 and after that, I happily posted some photos on my Instagram account. Alternatively, free WiFi is available at Amsterdam Schiphol airport for one hour. Connect to the “KPN Network” for a maximum two sessions at 30 minutes each.

    Internet AMS
    Internet pay machine. We can use cash or credit card to buy.

    Passport Control
    I had great experience passing through both securities; one to get to E Pier where gate 20 for KUL flight were located and another one to get to the arrival hall. The latter security officer even spoke to me in Malay. I asked him how did he learned the language and he told me that he picked it up from tourists. I, however, had to apologise to him because I do not know a single Dutch word; only some Deutsch words. He laughed, stamped my passport and let me through while saying ‘Selamat Jalan’!

    airport01
    Shops before the passport control area.

    Food / Dining
    While there are many food and drink options at Schiphol airport, I will just have to name the ones that I passed by. I did not have anything because I was still full from breakfast at Guegliemo Airport in Bologna and snack during the flight which covered my lunch. Here are some of the food outlets/cafes that I saw: Mc Donald’s, Food Village, Segafredo, Cupcakechic, GrabandFly, JuicyDetails, Starbucks and many more. You just got to be there to see all the food outlets the airport has; abundance!

    airport02

    Library
    The Airport Library is the first library in the world to be located at an airport. Inside, it features the first iPads in the Netherlands, creating a spectacular space with a wealth of digital stations where passengers can read books, listen to music and get acquainted with Dutch culture and literature. Entry is free of charge. I picked up The Virtuoso and got to read many pages. Very interesting read Will buy the book at local bookstore. I also got the chance to charge my mobile phone and update about the book that I read.

    schiphol library
    One can find many interesting books to read here. There’s also Ipad at the desk to learn more about Amsterdam. Power port can be found on the desk as well.

    Rijk Museum
    The Rijksmuseum houses a permanent exhibition of ten works by Dutch masters of the Golden Age from the Rijksmuseum’s collection showcasing typical Dutch scenes: the Dutch countryside, Dutch waters, Dutch towns, Dutch royalty, Dutch people and their families painted by famous old masters. My most favourite painting is Het stadhuis op de Dam te Amsterdam by Gerrit Adriaenszoon Berckheyde, 1693. You can google the title and name if you want to see the painting.

    The exhibition here changes a number of times a year. It is located on Holland Boulevard, in the area behind the passport control between the E and F Pier. The museum is open every day from 7:00 until 20:00 and admission is free.

    This museum also consists of a shop that offers souvenirs specially crafted for the museum. I bought some Van Gogh’s postcards for myself as I am a big fan of his.

    rijkmuseum

    Shops
    From gifts to souveniers to clothings; so many things can be found here. There’s H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Ako, Aviflora, Fleurtiek, World of Delights, Crocs and Body Shop, to name a few.

    Luggage Storage / Lockers
    I saw some luggage storage/lockers located at most of the lounges. Bags can be stored up to 7 days and the rates depend on the size of the locker – from EUR 5.00 per 24 hours to EUR 10.00 per 24 hours.

    Children’s Play Areas
    Kids Forest is a forest-like play area where your kids can run around and burn off some steam before getting on the flight. Hours: Holland Boulevard.

    Currency Exchange
    Currency exchange booths can be found at various spots throughout the airport (before and after passport control).

    Prayer Rooms
    There is a Meditation Centre is that is open to all religions located at the airside area (that’s before passport control if you are on a layover). The facility includes a library with text books of various religions in different languages.

    Smoking Rooms
    Smoking is not permitted inside the terminal except in designated smoking rooms near the food concessions.

    Trains
    I actually took a train to Amsterdam Centraal. Train service within the Netherlands and abroad are available from the airport’s train station. Schiphol train station is located directly below the airport. I bought my ticket at the big yellow machines for 4 Euro per one way. The travel time to Amsterdam is 15 minutes.

    ticket
    I did get to Amsterdam Centraal for few hours. Will blog about it in another blog post.

    Last but not least, my overlay transit was smooth. I went back in through the passport control by showing my passport and boarding pass. With the sign posted everywhere, I got to E Pier then to gate 20 without any problem. Like any other security check at the custom area, I just had to take out electronic gadgets from my bag, coins from my pockets and take out my jacket and belt. This is normal procedure and I know that security is very important. I still see people mumbling about the bottled drinks that they had to leave behind but I think maybe that was their first time flying. I just smile and put on my jacket and belt at the end of the custom check while walking to the waiting area to board the plane.

    KLM flies from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to destinations worldwide. The airport has one terminal. The ground floor houses four arrival halls, the NS (Dutch Railways) train station and Schiphol Plaza. The first floor houses three departure halls, check-in desks, passport control, departure lounges 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the See Buy Fly shops.

  • Thailand,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Driving overland from Malaysia to Thailand

    Driving overland from Malaysia to Thailand was fun! It was a spontaneous plan by my husband out of frustration that my son could not join an event in Kuala Terengganu because of age and safety factor. I do not blame the organizer but myself for letting my son put high hope to join the event. We made sure that a great car like this restored Ford Mustang is in good condition. We asked the mechanic if we need to replace or upgrade some engine parts such as this Bosch diesel nozzle so we can travel safe and sound.

    So we drove from Pantai Penarik, Kuala Terengganu to Rantau Panjang, Kelantan.

    We had problems in the beginning but we settled it within few hours. You see, to enter the border by car, a Malaysian needs to have:

    1. 2 sets of car registration copy,
    2. Car Insurance,
    3. 2 sets of IC and driving licence copy,
    4. Passport.

    We didn’t have the first two. I covered the latter two because I always bring my family’s passport whenever we travel around Malaysia. And of course, I carry my driving licence in my purse. And visa is not needed as Malaysians have been exempted from it with a period of stay not exceeding 30 days each time.

    So, how did I get a copy of my car registration? I called my niece, Wanda, in KL and ask her to send me a photo of my car registration. She e-mailed me a copy and then we went to find a printing shop. We got it printed and later went to get car insurance. We found an agent not far from the the border and bought one for RM45. It is valid for 3 months.

    And then we drove into the Rantau Panjang Immigration Complext at the border. We handed our passports and got them stamped. And further up, we have to park our car and get to JPJ counter to have the photocopies of car registration verified and stamped by the officer. I also need to show my original Identity Card. The verified photocopy is valid for one month.

    Later on, we passed by Thai police posted not far from JPJ counter and drove to Sungai Golok Boundary Post (Sungai Golok CIQ Complex) and parked our car. Here we need to get a carnet for our car, get the arrival and departure card and get our passport stamped. We learned from the custom officer that car insurance can also be obtained from the counter. Then we were directed to custom officer at the boundary post to have our passport stamped and pass the arrival card.

    carnet
    Carnet documents.

     After that we get to our car and just drove pass by the post. And….we’re in Sungai Golok, Thailand!!

    Thailand
    Among first few things I noticed about Thailand are motorcyle with carriage and cable system. Berserabut kabel!

    I will post about our trip around some parts of Thailand in another post, ok. At the mean time, I want to highlight the process of  driving overland from Malaysia to Thailand via Sungai Golok (the process is the same from any entry point).

    It’s easy really if you have all the document ready, unlike us. So I am going to summarise the steps to make it easier for you (Malaysian only, I do not know how for other nationalities) to understand how to enter Thailand:

    The steps to enter Sungai Golok, Thailand from Rantau Panjang, Malaysia

    1. Photocopy of car registration. Make 2 photocopies ready in hand but to be on the safe side, just bring the original in case they need it if the photocopy is not that clear.

    2. Car insurance – you can get one from a shop few meters before the Rantau Panjang Immigration Complex. Alternatively, you can get the insurance at Thailand’s CIQ Complex, Sungai Golok. Why we need one? Because our local insurance only covered Malaysia, Republic of Singapore and Negara Brunei Darussalam.

    3. Enter the Rantau Panjang Immigration complex. Hand over your passport to be stamped.

    4. Verification from JPJ – Park your car after you drive through the immigration complex. You need to go to JPJ counter and get both sets of your documents (car registration, IC and Driving Licence copy) to be verified by the JPJ officer. Owner of the car has to be present. If the owner is not present, you must produce 2 sets of a letter from the owner with a stamp by Commissioner of Oath, beforehand. The officer will give you back both verified copies; one for you to keep and one for Thailand’s custom.

    5. Drive through the gate where polices are posted. They will do random check and let you through.

    6. Passport and arrival/departure card – Park your car at Thailand’s CIQ Complex. Go to the immigration counter and ask for arrival & departure card (the form is in a piece of perforated card to separate the arrival and departure section) from the counter. Fill it in and present together with your passport to the immigration officer. The officer will stamp your passport and take the arrival card, leaving you with the departure card for exit purpose. Please keep the departure card safe because you cannot exit Thailand without it. In case you lost it, just get one off the counter before you approach departure control, fill it in and present with your passport.

    7. Carnet form – Just beside the immigration counter, there’s a custom counter. Hand over a set of verified copy of car insurance, photocopy of IC, driving license (and verified letter from owner; if applicable) together with your passport to the officer. The carnet process will take only about 10 minutes. The carnet is actually a Simplified Customs Declaration Form (for motorcar and motorcycle temporarily imported or exported). Please check all the details before leaving the counter. I didn’t check mine but later found out that the color of my car was written ‘gold’ in the form. My car is purple. But lucky, there was no problem. The carnet is valid for one month. Please do not forget to return the carnet form when you exit because it is important that they have a record that your car have exited together with you. If you did not return the carnet form, they will assume your car will still be in Thailand and you will be fine 1000 Baht daily for failure to return it.

    8. Exiting Thailand – In my case, I went across Thailand to get to Dannok Post on the Bukit Kayu Hitam side. This side of the boundary post is a bit chaos (but maybe that was just because of the Songkran Festival when I visited). The traffic was horrendous and you have to go find a parking space to park your car. Then you (and all passengers) have to walk to the Immigration/Departure Post (there are many posts, just choose one) and queue to have yourself cleared and passport stamped. You need to pay 20 Baht for each person. Then you need to get to the counter just behind the post to return the carnet form. You need to sign on the carnet form and on a log book. And that is all the process for Thailand’s side.

    9. Entering Malaysia – drive your car pass the immigration, have your passport stamped and later drive further up for police and custom check. You need to open your car boot for checking. If you didn’t buy anything, they will clear you to enter Malaysia via the green lane. I am not sure what is the case if you buy things from Thailand. I guess you will need to pay for tax.

    And that’s it. Finito. Hope you find this information useful if you want to drive overland from Malaysia to Thailand.

    Oh, a tip for you before you enter Thailand; fill in your fuel tank to the max because Thai Government does not subsidise fuel like Malaysian Government.

    Stay tuned for my Thailand’s blog posts.