Hat Yai Plaza, just behind the Clock Tower (Map 1), is always busy. Being the centre of the local rag trade, many clothes are made and sold there. In addition to locally produced clothing there are many shoe and leather shops as well as vendors selling toiletries, groceries, DVDs and all kinds of knick-knacks.

However, as you wander around you may notice that the clothes stalls are located around a quadrant and that there is nothing in the centre of the building. Well, that is not exactly correct. A large cinema exists there.

It is an old-fashioned kind of cinema from an era when only one film was shown at a time. Consequently there are more seats than in the average modern multiplex cinema. Hat Yai's three current cinemas exist in shopping centres that are fairly recent so I guess this was the town's original cinema before they were built.

With everything covered in a thick layer of dust it doesn't look as if it has been used for many years. What is strange is the way it has been left. It's as if after the credits ran on the final movie they just turned off the lights and closed the doors.

Maybe another purpose has been planned for this unused space in the future but for the time being it just sits there with only the ghosts of Thai ice-cream vendors watching over the empty seats. The entrance to the cinema is locked most of the time but if you are lucky you might find it open. Alternatively, if it is closed and you want to look, a smile, a few kind words and a few Baht might help to open the door.

October 2007 update: The old abandoned cinema (sadly) is no more. It has been refitted and is now a brand-spanking new conference venue with plush carpets and new seats. I happened to be passing by and saw the workmen adding the final touches.

It looks quite impressive and I'm sure many people will benefit from the new facility but sadly, another piece of Hat Yai history has disappeared.

I saw a few runners using the track but not a lot else. The grassed football pitch had gone the same way as the stands. It was a real shame and quite saddening what had been allowed to happen.

The stands, the running track, and the central playing area had all been fully refurbished. It looks great now. Safety-wise, there are still a few issues and I doubt that it would fully meet Western safety standards. The concrete stands are steep and completely open with no hand rails or crush barriers or anything to hold on to.

Despite that, it's a great improvement. I think it is Prai Pattano, the mayor, who is behind a lot of the improvements that are taking place in Hat Yai these days. He has a huge task on his hands but was given another term of office by the people of Hat Yai in 2008 and slowly things are getting better.

These items were for sale in Gim Yong market so I would be a little suspicious as to the authenticity of some of the brand-name products. Along with the scents and colognes are a variety of bust-firming lotions and, of course, skin-whitening products (this is Thailand, after all).

I was confused by the 'Placenta AHA whitening' cream. Is this made from placentas or designed to whiten placentas? Is AHA an exclamation to signal recognition, or some magic ingredient?

Buddhists take refuge in the Triple Gem - the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Sangha is represented by the monks and nuns of the community who lead exemplary lives and are thus accorded great respect in Thailand and other Buddhist countries.

This Muslim woman and her daughter own a fruit stall at Gim Yong market. I only wanted to photograph some of their fruit but they insisted I take their photo. I got the photo printed a couple of days later and gave it to them which was something they appreciated.

Hat Yai has a large Muslim population and they are generally nice people. People of different races and religions get along totally naturally in Thailand and, unlike some other countries, there is no need for the government to run campaigns to promote the idea of racial harmony. It just happens naturally.

This is what makes the problems in Thailand's deep south so difficult to understand. Any kind of confrontation or conflict is just so 'un-Thai'.

The area of Hat Yai up near the hills could not be any different to the downtown area. Apart from an occasional motorbike, not a single vehicle van be heard; the only sounds come from the many colourful birds that can be seen swooping from tree to tree.

A particularly pleasant area is located just behind the rubber research centre on Karnchanawanit Road. There is a small lake, some old-fashioned houses and fields of rubber and other crops. It feels as if it is an extremely remote area of Thailand but all the shops and facilities of Hat Yai are just a few kilometres away.

Presumably this is what all of Hat Yai looked like 20 or 30 years ago?

I think he has done a decent job. The removal of the overhead power cables downtown and the laying of new pavements has made a big difference to the appearance of central Hat Yai. Renovating Jiranakorn sports stadium was also a very worthwhile project.

The new minivan terminal in Hat Yai Nai is a little less inconvenient nowadays but it was a good thing to get all the individual minivan stands out of the central area. In addition to this, some bus routes have been changed and as a result the clocktower area now has a lot less traffic.

The clocktower area and Hat Yai Plaza is currently (October 2008) being renovated and that should be another worthwhile improvement.

Behind the scenes - and a little less visible - is the work that has gone on to improve Hat Yai's flood defences. It's been a while now since any flooding has taken place and that can only be a good thing. Not only do floods make people's lives miserable but they can also kill - as happened a few years ago in Hat Yai when there was a severe flood.

This banner of him that entirely covers two floors of a downtown building is located just opposite the Sakura Grand View hotel. As you can tell, he is a shy and retiring type of person who is very modest about his own achievements and prefers to shun publicity!

In the past it has been a target for Muslim extremists and the insurgency that resurfaced at the beginning of 2004 has resulted in attacks on train lines. Throughout 2005 there has been a fairly strong police and military presence at the station to guard against terrorist attacks.

These women with sewing machines are superstars. Nothing is a problem to them. If something needs repairing or altering they will do it in a flash at a ridiculously low charge. I have had pockets repaired and trousers altered and been very pleased with the results. One guy I met who visits Hat Yai often buys bags, wallets and clothes cheap from the market and then gets one of these women to customise them to how he wants. He has zips and Velcro added or removed, and extra loops put in hip bags so he can wear them on his belt.

I love the cloud formations in the picture. During the rainy season the sky looks great at times as the clouds roll in. It's so much more interesting than boring blue skies (and a lot cooler too).

This morning, Hat Yai was also affected. I woke up to a smell of smoke in the air and could taste it in my throat. This photo is of a high-rise condo building a few kilometres away which can normally be seen quite clearly. The photo is exactly how it came out of the camera.

Hat Yai's skyline was still visible (just) but very hazy. The low mountains that surround the area could not be seen at all. Fortunately there was rain in the afternoon which cleared the air. It's about time that someone started having serious talks about this with Indonesia.

What is kind of ironic (or maybe karmic?) is that the country that suffers most is Malaysia but, according to reports I have read, many of the culprits are companies in Indonesia owned by Malaysians.

This shop has a selection of shirts, ties and slippers all made out of paper. On the streets are hundreds of little fires and the air is filled with embers from the burning paper. Firecrackers can be heard on these occasions which are like gunshots and loud enough to burst an eardrum.

It's against the law as far as I know but that means nothing in Thailand. In Bangkok there is an elephant hotline number to call if people see them in the street but I've heard nothing about a hotline in Hat Yai.

Farangs with cameras are an obvious target for the mahouts but the locals are quite generous as well. The elephant is a powerful piece of symbology in Thailand and the old Thai flag included a white elephant. Providing for elephants is a good way to make merit in Thailand.

Personally I don't like to see them having to watch out for vehicles and avoid stepping into storm drains. I know little about elephant social behaviour but I understand that their life cycle is roughly the same as a human and they have the same mental development.

This particular elephant is five so how would we feel if a five year old child was exploited like this to make money? I also believe they are very social animals that live in matriarchal groups. This five year old should be with others of its kind being looked after by its mother, aunts and elder sisters. It just doesn't seem right.

They are magnificent animals, immensely powerful but gentle with kind eyes. Occasionally they go on the rampage, presumably as a result of fear or frustration, and cause damage to cars and buildings.

Recent work has included the addition of bright red and yellow ornamental window surrounds. Because of the size of the building and the way that the construction funds are collected I expect it will be a number of years before it is completed but when it is it should be quite an impressive temple. I think it's worth taking a look at if you are in Hat Yai to see how work is progressing.