You know the songs. They either cover an old song or have new songs with juvenile lyrics about 'cheeky girls' or something. The drum machine beat sounds exactly the same on each song and the female vocalist sounds like 'The Chipmunks' from 30 years ago. They are probably mixed in a home studio in Germany somewhere by a 50 year-old guy called Hermann who has a moustache, permed hair, wears flairs and worships Boney M.

I often wondered where the market was for this rubbish and now I know. The Thais love it. The photo was taken at probably the largest aerobics venue in Hat Yai on the corner of Saeng Sri and Suphasarnrangsan roads. See Map 2. Evening sessions start at 6pm and last for about an hour. There are also sessions in the morning which I think start at 05:30am but I am never awake then.

Sessions are open to anyone and everyone and cost just Bt5. The main exercises are done on your feet but at the end some floor exercises are covered and require a mat. The girls bring along woven beach-style mats for this purpose.

Hat Yai is not a great place for foreigners who like books. English language books are like Western food in Hat Yai: they exist but the selection and quality aren't very good.

The best selection of English language books I know of in Hat Yai is in the main library at the Prince of Songkla university but I'm not sure about their borrowing policy if you don't work or study at the university.

The selection of English language books there is very good, and the books are virtually untouched. Most of the books I have borrowed were covered in dust and last loaned out many years ago. The library is a quiet place and Thai students find it a good place in which to sleep.

The book shops around town have a good selection of Thai language books but all of them have just one tiny section for English language books. This is a reflection that Hat Yai is a provincial Thai town with a Chinese heart, and that most of its visitors are of Chinese origin.

In areas of Thailand where there are lots of farangs the situation is somewhat different.

There are no large independent book shops so don't expect to find a big branch of Kinokuniya or anything similar. For that kind of thing your nearest options are Bangkok or Singapore (maybe KL but I'm not sure).

The independents are generally small and the best options are chains within department stores and shopping malls. Here's a summary:

• B2S on the 4th floor of Central department store (Map 3). There is a small English language section in the corner containing tourist-type books, some American self-help type books, dictionaries and Thai language learning resources. They also have TEFL books which may be of interest if you are a teacher.
• Seng Ho Bookstore on the 3rd floor of Lee Gardens Plaza (Map 3). This is probably the biggest book shop in Hat Yai but it caters very much to the local market. There's a big Thai magazine section covering favourite Thai subjects such as fast and customised vehicles, street racing, and supernatural amulets. There is a very large selection of material for language learners - both Thais learning English and farangs learning Thai - and probably the biggest selection of dictionaries in Hat Yai. However, the section for English language books is very small with just a few novels and some tourist stuff.
• Raan Supayapun (Map 3). This is a small, independent newsagent and book shop just in front of Hat Yai station at 8-10 Thamanoonvithee Road (Tel. +66 (0)74 233214). There is no English sign outside. They carry mostly Thai books but they sell English language newspapers and have a small book selection. The selection of books isn't huge but occasionally they have interesting books. This is where I bought my copy of John Laird's 'Money Politics, Globalisation and Crisis' and they have some useful bird guides, etc.
• B2S at Robinson department store (Map 3). This branch of B2S used to carry English books (it's where I picked up a copy of James Higbie's 'Thai Reference Grammar), but that is no longer the case. For a long time now - maybe three years - B2S at Robinson has stopped stocking English language books. It doesn't mean there isn't useful material there but you need to be able to read Thai.
• Inter Book Centre (Map 3). This is a small independent opposite Kosit hotel. The name of the shop is English but it is written in Thai script on the outside of the shop. They carry tourist stuff - including maps - and a few novels but there isn't much.
• SE-ED at Diana (Map 4). This place probably has the most interesting selection of English language books available to buy in Hat Yai. The English language section is still not large but the list of titles is a little more interesting than other places. There are quite a few books on 'House and Garden', and also some business-type books. They also carry the standard small selection of novels and tourist stuff. There are also quite a few English language books for young kids, that other places don't seem to have.
• SE-ED at Carrefour (Map 2). Pretty much the same as the rest. There is a small selection of tourist stuff, resources for foreigners learning Thai, and a few novels.
• SE-ED at Tesco Lotus (Map 4). Same again.
• These is also a book shop near the Rong Chaang cafeteria within the Prince of Songkla university. The English language books stocked are more academic so there are a lot more titles related to, for example, English grammar than travel and tourism. It's good if you need resources to teach English but not for much else.

There is an authorised money changer in the Yong Dee Hotel at 99 Niphat Uthit 3 Road (Map 3). They can deal with any currency and the exchange rates aren't too bad.

His location is 69/22 Saeng Arthit Road, next to a laundry near Kim Yong market (Map 1). The telephone number is 074 350649 and he only sees people in the morning between 08:00 and 12:00. The shop is unlike any doctor's surgery I have ever visited before. There is no receptionist. He sits at a desk at the back of the shop.

The shop isn't too clean and on his desk are scraps of paper, old photos, stationery, tea cups, teapots and a kettle. He chain-smokes so there are full ashtrays to complete the picture. On the wall are old photos of Chinese men standing in front of Chinese temples. Presumably one of them is him when he was younger.

In addition to chain-smoking he uses a spittoon that sits on the floor to his right fairly frequently. He speaks some Thai but very little English. I was warned not to say much to him, not to tell him about my condition and not to ask questions.

Also on his desk is a small pillow. Patients seeing him rest their arm on the pillow where he feels their pulse. This is his main method of diagnosing problems. He asked me a few basic questions in English - my age, where I was from and what I did for a living. He took a good look at me and asked me to stick out my tongue which he looked at with the aid of a small torch.

After feeling my pulse on both wrists for about 10 minutes he took out a clean writing pad. He then dipped an old-fashioned fountain pen into a pot of black ink on his desk. In the top right-hand corner he wrote my name, underlined it and wrote the date underneath. He filled the rest of the page up with Chinese characters, writing from top to bottom and from right to left.

He has no set fees and how much you pay him seems to be optional. My girlfriend accompanied me when I went and sorted out the payment. She took an envelope that was lying around in his shop, put Bt100 into it and gave it to him.

I took the prescription back to the pharmacy where they prepared my medicine. This included double doses of ginseng for six days which really bumped up the price. Even in Thailand ginseng is not cheap, especially the best variety that comes from America. The herbs I was given needed to be boiled in water and the resulting juice drunk like tea. The ginseng was soaked in the tea, chewed and swallowed.

Whether it helped or not, I don't know for sure. At the same time I started taking the medicine I stopped putting nasty drops in my eye which had been making things better rather than worse for a while.

The photo isn't great. I would like to get a photo of him or the inside of his shop but he probably wouldn't appreciate it. This might help to find him though. His shop is to the right of the laundry with the purple flowers hanging down.

October 2008 update: Someone told me recently that the Chinese doctor had died. If it is true (and I have yet to find out for sure), then ignore the above.

Have no fear, if you are in Hat Yai during CNY there will be no mistaking the fact. For a period of at least one week the sound of firecrackers can be heard everywhere and at all times of the day and night. If you have never heard authentic Chinese firecrackers before it is probably the closest sound to being in a very active war zone.

I suspect there is a real danger of deafness occurring if you get to close. Even from a considerable distance the noise is deafening. The Chinese love them. I find them quite annoying, especially at 3am. They are banned in most other countries and Chinese Malaysians get busted regularly for smuggling them into Malaysia. In Thailand though, where anything goes and noise is regarded as fun, nobody cares.

On the eve of CNY many Chinese families erect a table outside their homes and put their New Year feast on display. Lots of burning takes place on the streets. The Chinese venerate their ancestors and by burning letters and paper copies of worldly objects it is seen as a way of transferring them from this world to the next, a kind of celestial mailbox.

New Year's Day is actually fairly quiet as this is the day when people travel to be with their families. The following three days are when the real festivities take place in earnest, with lion-dancing, street fairs and general merry-making. There are big firework displays at the end of each day and of course lots more firecrackers.

Hat Yai can be a strange place at CNY. Certain areas get very busy as Chinese tourists from other countries come to visit but many locals close their businesses for up to two weeks. Other areas therefore go very quiet and a number of my regular eating places put up the shutters.

They cater for all ailments. The one pictured is for dermatological problems but there are eye and ear doctors, dentists, urologists and many others specialising in different fields of medicine. You will also find small X-Ray clinics and blood analysis labs where they will check for any disease that can be diagnosed from blood samples.

The doctors I have seen have all been excellent. It appears that all doctors in Thailand speak quite good English. Many work in several locations including Hat Yai's main hospitals. However, it is a lot cheaper to see the same doctor at a small clinic in the evening compared to a large private hospital in the daytime.

The biggest problem for foreigners who want to see a doctor is probably going to be finding the right place. Most places only have Thai writing outside which is a problem if you can't read Thai. If you can find someone who can speak English they might be able to point you in the right direction but you will also find clues in the waiting areas of the clinics. Many have posters and pictures on the wall to indicate which part of the body is treated there.

Although the doctors will undoubtedly speak English, the receptionists probably won't. In that case you might want to try to speak to the doctor directly. As I have said elsewhere, Thai doctors are very good. They are well trained and many have several years of experience under their belts. I have a lot of confidence in them

TNT can be contacted on 074 439988-9 but I don't know where their office is located.

I have used DHL to receive replacement credit cards from the UK but was a little disappointed at the fact they couldn't collect my passport from the British Embassy in Bangkok because they don't operate a service within Thailand. It seems a little crazy, not least because I suspect that most items arriving in Thailand from abroad arrive in Bangkok first so obviously they do operate some kind of a service from Bangkok to Hat Yai.

When I first arrived in Thailand I went for a check-up but my teeth were so sensitive that every time the dentist touched a tooth I almost jumped out of the chair. That was despite paying quite a lot of money to have dental work done in the UK.

Since I have been in Thailand I have had a fair amount of work done and my teeth have never been in better shape. The work done here is so much better than the UK. One UK filling I had replaced in Thailand was so bad that the dentist felt obliged to take a photo.

I worked at a local dental hospital for some time so know a little about dentistry in Thailand. It wasn't always good; 40 years ago the system was terrible especially in the provinces.

The Thais recognised the problem and set up dental faculties in universities in each of the major provincial regions. The idea was to train local people to become dentists who, in turn, would serve the local community. The dental hospital at the Prince of Songkla university operate a mobile unit which makes frequent trips into the countryside to treat rural communities. This mobile unit also treats prisoners in Songkhla prison.

If you need work done in Hat Yai you have lots of choices. The dental hospital at the Prince of Songkla university is excellent and runs several clinics. You don't normally have to wait very long for an appointment and the dentists are excellent.

For some reason, most Thai dentists appear to be female. The dental undergraduate course is six years, compared to a normal term of four years. Unlike students studying Mickey Mouse subjects such as Media Studies or Travel and Tourism, the dental students work their socks off.

When they aren't studying theory, they are actively practising in clinics. It's as if they never sleep and - at times - they don't. After their Bachelor's degree they are qualified to practice professionally but some return to do a Master's Degree which involves another couple of years of hard work and sleepless nights.

Dentalland is a fairly new place and looks quite plush. It is located on Rajyindee Road close to the Samila Seasport Seafood restaurant (Map 4). I haven't been there but I am confident the service will be very good.

Alternatively, there are many small dental clinics around Hat Yai. I don't feel in a position to make any personal recommendations but above is a photo of a Thai sign for dentist. All Thai dentists study mainly in English and many have worked or studied overseas. Their English is generally good enough for there not to be any communication problems.

Not only is the service great, but the prices are so low. If you have enough dental work to get done, the money you can save if you plan to get it done in Thailand will pay for a free holiday. Things like titanium implants which cost a fortune in the West are a fraction of the price in Thailand.

The materials cost about the same because they come from overseas and the Thais have to pay full price but labour costs are a lot lower.

You can even get a pretty dental asistant to hold your hand. On one visit for a dentist the assistant was really cute. I made out I was very frightened and asked her to hold my hand. She did!

There is no treatment that Thai dentists can't undertake and surgeons at the Prince of Songkla hospital even perform surgeries to repair cleft palates and lips.

I have been thoroughly impressed with Thai dentists and can't speak highly enough of them.

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