Once done with exploring the area in and around Thao Mahaprom Four Face Buddha Temple, I headed back to the Great Brahman Cable Car Station to get the Hat Yai Cable Car back to Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj.
This is Part 2 of my Hat Yai Cable Car experience.
Click here to read Part 1 for the onward journey of the Hat Yai Cable Car.
The Three Headed Elephant statue Airavata outside Thao Mahaprom Four Face Buddha Temple.
The Great Brahman Cable Car Station.
Looking down at the Hat Yai Cable Car line from the lookout point.
The short but sufficient platform of Great Brahman Cable Car Station.
A cable car departing from Great Brahman Cable Car Station.
Gliding down the ropeway.
The fleet of two cable cars on the Hat Yai Cable Car reversible cable car system.
Heading up to Thao Mahaprom Four Face Buddha Temple.
The Great Brahman Cable Car Station entrance.
The empty ticket counter at Great Brahman Cable Car Station. I guess most passengers would start their journey from Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
What’s left of my ticket for the return ride back to Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
As there wasn’t much of a queue, I let the group in front of me go first and I waited for the next cable car.
Heading down to the island platform.
The builder plate of Doppelmayr Garaventa Group.
The outgoing cable car heading down to Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
The view of Hat Yai city from Great Brahman Cable Car Station entrance.
The end of the line of the Hat Yai Cable Car.
The buffer stop at the end of the line of the Hat Yai Cable Car.
My incoming cable car.
Departing from Great Brahman Cable Car Station.
Heading on the sole cable car tower.
Heading down the cable car line.
Zooming in to Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
Looking down at the gorge the Hat Yai Cable Car flies over. Due to this natural build, the entire Hat Yai Cable Car line is very windy throughout the waiting time and ride.
Crossing with the opposing cable car at the middle point.
Approaching Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
Entering Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
Slowing down as the cable car enters Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
Making a stop at the platform.
Alighting from the cable car at Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
The exit path is around the back of the ticket counter.
The exit out of Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
A commemorative plaque at Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
At Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station, there is a cafe (Sawasdee Coffee Mind Hatyai) with a scenic view of Hat Yai city.
Glass panels around Sawasdee Coffee Mind Hatyai Cafe provide the view of Hat Yai.
The sign of Sawasdee Coffee Mind Hatyai with another sign of Hatyai Junction.
The view of the Hat Yai Cable Car line from Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station.
Heading out of Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj Cable Car Station with a view of the Phra Buddha Mongkol Maharaj.
From here, I headed back down to the car park to wait for the Hat Yai City Municipality Park Shuttle Songthaew.
Overall, I think that the Hat Yai Cable Car might be a nice visit for someone visiting it for the first time, but I doubt that it is useful in the wider purpose of a cable car since it travels just across a gorge and does not get you from somewhere accessible like actual transport.
A dedicated shuttle Songthaew (if you do not make your own way up the hill by private transport or hiking up) is still required to bring you up to the cable car station from the main entrance, which is kind of a missed opportunity for the Hat Yai Cable Car to not commence from the main entrance in the first place to actually function like a transport purpose. The locations of the cable car stations also seem to indicate that the Hat Yai Cable Car is purely for sightseeing purposes rather than actual transport, considering that both stations and temples are perfectly (and potentially easier to be) accessible by your own private transport from the main entrance of Hat Yai City Municipality Park. As such, the whole visit inclusive of transport to the Hat Yai City Municipality Park and back
I would say to go for the Hat Yai Cable Car on your first visit just to experience the ride if you’d like, but I can’t think of any reasons at the moment for re-visits to the Hat Yai Cable Car once you’ve tried it since it doesn’t actually bring you anywhere.