Hat Yai (หาดใหญ่; also Hatyai, Had Yai, Haad Yai) is the fifth largest city in Thailand, the largest city in southern Thailand, and is in Songkhla Province on the Southern Gulf Coast. It's a popular tourist spot for Singaporeans, Indonesians, and especially Malaysians, as well as for Thais from neighbouring provinces. It's best avoided if you are looking to get off the beaten path. Prices are relatively high in tourist areas. This place has comparatively few Western visitors.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Hat Yai used to be a small village known as Khok Sa-Met Choon. Its population has been growing since the railway station was built in 1924, which made it an important rail junction between southern Thailand and Malaysia. Today, Hat Yai is the biggest city in southern Thailand. The population is around 157,000 in the city in 2019, and over 400,000 in the whole Hat Yai District. Hat Yai is bigger than the provincial capital of Mueang Songkhla, which is unusual for a Thai province. This means that Hat Yai is often mistaken as the capital of Songkhla province. It is 60 km from the Thailand-Malaysia border at Dannok and Padang Besar in Sadao district.
The city's "tourist center" is not far from the train station. It's quite compact and covers parts of the city's oldest roads: Nipat-u-thit (นิพัทธ์อุทิศ) 1, 2, and 3 Rd. Locals call these roads: Sai Nueng, Sai Song, Sai Saam (สายหนึ่ง, สายสอง, สายสาม; lit. Road One, Road Two, Road Three). It is practical to get around on foot, but getting to most attractions will require some kind of transportation. Fun fact: in 2025 Hat Yai surpassed Bangkok as Thailand's most congested city. According to the TomTom Traffic Index, a journey of 10 km will take an average of 24 minutes in the city. Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis are abundant in Hat Yai.
1 Hat Yai Park (สวนสาธารณะเทศบาลเมืองหาดใหญ่), Kanchanawanit Rd, ☏ +66 74 200000, info@hatyaipark.com. Daily. The city's municipal park is 6 km from the city centre. It is a major recreational centre for the people of Hat Yai and surrounding areas. The park is full of beautiful flowering plants, with a pavilion in the middle of the pond, aviarium, and food stalls. At the foot of the hill near the aviarium stands the statue of King Rama V. There is a Brahman shrine at the hilltop. And at the southern foothill near the Boy Scout camp stands the jade statue of Guanyin (กวนอิม Kuan-im), the Chinese Goddess. The park covers rather vast area with several attractions far apart.
Cinema. Movie tickets in Thailand are more affordable than in Western countries. There are multiplexes and an IMAX theatre at Hatyai Cineplex on 5F of CentralFestival. The other venue is at Diana Cineplex on 5F of Diana. From 140 baht for a film. Thai Massage. No trip to Thailand would be complete without a Thai massage and Hat Yai is one of the best places to get one. Some of the many good places would be Garden Home Hotel or Hat Yai Central Hotel. The rooms are nicely decorated and provide a soothing environment to go with a good massage. Ask the doorman at any good hotel for a recommendation if you want to avoid the more dodgy places.
Although not in the same league as Bangkok, there are a lot of different food options on offer in Hat Yai. Typical Thai street food is abundant. Big international chain restaurants have branches in town offering Japanese and Western food. Restaurant chains are located mostly in shopping malls. International restaurant chains such as KFC, McDonald's, Sizzler, Pizza Hut, Dunkin' Donuts, Mister Donut, Swensen's, Dairy Queen, Starbucks. Local restaurant chains such as MK Restaurant (Thai-style sukiyaki), S&P, Chester's Grill, The Pizza Company, Fuji Restaurant, Shabushi , Oishi Ramen.
Thamanoonvithee Road is the main nightlife district. Hat Yai has a sordid reputation for prostitution, mostly targeting visitors crossing the border from Malaysia, and most women in the bars around here are on the take. The industry keeps a pretty low profile and there are no Bangkok-style go go bars. Bee Club (downtown). Live music, pool upstairs and decent food. Co Art. A cafe-style place to hang-out in the evenings. There is a live band almost every day covering internationally-known songs. Deep Wonder (across from The Pub). Street side and downstairs bar. Live music. Living Room, 94 Thamannoonvithee Rd. At the site of the now-defunct Monkey Club.
A series of bombings from 2006 to 2012 that specifically targeted restaurants and shopping centres popular with visitors (and locals) killed two tourists. Strict security measures (bag searches, metal detectors) are to be expected in most gathering places. As of October 2022 the town is no more dangerous than any other major city in Thailand. To check water level during monsoon season, visit Hatyai City Climate. For air quality, visit Air4Thai. Medical Emergency, ☏ 1669. Police (General Emergency), ☏ 191, +66 74 243333, +66 74 231645. Tourist Police, ☏ 1155, +66 74 246733. Fire Station, ☏ 199, +66 74 243111.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Hat Yai typically sees ~35°C daytime highs and 12 rainy days.
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