Things to do in Hat Yai
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Hat Yai
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Driest and easiest months, with Chinese New Year a headline downtown event in late January or February.
Hot season building to Songkran in mid April, when Midnight Songkran runs the water fights into the night.
South west monsoon showers, green waterfalls and low prices, with the Hat Yai Food Festival usually in August.
Wetter, with the nine day Vegetarian Festival filling downtown temples and vegetarian stalls.
Peak north east monsoon and the severe flood window, including the record November 2025 flood, despite Loy Krathong in November.
What's on
- Chinese New Year late January to February, lunar
Lion dances, fireworks and festival food around the downtown temples and Kim Yong Market.
- Hat Yai Midnight Songkran 11 to 15 April
Songkran water fights, stages and DJs running into the night on Niphat Uthit 3 and Sanehanusorn roads.
- Hat Yai Food Festival usually August
A city food festival celebrating Hat Yai and southern Thai cooking.
- Vegetarian Festival nine days, September to October
Chinese Thai temples fill and yellow flags mark vegetarian stalls and restaurants across downtown.
- Loy Krathong November full moon
Krathongs floated on the park lake and canals, beautiful in a dry year and washed out in a flood year.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Hat Yai
Hat Yai Municipal Park
A hillside park of Thai, Chinese and Hindu shrines linked by a cable car, with the standing golden Buddha above the city.
Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol
A pagoda built entirely of stainless steel on a hill south west of the centre, glowing when lit at night.
Kim Yong Market
The central covered market for dried seafood, spices, gifts and street food, best in the morning.
Khlong Hae Floating Market
Vendors cook from boats along a canal north of the centre, Friday to Sunday only, best late afternoon.
ASEAN Night Bazaar
A big covered night bazaar with food stalls and clothes and accessories stalls at local prices.
Greenway Night Market
The younger, local feeling night market for vintage clothes, sneakers and street food eaten in rounds.
Wat Hat Yai Nai
A working city temple housing a 35 metre reclining Buddha in an open roofed hall.
Central Mosque of Songkhla
A vast modern mosque before a long reflecting pool, at its best at sunset on the way to Khlong Hae market.
Where to stay in Hat Yai
Downtown Lee Gardens
first timers, food trips, no car
Walkable to Kim Yong, the night street, dim sum and transport, with hotels at every price band.
Kim Yong and Santisuk
market mornings, local feel
Just north of downtown, cheaper and earlier waking, built around the morning markets and dim sum streets.
East side Kanjanavanich
quiet, newer hotels, drivers and golfers
Central Festival, the university and Greenway nearby, with newer calmer hotels and easy parking.
Hat Yai Junction station area
rail arrivals, Koh Lipe transit
Functional older hotels serving the train trade, fine for one transit night rather than a food weekend.
Think twice about
- Dan Nok and Sadao border strip
About 50 km south of Hat Yai city, a border nightlife strip with a different feel, sometimes sold as Hat Yai area.
- Low lying canal side districts in flood season
Ground along Khlong U-Taphao, Khlong Hwa and the Khet 8 area floods first and deepest in November to December.
- Far highway motels on the airport and Phetkasem corridor
Safe and cheap but nothing walkable, with every meal dependent on a ride.
Best restaurants in Hat Yai
Chokdee Dim Sum
The Hat Yai breakfast institution for steamed dim sum baskets and peppery bak kut teh, best before 9am.
Krua Pa-Yad hatyai
Serious southern Thai cooking at canteen prices, famous for clear tom yum, stink beans and bottled sour curry.
Kai Tod Decha
The halal benchmark for Hat Yai fried chicken, turmeric marinated and showered with crispy fried shallots.
Kan Eng Restaurant
The long running Chinese Thai seafood banquet house Malaysian families book for the big dinner of the trip.
Chen Long Boat Noodle
Small bowls of dark, herb heavy boat noodles ordered in multiples, at among the lowest spends in the city.
The Fish Kitchen
A small seafood Thai kitchen praised for fresh fish and honest prices, between market stall and banquet house.
Bon Khao Restaurant
The sunset occasion dinner with a city panorama, famous for crisp pork knuckle and long group tables.
Nai Roo Restaurant
The seafood connoisseur's smaller alternative to the banquet houses, strong on southern curries and turmeric fish.
Outdoor things to do in Hat Yai
Ton Nga Chang Waterfall
A seven tier waterfall in a wildlife sanctuary west of the city, with swimmable lower pools and a steep upper path.
Samila Beach
Songkhla's pine shaded beach promenade and Golden Mermaid statue, the seaside half of the essential day trip.
Songkhla Old Town
Three streets of Sino European shophouses, street art and old mills in the 200 year old port town.
Tang Kuan Hill
A lift or steep walk to a hilltop chedi between the Gulf and the lake, with the definitive Songkhla view.
Ko Yo
A fishing and weaving island in Songkhla Lake, best looped slowly in late afternoon ending with lakeside seafood.
Koh Lipe
The clear water Andaman island reached via Pak Bara, best as an overnight extension rather than a day trip.
Southern Hills Golf and Country Club
The serious Hat Yai round, 18 holes through a forested valley with water in play throughout.
Hat Yai Resort Golf Club
The scenic round, through former palm plantation against a mountain backdrop on the Ton Nga Chang road.
Best hotels in Hat Yai
Centara Hotel Hat Yai
The city flagship opposite Lee Gardens Plaza, with a pool, spa and the biggest breakfast spread in town.
Buri Sriphu Hotel
The boutique luxury pole of the city, modern and calm near Greenway Night Market, with a pool and strong breakfast.
Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel
The landmark tower in the middle of the night street, booked for position and high floor city views.
Crystal Hotel Hat Yai
A polished mid range tower with city views, the safe pair of hands in the mid band.
TR Rock Hill Hotel
A resort leaning eastern edge hotel with spacious rooms and a well reviewed breakfast, favoured by drivers and golfers.
The Habita Hatyai
A compact, design conscious downtown hotel with consistently warm reviews on a small count.
Red Planet Hat Yai
The branded budget pick near Lee Gardens, compact and no frills; check it is operating, as late 2025 closure reports appeared.
Hadyai Golden Crown Hotel
A simple central Thai business hotel near Kim Yong and Lee Gardens, standing for the cheap downtown tier.
Is Hat Yai expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | THB 1,200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | THB 2,200 a person |
| Splurge | THB 4,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Koh Lipe: a few days ahead
- Southern Hills Golf and Country Club: a few days ahead
- Hat Yai Resort Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Kan Eng Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Malaysian public and school holidays fill Hat Yai before Thai holidays do, so check the Malaysian calendar.
- Songkran and Chinese New Year book the downtown core out weeks ahead.
- Book the Koh Lipe joint minivan and boat ticket at least a day ahead, and confirm boats are running in monsoon months.
Is Hat Yai safe?
- Do not improvise trips into Pattani, Yala or Narathiwat, where attacks are regular and insurance may be invalidated.
- November to December is the severe flood window, with the November 2025 flood the worst in the documented modern record.
- Road traffic is the everyday risk, so wear a helmet, use seatbelts and never ride after drinking.
Hat Yai travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Confirm seafood weight prices and the all in total before anything is cooked.
- Agree tuk tuk fares before the ride, not after.
- Treat elephant riding camps sold as sanctuaries with scepticism, and check park add ons are operating on the day.
Getting around Hat Yai: public transport and more
- Downtown is walkable, with Lee Gardens, Kim Yong and the station within about 15 minutes of each other.
- Songthaews run set routes for a few tens of baht, tuk tuks need a price agreed before boarding, and Grab is the hassle free default.
- Minivans to Songkhla leave frequently from near the Clock Tower, and a car with driver is the local norm for the Songkhla and Ko Yo day.
Who Hat Yai suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Hat Yai your trip
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