I was hit by the travel bug last year and wanted to squeeze in a short trip in November, and use up that vacation leave! After some thinking and scrolling on FB and TT, we eventually decided to take a trip to Hat Yai, Thailand.
Hat Yai is a city located at the south of Thailand, in the Songkhla Province. It is the fifth largest city in Thailand. Because of its close proximity to Malaysia, the vibrant city is a popular travel destination for Malaysians and Singaporeans. We’ve chatted with many Malaysian tourists during our trip. Some of them drive in during the weekends to eat, while others would take the high-speed rail or the normal trains over for a quick getaway. It probably feels similar to how Singaporeans travel to Johor Bahru as well. (Psst, if you are interested in a JB itinerary, click here.)
Our main objective was quite specific this time:
- A city that was far, but relatively near
- One that we could easily find halal food
- A place to relax and easy to get around
- Affordable flights
- Safe enough for two females to travel together
Flight (SIN to HDY)
There were a few budget airlines with flights from Singapore to Hat Yai, namely Scoot, Air Asia, Firefly. While there were promotions, we eventually booked Scoot because of the better timings.
We departed from Changi Airport on Sunday, 12 November and flew for about 1.5 hours to arrive at Hat Yai International Airport in the same afternoon. The immigration area was small, very much like Batam’s immigration at the ferry terminals, with about 4-5 counters opened. Overall, the queue was manageable.
We departed on a Thursday evening, 16 November. Remember to buy food and whatever else you need before you go through the international immigration counters, because there is only a liquor store and goods store at the waiting area before boarding.
Accommodation
Where should I stay in Hat Yai?
Many friends and family recommended Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel Hat Yai. The hotel is located at a very busy street, in the middle of a variety of markets day and night. There is also a Boots and 7-11 in the area, which is super convenient!
The room is quite spacious and provided the basic necessities. The room uses three-pin plugs, so we didn’t use any adaptors in the end. The staff there are super nice, friendly, and attentive, always greeting us with a smile and had chats with us. They are also surprisingly fluent in Malay, so it really felt like a home away from home.
The view is from the room is pretty good too!
The only downside is that the rooms are not fully soundproof, so you can hear people talking and moving about. But as long as you don’t have rude neighbours like we did, this hotel is highly recommended!
Address: 29 Prachathipat Road, Tambon Hat Yai, Amphoe Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Language
Expect to hear the locals speak Thai and see famous Thai celebrities on billboards and every possible product. Since the city is quite far from Bangkok, I did not think there would be a lot of marketing, but I was so wrong. It became a happy problem for me to spot every single ad in Hat Yai with the brand ambassadors that I know of!
I was also super excited to converse in Thai since I learnt it a while back. While it mostly worked out, there was one time that I confidently asked someone where the toilet is, but I realised I could not understand the reply and resorted to body language instead. (I will be better prepared next time!)
There was a small handful that could understand bits of English, but we were pleasantly surprised that Malay is largely used in the tourist areas too.
Time & Weather
Hat Yai is one hour behind Singapore. I would say the weather there is similar to Singapore. It rained a lot when we were there, especially at night, but the nightlife still went on strong.
Getting Around
The general advice is to take the tuk-tuk to nearby places but Grab for further locations. While the municipal says that it is a fixed rate of 20 baht per person within 4km radius of the city center online, the reality is that they charge you at a higher price and you have to negotiate the rates on the spot. Understandably, tuk-tuks in general are not too keen to ferry small groups and would wait for the seats to fill up before moving off.
For 2 pax, it is best to Grab everywhere. The rates are cheaper, and the drivers are generally nice. The songs playing in the car were all vibes too and I just had to add it to my Spotify playlist! One memorable Grab ride was entering a car that was decorated in all pink, including the seat mats and all. I guess the dad was really fond of the daughter who also accompanied the ride at the front. Very cute.
Sometimes, you could also get a tuk-tuk as your Grab!
My average Grab rates during the trip were:
- Airport to hotel: 168 baht (S$6.50)
- Within the city: 60 – 80 baht (S$2.40 – S$3)
- Khlong Hae Floating market/ Big C Supercenter: 70 – 150 baht (S$2.60 – S$5.50)
If you need a private driver, you can approach the hotel staff for more details.
Hat Yai Itinerary
5 days is more than enough to explore Hat Yai’s city centre. If you can eat a lot in one day in this eating haven, 3 days would be ok too.
| Day | Activity | Address | Opening Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sunday | Khlong Hae Floating Market | Khlong Hae, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | Fri – Sun only |
| Saneha Plaza + Hatyai Street Stalls | 45 Thumnoonvithi Rd, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 6pm – 1 am daily | |
| Lee Garden Night Market | 2F4C+9HG, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 6pm – 1 am daily | |
| 2 Monday | Kim Yong Market | ตลาดกิมหยง Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 10am – 6pm daily |
| Kaitod MEENA ไก่ทอดหาดใหญ่มีนา | Thanon Niphatuthit 3, Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 10am – 6pm daily | |
| JK2 Hair Salon | 30 Saneha Nusorn Rd, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 8am – 12am daily | |
| Lee Gardens Plaza Shopping Mall | 2F4C+5MP, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 10.30am – 9pm daily | |
| Bingsu Nom6 halal 우유 หาดใหญ่ | 302 18 Rattakarn Soi 7/3 Rd, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 11.30am – 10.30pm daily | |
| Big C Supercenter Hatyai (Khlong Hae) | หมู่ที่ 4 111/19 Khlong Hae, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 7am – 10pm daily | |
| 3 Tuesday | Hamid Restaurant Hatyai | 73-75 Prachathipat Road, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 7am – 10pm daily |
| Santisuk Market | นิ พั ท ธุ์, Nipatuthit 2 Rd, Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 9am – 7pm daily | |
| Makro Hat Yai | 414 Kanjanavanich Rd, Kho Hong, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 6am – 10pm daily | |
| Central Hatyai | 1518 Kanjanavanich Rd, Kho Hong, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 10am – 9pm daily | |
| ASEAN Night Bazaar Hatyai | 76 Chotevittayakul 3 Rd, Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | closed on Mon 5pm – 10pm | |
| 4 Wednesday | Kai-Tod Decha (Chee Uthit Branch) | 79/7 Thumnoonvithi Rd, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 10.30am – 9pm daily |
| Butterfly hatyai (บัตเตอร์ฟลาย สาขา 1 ) + 7-eleven | 95 6 Rajyindee Rd, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 7am – 8pm daily | |
| Odean Shopping Mall | 79/7 Thumnoonvithi Rd, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 10.30am – 9pm daily | |
| 5 Thursday | Dapor Muslim (ครัวมุสลิม) | 4, 5 Thumnoonvithi Rd, Tambon Hat Yai, Amphoe Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 6am – 6pm daily |
| Robinson Hat Yai + Cafe Amazon | Robinson Hadyai City, Tambon Hat Yai, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand | 9am – 9pm daily |
Things to do in Hat Yai
1. Visit Markets (Talad in Thai)
Hat Yai is quite big on markets both day and night. Day markets sell more dried goods, clothes, accessories etc, while those at night has lots more food options to enjoy.
My top two markets would be Khlong Hae Floating Market and Kim Yong Market.
Floating markets are abundant in Thailand.
Once you arrive at the entrance of the market, you have to walk down the street and across the bridge to get to the riverside. Along this walk, there are many stalls selling shoes, bags, shirts, plants, popsicles and other snacks.
There was a stall selling fried insects as well!
There was also some performances including singers along the bridge, and also traditional performances.
The stray dogs in the area were also super amusing – one minute it was hungry looking for food, and the next minute it fell asleep in the middle of the street without a care for the humans.
It was exceptionally crowded because it was during the Deepavali weekend, but regular visitors shared that Sundays are usually the least crowded out of the three days that the market is opened weekly. The floating market sold food, with the price stated at the front of the boat. Seemed like they were mostly Muslims and could also speak Malay. Price ranges from 20 – 50 baht.
The Khlong Hae floating market is slightly further from the city centre, but it was fun to catch vendors selling Thai street food, drinks & souvenirs from boats. There were also more food stalls, shops, prayer rooms on land.
Kim Yong Market opens early at 8.30am and is full of local vendors selling dried fruits, snacks and peanuts.
If you walked down the street further, there are also affordable clothes, sandals, handbags, socks, utensils etc. You could haggle if you buy in bulk.
Along the walk to the market, there were also many street vendors selling fruits and vegetables, and they looked delicious. So, we bought some and it was sweet. 1kg grapes cost 250 baht (S$9) and mini strawberries cost 100 baht (S$3.75).
Other markets to check out are ASEAN Night Bazaar Hatyai and Santisuk Market. Both were a little boring and predictable, but good to get souvenir t-shirts etc. There was a small thrift stall at the ASEAN Night Bazaar which I got a thick denim long skirt at a steal at only about S$5!
The second level sold Thai food, sushi and lots of drinks too. We tried the beef noodle, and felt the broth was a little sweet, so definitely need the chili!
2. Massage
There are lots of massage shops at every turn, you’ll never run out of options. It is quite empty in the morning and afternoon. We went to JK2 Hair Salon along Saneha Nusorn Rd, which we saw on TikTok for being Muslim-friendly. They did the Thai-styled massage towards the end which was shiok, but you can also tell them to not do it. The full body chair massage took about 1 hour and cost 200 baht (S$7.50).
We also tried a full body massage at another place (the one where you have to lie on a bed). The prices are quite standard, but make sure you confirm the price before going in for the massage so they won’t be able to scam you. One tried to scam us along Prachathipat Road, and even gaslighted us once we entered.
3. Shopping
Central Hatyai
Huge shopping mall with many things to eat and buy. This would probably be my top recommendation to shop at and is also near ASEAN Night Bazaar Hatyai. There was also a small flea market at the mall entrance. Think we bought quite a few things from here like clothes, bags and snacks. Apparently, there is also a shop that sells Gentlewomen bags, but I didn’t see it back then 😥
The mall has A LOT of halal shops. You can spot some at the food court upstairs, restaurants and basement food area! The one viral food was the Toro Fries with sauce options at 139 baht (S$5.20). Their butterfly pea also tasted more flavourful than the ones in SG, and somehow their Thai donuts (or youtiao to me) is a lot softer than the ones back home.
There was also a fair at the atrium, which sold dried seafood that was coated with various spices. A unique souvenir to buy for your older relatives!
Lee Gardens Plaza Shopping Mall
There are some accessories and clothes shops, and a small art gallery. Nothing much to look at, but Boots have a lot of items in stock as compared to the one at Central Hatyai.
Saneha Plaza
Lots of clothes and you can haggle the prices. My mum bought a lot of the clothes here because it was fitting and comfortable.
Odean Shopping Mall
We visited this department-supermarket, and it was meh. Also looks a little rundown.
Robinson Hat Yai
The place had a huge parking lot and was near the train station. There was also a supermarket and food court at the basement. Overall, it is a normal department store. There’s a few cafes on the ground floor as well. If you venture out, there are multiple shophouses and cafes along the same street. Try out Mun Duey Tua too if you are in the area!
4. Supermarkets + Boots + 7-Eleven
My favourite pastime is visiting supermarkets overseas! Big C Supercenter Hatyai (Khlong Hae) was huge, and similar to Giant in Singapore. Interestingly there is a Halal zone, which was easier for us to identify the snacks that we could eat.
If you can only buy one thing here, get the dried mangos! They are made in Thailand and sold in super cheap combo prices and tasted good. Just can’t help buying things here!
Makro Hat Yai has a Yaya standee at the entrance, which already made me extra excited to enter. This is a wholesale centre, so it is much cheaper if you buy items in bulk. There were some snacks that were different here that I didn’t spot at Big C.
Tiktok showed a lot of product recommendations at Boots and 7-Eleven. There were so many items that I bought, especially cause the skincare and makeup products are packaged in sample sizes! Also tried the Gold Princess’s Royal detoxification foot patch, which was as good as the Japan ones.
What to Eat in Hat Yai
Aside from the food mentioned above, here are other options. A general food review is that the food here is really sweet, and it will taste better if you add the condiments in, especially the chili powder.
We had a hard time choosing what to eat at Hatyai Street Stalls because everything looked good. There was seafood, noodles, rice dishes, fruits, and desserts. Eventually, we settled on seafood kerabu glass noodles, mango sticky rice, egg banana Nutella prata, and fruits. They were all priced 100 baht and below.
You can also find freshly peeled petai along the street corners.
Walk one street down to Lee Garden Night Market for even more food options at night. Even though it was raining heavily, the cooks still continue running their stalls. The sheer dedication is amazing. We tried fried kway teow, mango sticky rice, some meat, tom yum, Thai green tea, and hot laicikang. All of them were priced below S$3.
If you visit the place in the morning, the area is actually empty, and you can spot vendors selling clothes and toys instead!
Visit Kaitod MEENA ไก่ทอดหาดใหญ่มีนา if you are looking for an experience. It is a truly hot place as it went viral. The shop is located at the entrance of Kim Yong Market (near the traffic lights), and if you reach early, just take the queue number at the stall first. They will call out your queue number, and only then you can choose whichever fried chicken you want to eat.
We were already number 32 in line before the stall opened. As we waited for about 45 minutes for our turn, people kept giving up and giving away their queue numbers, and we ended up from 32 to 24 to 16. We got a plate of yellow rice with 1 chicken thigh and 1 leg which was about 110 baht (S$4).
Then get a drink from the next stall. Of course, you have to try THE famous pink milk that appears in their dramas!
Try Kai-Tod Decha (Chee Uthit Branch) for another fried chicken experience. This stall is popular for its fried fish and chicken, as well as its foamy Thai milk tea. I’ve heard of people eating at this place multiple times in the same trip, but personally found it average.
If you are looking for meals and desserts in one place, try Bingsu Nom6 halal 우유 หาดใหญ่ and Butterfly hatyai (บัตเตอร์ฟลาย สาขา 1 ). These two places were super tasty. The bingsu is huge and delicious, and so was the tom yum (the level of spiciness and sourness was just right). Even the iced tea tasted so good. We spent about 347 baht (S$13).
There are a few restaurants in the same area as Bingsu Nom6. In addition, head to the main entrance and you will see a fritters stall which sells banana and cempedak fritters.
Also tried the Thai dessert, Luk chup, which is made of green beans. Quite good, and not too sweet.
Butterfly hatyai had a few instagrammable spots so it was lovely to relax and hang out for a while.
The chocolate crepe cake was amazing. The drinks are not too sweet and tasty.
Thought Cafe Amazon also had tasty drinks as well.
Also did not expect for the infamous Oishi Honey Lemon drink to actually be really good?! (IYKYK)
If you are looking at perhaps more familiar tasting dishes, you could try Hamid Restaurant Hatyai and Dapor Muslim (ครัวมุสลิม). Hamid Restaurant is a Muslim-owned restaurant that has western dishes, Malay dishes like nasi lemak and prata as well as Thai food. We tried the crispy prata with meat curry, fish curry and sambal. It does not taste exactly the same as what we were used to, so we thought the sauces were average. We also bought roti bom and Thai steamed bread.
Dapor Muslim is a Muslim-owned eatery which sells Southern Thai cuisine including roasted clams, sour seabass, and beef soup. They also have something like Nasi Padang. It’s a bit far from the city centre though.
Overall, Hat Yai does give a good welcoming vibe. People are great in the sense that they are shy and don’t disturb us and are also helpful if we needed help. There are so many other places we wanted to eat at, but alas our tummies could only stomach that much. Will definitely visit again to try out the rest of tasty food!
Uminsummer 
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