Hat Yai: Thailand’s Southern Soul

Discover a vibrant crossroads where Buddhist temples, Chinese shrines and Malay flavours reveal a city shaped by migration, trade and tradition

Words: Phoowadon Duangmee
Photos: Shutterstock

Just a short drive from Thailand’s southern border with Malaysia, Hat Yai is a favourite with Malaysian and Singaporean visitors – as well as Bangkok-based expats on visa runs. But this bustling city is far more than convenient waypoint. A vibrant blend of Buddhist, Malay and Chinese traditions gives Hat Yai a rich cultural flavour unlike anything you’ll find in Thailand’s better-known tourist hubs.

While most visitors flock to the North’s cool highlands or the South’s sun-drenched beaches, Hat Yai hums to a different tune – melodic calls to prayer, the clatter of steaming dim sum baskets and the slow rhythm of family-run shops that have been around for generations. This is Thailand stripped bare of the tourism gloss: lived-in, layered and deeply local.

A Taste of Hat Yai

At first light, Hat Yai stirs to life. In humble Chinese-Thai eateries, baskets of dim sum steam gently – an everyday rite, not a weekend indulgence. Trolleys rattle past time-worn tables carrying bamboo baskets filled with classics like Shrimp Har Gow, Char Siu Bao, Salted Egg Buns, and hearty bowls of Jok Khai Yiaw Ma (Century Egg Porridge).

Coffee here is kopi – dark, potent and laced with condensed milk. It’s sipped on plastic stools, fuelling morning chatter as friends catch up and locals read newspapers. This daily ritual is the heartbeat of the city.

Then there’s Hat Yai’s famous fried chicken, known locally as Niaw Kai. Golden and peppery, crowned with crispy shallots and served with sticky rice and a tangy dipping sauce in a banana leaf wrap, it’s a must-try street-food staple found at roadside grills and bustling markets.

Exploring the City

Begin your journey at Hat Yai Municipal Park, affectionately known as the Park of Happiness. Sprawling across a forested hillside, this lush space offers more than just green sanctuary – it’s a wonderland of temples, sculptures and sweeping views.

Hop on the cable car for a sightseeing ride up Khao Hong Hill, where the 20-metre-tall golden Buddha – Phra Phutthamongkol Maharat – stands overlooking the city as its majestic and tranquil guardian. Climb the stairway through the dragon’s mouth to reach the hilltop Chinese shrine, or seek out the four-faced Brahma shrine tucked within the complex.

But to truly understand Hat Yai, you need to dive headfirst into its bazaars. Kim Yong Market, in the heart of town, thrums with cross-border energy. Dried seafood from Songkhla mingles with herbal tonics and sweets from Malaysia. Thai, Hokkien and Malay phrases pepper the air, punctuated with the clang of weighing scales and cries of vendors.

A little further north, Khlong Hae Floating Market sets sail every weekend as the South’s only waterborne market. vendors in traditional garb serve up grilled prawns, herbal drinks and colourful Thai desserts from wooden boats. Plastic is notably absent, replaced with bamboo straws and coconut shells that keep the waterway pristine.

When midday hunger strikes, southern Thai cuisine steps in with bold, fiery flavours and fragrant herbs. Try local specialities like turmeric root, galangal, and lemongrass, or Mee Kaeng Poo, a spicy crab curry served over delicate rice noodles. For something milder, massaman curry delivers a rich, nutty warmth layered with tender meat and aromatic spices.

Modern Hat Yai reveals itself in unexpected corners and places like Lorem Ipsum Space, a restored Sino-European building that now houses a hybrid café, art gallery, and micro-cinema. Terrazzo floors and minimalist furnishings frame rotating exhibitions and film screenings, attracting the city’s growing creative set.

Across the city, other independent cafés echo this mix of old and new, where Thai tea meets matcha lattes and antique radios share space with film cameras.

Cultural Touchstones

Hat Yai’s temples tell the story of a city shaped by migration and faith. On Suphasarnrangsan Road, Wat Chue Chang dazzles with five tiers of Mahayana architecture, dragon motifs, cerematic murals, dragon motifs, and a towering statue of the thousand-armed Guan Yin. Blending Chinese, Thai, and Tibetan styles, the temple is a kaleidoscope of shrines to the goddess of compassion and the 60 zodiac guardians.

Nearby, one of Thailand’s largest reclining Buddhas rests at Wat Mahattamangkalaram, also known as Wat Hat Yai Nai. Stretching 35 metres in length and rising 15 metres high, Phra Phuttha Mahatta Mongkhon lies in serene repose inside a cavernous hall. Outside, a traditional pavilion adorned with stucco Thepanom figures and a seven-headed Naga boat offers quiet moments of reflection.

Beyond Hat Yai

Hat Yai is also a gateway to lesser-known gems in southern Thailand. To the east, the golden domes and vast reflecting pool of the Central Mosque of Songkhla shimmer under twilight skies. Dubbed the “Taj Mahal of Thailand”, this hub of devotion and tranquil beauty welcomes all.

North of the city lies the Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary, graced with the seven-tiered “Elephant Tusk” waterfall, where rocks split the stream into two ivory cascades. Gentle trails and basic facilities make it an easily accessible half-day nature escape.

Just 30 kilometres east, Songkhla Old Town offers a slower rhythm of nostalgia and local charm. Once a bustling port connecting China and the Malay Peninsula, its streets are now a mosaic of pastel shophouses, lantern-lit alleys and weathered temple gates.

Take a stroll down Nang Ngam Road, where art collectives and noodle shops share space in historic buildings. Don’t miss the Red Rice Mill, a former granary now home to exhibitions and community events – a doorway to Songkhla’s storied past.

As the day winds down, head to the lakeside and watch locals cast their fishing lines as the sun melts into the water. Don’t miss the chance to try Pu Phad Phong Karee (curry crab stir fry) or Tom Yum Talay (spicy seafood soup) from one of the family-run kitchens on the shore.

Hat Yai may lack the instant wow-factor of a beach or royal palace, but it rewards the curious. Come not to tick boxes, but to pause in a place that sits serene at the crossroads of faiths, flavours and histories – and embraces them all with vibrant grace.