Hat Yai & Songkhla

Southern Thailand's commercial hub: Hat Yai's night markets, floating market and fried chicken, plus Songkhla's old-town shophouses, the Samila Beach mermaid and Ko Yo in Songkhla Lake, a favorite with Malaysian visitors.

Hat Yai and Songkhla are in Songkhla Province in southern Thailand, about 950 km south of Bangkok and about 60 km north of the Malaysian border. Hat Yai is the largest commercial city in southern Thailand, known for Kim Yong Market, its night markets, Hat Yai fried chicken and Chinese dim sum, and is a weekend shopping and food destination for visitors from Malaysia and Singapore. About 30 km away, Songkhla is the provincial seat, set between the Gulf of Thailand and Songkhla Lake, with the Samila Beach mermaid statue, the Khao Tang Kuan viewpoint, old-town shophouses and the National Museum. The classic itinerary: stay in Hat Yai; on day one visit the reclining Buddha at Wat Hat Yai Nai, the Guanyin statue in Municipal Park and Kim Yong Market, then head to Khlong Hae Floating Market on a weekend evening; on day two go to Songkhla to see the mermaid statue, climb Khao Tang Kuan and cycle the old town, then cross the Tinsulanonda Bridge to Ko Yo for lake seafood and the Folklore Museum. If you have time, add Ton Nga Chang Waterfall. Getting there: Hat Yai International Airport has flights from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere, and the train from Bangkok takes about 15–17 hours; minibuses run between Hat Yai and Songkhla. The northeast monsoon brings heavy rain from Oct to Dec, and low-lying parts of Hat Yai have suffered severe flooding several times, so monitor warnings when traveling in the rainy season; the best time is Jan–Apr. A few districts in southeastern Songkhla Province are affected by the unrest in the Deep South, so check the latest travel advisories before going. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Samila Beach & Golden Mermaid – A casuarina-lined beach north of Songkhla city, where the golden mermaid bronze on the rocks is Songkhla's most famous landmark.
• Songkhla Old Town – An old town where Sino-Portuguese arcaded shophouses, Chinese clan houses and street murals coexist, best explored by bike along three old…
• Khlong Hae Floating Market – A canal floating market that opens on weekend evenings, selling southern Thai street food from small boats. It is Hat Yai's most popular ni…
• Hat Yai Municipal Park – A large park at the foot of Khao Kho Hong Hill, with a giant Guanyin statue, a bronze Buddha and a four-faced Buddha, offering views over a…
• Wat Hat Yai Nai – A temple housing a gold reclining Buddha about 35 metres long. Visitors can enter the base beneath the Buddha, a must-see temple in Hat Yai.
• Ko Yo – A hilly island in Songkhla Lake, linked by the Tinsulanon Bridge, known for hand-woven textiles, lakeside seafood restaurants and lake view…
• Folklore Museum, Institute for Southern Thai Studies – A southern Thai folklore museum on Ko Yo’s hillside with a rich collection. The top terrace overlooks Songkhla Lake and the bridge.
• Tang Kuan Hill – A small hill north of Songkhla town with a white pagoda on top. Take the inclined lift to the summit for views over the bay and Songkhla La…
• Songkhla National Museum – A museum in a Chinese-style mansion built in 1878, displaying southern Thai archaeology, ceramics and art.
• Wat Matchimawat (Wat Klang) – A temple at the heart of Songkhla’s old town with about 400 years of history, fine ordination hall murals and a small museum on site.
• Songkhla Zoo – A large hillside zoo with rolling terrain, best explored by car or the park’s shuttle vehicles.
• Ton Nga Chang Waterfall – A seven-tier waterfall in the Thung Ai Chang wildlife sanctuary west of Hat Yai. Two streams side by side resemble a pair of ivory tusks, w…
• Kim Yong Market – Hat Yai’s oldest market in the city centre, packed with dried goods, snacks, imported products and fried chicken.
• Greenway Night Market – A large open-air night market in Hat Yai with southern Thai snacks, seafood barbecue and clothing stalls at affordable prices.
• Laem Son On & Naga Statue – A pine-shaded headland at the northern end of Samila Beach, with a huge Naga serpent-head fountain sculpture that has become a popular phot…

Where to eat

• Chokdee Dim Sum – One of Hat Yai's most iconic morning tea spots, serving self-selected, freshly steamed dim sum paired with Bak Kut Teh…
• Kiat Fang – A historic Hainanese family-run shop on Nang Ngam Road in Songkhla Old Town. Founded in 1937, it is famous for its stew…
• Kai Tod Decha – A legendary halal fried chicken institution in Hat Yai. The fried chicken is topped with crispy fried shallots and trad…