Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
around 40 minutes, and leave from Th Ramwithi.
Sŏrng·tăa·ou
also leave from here for
Ko Yo.
TRAIN
From Songkhla you'll have to go to Hat Yai to reach most long-distance destinations in
the south (trains no longer pass through town).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Hat Yai
POP 191,696
Welcome to the urban hub of southern Thailand where Western-style shopping malls
mingle with wafts of curry from the incredible range of busy street food stalls. Teenagers
text each other between shopping and coffee shops and old Chinese men sit and watch the
world go by on rickety chairs outside their junk shops - it's a lively mix of busy city and
laid-back tropics. The town has long been a favourite stop for Malaysian men on their
weekend hooker tours and you'll notice that the town's tourism scene is still predomin-
antly Malaysian mixed with a few Western expats. An evening bar scene includes cosy
pubs and bouncing discos.
The town is often said to be safe from the violent hullabaloo of the far south, however it
hasn't been ignored. On March 31, 2012 the Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel was bombed,
killing three people and injuring 400. In the past banks, malls and the airport have been
targeted in more minor incidents. It's up to you if you want to stop here, but changing
transport shouldn't be too risky. Those who get out and explore will be rewarded with
some of the best food in the region and the dynamic flavour of the big smoke of southern
Thailand.
Sleeping & Eating
Hat Yai has dozens of business-style hotels in the town centre, within walking distance of
the train station. The city is the unofficial capital of southern Thailand's cuisine, offering
Muslim roti and curries, Chinese noodles, duck rice and dim sum, and fresh Thai-style
seafood from both the gulf and Andaman coasts. You'll find hawker stalls everywhere but
a particularly good hunting ground is along Th Supasarnrangsan. Meals here cost between
25B to 80B.
