Hat Yai (frequently spelled Had Yai) is the largest city in southern
Thailand, located near the border of Malaysia and populated by nearly
800,000 Thais. Hat Yai is located in Songkhla Province and, while not
the provincial capital, is home to The Prince of Songkhla University,
making it Southern Thailand’s educational center as well as the south’s
heart of transportation, commerce, and tourism.Among other things, Hat
Yai is renowned for its outstanding seafood, which is served in various
styles thanks to Hat Yai’s diverse population of Chinese, Malays, and
Thais. Hat Yai also features a multitude of markets, both local and
international in style, and has a festive nightlife, including pubs and
discos that are particularly popular with tourists from neighboring
Malaysia. While there have been occasional violent attacks from regional
terror groups, Hat Yai is a relatively safe city to visit, particularly
if one avoids the most crowded tourist venues and enjoys the local
flavor of the city and the culture of its diverse inhabitants.
The populous city of Hat Yai, the largest in Songkhla Province,
is Southern Thailand’s commercial, shopping, and entertainment center.
Hat Yai is located roughly 950 km (600 miles) from Bangkok and just 30
km (18.5 miles) from the Malaysian border. Consequently it is a
popular destination for visitors from Malaysia, who enjoy dining on
seafood and experiencing Hat Yai’s lively nightlife. Regional
attractions include Songkhla Lake (the largest in Thailand), an enormous
reclining Buddha that visitors can walk inside, the Bhasawang Big
Splash (a 15 meter long water slide), and the region’s most popular
spectator sport, bullfighting.
