Hat Yai Thailand

Hat Yai Thailand, almost 1000 kilometers south of Bangkok and just 50 kilometers from the border with Malaysia, is a place quite a few tourists find themselves as they travel between the two countries.

To see details of accommodation in the city, as well as a map of the city, go HERE.

To see details of transport to and from the city, go to THIS PAGE.

Being close to Malaysia, easy trade has created a thriving shopping area in Hat Yai with many market stalls on its streets - look out for the cheap cashew and pistachio nut stalls (260 baht/kilo) that are much more numerous than in other towns.

View of Hat Yai from the pagoda, east of the center

Hat Yai, Thailand, is certainly a place you can while away a few days - it has a busy feel that is quite captivating and a wide choice of restaurants.

However, the preponderance of massage parlors and dubious karaoke places lends the city a certain seedy feel. Because of its proximity to Malaysia, many Malaysian men make the trip over for Thailand's liberal 'entertainment' laws.

What the city also lacks that many Thai cities have is a park in the town center so it can feel a bit claustrophobic in the city, especially at rush-hour traffic.

The large Buddha that overlooks the city, above Hat Yai Municipal Park

Hat Yai Municipal Park, 5 kilometers from the city center, makes up for this somewhat - it's a lovely park where you can go boating on the lake there. The most memorable thing about the city for me is a huge 20 or so meter Buddha, standing hundreds of meters above the park. Many locals make their

The pagoda, 2km east of the center

The many attractive hills around the city would surely keep keen walkers content, although, aside from the 'Buddha hill', I didn't make it to any myself.

West across the train tracks is Wat Hat Yai Nai, which houses the third largest reclining Buddha in the world. It's huge! - some 30 meters, and has an interesting face, giving different expressions depending on the angle you look from.

The huge reclining Buddha at Wat Hat Yai Nai

2 kilometers east of the center is a very high Pagoda at Mahapanya Vidayalai, standing next to another large Buddha. An ordered crowd of hundreds of gold-coloured monks look up to Buddha to create a fascinatingly surreal scene. Journey up the many steps of the pagoda for a rewarding view over the city.

View over Hat Yai and surrounding hills from the 'Buddha on a Hill'

The south of Thailand is where most of the country's Muslims reside - Hat Yai's population is about 40 percent Muslim - the town has a different feel to most Thai towns - not just from the mosques seen aside Buddhist temples and the conservative dress of many ladies, but also the cooking smells from the Muslim restaurants and homes - something I'm struggling to find the words for, but if you've traveled to Malaysia or Indonesia, you might know what I mean!

To see more pictures of Hat Yai Thailand, go to THIS PAGE.

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