Hatyai!
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Information gathered from here
Introduction
As you enter Thailand by road from Malaysia at the Dannok border crossing there is a large sign warning of the dangers of HIV and AIDS.
If you can't live without art galleries or other forms of cultural stimulation then Hat Yai probably isn't for you. Better choices might be New York, Paris or London.
These things tend to say quite a lot about how Hat Yai is seen by many people. But is there more to Hat Yai than just a place for sexually frustrated Malaysian and Singaporean males to get their rocks off for the weekend?
Malaysians view Hat Yai as southern Californians might view Tijuana or Brits might view Amsterdam. It is close enough to visit for a weekend, it's cheap relative to Malaysia, and it's fun. Groups of Malaysian girls come to shop, families come for weekend breaks and groups of men come to mess around with Thai girls (or Thai boys). The Malaysian visitors are mostly of Chinese ethnicity but Muslims and Indians also arrive.
In addition to Chinese Malaysian tourists, Hat Yai sees quite a few Chinese Singaporean tourists who come for basically the same reasons but have to travel a little further. With the recent advent of Tiger Airways, a Singapore-based budget airline offering cheap flights to Hat Yai, I suspect the number of Singaporean tourists will start to increase.
Weather
Southern Thailand is hot all year round. Sometimes it's just hot, other times it's very hot and occasionally it's very, very hot. The humidity can get quite high too. They told me the hot season was March and April and in true Thai fashion that wasn't exactly a lie but it also wasn't quite the truth. March and April were indeed very hot but so was January, February, May, June, July, August, September ....
Unlike northern Thailand, Hat Yai doesn't get cold at night in the 'cool' season. In all my time spent living in Hat Yai I have never once needed any article of warm clothing.
The rainy season varies slightly from year to year but fairly regular light rain appears to arrive around September. October through to January can be very wet causing the floods which affect Hat Yai occasionally. By February it's getting damn hot again ready for the full-blown hot season.
Be prepared for anything though. The winter of 2004/2005 was very dry - so dry in fact that over 50 Thai provinces were affected by drought conditions. At any time of year it can be very hot and/or very wet.
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When To Go
Hat Yai doesn't have a high and low season tourist as such. It's not like Phuket, for example, where there are huge crowds between November and March and it is quieter the rest of the year. The Malaysian/Singaporean tourist trade stays fairly constant year round but as they tend to visit at weekends there is a definite pattern each week.
Central Hat Yai on a Saturday or Sunday looks very different compared to Monday mornings after most of the Malaysians have gone home. If you are planning to stay for a short visit and can time your arrival to fall on a Sunday or Monday it's a good idea (provided the previous weekend isn't a Malaysian public holiday). If you arrive on a Friday or Saturday, hotel vacancies will be more difficult to find.
With regard to the time of year you visit, see my comments above about the weather. To summarise though, February through to September is very hot while October through to January is still hot but can be very wet. October and November appear to be about the two most comfortable months - temperature wise - but this period is subject to heavy downpours which can be a little disruptive. -
Accomodation
Busy Periods
Hat Yai is a rest and recreation resort for Malaysians mainly but also for Singaporeans. They tend to come for the weekend and the town starts to get busy on a Thursday. Fridays and Saturdays can be manic but there is a distinct difference on Monday mornings after most of them have gone home.
Malaysian public holidays are also another busy time. I mention this because depending when you arrive will affect how easy it is to find a decent place to stay. There are so many hotel rooms in Hat Yai that it will always possible to find somewhere to stay but what is available may not be exactly what you had in mind.
Most visitors are Chinese. Malaysians make up the bulk followed by Singaporeans but there are a growing number from Hong Kong and mainland China. Because of this, Chinese New Year can get quite busy.
Travel Agent Discounts
You might think that if a travel agent was selling hotel rooms they would add their commission and make it more expensive than going direct to the hotel. Right?
Not necessarily. Travel agents around Hat Yai can sometimes offer significant savings on hotel rates at hotels just a few yards away. Find a hotel you like and ask what the rate is. Then go to a travel agent, such as Konsortium who are located opposite Lee Gardens Plaza, and ask them what rate they can give you on the same hotel. It will probably be cheaper. Bear in mind though that the rate quoted by the hotel may include breakfast for two whereas the travel agent price may not. Make sure you find out exactly what is included and then work out what suits you best.
If you use a travel agent to book a room you pay the agent who will give you a voucher which you then take to the hotel. It's a simple way to save money.
*Where I stayed when i visited Hatyai in April 2006 :
Golden Crown Hotel
Address: 12/8 Pracharak Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Telephone: +66 (0)74 246777
Fax: +66 (0)74 247188
Rate: Standard rooms Bt780, Deluxe rooms Bt1,280
Comments: Thais aren't big on maintenance. New buildings look fine but after a few years they start to look a real mess. Exteriors rarely get repainted and hotel rooms can start looking decidedly dirty.
This isn't a problem with new hotels of course and at the time of writing the Golden Crown hotel is one of Hat Yai's newest, only opening its doors for business at the start of 2005. It opened during a depressed business period in Hat Yai, mainly due to the problems in the south and when I looked it is possible that some rooms hadn't even been used.
The standard rooms are a good size and everything looks and smells new, as would be expected. In time the Malaysians will put cigarette burns everywhere but for now it looks great. The new carpets are spotless and have that spring in them that old carpets lose over time.
The hotel has 102 rooms. Seven of those are classified as deluxe rooms and cost Bt500 a night more. They are slightly bigger with bigger bathrooms but are not quite suites as can found in some of the larger hotels in Hat Yai. To be honest I didn't think they are worth Bt500 more. Maybe Bt100 or Bt200 more for that little extra breathing space, but not Bt500.
The hotel is well located, being close to both Lee Gardens and the food vendors on Suphasarnrangsan. It is very close to the junction of Pracharak and Suphasarnrangsan roads.
- for more info on accomodation, click here -
Food
Hat Yai doesn't have a fraction of the dining choices Bangkok has to offer but it's not bad. What always happens is that supply matches demand when it comes to food (and everything else). Hat Yai doesn't see many farang tourists, which is one aspect I like about the town, but the result is that good, authentic farang food is limited.
It's not like being in Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya where, for instance, large numbers of German expats means that great bread is available.
Hat Yai itself has a large Chinese-Thai population and the majority of visitors from Malaysia and Singapore are also of Chinese descent. Consequently, there are many Chinese restaurants.
For farang visitors used to the Westernised Chinese food they eat at home, the Chinese food in Asia is quite different. There is a lot of offal involved and personally I am not keen on it. The Chinese are also fond of eating endangered species so sharks fin soup and birds nest soup feature in many restaurants.
Muslim restaurants in Hat Yai - Click for larger imageSongkhla, being one of the Southern provinces, also has a large Muslim population so there are many Muslim restaurants. These are poles apart from the Chinese restaurants, Muslims not being allowed to eat Chinese favourites such as pork, frog or snake.
The Muslim restaurants sell Halal food and offer a variety of cuisines - Thai, Malaysian and Indian. They are found everywhere around Hat Yai but certain areas seem to have higher concentrations. There is a cluster of Muslim restaurants around the junction of Thanon Niyomrat and Niphat Uthit 1 Road.
Dim Sum is another Chinese favourite and restaurants selling it can be found everywhere around Hat Yai. Most restaurants charge 10 Baht for each dish except the larger places in central Hat Yai which cater to tourists and charge 12 Baht. It's commonly eaten for breakfast and some places are only open from 6am to 11am but others stay open all day.
The Dim Sum dishes are pre-prepared and kept refrigerated. Once a customer has selected some dishes they are put in a small cane basket (pictured) and heated up on a special steamer device. The baskets are piled up and a metal lid is put on the top to prevent the steam from escaping.
American junk food has become popular in Asia so there are the usual chain restaurants in town to satisfy these tastes. MacDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut are all prominently located at Lee Gardens Plaza right in the centre of town. These places are also very popular with the Thais who have probably become fed up being slim and healthy as a result of eating Thai food.
- for more info on where and what to eat, click here -
Shopping
Bargains do exist but maybe not for things you were expecting. There are lots of vendors on the streets and at the local markets but I would not describe this scene as offering good shopping. The clothes, sunglasses, luggage, etc. that they sell is generally poor quality and won't last very long. The goods aren't actually that cheap either.
On the other hand the big department stores in Hat Yai are very good. Robinson is fine but Central is probably the best. They have buying departments who check for value and quality and what they sell is normally pretty good. If you have a problem with anything you buy you can get it fixed or changed. What may come as a surprise is that the department stores are normally cheaper than the street vendors.
Carrefour
Address: Phetkasem Road
Comments: Carrefour (the Thais pronounce it 'car-foo') is the latest superstore to hit Hat Yai and it will put a dent in the profits of rivals Big C and Tesco Lotus. It seems to be even bigger than its rivals and of course it is a lot newer. It is really a shopping mall rather than a single store.
Apart from the main supermarket there are the usual shops and restaurants outside plus a few new ones. Just inside the entrance are several stalls selling handicrafts from various OTOP (One Tambon One Product) initiatives.
There is also a large 'HomePro' store selling everything for the home from towels, mats, lighting and electrical appliances to complete bathrooms.
Being located on the Phetkasem Road there are hundreds of sawng-thaews going past every day thus making it an extremely easy place to get to from both Hat Yai and Songkhla if you don't have a car.
It draws farangs like a magnet. I rarely see another farang in Hat Yai but see loads whenever I go. There are obviously a lot more farangs secreted away in Songkhla province than I thought and they all shop at Carrefour apparently.
Central Department Store
Address: Sanehanusorn Road (opposite Lee Gardens Plaza)
Comments: In my opinion, this is the best place to shop in Hat Yai. The ground floor (street level) sells cosmetics and women's clothing. (Keep an eye out for the young lad working there with the sculpted hair. His hairstyle creation is a work of art and must take him hours to do every morning.)
On other floors are men's clothes, household goods (some very nice stuff), kid's clothes, electrical goods and a book department with a coffee bar. Downstairs in the basement is a TOPS supermarket which has good food and above the department store is the Novotel Central Sukhonta hotel, probably the best hotel in Hat Yai.
The quality of goods is excellent and there is always something on sale. Tourists are given a 5% discount just by asking or by producing a discount card that can be obtained for free at the customer service desk.
I generally haven't had a problem with anything I've bought at Central but in case there is everything is guaranteed. The most surprising aspect about Central is that despite looking like an expensive store and offering good quality merchandise with a guarantee, a lot of items are cheaper than in the local street markets.
On the second floor is a branch of Western Union where the local booking girls go to collect the money their 'tee-ruks' from Malaysia and Singapore have sent to keep them faithful.
Robinson Department Store
Address: Thamanoonvithee Road (very near to the railway station)
Comments: I would rate Robinson the second best department store after Central. It's not quite as upmarket as Central but has a good selection of clothes, household and electrical goods. There are some restaurants and a food centre inside as well as a cinema. -
Nightlife
Everyone has their own idea about what is fun to do when the sun goes down. Hat Yai has a selection of different activities which should suit most tastes. I'll attempt to explain some broad categories and then give details of a few actual venues.
There isn't a huge amount on this page but it's not because there aren't a lot of venues; there are. It's because there isn't much variety or sophistication. The 'No Bra' bar (Chamois Members' Club as it is was but now the Florida Cafe) is about as sophisticated as it gets in Hat Yai but who am I to complain about being served beer by semi-naked Thai girls?
Many of the big hotels have house bands playing typical lounge music with pretty girl singers wearing evening dresses. Some have several hostess girls who take it in turns to sing. For younger Thais and Westerners there are typical Thai-style pubs with house bands banging out raunchier music.
Attached to a few hotels are disco-style night clubs but to be honest I've never had the inclination or been inquisitive enough to take a look.
One area of town, Thai Akarn Road to be precise, caters for boys who like boys - or maybe girls who like boys? I've been told it's not just Malaysian men who come to Hat Yai to rent Thai girls, but also that Malaysian women visit to rent Thai boys. I don't think the boys on sale worry about what sex their customers are as long as they pay their money. Thai boys - in fact, boys from anywhere - have never done much for me so this is not an area of Hat Yai's nightlife I have explored.
Several places have what they bill as 'Sexy Shows' but these tend to be quite tame compared to what you might see in Bangkok or Pattaya and just consist of pretty girls in various states of undress parading around. The prostitution scene ranges from dingy little 'Karaoke' bars in three equally seedy areas of town to huge, newly-built bathhouse brothels with thick carpets and plush upholstery.
Pink Lady Complex
Address: 24/11-12 Sanehusorn Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110.
Telephone: 074 230960-4
Fax: 074 235218
Comments: When I started on this page I didn't even consider adding Pink Lady for a long time but it is probably one of the best known night spots for visiting males so I can't really ignore it. I've been a few times and it's exactly what I expected it to be.
Pink Lady is described as a 'complex' not because it is sophisticated in any way, shape or form but because there are various forms of entertainment there. These forms of entertainment have a fairly common theme though and are not really designed to attract visiting women.
It's a hotel for a start and, like many hotels in Hat Yai, it has a traditional Thai massage shop. But it also offers more than other hotels in town. As far as I am aware, it is the only hotel in town that has an in-house bath and massage facility. This consists of the standard goldfish bowl arrangement with numbered girls sitting behind the glass divided into two groups. This particular goldfish bowl even features pictures of tropical fish on the walls behind to complete the goldfish bowl effect.
A group of girls on one side are considered more attractive than those on the other side and are thus more expensive. They go for Bt1,600 whereas the girls considered less attractive go for Bt1,300. After selecting a girl the service they provide is performed in rooms with beds and large bathtubs.
In the same area as the goldfish bowl is a bar and lots of bargirls. This is actually quite unusual for Hat Yai. It's a very common scene in farang tourist areas of Thailand but not such a big thing in Hat Yai. The girls engage customers in conversation, smile sweetly and request that drinks be bought for them. The format is no different to similar places in Bangkok and Phuket but perhaps the girls aren't quite so cynical in Hat Yai?
Downstairs is a large café area with a stage. In the evenings it becomes home to about 70 girls. These girls are technically employees but they don't receive salaries. They go on to the stage individually or in small or large groups to perform song and dance routines to Karaoke music. There is no live band. Some of the girls look like they are having fun but others look totally dejected and just go through the motions with sour looks on their faces.
When they aren't on stage they mingle with male guests at their tables. The girls are only there to make money which they do in various ways. They get the men to buy them garlands of flowers or drinks. The flowers are bought to show appreciation for their singing prowess or just to indicate that a man is interested. Of course, the girls are also available to go with the men provided enough money is offered.
The last time I visited was while showing a couple of male visitors around. Most of the clientele are Malaysian but there was a British guy in there who thought it was wonderful and of course had a prostitute sitting on his lap. The more time I spend in Thailand the more baffling it is to me what men see in these girls especially when there are so many beautiful and respectable Thai girls around who don't lie, deceive or sleep with hundreds of other men. -
Sakura Hotel Hostess Café
Address: Sakura Hotel, Niphat Uthit 3 Road
Comments: As far as hostess venues in Hat Yai go, this is quite 'high class'. There are some very attractive girls employed who will sit with male customers very demurely, smiling and laughing at their jokes. A few hours in here is not cheap though (by Thai standards).
The girls encourage their male customers to buy them garlands of flowers which are available at the bar or from any waitress. The suggested minimum price is Bt200 and very kindly they do not impose a maximum - you can pay as much as you like and they won't refuse. This is just a symbolic way of handing over money and the girls will perform Karaoke songs as a sign of appreciation.
Extracting money from tourists is an art form in Thailand which has been perfected here. I was caught outside one evening by a not-too-ugly girl who was working there. She wanted me to go inside with her but I knew it would be expensive and I also knew my girlfriend wouldn't be too impressed if she knew what I was up to.
I eventually agreed to go in for one beer which I was told would be Bt130. In addition to my beer I bought the girl a drink, a drink for her friend and a garland for her. I then had to tip the two people who had taken control of my beer and insisted on pouring it for me, as this was obviously something I couldn't manage myself, and when I came to dispose of some of the beer I had just drunk I had to tip the guy in the toilet who turned on the tap for me and handed me a towel. I'm sure he would have held my willy too while I relieved myself but I convinced him I could do that part myself.
That one beer turned out to be quite expensive - more like Bt1,000 than Bt130 - but the venue isn't aimed at 'kee niaow' (stingy) farangs like me. They prefer Malaysian and Singaporean businessmen who have money to throw around and don't care about the expense. The pretty hostesses are available to rent for the night if required. Their good looks and elegant appearance are reflected in their nightly rates.
Supply outstrips demand most nights. I have walked past some evenings and seen only one or two Malaysian men inside absolutely surrounded by girls all trying to get their share of the pie. It's been quite amusing to watch.
- for more info on the Hatyai nightlife, click here