Parks and the outdoors in Hat Yai

Parks and the outdoors in Hat Yai

1. See

   Hat Yai Park

   สวนสาธารณะเทศบาลเมืองหาดใหญ่

   The city's municipal park is 6 km from the city centre. It is a major recreational centre for the people of Hat Yai and surrounding areas. The park is full of beautiful flowering plants, with a pavilion in the middle of the pond, aviarium, and food stalls. At the foot of the hill near the aviarium stands the statue of King Rama V. There is a Brahman shrine at the hilltop. And at the southern foothill near the Boy Scout camp stands the jade statue of Guanyin (กวนอิม Kuan-im), the Chinese Goddess. The park covers rather vast area with several attractions far apart. Walking between places is not recommended unless you have a full day and stamina to do lots of walking up and down hills. The road in some spots can be pretty steep and winding as well.

   Daily·No admission charge

2. See

   Khu Khut Waterfowl Park

   อุทยานนกน้ำคูขุด

   You can hire a boat for birdwatching (200 baht/hr) and have a pleasant meal at the restaurants beside the serene lake. The best time to visit is during Dec-Mar.

   Free admission

3. Buy

   Lee Gardens Plaza

   The most popular mall for Thai teenagers. Restaurants include Sizzler, Swensen's, McDonald's, and Fuji among others. Shops inside sell books, clothes, mobile phones, and souvenirs. There is a multiplex cinema and a games complex which also includes karaoke booths.

4. See

   Ton Nga Chang Waterfall

   น้ำตกโตนงาช้าง

   The waterfall is in the Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of the beautiful waterfalls in the south, about 26 km from the city. This waterfall has seven levels. The third level is the most beautiful and is named after the waterfall. At the third level the stream separates into two, resembling an elephant's tusks. One can hire a tuk-tuk to the waterfall for two to three hours at 300-400 baht, or one can take the minibus from the fresh market (ตลาดสดเทศบาลหาดใหญ่ Talat Sot Thesaban Hat Yai).

5. See Not mapped

   Hat Yai Midnight Songkran

   เทศกาลสงกรานต์หาดใหญ่

   The festival marks Thai New Year, which is traditionally celebrated during 13-15 Apr. The most prominent part of the festival is blessing people with sprinkles of water. As you can guess, this devolves into massive water fights. The main activities are held near/around Odean Shopping Mall and Lee Garden Plaza, including foam party, free concert, and Songkran beauty contest.

6. See Not mapped

   Loi Krathong

   วันลอยกระทง

   Festival to pay respect to the river by floating beautifully decorated krathong (กระทง). It usually incorporates a Nang Noppamas (นางนพมาศ) beauty competition where contestants dress in Thai traditional costume. The festival is held on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month.

7. Drink Not mapped

   Oceania

   A beautiful open-air restaurant and bar set on 2 floors with a landscaped garden of waterfalls and palms, and soft lighting. The kitchen is open until well after 02:00, serving decent Thai food at around 100 baht a dish. A large Heineken is 90 baht, with draft available also. The theme is quiet and romantic, ideal after an hour or two in the disco nearby. Live acoustic music is inflicted on diners every night until 24:00.

   Closes when last customer leaves, about 04:00

8. Do Not mapped

   Thai Massage

   No trip to Thailand would be complete without a Thai massage and Hat Yai is one of the best places to get one. Some of the many good places would be Garden Home Hotel or Hat Yai Central Hotel. The rooms are nicely decorated and provide a soothing environment to go with a good massage. Ask the doorman at any good hotel for a recommendation if you want to avoid the more dodgy places.

9. See

   Khao Nam Khang National Park

   อุทยานแห่งชาติเขาน้ำค้าง

   The park has two waterfalls: Ton Dat Fa and Ton Lat Fa.

   Daily 08:00-17:00

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Hat Yai (CC BY-SA 4.0).