Hat Yai

Welcome to the urban hub of southern Thailand where Western-style shopping malls mingle with wafts of Cantonese street eats and curry from the eclectic range of busy street-food stalls as Old Chinese men sit and watch the world go by on rickety chairs outside junk shops. It's a mix of busy city and laid-back tropics and Hat Yai has long been a favourite stop for Malaysian men on their weekend hooker tour. You'll notice that the town's tourism scene is still predominantly Malaysian mixed with a few Western expats. Come evenings, Hat Yai's cosy pubs and bouncing clubs come into their own.