Fun fact! It is very cheap to travel to Hatyai by train from Penang. When you take a ferry across to Penang Sentral, it is free! The train ride to Hatyai will only cost you less than RM 20 per person. Sure, there are many more activities in Bangkok. But, if you are looking for a weekend getaway, Hatyai will be perfect. To help you plan your itinerary, we are listing out 10 Best Things To Do In Hatyai, Thailand.
10 Best Things To Do In Hatyai, Thailand.
1. Explore A Market
There are so many markets for you to visit in Hatyai! It will probably take you two days just to finish all of them. If you are planning to get some cheap food and clothes, you will need to head down to Asian Trade Weekend Market, and Greenway Food Station. Asian Trade Weekend Market is made out of rows and rows of retail stores consisting of clothes and knick-knacks!
There are food on the second floor as well. It is the same for Greenway Food Station, there are rows and rows of things for you to see! Greenway Food Station uses a cashless system for their food, which is pretty cool! If you are up for a Bangkok vibe, you need to head down to Khlong Hae Floating Market! Vendors will be on their boats selling coconut ice-creams and other Thai snacks!
2. Go For A Buffet
Hatyai has the best buffets ever! When you’re in Hatyai, you need to try out Rimrua Kataron! It is a seafood buffet for only 339 baht. You need to do the conversion yourself because we’re all terrible in Mathematics. For that price, you will have all you can eat fresh crabs, prawns, clams, mussels, and fishes! In addition, there is a dessert bar that you can make your own Thai desserts.
The only thing is, you need to cook it yourself. If you’re not up for the challenge, try out Sky Buffet at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel. As you are all the way up on the 33rd floor, you will have a very neat view of Hatyai. The buffet served is nothing out of the ordinary, but the price is really cheap considering it is less than 200 baht per person! What a deal.
3. Buy Everything From 7-Eleven
7-Eleven in Thailand is one of the best things ever to exist. Lucky for us, it is in every corner in Hatyai. To be honest, a person can probably spend an hour in that tiny little store. You will need to check out all their snacks, candies, hot food, and drinks.
They have many creative candies with the cutest packaging. On top of our list, you will need to check out their Thai Milk Tea Kit Kat, building blocks gummy bears, cola candies that come in a tape form, banana cake, and also their salted egg custard egg sandwiches. You can also get yourself some special flavour of Lays here too! In addition, don’t forget to buy yourself a bottle of soya drink to cool yourself from the weather.
4. Go For A Massage
Urm, yes! After exploring so many markets, and eating so many buffets, it is time to relax your body with a body massage. There are many massage parlours in Hatyai, especially nearby Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel. The prices may differ from one to another so you will need to do a little survey before choosing your spot.
If you are feeling too lazy to head out to get one, there is high a probability that the hotel you are staying in offers this service. It is a no-brainer that hotel massages are a little more expensive as compared to the ones outside. Cool fact, you can opt for a no oil massage to lower down the cost! Honestly, we don’t think that it will be as comfortable as with oil on, though.
5. Pay Central Festival A Visit
No, that’s a not a festival. It is a shopping mall and it is only ten minutes away from Asian Trade Weekend Market. There are so many things to eat, shop, and see in Central Festival. You can find other cuisines such as Western, and Japanese here. If you don’t know where to go for food, may we suggest Sizzlers?
It is a Western restaurant with all you can eat appetizers, soup, and desserts! Shopping is amazing as there are creative stores, photography stores, and big brands such as Cath Kidston, Lacoste, and Bath & Body Works. Central Festival pays a lot of attention when it comes to being creative, and there are definitely a lot of places that are very Instagram-worthy, especially with Christmas nearing!
6. Explore Worship Places
Too much shopping, and eating? Time to do something else! You need to check out Hatyai’s temples. There are a few temples scattered around town, so take your pick! The most famous temple, Wat Hat Yai Nai, is a very peaceful place, a total opposite of the bustling Hatyai.
It is the home of one of the biggest sleeping Buddha in Southern Thailand, a must-see when you’re here! You can also check out other temples including but not limited to Wat Thawon Wararam, Wat Mongkol Theparam, and Wat Thawon Wara Ram. In order to respect all of these worship places, a gentle reminder that you will need to dress appropriately to enter. It will be best to wear something long to cover yourself up!
7. Buy Snacks Home From Tesco Lotus
If you have the extra time and 7-Eleven isn’t good enough for you, you will need to visit Tesco Lotus! Tesco Lotus will have all the Lays you will ever need in your life. You can get flavours such as Spicy Smoked Cheese Flavour, Nori Seaweed, Hot Chili Squid, and even Miengkam flavour. You can also check out their instant noodles section and get some tomyam noodles home!
Sure, Tesco Lotus is a little too far. Some other alternate options include Tops Market which will remind you of Cold Storage! The space houses different kind of brands, most of them are in the higher end. Check out ODEAN as well! It is a small supermarket, but it will probably have everything you will need to bring home.
8. Check Out Their Make Up Range
Like we have mentioned before, Thailand has the cutest packaging ever and it is no different when it comes to make up. Who can resist super adorable palettes? Some of the places you will need to check out are Watsons, Boots, and also Beauty Buffet.
Some of their home brands are always collaborating with Line, and Disney, so you know it is super cute! You need to find Cathydoll, who was in collaboration with Disney and made the cutest Tsum Tsum series! Find Soap & Glory in Boots. Yes, we have that in Sephora but they have some products that are not available in our country! The made in Bangkok brand, Scrichand, makes all kinds of powder and their packaging will remind you a little bit of Anna Sui.
9. Explore The Streets
Hatyai has really old buildings, we kid you not. That means that they all different characters from one to another. Their buildings are extremely colourful too! It will be a wonderful time for you to take your outfit of the day shot.
Check out the different kind of windows, and tiles that were used in their buildings. They are all so special! As there are rivers in Hatyai, you will also occasionally find yourself on top of a bridge, another wondrous spot for photographs. We dare you to count the wires that are tangled up in the air too! Also, do remember to put on some sunblock, and bring your glasses before you head out the door. Hatyai can be very hot at times. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
10. Eat All Their Street Food
At Penang Foodie, we take our food very seriously. That’s why we have compiled a list of things you will need to try when you’re there. On the list, we have tomyam, pad thai noodles, boat noodles, mango sticky rice, and everything else you will possibly want to eat. You’re welcome, fam!
10 Best Things To Do In Hatyai, Thailand.
That’s the end of the list of 10 Best Things To Do In Hatyai, Thailand. What are you most excited to do? And, who are you going with? To get started, check out Trivago, and Agoda to find that best place to stay! It is best to get a place near the city center so that it is easier for you to move around!
