Where to stay in Hat Yai (best area and notable hotels)

This guide on where to stay in Hat Yai lists interesting and best-rated hotels in the best area to stay for visitors.

Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand, near the Malaysian border. This inland city is overlooked by foreign visitors who visit the south for the islands, but it’s worth a stop if you are passing through.

Most international visitors are from Malaysia who descend on the city en masse on the weekend and holiday periods, so you will have more competition for hotel rooms if you are visiting then.

What I like about Hat Yai is that the train station is in the city centre, so you can walk from the station to your hotel. The station is known as Hat Yai Junction, and the city feels like a place that is built for travellers.

The station is also used as a pickup point for minivans that go to the ports for ferries to the islands. If you are staying near the station then it’s easy to get your onward transport to the islands. No need to mess around with bus stations at the edge of the city.

Hat Yai is famous for the dim sum restaurants, and Kai-Tod Decha serves Hat Yai-style fried chicken. It’s worth a pit stop here to eat your way around the city.

[Stay in Hat Yai to wake up for dim sum breakfast.]

This Where To Stay Guide lists the best area to stay in Hat Yai with some notable places to stay.

Map of Hat Yai hotels

Hotels mentioned in this article are pinned on this map.

[View map of Hat Yai hotels.]

Best area to stay in Hat Yai

The best area to stay in Hat Yai is in the city centre between the railway line and the Toei River (Mae Nam Toei) to the east. Staying further east of Rajyindee Rd (the large North-South Road) puts you too far from the action for a short-term stay.

A good aspect about the city area is that it has a gridded street layout, so it feels more like a city and is easy to explore. You can see on the map how there is more activity in the gridded area (the light orange background represents an “area of interest”). Beyond this area, the streets become unplanned and harder to walk around.

Hostels

Lamoon Hostel is a 7-minute walk from the train station.

Budget hotels

Get GuestHouse 2 (Sangsri 4) is one of the top-rated guesthouses in the city.

Indra Hotel Hatyai (2-star) is opposite the Odean Shopping Mall, which I would say is the most central intersection of the city. It’s an old hotel that remains popular for its location.

Sakura Hotel (2-star) is a big hotel in the city area but away from the main market area. These budget hotels in Hat Yai are showing their age, but they are kept in good condition.

Siam Mansion (2-star) is a stylish budget hotel that has dorm beds and private rooms.

Mid-range hotels

Hoshi Hotel Hatyai (3-star) is a Japanese-style hotel offering a ryokan-inspired experience. The hotel is on Pracharom Alley, which is showing signs of evolving into the hipster street of Hat Yai with cafes and bars.

The Lantern Hatyai Hotel (3.5-star) is a boutique-style hotel.

Sakol Hotel (3-star) is a small modern hotel close to the Odean intersection.

Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel (3.5-star) is one of the big landmark hotels in the city centre near the night market.

V.L. Hatyai Hotel (3.5-star).

Centara Hotel Hat Yai (4-star) represents the only brand-name hotel in the city. Centara Hotels & Resorts is a hotel group that was founded in Thailand in 1983, and has since spread to other destinations in Asia.

Urbanli Hatyai Hotel (4-star) opened in 2025, and its modern design is a refreshing addition to the collection of older buildings in the city.

Note that Hat Yai is a provincial city, so there are no 5-star hotels or international hotel brands. The Holiday Inn Express Hat Yai is expected to open in 2027, which will make it the first international hotel in Hat Yai.

Here are my notes on Hat Yai from a previous trip.

Transport

Hat Yai Airport has good domestic connections and limited international flights (such as AirAsia to KL). I have flown from Chiang Mai to Hat Yai (the longest domestic flight in Thailand) and then gone overland to Malaysia after staying in Hat Yai.

There are overnight trains from Bangkok, and minivans to the coast are timed to meet the trains.

Check Bangkok to Hat Yai trains.

I have also taken the train from Hat Yai to Sungai Kolok on the border, and then crossed into Malaysia to get the Jungle Railway.

There are some travel agents in front of the station that book onward travel to the islands. I visited Ko Lipe via Hat Yai, and I booked a van and boat combo ticket in advance.

There is a hotel at the station (The Train Hotel Hatyai) but the city is so close that don’t need to stay here unless you specifically want to stay at a train station.

Hat Yai is near the Padang Besar border crossing. Getting the train from Hat Yai to Penang is a much more enjoyable experience than getting a minivan.

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