Hat Yai

Hat Yai (Thai: หาดใหญ่, pronounced [hàːt̚ jàj]) is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. As of 2024, the municipality is the fifth-largest city in Thailand, with a population of 191,696 and an urban population of 406,513 in the entire district of Amphoe Hat Yai. Hat Yai is the largest city in Southern Thailand and is part of the Hat Yai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area (with a population of about 650,000) which include 2 big districts (Hat Yai, Mueang Songkhla) and 3 small neighboring districts (Bang Klam, Khlong Hoi Khong, Na Mom, forming the largest metropolitan area in the south, and the fourth-largest metropolitan area of the country. The city is often mistaken for being the provincial capital. In fact, Songkhla is the capital and the center of administration and culture while Hat Yai is the business center.