City
Hat Yai
Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand and the principal commercial hub of the deep south, situated in Hat Yai District of Songkhla Province approximately 40 kilometres from the Malaysian border. Although Songkhla is the provincial capital, Hat Yai is considerably larger and functions as the region's dominant centre for trade, transport and services.
Hat Yai grew from a small village into a major rail hub after the Southern Line of the State Railway of Thailand passed through in the early 20th century, and the city's name is believed to derive from the Artocarpus tree (mahat yai, meaning 'large mahat') once common in the area. The Hat Yai municipality population was recorded at approximately 157,000 in 2019, with the wider urban district reaching over 400,000 residents. In 1995 Hat Yai was upgraded to city municipality (thesaban nakhon) status, and by 2024 it ranked as the fifth-largest city municipality in Thailand. The city is a major shopping destination for Malaysian visitors, with numerous night markets, gold shops and retail centres, and Hat Yai International Airport connects the region to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and other regional cities. Hat Yai Junction remains the key rail interchange for all southbound trains heading toward Malaysia and Singapore.
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