Hat Yai is one of Thailand’s least-marketed food cities and one of its best. The population mix — Chinese-Thai, Malay-Muslim, and central Thai — has produced a street food culture with more depth and variety than most Thai cities twice its size. Here is how to eat it.
Kim Yong Market: the best dim sum in southern Thailand
Kim Yong Market, just off Niphat Uthit 1 Road in the city centre, is Hat Yai’s most important food institution. The market runs all day but the food is at its best from 5am to 11am. Arrive before 8am to find the fullest selection.
What to order at Kim Yong:
Dim sum — The covered market section has multiple dim sum vendors with bamboo steamers stacked floor to ceiling. Standard baskets (har gow, siu mai, lo mai gai, cheung fun) cost ฿30–50 per piece or per small basket. A proper dim sum breakfast for two runs approximately ฿200–400.
Char siu bao — Barbecue pork buns, steamed and baked versions, from the Chinese bakery vendors. Approximately ฿15–25 each.
Noodle stalls — Two or three stalls do basic noodle soups with Chinese-style pork broth from opening time. A bowl is approximately ฿50–70.
Roti mataba — Muslim vendors make fresh roti mataba (stuffed flatbread with egg, onion, and meat filling) from around 7am. Approximately ฿40–60 per piece with the curry dip.
Fresh fruit — The market’s fruit section has fresh-cut tropical fruit and the best coconut prices in the city.
Asean Night Market area: evening eating
The night market area near the Asean Trade Fair complex on Niphat Uthit 3 Road comes alive from around 5pm. Dozens of stalls covering Thai, Chinese, and Muslim food at ฿40–100 per dish.
What stands out:
Roast duck rice (khao na bpet) — Hat Yai has a serious Teochew Chinese community and the roast duck is excellent. Several dedicated stalls on Niphat Uthit 3 Road serve roast duck over rice with a clear broth for ฿60–90.
Satay — Muslim satay stalls with chicken and beef on bamboo skewers, turmeric-marinated, with a thick peanut sauce. ฿30–50 for a portion of five.
Kanom jeen — Fermented rice noodles with southern Thai fish curry. A breakfast and lunch staple that also appears at night stalls. Approximately ฿50–70 per bowl.
Mango sticky rice — Southern Thai version uses locally grown mangoes; sweetness and texture are noticeably different from Bangkok versions. Approximately ฿60–80 per portion.
Restaurant picks
Khua Khun Yai near the clock tower is Hat Yai’s most cited local restaurant — a Chinese-Thai shop specialising in southern Thai curries, stir-fries, and rice dishes. The gaeng som (sour curry with river fish) and the stir-fried crab with yellow curry powder are the dishes to order. Budget approximately ฿100–200 per person.
Saneha Dim Sum on Phetkasem Road is Hat Yai’s oldest dim sum restaurant — open from early morning, good quality har gow and siu mai, busy with local regulars. Budget approximately ฿100–200 per person for a dim sum breakfast.
Muslim Corner restaurants near the central mosque on Phetkasem Road: several family-run restaurants serving khao mok gai (Thai biryani) with clear soup and ajat (cucumber relish). One of the best versions of this dish in southern Thailand. Budget approximately ฿80–150 per person.
Southern Thai dishes to know
Hat Yai is a good place to eat southern Thai food for the first time — the concentration of good restaurants and street stalls means you encounter the real thing, not tourist adaptations.
Gaeng tai pla — A pungent, fiery southern curry made with fermented fish innards, vegetables, and bamboo shoots. An acquired taste but distinctively southern Thai. Found at local restaurants.
Khao yam — A southern Thai rice salad — rice dressed with toasted coconut, dried shrimp, lemongrass, bean sprouts, and a sweet fish sauce dressing. More refreshing than it sounds. A breakfast and lunch dish.
Fried chicken — Hat Yai fried chicken (gai thod hat yai) is a regional speciality: Southern Thai-style chicken deep-fried with garlic and yellow curry, served with fried shallots and a sticky sweet sauce. Different from and better than standard Thai fried chicken.
Browse Hat Yai tours and food experiences
Browse hotels in Hat Yai — stay near the night market streets for easy evening access to fried chicken stalls and Southern Thai specialities.
See also: Hat Yai travel guide · Hat Yai things to do · One week in southern Thailand