Hat Yai
Encyclopedia
Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand
near the Malaysian border. Located at 7°1′N 100°28′E, it has a population of 157,359 (2008) in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province
, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest metropolitan area of the country. It is often mistaken as being the capital of the province, but Songkhla
is the capital and the center of administration and culture, while Hat Yai is the business center. The two cities are considered as twin cities due to their close connection, and accordingly, Hat Yai and Songkhla form the Greater Hatyai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area
.
The name "Hat Yai" is a short version of "Mahat Yai", meaning big mahat tree, a relative of jackfruit
s in genus Artocarpus
.
Chinese), the railway contractor for the railway connection from Nakhon Si Thammarat
to Pattani
, it quickly grew into a small town.
In 1928 Hat Yai was made a Chumchon, which was upgraded to a sanitary district (sukhaphiban
) on December 11, 1935. It covered an area of 4.4 km², and was administrated by the first mayor Udom Bunlong. In 1938 the municipal administration building was completed. On March 16, 1949 it was granted town status (thesaban mueang); on May 10, 1961 the area covered by the municipality was increased to 8 km². Due to the continuing growth, on August 13, 1968 a new larger municipal administration building was opened. On April 24, 1977 the area of the municipality was enlarged a second time to 21 km². Finally in 1995 it was upgraded to city status (thesaban nakhon).
On April 3, 2005, two bomb attacks
at a Carrefour
department store and Hat Yai International Airport
were made by separatists
. The attacks killed two people and injured dozens.
On September 16, 2006 a series of bomb attacks
killed four people and injured over 70. Although no one claimed responsibility for the attacks, local separatists
are suspected.
and 2 trains served by KTMB of Malaysia. Hat Yai is also the hub of local trains in Southern Thailand.
Also parallel to the railway is the Asian highway 2
. Asian highway 18
begins in Hat Yai and runs south along the eastern coast of the Malay peninsula.
Hat Yai International Airport
is 9km from the downtown, serving flights throughout Thailand and connecting the city to Kuala Lumpur
and Singapore
.
In the city, there are small truck taxi services called Tuk-Tuk which is a popular mean of transport for tourists. But local often use moped and scooters around the town.
and ethnic Chinese
citizens than other cities of comparable size in the northern regions of Thailand. The population of Hat Yai is 157,359 as 2008, ranked 4th in the country behind Bangkok
, Nonthaburi and Pak Kret.
is the oldest and the biggest university in Southern Thailand, having the main campus near Hat Yai downtown (the campus area covers 'Hat Yai' city and 'Kho Hong' town, parts of Greater Hat Yai
. This public university is always ranked in top ten of Thai universities. Furthermore, the first and the only private university in Southern Thailand - Hatyai University
- is also located in the urban area of Hat Yai. In addition, the Ramkhamhaeng University
's campus is located near the international airport.
Hat Yai also homes several famous high schools, including the country's top ten, Hatyaiwittayalai School
(public). Another well-known public school is Hatyaiwittayalaisomboonkulkanya School, the fomer branch of Hatyaiwittayalai. In addition, there are several popular private schools in Greater Hat Yai, including Saengthong Vitthaya School, Thidanukhro School and PSU Wittayanusorn School .
and rain storms, is from May to December, while the dry season is only from January to April. Additionally, There have been occasional flood
s in Hat Yai due to the heavy rain; it can rain for twenty-two days in November with more than 295 mm of precipitation.
The city has two large weekend markets, namely Asian Trade and Greenway on Kanchanawanit road. They mainly sell second-handed products, including cloths, shoes, decors and souvenirs. In addition, there are several large shopping centres in the city, including Diana, Odean, Robinson, Central, Big C, Big C extra, Tesco Lotus and Makro.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
near the Malaysian border. Located at 7°1′N 100°28′E, it has a population of 157,359 (2008) in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province
Songkhla Province
Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....
, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest metropolitan area of the country. It is often mistaken as being the capital of the province, but Songkhla
Songkhla
Songkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...
is the capital and the center of administration and culture, while Hat Yai is the business center. The two cities are considered as twin cities due to their close connection, and accordingly, Hat Yai and Songkhla form the Greater Hatyai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area
Greater Hatyai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area
The Greater Hatyai–Songkhla Metropolitan Area is an urban corridor in Southern Thailand's Songkhla Province between two cities--Hat Yai, the commercial center of the province and the region, and Songkhla, the provincial capital. Located 30 km apart, the twin cities are complementary to each...
.
The name "Hat Yai" is a short version of "Mahat Yai", meaning big mahat tree, a relative of jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
s in genus Artocarpus
Artocarpus
Artocarpus is a genus of about 60 trees of Southeast Asian origin and the Pacific, belonging to the mulberry family, Moraceae.-Description:...
.
History
Originally named Khok Sa-Met Choon, Hat Yai was a small village until the southern railway was built there. The junction which connected the town of Songkhla with the main route was originally located in the Utapao area, but was moved to Khok Su-Met Choon in 1922 when the Utapao area turned out to be flood prone. Khok Su-Met Choon had only four residences at that time, but due to the investments of Khun Niphatchinnkhon (謝枢泗, Jia Gi Si, 1886–1972, HakkaHakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
Chinese), the railway contractor for the railway connection from Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Province and the Nakhon Si Thammarat district. It is about south of Bangkok, on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The city was the administrative center of southern Thailand during most of its history. ...
to Pattani
Pattani (town)
Pattani is a town in the far south of Thailand, near the boundary to Malaysia. It is the capital of the Pattani Province. The city has a population of 43,631...
, it quickly grew into a small town.
In 1928 Hat Yai was made a Chumchon, which was upgraded to a sanitary district (sukhaphiban
Sukhaphiban
Sukhaphiban were an administrative division of Thailand.Sanitary districts were the first sub-autonomous entities established in Thailand. A first such district was created in Bangkok by a royal decreee of King Chulalongkorn in 1897...
) on December 11, 1935. It covered an area of 4.4 km², and was administrated by the first mayor Udom Bunlong. In 1938 the municipal administration building was completed. On March 16, 1949 it was granted town status (thesaban mueang); on May 10, 1961 the area covered by the municipality was increased to 8 km². Due to the continuing growth, on August 13, 1968 a new larger municipal administration building was opened. On April 24, 1977 the area of the municipality was enlarged a second time to 21 km². Finally in 1995 it was upgraded to city status (thesaban nakhon).
Southern violence
Being an economic center of the lower Southern Thailand, Hat Yai became a target of terrorism in a separatist campaign, running by Pattani United Liberation Organization. Several bombings were launched in Hat Yai and nearby area.On April 3, 2005, two bomb attacks
2005 Songkhla bombings
The 2005 Songkhla bombings were a series of three bombings that took place on April 3, 2005 in the cities of Hat Yai and Songkhla of Thailand's Songkhla Province, and are believed to be part of the on-going South Thailand insurgency. At least two people were killed and 66 were injured in the...
at a Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
department store and Hat Yai International Airport
Hat Yai International Airport
Hat Yai International Airport is the major southern hub airport in Thailand, located near the city of Hat Yai. It is under the management of Airports of Thailand, PCL. It is also an important airport for Muslims on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Annually, more than 800,000 passengers, 9,500 flights...
were made by separatists
South Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
. The attacks killed two people and injured dozens.
On September 16, 2006 a series of bomb attacks
2006 Hat Yai bombings
The 2006 Hat Yai bombings took place in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, Thailand on September 16, 2006 and are believed to be part of the on-going South Thailand insurgency. At least four people were killed and 82 were injured...
killed four people and injured over 70. Although no one claimed responsibility for the attacks, local separatists
South Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
are suspected.
Transportation
Hat Yai became transportation hub of Southern Thailand since the railway was built. Being the largest station in the south of the country, Hat Yai Railway Station is an international railway station. It handles 28 passenger trains per day, including 26 trains served by State Railway of ThailandState Railway of Thailand
The State Railway of Thailand is the state-owned rail operator in Thailand. The network sees around 50 million passengers per annum.-History:SRT was founded as the Royal State Railways of Siam in 1890...
and 2 trains served by KTMB of Malaysia. Hat Yai is also the hub of local trains in Southern Thailand.
Also parallel to the railway is the Asian highway 2
AH2
The AH2 is a road in the Asian Highway Network running 8230 miles from Denpasar, Indonesia to Khosravi, Iran. The route is as follows:-Indonesia:Denpasar — Surabaya — Surakarta — Semarang — Cikampek — Jakarta...
. Asian highway 18
AH18
Asian Highway Route is a highway route included in Asian Highway Network, running from Haadyai in Thailand to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Route runs along main eastern coastal road in southern Thailand and also along Federal Route of Malaysia.- Thailand :...
begins in Hat Yai and runs south along the eastern coast of the Malay peninsula.
Hat Yai International Airport
Hat Yai International Airport
Hat Yai International Airport is the major southern hub airport in Thailand, located near the city of Hat Yai. It is under the management of Airports of Thailand, PCL. It is also an important airport for Muslims on the pilgrimage to Mecca. Annually, more than 800,000 passengers, 9,500 flights...
is 9km from the downtown, serving flights throughout Thailand and connecting the city to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
In the city, there are small truck taxi services called Tuk-Tuk which is a popular mean of transport for tourists. But local often use moped and scooters around the town.
Demographics
Demographically, Hat Yai is notable for a higher proportion of Malay-MuslimMalay people
Malays are an ethnic group of Austronesian people predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, including the southernmost parts of Thailand, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast of Borneo, and the smaller islands which lie between these locations...
and ethnic Chinese
Thai Chinese
The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...
citizens than other cities of comparable size in the northern regions of Thailand. The population of Hat Yai is 157,359 as 2008, ranked 4th in the country behind Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Nonthaburi and Pak Kret.
Education
Prince of Songkla UniversityPrince of Songkla University
Prince of Songkla University was the first university in Southern Thailand, established in 1967. The name of the university was granted by His Majesty the King in honor of His Royal Highness Somdej Chao Fa Mahidol Adulyadej Kromma Luang Songkla Nakarin, the king's father.The university consists of...
is the oldest and the biggest university in Southern Thailand, having the main campus near Hat Yai downtown (the campus area covers 'Hat Yai' city and 'Kho Hong' town, parts of Greater Hat Yai
Greater Hatyai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area
The Greater Hatyai–Songkhla Metropolitan Area is an urban corridor in Southern Thailand's Songkhla Province between two cities--Hat Yai, the commercial center of the province and the region, and Songkhla, the provincial capital. Located 30 km apart, the twin cities are complementary to each...
. This public university is always ranked in top ten of Thai universities. Furthermore, the first and the only private university in Southern Thailand - Hatyai University
Hatyai University
Hatyai University is a private university located in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, Thailand. Founded in 1997, the university currently offers undergraduate programs though its five faculties: business administration, law, liberal arts, science and technology, and communication arts...
- is also located in the urban area of Hat Yai. In addition, the Ramkhamhaeng University
Ramkhamhaeng University
Ramkhamhaeng University is one of two open universities in Thailand. The university was named in honor of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai, who traditionally is credited for creating the Thai alphabet....
's campus is located near the international airport.
Hat Yai also homes several famous high schools, including the country's top ten, Hatyaiwittayalai School
Hatyaiwittayalai School
The Hatyaiwittayalai School is a high school in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, Thailand...
(public). Another well-known public school is Hatyaiwittayalaisomboonkulkanya School, the fomer branch of Hatyaiwittayalai. In addition, there are several popular private schools in Greater Hat Yai, including Saengthong Vitthaya School, Thidanukhro School and PSU Wittayanusorn School .
Climate
Hat Yai has a tropical climate, which is hot and humid, like other parts of Thailand. Hat Yai has only two seasons; wet and dry. The wet season, which is influenced by monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
and rain storms, is from May to December, while the dry season is only from January to April. Additionally, There have been occasional flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s in Hat Yai due to the heavy rain; it can rain for twenty-two days in November with more than 295 mm of precipitation.
Shopping
Hat Yai is well-known as a shopping destination for both Thais and foreigners. There are numbers of department stores and markets around the city. Kim Yong market on Supasarn Rungsan road and Suntisook Market on Nipat U-tid 1, 2 & 3 roads are among the best-known. Their main products are imported process food, cosmetics, fabrics and electric appliances. The city's fresh market and fruit market located near the railway. Several smaller fresh market can be seen around the area.The city has two large weekend markets, namely Asian Trade and Greenway on Kanchanawanit road. They mainly sell second-handed products, including cloths, shoes, decors and souvenirs. In addition, there are several large shopping centres in the city, including Diana, Odean, Robinson, Central, Big C, Big C extra, Tesco Lotus and Makro.