Comments: I'm not sure who this place might appeal to but someone ... possibly? It's a way out of town near Thale Thai Seafood restaurant and Hansa Ladyboy Cabaret on the map. The rooms are small bungalow affairs set back from the road so it's quieter than most hotels in town but not as convenient.

It looks like just the kind of place for long stays but they don't have a monthly rate which quite surprised me.

Update: Boy, was I naive when I first discovered this place. I found out later that anywhere referred to as a 'resort' in Hat Yai is meant for short-time sexual liaisons - a kind of Japanese love hotel - and not for stays of any duration.

That's the reason these places are out of the the way off the beaten path (for discretion); it's also the reason why they don't offer any monthly rates (they only expect guests to stay for a couple of hours), and it's also the reason why I got some funny looks when I was making enquiries!

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Comments: Napalai Place is one of the most prominent buildings in Hat Yai and the town's monument to 1990's greed. If you want to buy a high-rise condo in Hat Yai, this is your only option. The history and legacy of Nalapai Place is quite interesting.

It was built in the mid-90's with a planned opening at the beginning of 1998. This was a time of enormous economic growth for Thailand. I forget the exact figures but there had been something like 14% year-on-year growth for about 10 years.

The Thais seemed to be under the impression that this would go on forever and many became exceptionally greedy. Political cronyism and corruption was rife and this had infiltrated the banking system. Banks were handing out huge, unsecured loans to their friends to enable them to invest in the booming economy.

As usual, the Thai businessmen/politicians were doing very nicely and they thought it would go on forever. All they had to do was keep on borrowing money, keep on investing in property and keep on getting richer. The stupidity ended in 1997 with the Asian economic crisis. Coming, as it did, just as Napalai was about to open, Napalai was a major casualty of the crisis.

The dream of living in a high-rise condo, driving a BMW and sending their children to international schools ended for many Thais as reality arrived with a bump. Quite a few went bankrupt and car-boot sales became a popular method for them to convert their material possessions back into cash.

So, with the advent of a major economic disaster, what did the Napalai developers do about the expensive condo building they had just built? The answer is nothing. Despite a huge Baht devaluation and with the country in financial ruins, the condo prices just remained the same. As a result, they remained empty.

I first took a look at the end of 2003 when I was told the occupancy rate of the building was 40% but this claim was dubious. I went back again in May 2006 and was told the building was over 80% full but again I found this difficult to believe.

There are around 500 units and 80% represents 400. Assuming each unit has an average of two people, that would mean roughly 800 people living there. With 800 people it would be quite a thriving community but it isn't. The building is very visible due to its height but at night there is never more than about 30 units lit up.

The original plan included a gym, shops and a laundry, etc, for the residents but these were never opened because there weren't enough people. If now, as claimed, 400 units have been sold why have they still not been opened?

The unsold units have never been lived in but despite this they have started to look very shoddy purely because they are getting old. A significant amount of work would be involved getting a unit fit to live in.

The units are basically shells. They have no kitchens, hot water or air conditioning and these items would need to be added after purchase at the owner's expense. Views of Hat Yai and the surrounding area are quite nice from high up but on the lower levels the main view is of some very ugly buildings next door.

Prices are not cheap. Bt1,585,000 buys you a very small condo. To get anything a decent size requires spending Bt2,925,000. The penthouses are large but they are Bt8,685,000 and, as I said, significant expense is required after purchase to get the units habitable. In the case of the penthouses, I estimate that you would need to spend at least another couple of million Baht.

There is also a monthly service charge which is Bt20 per square meter. That's Bt1,000 for a poky 50 square meter condo but almost Bt5,000 if you have a penthouse. It is hardly surprising that many units still remain empty. The Thai friend I went with also thinks they are inflating occupancy rates to try to encourage people to buy. It's one of the oldest sales techniques in the book. "There's only a few left, you'd better buy quickly if you don't want to miss out."

Not only was the development cursed by the 1997 financial crisis but the developers seem to have misread the local market. Hat Yai isn't Bangkok. Hat Yai locals prefer living in houses, not condos, and there are some really nice, new houses in the area for between two and three million Baht.

Foreign buyers are much sought after because they generally have more money to spend than the locals. It is also easier for foreigners to buy condos than to buy houses because foreigners cannot buy land in Thailand.

There was a time when I thought having a condo in Napalai would be a good thing but considering the high initial prices, the extra expense required after purchase, the service charge and fact it would be almost impossible to sell, I no longer think that way. Also, because there is so little life there, the building has the atmosphere of a ghost building which isn't very welcoming.

On my first visit I was told that there were no units for rent. Almost three years later - and still struggling to sell units - there are some available for rent now but they are just shells and would need to be completely fitted out. Again, it's not a very attractive proposition.

Ever since it opened there has been a sales office open which seems a bit crazy after nine years but this is Thailand.

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Comments: A pleasant-looking, small hotel with 68 rooms that is fairly new - it opened in 2005 or 2006, I believe. Unfortunately, it's in a not too pleasant area.

The rooms are a little different to those in the standard mid-class Hat Yai hotels. A hotel like this in Singapore, or even in Bangkok, would be expensive but in Hat Yai you can get a night's accommodation for the same price as three breakfasts in a Bangkok branch of Starbucks.

There are three room styles: Hatyai (24m²), Junior Suite (29m²) and Studio Suite (45m²).

Facilities include the 'N' Cafe & Bar. In the words of the hotel, "It is THE place for relaxing music, good friends and creative inspiration." You can eat at the 'Sky Retreat' open air restaurant or have an 'invigorating workout' at the 'Sky Spa and Fitness Resort' which is complementary for hotel guests.

Guest Comments:

• "Quite disappointed with the room as it looks neglected, the housekeeper was very lazy and it's so unboutique. I did inquire about any WIFI but the unsmiling receptionist said no but hey.. there is an unsecured signal although low if you seek it out. There is no tea making facilites nor a hairdryer and for this price that I have to pay then it is not going to be a repeat booking in the near future."

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Comments: At the time of writing (January 2005) this is one of the newest hotels in Hat Yai. It's so new, in fact, that some rooms have yet to be finished but it is open for business.

The location is fairly good, just a few minutes walk away from Lee Gardens Plaza but the really nice thing about the hotel is its newness. There is still a fresh paint smell, you can feel some pile in the carpets as you walk around, and everything is ultra-clean.

On the flip side, because it is so new it seems a bit dull and sterile at the moment but that will change as it is finished off and gets busier.

Guest Comments:

• "Wi-Fi in all rooms."

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Comments: Yet another unspectacular Hat Yai mid-range hotel geared towards the Malaysian weekend trade. Nothing special but it's close to everything and cheap. It's fairly large with 148 beds. There's not a lot to say really, it's a bed for the night for not much money. In their brochure they advertise free transportation to and from the airport which is worth having.

By including some of the many mid-range hotels here it might give an indication of just how much accommodation there is in Hat Yai.

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Comments: Probably the top hotel in Hat Yai. Very centrally located and the rooms are well above the noise from the streets below. The staff are all immaculately dressed in traditional Thai designs and are very polite. There is a lounge area in the lobby that has a band in the evening and the hotel restaurants are good.

A big saving can be made on the walk-in rate by booking through a local travel agent. Konsortium travel agency just over the road can offer a rate of Bt1,300. The rooms are not huge at the Novotel, especially considering they are the most expensive in town.

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Comments: During 2005 and 2006 a lot of apartment buildings sprung up in Hat Yai and this is one of the latest (August 2006). It's not in the greatest of areas and a degree of caution would need to be exercised at night. It's a 10 minute walk from Phetkasem Road where there are plenty of transport options and it isn't too far from Carrefour.

The building has 24 hour security and a key card system. All rooms are the same size (adequate but definitely not cavernous). Those on the lower floors have air-conditioning while those on the upper floors have fans. The charge for water is fixed at Bt100 per month up to a maximum of 10 units and extra units after that are charged at Bt10.

The electricity charge is fixed at Bt100 per month for 0 to 10 units and extra units after that are charged at Bt6. Free UBC is provided but televisions are not supplied.

The apartment is in an area that is rapidly being developed. It's a little dodgy now at night but as the area becomes more developed this will be less of a problem.

The location and room rates mean that this place is aimed at Thais. Don't expect anything to be written in English or to have any staff who speak English. If they do, it's a bonus. If you want to live cheaply, the same as the Thais, you really need to be able to speak some Thai.

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Comments: Have you noticed how hotels always use a lot of artistic licence? If a room has an armchair, it is a suite; if the rooms are so small there isn't enough room to swing a cat, it is a 'boutique' hotel; and if there is a swimming pool the hotel becomes a resort.

With 1,034 rooms, this is a large - and modern - hotel. It's a fair way out of town, which is both good and bad. Good because it is quiet, but not all that convenient for shopping and eating out in the evening. Of course, there is public transport but sawng-thaews don't run all that late and tuk-tuks can be problematic at night.

Lots of people stay there to hang out around the pool but, personally speaking, I would rather go to Songkhla if I had a sudden desire to hang out around a swimming pool.

The hotel is located near the Hansa ladyboy cabaret and Tha-lay seafood restaurant. There are also other restaurants and bars nearby.

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Comments: The Park Hotel reminded me very much of the Cathay Guesthouse. It's in a very similar kind of building and the rooms are above shops. Actually, they're above an indoor market which sells CDs, DVDs, software, cheap watches, etc.

The lady on reception was a real sweetheart. Quite a few hotel receptionists I have met in Thailand have had really bad attitudes but she was a lovely lady.

I'll just sum up by saying that it wouldn't be my first (or second, or third) choice, but it might suit someone else.

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Comments: Pathomtip is another option for longer stays in Hat Yai. It was completed towards the end of 2004.

It's a fairly large building with lots of rooms. The rooms have A/C units but no fridge although a fridge can be bought fairly cheaply if required. A TV with cable service is optional at a higher room rate. Broadband Internet access is available for a small monthly charge.

The electricity charge is Bt5 per unit, which is cheaper than the Bt6 that most places charge. Water is Bt12 per unit but you will probably use no more than three of four units a month so it is almost insignificant.

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Comments: As of writing (July 2010), this is a fairly new place. It appeared either in 2009 or 2010.

Pearl Place bills itself as a hotel, but two floors are given over to rooms that can be rented by the month. The location is a little way out of town - just behind Carrefour. Access into central Hat Yai is easy enough, with lots of transport options nearby on busy Phetkasem Road, but the location won't suit everyone.

There is one bigger room on each floor. The rooms for rent by the day are furnished very pleasantly, however, the rooms to rent by the month aren't quite as luxurious.

It's a pleasant, comfortable-looking place if you don't mind the location.

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Comments: This is another 'resort' designed for very short stays of a couple of hours or so.

There are two classes of room, referred to as standard and VIP. Prices vary depending on the time of day. During the daytime, standard rooms are Bt250 and VIP rooms Bt300 for a three hour rental. At peak hours in the evening the prices go up to Bt500 and Bt600 respectively. It's open 24 hours.

Each unit is basically a small apartment with a bedroom and bathroom. The VIP rooms have circular beds instead of regular ones and that was the only difference I noticed. You get clean towels and sheets for your money. The mirrors on the ceiling above the bed come free.

What is a little unusual is that sex establishments in Hat Yai are usually geared up for visiting foreign sex tourists but this place is definitely intended for Thais. The staff only speak Thai and all the signs are in Thai.

Apart from the gaudy colour scheme, it has been designed to be discreet. The location is well off the beaten track, away from main roads and prying eyes. Each unit has a car parking space outside and a portable screen to hide the car once it has been parked.

I would guess it is used by married Thai men with mia nois or by men who live with their families who do not have a place of their own to be alone in. It's quite near to the Acoustic Pub if you are interested. I'm sure all the tuk-tuk drivers will know it.

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Comments: The President Hotel is a fair distance from the centre of town located adjacent to the fountain on Phetkasem Road. There is abundant and frequent public transport along Phetkasem but the distance from Lee Gardens Plaza means that it is not generally favoured by Malaysian tourists.

There aren't many in-house facilities compared to downtown hotels. The rooms are fine for the money, and the staff are pleasant and courteous. The location is handy for the fresh market and also for getting sawng-thaews to Carrefour, Songkhla, Ko Yo or the Municipal Park.

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Comments: A very typical Hat Yai hotel in the Bt400 - Bt600 range. Rooms have A/C, hot water, TVs and fridges. You can see from the sign on the door where most of the guests come from. The weekend tourist trade from over the border keeps Hat Yai's economy going.

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Comments: I've never stayed at this hotel but I have attempted to use its massage shop a couple of times ... and then walked straight out. If the service in the massage shop is anything to go by, I don't have very high hopes for the hotel service.

However, it's cheap and in a very central location.

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Comments: Located opposite the Florida hotel, this is another nondescript Hat Yai mid-class hotel that has been built to cater for the needs of the Malaysian tourist trade.

It's fairly large with 152 rooms and there is an in-house massage parlour. It's on the road which is at the other end of the Niphat Uthit roads to Lee Gardens Plaza but easy to get to that central area of town either walking or by taking a tuk-tuk.

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Comments: One of the three top hotels (along with Lee Gardens Plaza and the Novotel) that dominate the central tourist area of Hat Yai. It has probably the nicest lobby area of any hotel in Hat Yai (pictured) and the rooms in the new wing are very pleasant. The rooms contain personal safes which is a really welcome feature. The old wing is looking a bit past its best these days and is probably due for a bit of a makeover.

On the fifth floor is a decent size swimming pool which is exclusively for the use of guests and free. There is also a well-equipped gym, also for guests only, but it costs Bt50 to use.

Rates quoted above are direct from the hotel but once again it is possible to get a cheaper deal from a travel agent about 100 yards away. Konsortium travel agency can offer you a standard room in the old wing for Bt700 and a deluxe room in the new wing for Bt1,050. Note though that the Konsortium price does not include breakfast whereas the higher rate direct from the hotel includes breakfast for two people.

Guest Comments:

• "No Wi-Fi signal."

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Comments: Located not so much on a river as on a klong (canal). Never mind, it's a pretty klong (as far as klongs go) with lots of flowers planted along its sides. The location is fairly isolated and away from the hustle and bustle but close enough to town not to be too inconvenient.

One of my pleasures in life is reading stuff that has been badly translated into English by Thais and the River Inn brochure is one of the best. It must cost them quite a bit to get these brochures printed so why don't they grab a farang off the street and offer Bt500 to get the English checked before going to print?

Even the most boozed-up, brain-dead, farang sexpat could probably put them right. Are you ready for this?

"A first class hotel, located right at centre of Haadyai, the River Inn, which has been specially designed and constructed to feature the Thai architectural identity, now stands as witness thereto."

"The Hotel's staff workers are courteous and knowingly intelligent."

"Thai, Chainess and European foods, prepared by experienced cooks and served to you by beautyful young attendants. At night diners are entertained with music and song by leading musical bands and singers."

Zezar Ancient Massage offers ayuraverdic massage service a new dimension of cordially warm massager service by young, beautiful massagers, specially trained and groomed therefor."

As a result of the economic downturn, the 'Zezar Ancient Massage' facility has closed so it is no longer possible to experience 'a new dimension of cordially warm massager service by young, beautiful massagers, specially trained and groomed therefor'.

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Comments: A nice, clean-looking hotel centrally located close to Lee Gardens. The whole place appears to have been completely refurbished quite recently (2004/2005?). There are over 100 double and twin rooms which come with A/C, satellite TV, hot water in the bathrooms, a kettle, hairdryer, refrigerator and mini-bar.

The hotel has 24 hour security. Sakol is pronounced 'Saa-gon' in Thai. It means international/Western.

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