Hat Yai Food and Restaurants - Page 3

Hat Yai Restaurant Listings Page 3

For a general overview of the food scene in Hat Yai see Hat Yai Food and Restaurant Listings Page 1. The following restaurants are some of the places I've eaten at in Hat Yai.

Ching Sin (Vegetarian) (NOW CLOSED)

Address: Saeng Arthit Road
Map: Map 1
Telephone: +66 (0)74 351739
Mobile: +66 (0)86 957 1279

Latitude: N 07° 00' 31.5" (N 07° 00.524')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 17.6" (E 100° 28.293')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: Some years ago I was friendly with a girl in Hat Yai who was vegetarian and she introduced me to a number of vegetarian restaurants. At the time there were quite a few, but over time the number has reduced.

Ching Sin had two branches originally, but one closed, and then another vegetarian restaurant called Krua Peuan Sookapaap also closed.

After a few years the remaining branch of Ching Sin closed. Nowadays, there are just a few vegetarian restaurants that are open all year round. During the Chinese vegetarian festival a lot of vegetarian food is sold. While the festival is taking place some restaurants close for a week and others change their menu so that they only sell vegetarian dishes.

Diner Comments:

Even a little cheaper than Num Heng, this place offers a wide variety of vegetarian food, which you choose from the vitrine. The food is delicious, the owner friendly, and they even serve brown rice. Forget about the interior, but I keep on coming back just for the food. (December 2012)

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Chok Dee

Address: 58/25 Samai Songkroh Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 4
Telephone: +66 (0)74 356779, +66 (0)74 234253
Mobile: +66 (0)81 276 6251, +66 (0)89 466 0248

Latitude: N 07° 00' 06.8" (N 07° 00.113')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 32.4" (E 100° 28.540')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: With around 50% of the local Thai population being ethnic Chinese (some actually say as many as 80%), and most tourists being Malaysian or Singaporean ethnic-Chinese, there is no shortage of dim-sum restaurants in Hat Yai. They can be found in most places.

Chok Dee is the most well-known and many people have told me it is the best. I have been told that when Bangkokians are in Hat Yai they make a beeline for Chok Dee, such is its reputation. I have also seen hordes of Malaysian tourists there on Saturday mornings.

I've eaten there and the dim-sum was very average. I actually prefer other places, such as Tai Sun, Siri and Nukwing.

Because of the predominantly Thai and Chinese customer base, nothing is in English - including the sign outside - so don't go expecting to see a 'Chok Dee' sign in English. The business card I picked up had Thai on one side and Chinese on the other.

If you can find the place, the lack of English won't be a problem. The normal procedure is just to select what you want and they will then put the dishes in the steamer.

The opening times are from 6am to noon, and then from 17:00 to 22:00. On the map, it's quite near Tai See Hee restaurant but a bit further down and on the other side of the road.

It gets busy and if you go at a busy time you may have to wait for a table. Also, I have found that if you eat there shortly before the restaurant is due to close there is garbage everywhere.

Diner Comments:

Service is good.. Dim sum is good. It's quite fast to finish up all... So be there early.. It close after 11am. (July 2014)

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Choladah

Address: Phetkasem Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 2

Latitude: N 07° 01' 06.9" (N 07° 01.115')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 50.2" (E 100° 28.837')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: There are several large restaurants in Hat Yai known as moo ga-ta (literally 'pig pan') where customers take raw food and cook it at their table.

Diners first help themselves to meat, fish, seafood and vegetables. These can be cooked directly on the hot-plate or boiled in the water around the edge. The selection of meat varies from decent looking cuts of chicken and fish to pig offal, but then again pig innards are popular with many Asians. There are huge pots of rice and also desserts.

Cholodah is just one such place but there are many others. The entertainment is a guy playing traditional Thai music very loudly and Karaoke singing. Thais love singing along to Karaoke machines and can't resist the urge to participate. It's OK if they can actually sing but many can't and the sound is often reminiscent of a cat being strangled.

The charge for all this is a measly Bt85 and you can eat as much as you like. There is a charge, however, for those whose eyes are bigger than their bellies (as my Mum used to say) who take more food than they can eat. If you make this mistake you could always try feeding your leftovers to the cats who wander around the restaurant scavenging for scraps and being strangled.

I'm not sure of the exact address. The easiest way to get there is to catch a Songkhla bound sawng-thaew from the clock tower on Phetkasem. As you go along Phetkasem it is a big place on the left, the same side as Carrefour but before you reach Carrefour.

Diner Comments: No diner comments yet. Be the first to comment. If you've eaten here and wish to provide some feedback, send an e-mail to phil@phil.uk.net, or use the following form. Comments will be added anonymously.

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Chongkhao Seafoods

Address: 551 Suphasarnrangsarn Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 2
Telephone: +66 (0)74 244060

Latitude: N 07° 00' 32.0" (N 07° 00.533')

Longitude: E 100° 29' 10.6" (E 100° 29.176')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: There are quite a few large seafood restaurants in Hat Yai, especially a little way from the centre of town.

This one is located on the way to Tesco Lotus (opposite one of the branches of Daychaa Fried Chicken). It has a fairly large garden area so you can sit outside if you want to.

Prices are reasonable and it is always busy which is a good sign.

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Cocohut (NOW CLOSED)

Address: 267 Saengchan Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 3

Latitude: N 07° 00' 11.5" (N 07° 00.192')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 22.5" (E 100° 28.375')

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Comments: This was a very pleasant little coffee shop that also sold traditional Thai ice cream made from coconut milk, hence the name of the restaurant.

However, it couldn't have been very popular with local Thais or Malaysian tourists because it is now closed.

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Coffee Break (NOW CLOSED)

Address: 40 Juti Anusorn Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 2
Telephone: +66 (0)74 346677

Latitude: N 07° 00' 49.5" (N 07° 00.825')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 24.5" (E 100° 28.408')

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Comments: Yet another Hat Yai restaurant bites the dust. Coffee Break used to serve reasonable food at very reasonable prices. There are lots of students who attend turoring classes in this area and prices have to be low.

A new Coffee Break opened in Central Festival, but I understand that it only sells drinks and cakes. I guess that profits are higher in Central Festival because it doesn't cater only to poor students. I was disappointed to see the original Coffee Break disappear, but this is the way of the world.

There is now a restaurant called Prik Waan (Sweet Chili) where Coffee Break used to be. It's more upmarket and, accordingly, it's more expensive.

Diner Comments:

Very nice food, my son loves the fried rice, but pad thai is a bit watery. Salted egg salad is unique and appetizing. We have to write our own order but the lady owner is very helpful to take our orders. Total bill is cheap compare eating street food. Recommend to everyone. (January 2013)

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Coffee Craft

Address: Airport Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 1
Mobile: +66 (0)87 489 4898

Latitude: N 06° 56' 53.5" (N 06° 56.891')

Longitude: E 100° 24' 42.9" (E 100° 24.715')

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Comments: In the last few years as I write (May 2018) quite a few new coffee shops have opened in Hat Yai and some are excellent. This is one of them.

It is located on the Airport Road, just opposite Bloomsbury International School. This isn't convenient if you are located in the downtown area, but it would be a good place to stop on the way to the airport.

The restaurant is large, open, airy and very tastefully decorated. This makes for a very pleasant, relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. There is quite a large car park outside and parking is never a problem.

An excellent selection of hot and cold drinks is on offer and food is also served. Both the food and drinks are excellent and very reasonably priced. Single plate rice meals start from just Bt59.

The coffee is excellent. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case in Hat Yai coffee shops and the coffee in some places is bitter with no body. The coffee at Coffee Craft is as good, if not better, than you will get at Starbucks - and it's also a lot cheaper than Starbucks.

In the morning you can order a Western style breakfast, pancakes or waffles. For lunch you can order single plate or made-to-order Thai food. Alternative, you can order a burger, steak (chicken, pork, beef, salmon, duck), spaghetti dish, or salad. The burgers are really good.

Naturally, as with all other coffee shops in Thailand, there is free Wi-Fi. To find Coffee Craft, take the airport road out of downtown Hat Yai heading to Hat Yai airport. At the set of traffic lights where you turn left for Thai Airforce Base 56 you will see Bloomsbury Internation School on the corner on the left.

Go straight at the lights and Coffee Craft is located on the right-hand side of the airport road almost opposite the school.

This is another coffee shop and eatery that I highly recommend.

The opening hours are from 08:00 to 18:00.

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Coffee D

Address: 10 Chaiyakul Uthit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 4
Website: Coffee D
E-mail: coffee-d@windowslive.com
Telephone: +66 (0)74 223391
Mobile: +66 (0)84 761 5985

Latitude: N 07° 00' 08.0" (N 07° 00.133')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 26.1" (E 100° 28.435')

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Comments: For a number of years there has been a huge coffee shop craze in Hat Yai. I think that the introduction of Wi-Fi has been a major contributing factor. People can now work anywhere and relaxing coffee shops offer a pleasant atmosphere in which to work. That is why all coffee shops in Hat Yai offer free Wi-Fi, with the notable exception of Starbucks where you have to pay Bt150 to use their Wi-Fi connection.

Many of the new coffee shops look great and Coffee D is one of the best. Great attention to detail and effort has been taken with the interior decoration and it looks excellent. There is seating inside and outside.

It used to be a massage shop and is located in an area that is very popular with visiting Malaysian tourists. It is close to the Asia Grand Hotel, and just opposite the Merlin Grand Hotel.

As well as serving hot and cold drinks, they also sell fresh coffee beans and other ingredients with which to make drinks at home. Coffee D is open every day, but only from 08:30 to 17:00.

The owner is Mr Anucha Kiatparnapikul.

Highly recommended!

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The Company

Address: 28 Rajyindee Soi 7, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 4
Mobile: +66 (0)88 790 2568

Latitude: N 07° 00' 25.7" (N 07° 00.428')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 55.2" (E 100° 28.920')

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Comments: In recent years many coffee and cake shops have opened in Hat Yai and some are very good. However, they all seem to work to a similar formula and although the cakes are tasty it is as if they were all baked at the same place. The Company is different and the pies and cakes sold there are far more authentic.

The pies and cakes are exceptional because the young couple who own the restaurant were taught how to cook American-style desserts by a Thai-American who once owned a Thai restaurant in the US. The desserts use Western ingredients and have a unique American taste.

The menu includes many traditional American favorites, such as lemon meringue pie, pumpkin pie and New York cheesecake which Americans tell me bring back nostalgic feelings of home. It is the only bakery I know of in Hat Yai to make authentic American desserts.

Surprisingly, the desserts on sale aren't that expensive. The portion sizes are also very good. Some other coffee shops charge a lot more for far less tasty pies and cakes.

The location is a little out of the way (unless you are staying at De Poem Loft, which is almost next door), but it is highly recommended and well worth making the effort to find. Coffee and other drinks are also served, of course.

It is close to the De Poem Loft Hotel, Meats And Beans Restaurant, and Sittara Spa.

Update: After not visiting The Company for quite a while, I went for a coffee and cake in July 2020. It looked very different. Whereas the original shop was very small and it was always a problem finding a table, apparently they bought the shop next door and there has been a big expansion. The shop is now more than twice the size it was originally.

There are a lot more staff and although it is as popular as ever, it is now much easier to find somewhere to sit. However, I went mid-week and I suspect it will still be crowded at weekends. The Company seems to be very popular with nurses and doctors from local hospitals and the student crowd from the Prince of Songkla University.

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Crown Bakery

Address: 6/8-9 Niphat Songkhro 1 Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 1
E-mail: crownbake@hotmail.com
Telephone: +66 (0)74 225430-2

Latitude: N 07° 00' 58.3" (N 07° 00.972')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 15.6" (E 100° 28.260')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: This is a pleasant Western-style, air-conditioned bakery and restaurant located quite close to Jiranakorn sports stadium. There is another branch in Songkhla main town that is actually more pleasant.

They serve all the standard Thai dishes, along with a number of Western favourites. There are bakery items, of course, and a good selection of hot and cold drinks.

The prices are more expensive than the typical hole-in-the-wall Thai rice and noodle shops but most Westerners will normally find this type of place more comfortable.

From the big roundabout in front of the President hotel, go towards the sports stadium and you will see the bakery on the right before you reach the stadium.

Diner Comments:

I'd visited this place couple of times in Songkhla and once in Hatyai. My son liked their cakes and fried rice. (June 2011)

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Cup and Rest

Address: 45/116 Bpoonagun Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 4
Telephone: +66 (0)74 500727

Latitude: N 07° 00' 02.3" (N 07° 00.038')

Longitude: E 100° 30' 11.8" (E 100° 30.196')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: Bpoonagun Road runs alongside the Prince of Songkla university and - as might be expected - it is a big student area. There are lots of typical Thai cheap rice and noodle shops, but also a few more upmarket places.

Cup and Rest is a very comfortable and relaxing place. I am told it is owned by one of the lecturers at the university. Housed in a pleasant building; the interior is tastefully decorated in pastel shades with soft lighting - as opposed to cheap plastic furniture, a concrete floor and a couple of fluorescent strip lights as you might find in a Bt30 noodle shop.

There is an open area on the upper floor which is also very relaxing. It is, "Sabai sabai," as Thais would say.

On the menu is a good selection of Thai food and they also serve Western food. Their steaks aren't at all bad and they serve the softest and most tender chicken steak I have ever eaten in Thailand. To satisfy the craze for Japanese food in Hat Yai, they also serve Japanese food. It's cheap and quite acceptable, but not quite as good as the food at some of the Japanese restaurants in town.

There used to be a selection of cakes and pastries but these were absent on my last visit. I don't know whether they had run out that day, or have stopped doing cakes altogether.

Getting there isn't very convenient if you don't have your own transport. There are no buses or sawng-thaews that go down this road. A tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi will gladly take you, but if you are a foreigner you will be charged accordingly.

Cup and Rest is located in a small Soi on the right-hand side just past Gate 109 (bpruh-dtoo-roi-gao). It is opposite the Prince of Songkla University International Convention Center.

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Daothiam

Address: 79/3 Thamanoonvitee Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 2
Telephone: +66 (0)74 243268

Latitude: N 07° 00' 14.8" (N 07° 00.247')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 14.3" (E 100° 28.239')

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Comments: This could be the answer for farangs in the downtown area looking for a Western-style breakfast instead of rice and gaeng som. Thai food is served, but they also do toast, eggs, bacon and sausages, etc. The Thai versions of Western breakfasts are never quite the same as you would get at a greasy spoon in London but the food at Daothiam is fine.

The restaurant is located on Thamanoonvitee Road opposite Odean department store, next door to The Pubb. It is very near to Lee Gardens Plaza in the heart of the central tourist district.

Diner Comments:

Clean friendly restaurant with regular but decently made Thai and Chinese Cuisine. A good place for having lunch downtown, away from the dust and heat outside. (Frequently)

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Darbar (NOW CLOSED)

Address: 149 Niphat Uthit 3 Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 3
Telephone: +66 (0)74 354725
Fax: +66 (0)74 354726
Mobile: +66 (0)86 685 8575

Comments: What was once Darbar Indian restaurant is now a clothes shop. This change happened some time in 2013. It's a shame because Indian food is so scarce in Hat Yai.

I'm not sure why the restaurant closed, but it wasn't well run. That may have been the problem. If you want to eat Indian food in Hat Yai, the only Indian restaurant I know of is Namaste.

To satisfy my Indian food cravings I now make my own curries at home using Patak sauces that can be bought in some of the local supermarkets.

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Daychaa Fried Chicken (Halal)

Address: Chee Uthit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 4
Mobile: +66 (0)81 098 3751

Comments: There are several branches of KFC in Hat Yai but you will be better off getting an MFC (Muslim Fried Chicken). It tastes better, it's cheaper, and it's probably healthier - although I have no scientific evidence of that.

There are many individual Muslim vendors selling fried chicken in Hat Yai but Daychaa is quite famous in the local area. There are three branches: one in Chee Uthit Road, one near Tesco Lotus (opposite Chongkhao Seafoods), and one in Kate 8. Ask any taxi driver to take you to raan ahaan daychaa and he will know the location of the nearest branch. I have been told that Daychaa has now opened branches in Bangkok as well.

I've eaten at all of the Hat Yai branches and the quality is consistent although I have a preference for the one in Chee Uthit road - which, conveniently, happens to be the branch nearest to downtown Hat Yai.

When ordering chicken in Southeast Asia, the chicken can be boiled or fried. The boiled variety is very white and anaemic-looking so I always choose the deep fried version. The Thai word for deep fried is tort and so 'fried chicken' is gai tort using the noun/adjective structure of Thai grammar.

A quick word about rice.

Sticky rice is kaaw niaow. If you want this with fried chicken you ask for kaaw niaow gai tort but Isaan style sticky rice is more often eaten with grilled chicken kaaw niaow gai yaang.

In southern Thailand where Muslims sell chicken and rice, the fried chicken is often eaten with yellow rice (kaaw mok).

Daychaa serves other food in addition to fried chicken and everything is Halal, of course.

Diner Comments:

I first visited Decha Fried Chicken some time ago, the branch in Chee Uthit Road where upon asking for the bill, I was quoted in Thai Baht although the cashier can identify my nationslity. It was arrogance and ego at it's peak meaning that these people felt superior to their cousins down South, thus I did not visit this branch again so I stopped by on my way to Tesco Lotus the 2nd branch which has many Southern Malay staff thus ordering would not be a problem but unfortunately, I was served by a thuggish looking chap who took my order but was acting as if he was doing me a favour. I tried to order a vegetable soup but that chap said no although I can see plenty of vegetables at the cook's counter, well.. was given the option of only beef or ox's tail soup.. pricier than my original order.
Drink was hot black tea and apart from the single piece of fried chicken and white rice, the bill came to 160 baht so since there was no cash receipt, I take it that the soup was 85 baht (I had a look at the scribbled items upon payment) and that the prices were a bit higher... Anyway, I will not return to this branch either and on my next trip, I will patronize the 3rd branch at Kate 8. The branch in Bangkok is located at the Chatujak Weekend Market I think but the price and ambience is worlds apart. The menu has English script so the tourists are very happy to enjoy their food there. A meal with chicken soup and friied chicken and drinks is under 100 baht and the guy who fries the chicken is friendly and speaks Malay. For Dechs in Hat Yai, you may receive customers but altitude wise, you stink deep deep down. (November 2013)

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Dent Cafe

Address: 56 Niphat Uthit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 3
Mobile: +66 (0)81 388 9030
Facebook: dentcafe2012

Latitude: N 07° 00' 19.9" (N 07° 00.333')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 13.3" (E 100° 28.222')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: This small cafe is owned by a dentist, whose dental clinic is above. It's a pleasant little place, but I must have walked past a thousand times before I actually went in. I don't know why.

Cakes are home made and the speciality is fruit cake. The only food available is home made chicken massaman curry. This is one of my favourites and it's actually quite hard to find in Hat Yai. It is served with bread, rather than rice.

Prices are very reasonable. Slices of cake are around Bt50, whereas they can cost double that elsewhere. The drinks are also tasty and reasonably priced.

The atmosphere is good. They play good music (there aren't many places in Hat Yai where you can listen to John Coltrane and Miles Davis while having a coffee) and there is a good selection of books (mostly in Thai).

Unsurprisingly, considering this cafe is owned by a dentist, the food and drinks contain less sugar than usual.

Every table has a visitors' book and judging from the comments lots of other people also like this cafe.

Opening times:

08:00 - 17:30
08:00 - 16:00 (Sunday)
Closed on Wednesdays

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De Van Cuisine

Address: 162/4 Prachatipat Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 4
Telephone: +66 (0)74 351438
Mobile: +66 (0)90 719 9060

Latitude: N 07° 00' 26.1" (N 07° 00.435')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 31.0" (E 100° 28.516')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: Hat Yai's restaurant scene keeps improving all the time with more variety of food and higher quality of cooking. For Western food the town still doesn't rival Bangkok or the main tourist resorts in Thailand, but it is a lot better than it was a few years ago.

De Van Cuisine, which opened late in 2012, is another very welcome addition to the town. Chef Van has a formidable CV and has worked in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Switzerland and London cooking Thai and international food. The restaurant itself is spotlessly clean and tastefully decorated.

The location (near Saeng Thong school and the New Season Hotel) is slightly outside the main tourist area, but it is actually only a short walk from Lee Gardens Plaza.

The restaurant has a small selection of wine and they are happy for diners to bring their own bottles if they wish. The food is cooked to perfection with some items being imported, such as the lamb from New Zealand.

The presentation style of the food is modern, that is, large plates with meat in the middle and very small portions of potatoes and other vegetables. My one criticism would be that if you arrive quite hungry, you may leave still feeling a little hungry. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity.

The clientele appears to be mainly better off Thais, but I anticipate that as the restaurant's reputation grows it will attract more foreign expats and tourists.

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The Donya

Address: Behind Chut Gaew Village, Airport Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Map: Map 1
Telephone: +66 (0)74 250599
Mobile: +66 (0)81 896 6689
Mobile: +66 (0)89 209 1929
Website: The Donya

Latitude: N 06° 56' 49.9" (N 06° 56.832')

Longitude: E 100° 24' 18.5" (E 100° 24.309')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: The Donya isn't in central Hat Yai. It is quite a long way out near the airport. On the airport road just before the airport there is a residential area (moo-baan) on the right called Chut Gaew. This is where the restaurant is located. There is a large sign on the main road to assist people with finding it.

I eat here, or buy take-away food to eat at home, more than any other place in Hat Yai. The Thai food is really good and they also serve a selection of Western food, including pizza, steaks and pasta dishes.

The food is always fresh, well prepared and well presented. Prices are reasonable, but have increased quite a lot in recent years. The customers are mainly locals, with very few tourists. The restaurant therefore relies on repeat customers and if the food wasn't good, or if it was too expensive, people wouldn't go back. But they do, and the restaurant has lots of regular customers including me.

However, what really sets this place apart is the service. I have been to lots of restaurants in Hat Yai where, in most cases, the serving staff are temporary and - to be honest - many don't really care about the service they provide.

The Donya is very different. The staff are all permanent and I think that quite a few live on the premises. Some are Thai, some Burmese and some Laotian. They all speak Thai, of course. This works very well in a number of ways.

Firstly, whenever I visit I always meet the same staff and over a number of years I have developed a really good rapport with them. Secondly, because they are all permanent staff they are really service orientated and I find the service to be very good.

The owner is an ex Thai airforce man. At one time he was always in the restaurant walking around talking to customers making sure that everything was satisfactory. Nowadays, I don't see him so much. I think that he now has enough trust in his staff to let them get on with running the restaurant without his constant supervision.

In the last few years (I am writing this at the end of 2016) the restaurant has undergone a lot of refurbishment including a brand new dining area. In addition to the main dining area there are several private rooms if you are eating in a group and want some privacy. There is also a large private function room. This is a very popular place with large groups of Thais who want to go out to celebrate something.

I always enjoy eating here and I always have fun with the staff. It's a nice place.

The Donya is open every day from 09:00 to 21:00.