🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Hat Yai and Songkhla's breakfast culture carries a strong Hokkien-Chinese imprint — the legacy of Chinese settlers who arrived by boat and put down roots here centuries ago. Dim sum is no novelty; it's a normal family breakfast where everyone pulls up a chair, pours hot tea, and works through bamboo baskets together. Over in Songkhla's old town, you'll find century-old rice stew recipes and kopitiam coffee passed down through multiple generations. We've split this into three categories — dim sum, rice stew, and old-school coffee — with spots that are genuinely open right now.
Read Before You Go
Breakfast here starts early and wraps up fast. Several of Hat Yai's best-known dim sum shops open at 5:30 AM and sell out before noon. If you have a specific place in mind, aim to arrive before 8 AM to avoid disappointment. Many shops are cash only — bring small bills.
Dim Sum — Breakfast That Hat Yai Takes Seriously
Hat Yai is the real dim sum capital of southern Thailand. Small bamboo baskets stacked high on steaming carts hold everything from siu mai and har gow to steamed bao, braised pork trotters, and a pot of bak kut teh simmered with Chinese herbal spices. Per-basket prices are still very easy on the wallet — starting around THB 17–25 — and three or four people can walk away full for well under a few hundred baht. These are the spots locals actually go to, with queues forming before the sun is fully up.
Dimsum Nak Wing
The dim sum spot many locals call their default Hat Yai breakfast. Baskets come out freshly steamed and hot, with a balanced savoury-sweet flavour. They also do bak kut teh and roti with curry — a red shophouse in a modern-Chinese style with decent street parking. Opens at 5:30 AM for serious early risers.
Kuk Chai Dim Sum
A legendary Hat Yai institution — tables fill up fast from the morning rush, and you may need to share one. Every basket is steamed fresh. Beyond the classics, their bak kut teh, steamed sea bass with sauce, and pan-fried bao stand out. Weekends can mean a short wait, but it moves quickly.
Marita Dim Sum Halal
Halal dim sum for Muslim visitors and anyone avoiding pork. Full menu including chicken siu mai, steamed bao, and hot tea. An option you won't easily find in most other Thai cities.
Nad Kafae Dim Sum
A breakfast spot known for its fragrant bak kut teh brewed with Chinese herbal spices — best eaten alongside a few baskets of dim sum and a cup of coffee. Relaxed atmosphere; good for a long, easy morning conversation.
Chok Dee Tae Tiam
A veteran Hokkien-style tae tiam (Chinese tea restaurant) that has been in Hat Yai's city centre for decades. Good if you want a traditional Chinese breakfast experience beyond just bamboo baskets.
Eat Dim Sum Like a Local
Order a pot of hot Chinese tea the moment you sit down, then pick baskets from the cart as it comes round. Hat Yai regulars usually order one shared pot of bak kut teh, eaten with fried garlic and chilli soy sauce on the side. Don't overeat at the first stop — rice stew and coffee are still waiting.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Songkhla food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Rice Stew — A True Songkhla Old Town Dish
Cross from Hat Yai to Songkhla old town — about 30 km — and you'll find a dish most visitors haven't heard of: khao satu (rice stew). It's rice topped with slow-braised beef or pork in a deep brown broth, rich with a sweet-savoury balance that shows both Western and Chinese influence — a flavour you can only really find here. Eat it with an oversized steamed bao for one of the most filling breakfasts the south has to offer.
Khao Satu Kiad Fang — Nang Ngam Road
The first rice stew shop in Songkhla, open since 1937, sitting on Nang Ngam Road in the old town. The broth is thick and concentrated; you can add crispy pork and Chinese sausage. The giant steamed bao is the thing not to miss — a signature that's kept people coming back for generations.
Khao Satu Na Suan
A rice stew shop next to Hat Yai's municipal park — a decent option if you're based on the Hat Yai side and don't want to drive all the way to Songkhla old town. Approachable flavour, easy to get to, opens in the morning.
Khao Satu Ad — Chiranakhon Branch
An early-opening rice stew shop in the Chiranakhon neighbourhood of Hat Yai. Straightforward and budget-friendly — fine for anyone wanting a taste of the dish without the drive into Songkhla old town.
Honestly, Kiad Fang should be your first stop if you're heading into Songkhla old town — you get the original recipe and the atmosphere of a historic shophouse all at once. The one thing to watch out for: they close on Buddhist holy days and Thursdays, so check the calendar before you go. If you're short on time and staying in Hat Yai, Na Suan or Ad will give you a reasonable taste of the dish without the detour.
Old-School Coffee — Slow Sips in a Heritage Shophouse
Round off your morning with old-school coffee — the quiet charm that makes Songkhla old town worth a full morning on its own. Nang Ngam Road, Nakhon Nok Road, and Nakhon Nai Road are lined with Sino-Portuguese and Chinese shophouses that are close to a century old, and several have opened as coffee shops. Some are traditional kopitiam brewing through a cloth sock; others are newer cafés that happen to occupy spectacular old buildings. Either way, it's a spot to sit with an iced coffee or hot brew and not rush anywhere.
Ong Hiab Huat
A coffee shop inside a heritage shophouse in Songkhla old town. Classic atmosphere — come for the bitter coffee and the antiques, stay to soak up the sense of a city that hasn't moved on too fast. Open approx. 10.00–18.00.
Nang Ngam Road Cafés
The whole street is lined with cafés occupying old shophouses. Wander and try one at a time — you'll find specialty coffee alongside street-art murals on the walls between buildings.
Kopitiam at the Morning Market
For a truly traditional coffee experience, look for kopitiam stalls inside Hat Yai and Songkhla morning markets. Brewed through a cloth bag, served as iced coffee (oliang) or hot — best with a side of pa thong ko (Chinese doughnuts).
A Straight-Up Heads-Up
Many old-town cafés open late — around 10 AM — so they won't work as a proper breakfast stop. If you want coffee early, find a kopitiam stall at the morning market or a dim sum shop that serves coffee on the side. Save the shophouse cafés for a mid-morning break after dim sum or rice stew; the timing works out better that way.
A 3-Day Early-Morning Eating Plan
If you have a few days, try to work through all three categories — moving from the Hat Yai side out to Songkhla old town. This is a plan you can actually follow without renting a helicopter.
Full Hat Yai Dim Sum Morning
Rice Stew & Old Town Coffee in Songkhla
Easy Day Close to Your Hotel
Plan your full Songkhla–Hat Yai trip — food, sights, and everything in between
View the Songkhla Travel Guide →