🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Hat Yai has been a trading city for generations, which is why its souvenir food scene runs deeper and wider than most other towns in the region. You'll find shelf-stable dry goods that pack easily, fresh items that need to be eaten the same day, and lake-sourced Songkhla specialties you won't find anywhere else. We've grouped everything clearly — what travels, what doesn't — then listed the shops and markets so you can plan your run.
What Edible Souvenirs Are Worth Buying?
If you're not sure where to start, these are the items most visitors pick up in Songkhla and Hat Yai. Each one has its own character — some are light snacks that fly home without a second thought, others are fresh and need to be eaten within a day or two.
- Hat Yai Fried Chicken — thin, shattering skin with deep southern-spice marinade, served with sticky rice and crispy fried shallots. Best eaten same-day, though many shops will wrap it for short flights.
- Dried squid, dried fish & salted fish — classic preserved seafood that travels well. Kim Yong Market has plenty of stalls; go for vacuum-sealed packs for longer shelf life.
- Roasted cashews — an all-ages crowd-pleaser available salted, plain, or glazed. Buying loose by the kilogram at Kim Yong Market is better value than pre-packaged.
- Rose petal pastries (khanom pia) & coconut cake — Ban Go Kai's signature items, with eleven filling options and gift-ready boxes.
- Pickled mango (mamuang bao cham im) — small tart-sweet crunchy mangoes in a southern Thai brine. Genuinely hard to find outside the region.
- Traditional Thai sweets & old-style confections — thong ek sawai and ancient-recipe sweets from Songkhla Old Town, good choices for older relatives.
- Southern curry paste, shrimp paste (kapi) & palm sugar — for people who cook: these pantry staples from Kim Yong Market and wet markets are what southern Thai flavour actually tastes like.
Before You Buy
Flying home? Dry vacuum-sealed goods — dried fish snacks, cashews, khanom pia pastries — are fine in carry-on. Fresh items like fried chicken and liquid-heavy pickled mango should be eaten that day or checked with your airline on liquids rules. Shrimp paste and fermented products have a strong smell: wrap them in multiple layers and put them in checked luggage to avoid issues at security and with fellow passengers.
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.
Hat Yai Fried Chicken — the City's Signature Take-Home Food
Say Hat Yai and fried chicken comes to mind immediately. The skin is shatteringly thin, the meat juicy, and the southern-spice marinade goes deep. The finishing touch is a shower of crispy fried shallots over sticky rice. It's primarily a same-day food, but if your flight is short, several shops will pack it for you. Here are the places locals and repeat visitors mention most.
Meena Fried Chicken (Kim Yong Market, Hat Yai)
The well-known fried chicken stall inside Kim Yong Market. The marinade is concentrated and soaks right through the meat; the skin fries to a proper crunch. Regulars say to order thigh and drumstick pieces with sticky rice and shallots. Prices start at ฿20 per piece and it sits right in the middle of the souvenir market, so you can grab a piece while you shop.
Bang Jen Fried Chicken (Khlong Rian Market, Hat Yai · Halal)
A Hat Yai fried chicken institution open for decades — halal, based at Khlong Rian Market. The skin is crisp and heavily spiced in the true southern style. Locals cite it as one of the originals worth comparing against everything else you try.
Dacha Fried Chicken (Airport Road, Hat Yai)
A long-standing shop on Airport Road that Hat Yai people have been eating at for years. Prices are slightly higher but the pieces are big and freshly fried. Convenient to swing by on the way to Hat Yai Airport.
Wanida Fried Chicken (To Rung Chueang area, Hat Yai)
A neighbourhood shop next to a 7-Eleven in the To Rung Chueang area. Very affordable at ฿20 per piece and ฿10 for sticky rice — a regular breakfast and lunch stop for people who live nearby.
Je Ob Fried Chicken (near Si Yaek Bridge / Sai Dam Bridge, Hat Yai)
An old-guard stall near Si Yaek Bridge that Hat Yai residents have eaten at for a long time. Crisp, fragrant skin; goes well with sticky rice. Not widely listed in tourist guides but well known to locals.
Pla Tod Kai (Phi Pla · Behind Hat Yai Hospital)
A fried chicken shop behind Hat Yai Hospital at ฿25–30 per piece. Always fresh, skin stays crispy. Office workers from the area fill the queue around lunchtime. Good option if you're staying in the city centre.
Mali Fried Chicken (Sri Trang Market, Hat Yai)
A market stall inside Sri Trang Market that locals have eaten at for years. Crispy skin, tender meat, aromatic southern spice. Affordable and easy to grab while walking the market.
Sarina Fried Chicken (Green Way Food Court, Hat Yai)
Fried chicken in an air-conditioned food court setting. Prices start around ฿45. Good if you want the Hat Yai fried chicken experience without walking a hot outdoor market.
Honest take
Hat Yai fried chicken is at its best straight out of the fryer. Reheating kills the crunch. If you're flying, buy from a shop near the airport like Dacha and eat it quickly — or accept that it's a same-day food and save your luggage space for the dry goods. Expecting it to still be crispy after a long flight home is setting yourself up for disappointment.
Kim Yong Market — Hat Yai's Real Souvenir Hub
If you only have time to shop in one place, Kim Yong Market is the answer. This central Hat Yai market pulls together dried goods, processed seafood, nuts, cashews, dried fruit, Malaysian imports, tea, coffee, and even fried chicken and tao kua all under one roof. Walk one market, fill your bag. Prices are negotiable and vendors often throw in extras when you buy in quantity.
Phi Kong Shop
A long-running souvenir shop in Kim Yong that's been open over 20 years. Known for cashews, dry goods, and Malaysian imports. People like it for freshness, tight seals, and easy carry-on packing.
Je Ju Roasted Chestnuts
Hot, sweet, fragrant roasted chestnuts — the stall in Kim Yong that always has a queue. Good as a walking snack and easy to bring home.
Burapha Bird's Nest
A bird's nest shop in the heart of Hat Yai with multiple grades to choose from. A solid pick for a premium gift for older relatives or health-conscious family members.
Kim Yong Shopping Tips
Most stalls selling dried goods — fish snacks, nuts, cashews — will let you taste before you buy. Choose shops where stock turns over fast; fresher is noticeably better. Buying several items from the same vendor usually gets you a better price and something thrown in free. Check expiry dates and ask for vacuum-sealed packs if you're storing them or flying. The market is comfortable to walk from late morning to early evening, but late afternoon gets crowded — budget extra time.
Local Sweets & Confections Worth Taking Home
Hat Yai and Songkhla have several sweet shops that make gift-ready, easy-to-pack confections. Some follow old recipes that go back generations; others give traditional Thai sweets a cleaner, more modern presentation. Good picks for colleagues or family.
Ban Go Kai (multiple branches in Hat Yai)
Hat Yai's most famous pastry shop. The star is the rose petal khanom pia with eleven filling options, alongside soft coconut cake made with fresh cream, and curry puffs. Branches near Hat Yai University and Green Way. Gift boxes look the part.
Go Uan Steamed Buns, Hat Yai
An old-school bun shop that draws an early morning crowd. The deep-fried buns with red pork filling are crispy outside and soft inside — best with hot southern-style milk tea, and a same-day eat. Steamed versions can be boxed to take home.
Baan Khanom Thai Song–Saen (Songkhla Old Town)
A Songkhla Old Town sweet shop doing traditional recipes with a contemporary presentation. Their thong ek sawai — flower-shaped golden sweets in deep amber-yellow — are a beautifully packaged, easy-to-carry gift, especially appreciated by older recipients.
Je Hong Pickled Mango (Hat Yai)
The go-to pickled mango stall in Hat Yai. Small mangoes, gently sweet and tart with a satisfying crunch — a southern Thai snack that people get genuinely addicted to. Keeps for a few days; choose the drier versions for easier packing.
Cocoro Cake Cafe, Koh Yor
A cafe on Koh Yor island that makes pickled mango cake and champedak cake using local southern fruit. These flavours are genuinely hard to find elsewhere — worth picking up if you're crossing to Koh Yor anyway.
Dried Seafood & Southern Pantry Staples
Songkhla sits between the sea and the lake, so preserved seafood is a real strength here. If you cook or like eating with rice porridge, this category is for you. Most of it is available at Kim Yong Market and the wet markets around the city. Pack it right and it keeps well.
- Dried squid & seasoned squid — a classic. Look for pieces that are completely dry, not damp or sticky. Grill briefly with dipping sauce and it's ready to eat.
- Dried fish strips & crispy rice-fish snacks — salty, savoury, addictive snacks that pack and fly easily. Kids love them too.
- Dried shrimp & Songkhla Lake shrimp paste (kapi) — good-quality kapi from the lake area. People who make nam prik (chilli paste) at home often bring a supply back. Strong smell — wrap in multiple layers.
- Southern curry paste — finely ground fresh curry paste to make authentic southern Thai curries at home. Rare to find this quality outside the region.
- Palm sugar & palm vinegar (toddy palm) — local products from the palm trees around the lake. Used in tao kua and southern Thai desserts; distinctively fragrant sweetness.
Picking Good Dried Goods
Smell and freshness vary a lot between stalls for dried seafood. Smell it and taste it before committing. Dried squid should be completely dry — not tacky or damp. Shrimp paste and fermented goods have a strong odour: put them in zip-lock bags, then another bag, then checked luggage. That way you avoid issues at security and don't become that person on the plane.
Shopping Plans Based on How Much Time You Have
Souvenir shopping in Songkhla and Hat Yai can take half an hour or a full afternoon. Here are two short plans to choose from depending on how long you have before heading home.
Short on time — half a morning before your flight
Full afternoon — going deep on local specialties
What Can You Fly With — and What Needs to Be Eaten Today?
Fine in carry-on
Dried fish strips, dried squid, cashews, khanom pia pastries, dry cakes, vacuum-sealed goods — no liquid, no smell issues, long shelf life.
Flyable but watch the smell/liquid
Shrimp paste, fermented goods, liquid-heavy pickled mango — wrap in multiple layers and put in checked luggage to avoid smell and liquid issues in the cabin.
Eat today
Fried chicken, deep-fried buns, fresh cream cakes — these are at their best fresh. Reheating or waiting changes the texture and taste noticeably.
Plan a full food and travel trip to Songkhla and Hat Yai
Explore the Songkhla Travel Guide →