Hat Yai's airport lies 10 to 12 km south-west of the city, 20 to 30 minutes by taxi, with separate domestic and international terminals. A ฿60 city minibus runs from 06:00 to 23:30 to the bus terminal. Allow at least 2 hours before domestic flights and a little more for Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Wi-Fi is free.
By the bookingMentor Travel Desk · Updated · How we research
Hat Yai is a short-stay airport: most people arrive, collect a bag and head into the city or across to Songkhla. This guide covers what the single terminal offers, from the lounge and WiFi to the minibus, van and taxi options at the kerb.
Please note: Flights, hotels near the airport and car hire with driver on this page can be booked directly on bookingMentor. We list places on merit, and bookings never affect what we say about them.
Hat Yai International Airport (HDY) sits in Khlong Hoi Khong district, Songkhla, roughly 10 to 12 km south-west of central Hat Yai along Highway 4135. It is run by Airports of Thailand and is the busiest airport in the lower south, handling about 3.3 million passengers in 2025, the large majority of them on domestic flights.
Everything happens in one terminal building, split into domestic and international sections. The airport is not open around the clock: it operates from 06:00 to midnight, so there is no overnighting in the building. The terminal was designed for around 2.5 million passengers a year and feels it at peak times; AOT has a renovation of the departure hall under way and a master plan for new terminal capacity.
Works at Hat Yai, autumn 2026: AOT is renovating the departure hall and upgrading restrooms and access roads, with new terminal capacity, parking and boarding bridges planned over the following three to five years. Expect some temporary signage changes and allow extra time at check-in.
Most traffic is to Bangkok, with Thai AirAsia and Nok Air flying to Don Mueang, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet to Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi, and Thai Airways to Suvarnabhumi. Bangkok Airways links Hat Yai with Phuket, and Thai Lion Air also flies to Udon Thani. International routes are short and regional: Scoot to Singapore, and Batik Air Malaysia and Thai AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur.
Facilities are those of a busy regional airport. You will find ATMs, a bank exchange counter, car rental desks, prayer rooms, free WiFi and one pay-in lounge, but little to fill a long wait. Plan to arrive, fly and leave, and spend spare hours in Hat Yai itself.
In 2025 HDY handled 3,305,661 passengers, up 6.7 per cent: 3,035,301 domestic and 270,360 international, with 22,705 aircraft movements and about 4,200 tonnes of freight. The airport had already passed 4.5 million passengers in 2018, well above its design figure of 2.5 million, which explains the crowding at peak times. AOT's upgrade plan aims to raise capacity to more than 10 million passengers a year by 2030.
The single asphalt runway is 3,150 m long and can handle 30 flights an hour.
Landside is the public part of the terminal before security: check-in, the arrivals hall, car rental, the exchange counter and the transport desks. Airside is the secure area beyond the final security scan, where the gates and the Coral lounge are. Domestic and international passengers are separated airside.
This guide is written and maintained by the bookingMentor Travel Desk. We check terminal hours, transport fares and airline routes against Airports of Thailand and airline sources and update the page when something changes, most recently for the departure hall works and the winter 2026 schedules.
Last updated . Fares for taxis, vans, minibuses and the lounge are typical figures and can change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Airports of ThailandAirline websites and schedulesUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice
Departures and arrivals listed on bookingMentor for Hat Yai International Airport.
Times are from the flights listed on bookingMentor, not a live departure feed. Always confirm with your airline before travelling.
Carriers with scheduled passenger flights from Hat Yai. Most routes go to Bangkok; international flights are to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
7 airlines
No domestic match
2 airlines
Hat Yai has one lounge, airside in domestic departures. There is no separate lounge on the international side.
Domestic departures, airside, level 2 near gates 4 – 6 · daytime hours, check before you fly
Access: Walk-in about ฿1,400 for up to 3 hours when space allows · Priority Pass · DragonPass · LoungeKey
Free drinking water stations are provided in the terminal. Thai tap water is not normally drunk, so use the stations or buy sealed bottles.
Charging points are spread through the departure areas and in the Coral lounge. Thailand uses types A, B, C, F and O sockets at 220 V.
The free network is "AOT Airport Free Wi-Fi by NT" and covers the terminal. It is fine for messages and maps; for a longer stay, a Thai SIM or eSIM bought in Hat Yai or before you travel is more dependable.
Food and drink outlets are on both sides of security, but the choice is limited and nothing runs through the night. Eat in Hat Yai if you have time; the city is known across Thailand for its fried chicken, dim sum and night markets.
Search for what you need, try "cash", "pray", "car" or "medical".
Nothing matches that search. Try "sim", "wifi", "bag" or "food".
The terminal opens at 06:00 for the first departures and closes at midnight after the last arrivals. Shops, counters and food outlets keep shorter hours, and the bank exchange counter is a daytime service.
What happens between the aircraft door and the kerb at Hat Yai, in order.
Passengers from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur go through passport control. Have your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) confirmation, onward ticket and accommodation address ready. Domestic arrivals skip this step.
Belts are a short walk from the gate. Domestic and international arrivals use separate halls.
International passengers pass through customs after the belts; use the green channel if you have nothing to declare.
ATMs and a bank exchange counter are on the first floor. The taxi counter is between gates 7 and 8, the Airport Van desk is near the exit, and the city minibus stops just outside.
AOT asks for at least two hours. Queues build at the door scan on Friday and Sunday evenings and around Thai holidays.
All bags are scanned as you enter the terminal building.
Find your airline on the screens. Self-service check-in kiosks are available for some carriers.
Staff check your ID or passport against your boarding pass before the final security scan. International passengers also clear emigration.
Domestic gates and the Coral lounge are on level 2. Boarding is mostly by walking or bus across the apron, so be at the gate when boarding opens.
The airport lies off Highway 4135, about 10 to 12 km south-west of central Hat Yai. Shared transport is cheap and well organised; the choice is mostly about luggage and how close to your hotel you want to be dropped.
Pre-book a car with driver on bookingMentor before you land. Your driver meets you at arrivals, the price is agreed in advance, and it is the easiest way to combine Hat Yai with Songkhla or onward travel in the south.
Book car hire on bookingMentorBook at the taxi counter in the arrivals area between gates 7 and 8 and agree the price before you leave. Drivers waiting outside usually ask about ฿250 for the city centre.
The AOT Limousine desk sells fixed-price cars to Hat Yai addresses. It costs a little more than a taxi but the fare is set at the counter. Avoid changing ringgit or dollars at transport booths.
The Airport Van leaves from the arrivals exit and runs to Sanamanusorn, Central Festival, Lee Garden Hat Yai and Kim Yong Market. A good middle option if your hotel is in the centre.
The Minibus/Microbus city line runs all day via the Kaset Market van station, the district office, Kim Yong Market, the clock tower area, Prince of Songkla University and Central Festival to Hat Yai Bus Terminal. Handy for long-distance buses and vans onward.
Local minibuses and songthaew pick up a short walk from the terminal at the far side of the car park and run via Hat Yai Nai and Kim Yong Market to the bus terminal. Cheapest of all, but with little room for bags, and the last runs leave in the early evening.
Domestic and international sections share one building. Changing between them on separate tickets means collecting bags, walking across and checking in again, so allow at least two to three hours.
Hat Yai Airport is calm and well run, with no particular safety concerns inside the terminal. Most problems are about money: poor exchange rates and inflated fares.
Others of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
Not directly. Take the city minibus or a taxi into Hat Yai and change, or book a car with driver for the 45-minute run.
No. The only lounge, The Coral Executive Lounge, is in domestic departures.
Yes, at the rental counters at the front of the terminal.
Sanamanusorn, Central Festival, Lee Garden Hat Yai and Kim Yong Market.
No fixed timetable is published. Services run regularly from 06:00 to 23:30 and leave from just outside the terminal.
Yes, for eligible purchases before an international departure. Keep your receipts and the VAT refund form.
The AOT Call Center on 1722, or the information counter in the terminal.
Yes. The Sadao border crossing is about an hour's drive south, which is why many Malaysian visitors fly in or drive up.
Get an answer from the bookingMentor travel team and travellers who have flown through Hat Yai Airport.
Sleeping at Hat Yai Airport is not an option, because the terminal closes from midnight to 06:00. For an early flight, stay in town or at a hotel close to the airport.
There are no rest or sleep zones in the terminal. The Coral Executive Lounge is the only place with more comfortable seating, and it keeps daytime hours.
No cots are provided. If a late flight is cancelled, your airline is responsible for arranging a hotel, so go to its desk before leaving the terminal.
With the terminal shut overnight, a bed is the only realistic choice for an early departure or late arrival.
About 1.5 km from the terminal
The nearest hotel to the airport in booking-site listings. Useful for a 06:00 departure, though most travellers with time to spare stay in central Hat Yai, 20 to 30 minutes away, where there is far more choice.
Hat Yai is close enough to see something on a wait of five hours or more. Times below are from the terminal and include the drive.
Tell us how long you have and whether you can leave the secure area.
Immigration, security and Hat Yai traffic are already factored in.
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Everything travellers ask before flying through Hat Yai.
Checked against AOT, airline and travel sources in October 2026.
Getting there
About 10 to 12 km by road, along Highway 4135. A taxi usually takes 20 to 30 minutes to the centre around Kim Yong Market and Lee Garden, longer in the evening rush.
No. The airport operates from 06:00 to midnight. There are no overnight flights, and you cannot wait in the terminal through the night.
Expect about ฿200 – ฿300 to central Hat Yai. Book at the taxi counter in the arrivals area between gates 7 and 8, and agree the fare before you set off.
Yes. The Airport Van leaves from arrivals for ฿100 per person and stops at Central Festival, Lee Garden Hat Yai and Kim Yong Market.
AOT advises at least two hours before departure. For international flights to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, allow a little more, as there is a door scan, check-in, immigration and a final security check.
Yes, a handful. Scoot flies to Singapore, and Batik Air Malaysia and Thai AirAsia fly to Kuala Lumpur. Everything else is domestic.
There is one: The Coral Executive Lounge, airside in domestic departures on level 2. It accepts Priority Pass, DragonPass and LoungeKey, and sells walk-in entry at the door when space allows.
Yes. Connect to "AOT Airport Free Wi-Fi by NT", which covers the terminal.
No. The terminal closes between midnight and 06:00, so an overnight wait means a hotel in Hat Yai. The nearest is about 1.5 km from the terminal.
Yes. Car rental counters are on the first floor, and cars are returned at the rental desks at the front of the terminal. If you would rather not drive, book a car with driver on bookingMentor.
Yes. The terminal has prayer rooms for Muslim and Buddhist travellers, which reflects the mixed population of the lower south.
Songkhla town is about 40 to 50 km away, roughly 45 minutes by car. The simplest option is a taxi or a car with driver booked on bookingMentor.
Prices & payment
The city minibus line costs ฿60 and runs from 06:00 to 23:30 via Kim Yong Market, Prince of Songkla University and Central Festival to Hat Yai Bus Terminal. A flexible minibus that leaves from about 100 m outside the terminal charges ฿20 – ฿30 per person.
Foreign visitors entering Thailand must complete the online Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before arrival. Do it in the three days before your flight to Hat Yai and keep the confirmation on your phone.
Cancellations & changes
A bank exchange counter on the first floor near arrivals opens in the daytime, and ATMs are on the first floor. Avoid changing ringgit or dollars at transport booths, where rates are poor.
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