Nightlife in Hat Yai
There are many reasons to spend one or more days and nights in the city of Hat Yai. You can consider it as a stopover on your way to Malaysia, but it may also be that Hat Yai is part of a tourist tour in the south of Thailand.
Hat Yai is the closest major city to the border at Sadao, so it's not surprising that the city is extremely popular with Malaysians and Singaporeans to spend a weekend there.
Those Malaysians and Singaporeans probably don't just come for cheap shopping at the markets of Hat Yai, so you may wonder where to go after the sun has set for a good beer, live music or other entertainment.
Save Cat Thailand
On the website of Red Cat Thailand I found a long article, which you could call a nightlife guide. The author gives a detailed explanation about the beer bars, clubs, karaokes (affectionately called “papaya farms” by Malaysians), massage parlors and the like and where to find them. He does add that in many places the crowds on weekdays are disappointing, people expect good patronage during the weekends. That addition is confirmed in the comments, which often read “there is nothing to do in Hat Yai”. You can read the whole story at: www.thailandredcat.com/nightlife-and-thai-girls-in-hat-yai
Dark Lord Exclusive Club
I searched a little further on the Internet for the nightlife in Hat Yai and found the Dark Lord Exclusive Club there. This club is not mentioned in the Red Cat Thailand article, but that probably has to do with the fact that it should be placed in a more expensive category. I think it's interesting if you watch the video below:
More than 30 years ago I regularly came to Hat Yai to take the train to Penang-Singapore (twice a week). However, given the fact that the train usually ran too late or not at all, the solution was a taxi service that brought you to Penang with a total of 2 other people in a large old American sleigh.
If you came to the border with Malaysia, you could unpack all your bags on the street at customs.
Do know that there was really no flute to do in Hat Yai at the time. Nevertheless, it was a fun time.
I come regularly is Hatyai, also for something like 30 years. My in-laws live there and we used to stay in Songkhla on the beach for about 6 weeks (quiet and deserted during the day and especially during the week).
In the evening the party erupted in the tents along the beach, including Dr Cool beach cafe etc.
Often also to Hatyai, to the disco until the early hours. Nice time, but now that we are older we usually just have a bite to eat somewhere and then back to the hotel around 22 pm.
But when I drive back to the hotel in the evening I still see many tents with music etc