Khlong Hae Floating Market Hat Yai – A Carnival of Colours

Doris Lim heads to Hat Yai to experience Khlong Hae Floating Market’s carnival atmosphere, where she can almost walk on the water’s edge.

Set in Hat Yai’s quiet northern outskirts, Khlong Hae Floating Market is a canal-side market set up for tourism.

“Authentic” Thai floating markets are practically extinct now.

Thai people in Bangkok have recreated modern floating markets as a sort of carnival-type spectacle with locals selling cheap foods from wooden sampans on the water, usually near a temple.

I headed to Hat Yai to experience the carnival atmosphere of Khlong Hae Floating Market, where I could almost walk on the water’s edge.

The location is in Tambon Khlong Hae, Amphoe Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, opposite Wat Khlong Hae, a beautiful Buddhist temple 4 km north of downtown, right on the way to Songkhla.

This is not an old-school floating market where farmers traditionally row their boats to trade at dawn.

Khlong Hae follows this example with a line of almost 80 boat vendors moored to a walkway to make it easier for tourists to browse the food options.

Opened in August 2008, the floating market was born from the idea of the ex-village headman.

The market is on a large canal bank on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

This canal is covered with permanently moored boats selling some of the region’s best local products on the weekends.

There’s also a sizeable roofed section on land with more stalls selling food, clothes, and souvenirs.

Khlong Hae Floating Market, Hat Yai

Hat Yai City, a sprawling commercial hub, is a favorite tourist shopping destination for Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Over the long weekends, public and school holidays’ busloads of Malaysians will head north for a shopping spree.

Add this to an eating adventure of an abundance of good Thai food that is simply irresistible.

Away from the city center, one of the places one should visit is Khlong Hae  Floating Market.

You can take local transport from Hat Yai City, which is easily accessible via taxi, minivan, or tuk-tuk.

What is the Khlong Hae Floating Market?

At the floating market, vendors pack their wares onto small boats and jostle each other for buyers’ attention alongside canals.

The floating market is a waterside market with many vendors selling everything from home-cooked food to tropical fruits and snacks from their boats.

The price is unbelievably reasonable.

Thai Floating Markets

Floating markets are a mega tourist attraction in Thailand.

I have been to Amphawa, a trendy floating market in Bangkok.

Most visitors have an image of hundreds of boats in the river. Each boat is laden with colorful food and fresh produce.

What’s the Atmosphere Like at Khlong Hae Floating Market?

The atmosphere is quite different from the other floating markets in Thailand as the vendors wear hijabs because most of the local people are Muslims.

The Difference Between Khlong Hae Floating Market

Unlike the bigger floating markets in Bangkok, where the wooden boats ply up and down the river, Hat Yai’s version, the Khlong Hae Floating Market, has “parked” boats by the dock.

The line-up of hawker’s stalls on stationary small wooden boats feels like a “food court” on water.

Customers stand on the canal side to buy food and drinks from the boats.

The women traders dress in Thai retro costumes and wear large straw hats with plastic flowers to attract customers.

Many local Thai families enjoy buying various food from the boats for a great carnival atmosphere.

It is quite an experience for visitors to jostle for space and check out the different snacks available from the food stalls.

Although they are rather touristy now, floating markets are still a lot of fun because visitors can buy delicious, cheap meals.

What could be better than munching on finger foods beside the canal while listening to a Thai singer belt out popular Thai pop songs from the jukebox?

Food Choice at Khlong Hae Floating Market

There is a good selection of food here, with local, Thai, and Muslim food.

Food and drinks are priced between 20 to 30 baht each.

The hawkers at Khlong Hae Floating Market cook in their moored boats.

The vendors use little baskets attached to bamboo sticks to pass food and receive money from their customers.

The customer places the exact price in the basket. The hawkers are swift in their preparation and serve customers promptly.

There is quite a selection from the 80-odd stalls. The food is decent, delicious, and reasonably priced.

I spotted a few stalls selling soupy and fried noodles, Thai salads, fried items, and quail eggs!

The Thais have a penchant for these tiny fried quail eggs.

The Khlong Hae Floating Market is considered unique from Thai markets in other regions. It has the right mix of cultures, with Buddhist and Muslim Thais providing tasty food.

Unique Food Containers

Khlong Hae Floating Market has an excellent campaign to reduce plastic bags or foam boxes for a sustainable environment.

Another unique aspect of this market is the use of eco-friendly food containers such as coconut shells, bamboo tubes, and earthen pots.

It’s a nice touch that’s not only authentic but also environmentally friendly.

Generally, the food is sold in disposable paper bowls.

An exciting way to serve drinks is in a hollowed-out bamboo container or a clay mug.

List of Food Available at Khlong Hae Floating Market

Visitors can enjoy a variety of delicious, cheap HALAL food

• Khanon Mod
• Khao Yam
• Kao Phad Talè
• Phad Tai
• Phad Si-Io

On small charcoal barbecues, sellers cooked

• large shrimp
• squid
• fish
• chicken satay

Is the Food Halal?

Most vendors are Thai Muslims, so the food is kosher or halal. Many Muslim families enjoy their meals there.

Southern Thailand has a large community of Muslims – pork is not on the menu offered, and other meats are mostly Halal.

All the food is cooked using traditional recipes in Southern Thailand, and it is very cheap.

Are the Drinks Halal?

The coconuts are opened right to order and taste sweet and delicious.

While shopping underneath the beating hot sun, you will enjoy a nice cold tinned drink or coconut.

Where Do I Eat?

You take it to the canal-side sitting area to eat.

There are some bamboo picnic tables and benches to sit on.

The tables are on a first-come-first-serve basis.

If you go in a group, you can grab a table and buy food from all the different stalls.

Bring everything you buy from Khlong Hae Floating Market to your table to start feasting.

It feels like a picnic environment, and it’s great to sit down and relax as the sun sets in the evening.

What’s the Best Time to Arrive?

The best time to visit is before 5 pm, just as the weather cools a little and before the dinner crowds show up.

More Than Just Food Stalls

The stalls are also not just about food either.

Away from the floating market is a covered area with vendors selling a good mix of food, snacks, clothing, bags, and even crystal.

However, the entire area is filled with crusher run or stone chips.

It does get muddy when it rains, as there is no visible drainage system.

Clothing Stalls

There are many good buys for Muslim ladies as the clothing stores have ready stock of

Suitable long-sleeved t-shirt in light fabric.

There are also plenty of headscarves for Muslim women.

Khlong Hae Floating Market has a reasonable price and decent quality.

You can purchase

• handicrafts
• household items
• clothing
• t-shirts
• souvenirs

And, of course, there is a lot of street food.

What Are Some Popular Foods Here?

If you love seafood, you’re going to love this.

The food stalls here sell an assortment of Thai deep-fried seafood snacks.

There are battered prawns, slipper lobsters, and crabs deep-fried to a golden crunch.

The crispy shellfish have soft, sweet, moist flesh inside.

Other popular stalls sell Thai salads, Pad Thai, stir-fries, grilled sausages, coconut, mango sticky rice desserts, and drinks.

There is an assortment of nuts, crisps, and snacks available.

Beyond Khlong Hae Floating Market

Walking briskly up the slope and heading beyond the bridge, I looked back toward the Khlong Hae Floating Market.

I could see the other view of the boats and shoppers with their reflections in the river.

I built up a little bit more of an appetite.

I found more stalls selling knick-knacks, clothes, and light nibbles.

There are various reasonably priced tie-and-dye cotton wear options if you’re looking for T-shirts and casual tops.

We saw colorful fighting fish in glass jars for sale.

The snacks here are 20 baht each.

I bought steamed groundnuts, purple sweet potatoes, a giant young sweet buttered corn, and some strawberries with a spicy chili sugar-salt mixture.

I bought some coconut pancakes at the covered stall areas for supper.

While I was shopping, the sun started to go down over the canal, and the view was breathtaking!

Of course, what is a trip to Thailand without drumstick-sized pineapples?

These are a real treat. The pineapples are sweet and juicy, and the flesh has a crispy, fresh texture.

This is a refreshing way to end a humid day at the Khlong Hae  Floating Market, Hat Yai.

Parking Area

The Khlong Hae Floating Market’s parking area is limited, so it’s best to take a tuk-tuk or a minivan rather than drive there yourself.

The main road is relatively narrow if you want to park along the route.

Getting there

You can take local transport from Hat Yai, such as a Tuk-Tuk or a Songthaew, to get there.

You can negotiate the price of a round trip with the driver before leaving.

He will usually be happy to wait for you in the temple parking while you shop.

Market Opening Hours

Khlong Hae Floating Market operates from Friday to Sunday, including public holidays from 03.00 pm until about 09.00 pm. The prices are pretty reasonable.

You can score some good buys if you’re good at bargaining hard.

Most visitors are foreigners – Indonesians, Malaysians, and Singaporeans- rather than locals.

Entrance Fees

Large boats like this one take passengers out on the canal for around 20 baht a person.

The market has no entrance fee and most of the food ranges from about 20 baht.

Opening days: Khlong Hae Floating Market is open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, including Songkran’s Day, when many Malaysians arrive in Hat Yai to enjoy the famous Thai festival.

Review

This is the only night floating market in Hat Yai.

Interestingly, you can find cheap HALAL and local Thai food here.

I enjoyed the low prices for shopping and spent a lovely evening walking around, experiencing local Hat Yai nightlife in the area.

When you visit Hat Yai, drop by the Khlong Hae Floating Market.

You’ll leave with a full stomach and great memories.

So I will ride on this boat and see all there is to offer! Join me!

Khlong Hae Floating Market
Address: 2FWF+PMG, Khlong Hae, Hat Yai District, Songkhla 90110, Thailand

Business Hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 1–9 pm
Phone: +66 74 305 333

Google: https://g.co/kgs/1jYAjJv

Source:
Discover Thailand’s travel through Tourism Thailand’s official website.

A story previously published in Fireflyz in-flight magazine.