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Phil.UK.Net > Phil.UK.Net Site Map > Hat Yai Visitor's Guide > Hat Yai Site Map > Shopping Page 3
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Thai Shopping Tip Many small shops in Thailand will accept credit cards, but they add 2% or 3% to cover bank charges. To avoid additional credit card charges, either pay using cash or buy from one of the large department stores that don't add a credit card fee. Whether this is legal or not, it happens. |
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Shopping - Page 3 Listings Here is some information about specific products and places in Hat Yai. If you have some useful information about where to buy something, or if you would like me to find out about buying something, feel free to contact me. |
| Makro | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: 345 Moo 5, Tumbon Korhong, Amphur Hat Yai, Songkla, 90110 Telephone: +66 (0)74 428320 Fax: +66 (0)74 210969 E-mail: store9@siammakro.co.th Map: Map 4 Comments: Makro is a large Cash-and-Carry warehouse that has not been designed for pedestrian shoppers. It's a fair way out of town and has a large car park which is always jam-packed with the preferred vehicles of provincial Thais - Isuzu and Toyota pickup trucks. Thais go there to buy in bulk for their own use or small businesses. The warehouse is divided into two halves. One half contains hardware and consumer electrical appliances, the other has food. Food prices vary considerably. Some items are more expensive at Makro compared to Tesco and Big C, but other items are very cheap. To get the best value from Makro you need to be aware of the exact cost of specific items at all the local retailers. We go to Makro to buy things that we know are cheaper than elsewhere, such as apples and tomatoes. It's not a pretty shop but it's not supposed to be. Everything is stacked on large pallets and I imagine that at nighttime there are numerous forklift trucks zooming around restacking the very high shelves. The idea of Makro is to offer goods at cheap prices and not to provide a sensual shopping experience. You are not given plastic carrier bags at the checkout, although plastic bags can be bought for Bt11. People generally buy in bulk and load items from their shopping carts directly into their pickup trucks. The store operates for members only, but if you aren't a member you simply pick up a temporary membership card from the customer service desk. Membership is free, but when applying you need to present a receipt showing that on one occasion you spent Bt2,000 or more at Makro. According to Makro's website, membership is restricted to business owners and you need to show documentation to prove this is the case. However, the member of staff who I spoke to said that all you need is an address in Thailand and an ID card or passport. Membership doesn't entitle you to a fixed discount, but members receive a newsletter and receive offers to buy certain goods at special prices. Makro is located on the main road to Sadao about two kilometres from Tesco Lotus and the Prince of Songkla Hospital. From just outside the hospital you can catch a sawng-thaew for Bt10. If you meet the same tuk-tuk driver who quoted me a fare of Bt150 for this journey many years ago when sawng-thaews only cost Bt5, please give him my regards. The store is open from 6am until 10pm. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Muslim Panich | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: 17 Niphat Uthit 1 Road Map: Map 3 Comments: This is only here really to demonstrate what a waste of time Lonely Planet is. Lonely Planet goes on about this place but after living in Hat Yai for almost three years and walking around endlessly I'd never noticed it. So, out of curiosity, I went looking. The reason I hadn't noticed it is because it is just a tiny hole-in-the-wall affair. Nothing wrong with that - many fine establishments are just small, hole-in-the-wall affairs. According to Lonely Planet, nothing you can buy anywhere else compares with what is available at Muslim Panich. Really? Did they investigate every shop in town and compare what was being sold? The shop sells Indian sarongs and batik. I'm not an expert but the quality and selection of goods on sale here didn't look any different to nearby shops. This recommendation just seems so 'Lonely Planet'. OK, we need to include a few shops but we only have two days to 'research' Hat Yai. What about that one over there? Yeah, it looks OK. Stick it in the guide; it'll keep the backpackers happy. Sorry for my cynicism but this is just how I see it. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nora Plaza | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Thamanoonvithee Road near the junction with Klongrien 2 Road Map: Map 4
Comments: This is another huge shopping emporium that has been specially built for the thousands of Malaysian (and maybe Singaporean) tourists that come to Hat Yai every week. Nora exists exclusively for the visiting Malaysian tourists. Locals don't shop there and farang tourists are very rare. The Thai assistants all speak Chinese, and Chinese is normally all that can be heard, with very little Thai or English. It contains the type of things that Malaysian tourists like to buy when they visit Hat Yai. There is a large car park outside for the tour buses that bring them, and therefore everything is convenient. It's not my type of place but obviously a lot of people like it. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ocean Shopping Town | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Niphat Uthit 2 Road opposite Diamond Plaza hotel Map: Map 3 Comments: Ocean sells mostly clothes aimed at the younger generation but there are other shops that sell toiletries and CDs, etc, and there's also a tattoo parlour. There used to be a food court upstairs and also an Internet shop but these have long since disappeared. When the Jatukham Ramathep craze hit Thailand, Ocean became a kind of amulet emporium. However, now that the craze is over, the amulet shops will probably close down to make way for something else. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Odean Department Store | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Sanehanusorn, Thamnoonvithee and Niphat Uthit 3 roads all have entrances to Odean Map: Map 3
Comments: Clothes and shoes are the main items on sale at Odean and, as usual, there are 'discounts' offered every day of the year. The quality is good and everything is genuine - no fake labels here. Apart from clothes they sell cosmetics, greetings cards, and there is a pharmacy department that sells toiletries. There is also a food centre on the top floor. It is not good for electrical or household goods and there is no book department. You are better off going to Central or Robinson for those items. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opticians | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Everywhere
Comments: Just one of the many opticians in Hat Yai offering bargain prices on glasses, sunglasses (not the fake ones) and contact lenses, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Robinson Department Store | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Thamanoonvithee Road (very near to the railway station) Map: Map 3
Comments: I would rate Robinson the second best department store in Hat Yai after Central. It's not quite as upmarket as Central but there is a good selection of clothes, household goods, and electrical equipment. There are some restaurants and a food centre inside, as well as a cinema. Most importantly there is a branch of TOPS, which is the best place in Hat Yai to buy genuine Western food. Before the big flood in 2010 the best TOPS branch in Hat Yai was the one at Central. The flood completely destroyed all the TOPS branches and thus they had to be rebuilt. After everything reopened, the branch in Robinson became the new TOPS leader in Hat Yai. The food court just next to TOPS is probably the tastiest, cleanest food court anywhere in Hat Yai. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sahapan Store | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: 39 Montri 1 Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110 Telephone: +66 (0)74 245359 Map: Map 1 Comments: Until I received an e-mail about this subject I didn't realise that one of the things Malaysians come to Thailand to shop for is kitchenware. There is a lot available in Hat Yai and two of the well-known brand names seem to be Zebra and Seagull. All the big department stores - Central, Big C, Lotus and Carrefour - stock kitchenware. It is also available at Gim Yong and there are a number of shops along Montri 1 Road, which is the road that runs along the side of Hat Yai Plaza. Sahapan is the best looking place and appears to have the most stock. I believe this store is an agent for Zebra exclusively because they don't carry any other brands. Where's cheapest? This is an impossible question to answer when shopping in Hat Yai. There isn't one place that is cheaper than anywhere else for everything. You need to decide exactly what you want and then put in some legwork to find the best price. I have lived in Hat Yai for several years and whenever I buy anything this is what I have to do. Somewhere might have a promotion or they might be selling stuff cheaper for no apparent reason. It isn't unusual to find that a place you think will be expensive is actually a lot cheaper than the 'cheap' markets. Remember also that guarantees and aftersales service can be non-existent if buying goods from some of the markets and street stalls. Unfortunately, there is no short cut to finding the best price. If you want to find a bargain, it will be necessary to put in some effort. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sanguan Square | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Phetkasem Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110 Map: Map 2 Comments: Sanguan Square is a large retailer of household appliances and electronic goods. It's similar to Vichusin Center but without the computers, phones and iPods, etc. The items on sale aren't exactly exciting but if you are looking for a fridge, TV, washing machine, etc, there is a good selection. It's located on Phetkasem Road, past Carrefour, past AIS, and directly opposite the Hat Yai Commercial school. There are plenty of Bt10 sawng-thaews that go along this route so it is easy and cheap to get to from the centre of town. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Siam Nakarin (NOW CLOSED) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: 1/1 Prathan Uthit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110 Telephone: 074-232436, 234923-4, 235155-6 Fax: 074-231527, 235559, 244934, 246569, 348474-8 Map: Map 1
Comments: After the new branch of Siam Nakarin opened for business (see below) the old branch stayed open for a short while but now it is closed for good. With venues that I have listed on this site that are now closed I normally leave them here just in case someone is looking for them and wants to know what happened. The original Siam Nakarin was a proper little Aladdin's cave and good fun to wander around. The new building, unfortunately, doesn't have quite the same atmosphere and ambience. This is what happens in the name of progress. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Siam Nakarin (new building) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Phetkasem Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110 Map: Map 2
Comments: This isn't simply a new branch of Siam Nakarin. The owners had a huge building built (over a long period of time) and then leased most of it out to other businesses. Rather than a shop, this is actually quite a large department store. The Siam Nakarin owners still have some retail space of their own in which they sell the same kind of things they sold in the original building - mainly stationery and office supplies. The rest of the store has restaurants, clothes and accessory shops, mobile phone and computer shops, etc. If you've been to Bangkok, it's a kind of smaller version of MBK. The top floor is devoted to furniture. As I write this (April 2012) the store isn't fully occupied. There are still some vacant units waiting to be leased out. It's very clean (to Western standards) but compared to the original Siam Nakarin I don't find it a particularly interesting place in which to walk around. Neither do I find the selection of goods on sale all that exciting. One shop owner remarked that leasing units there is expensive, so expect to see this reflected in the prices. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Suntisuk Market | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Between Niphat Uthit 2 and 3 roads Map: Map 3
Comments: I have also covered Suntisuk on my 'Things To Do' page. I never used to consider it a very serious shopping venue - just a bit of a Thai novelty - but there is some stuff worth buying. This is the place where Bruce Lee fans can buy their Kung Fu weapons and, if martial arts weapons and huge knives aren't enough, they can buy high voltage stun guns as well. It's also the place for pirated software, CDs and movies (VCD and DVD). Farang males, such as myself, will be singled out and offered lots of pornography by helpful Suntisuk vendors (not that farangs are stereotyped in Thailand or anything like that). The vendors can be quite surly. Despite their constant wailing about how bad business has been since the problems flared up in the three southern provinces, tens of thousands of Chinese Malaysians still cross the border regularly week after week and spend lots of money. Business is good so there is no need to sell at a discount and if you try haggling they sometimes get quite annoyed. Tinned and dried food, chocolates and cookies, fruit and roasted chestnuts are in abundance and all go down well with the visiting Chinese Malaysians. When I first arrived in town I was a bit confused about how Suntisuk works. Some locals told me it was a 'duty-free' area but this didn't make sense. It's not located on a border or at an airport so how can it be 'duty-free'? I was told the truth later. It's basically all illegal. The goods are indeed 'duty-free' but not in a good way. Also, some of the weapons on sale are clearly illegal, as is the pirated software, music and movies, etc. Occasionally, the vendors will suddenly pull down their metal shutters and close their shops temporarily. They do this when someone signals that the police are in the area, but as soon as the danger has passed the shops then reopen. It's a joke because everyone knows what is being sold there, but this is just typical Thailand. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sweet Home Furniture | |||||||||||||||||||
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Address: Niphat Songkhrao Road Map: Map 1 Comments: (Formerly the Index Furniture Store) As I mentioned above, there are lots of good furniture shops in Hat Yai selling office and home furniture. The selection and quality is good and prices aren't expensive, especially if you manage to catch a sale. This big store on Niphat Songkhrao Road is just one place of many. There are several more along Phetkasem Road east of the fountain. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tailors | |||||||||||||||||||
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Comments: I regard the farang obsession with getting made-to-measure clothes in Thailand as something of a joke. It's as much of a cliche as Lonely Planet guides and baggy fisherman pants.
Nonetheless, the Indian tailors with shops in all of Thailand's tourist resorts are quite happy to meet the demand in exchange for tourist dollars. Outside of the main farang tourist areas you can actually find real Thai tailors. They work in their shops, rather than standing outside in the street with outstretched hands and cheesy grins trying to entice stupid tourists inside. Hat Yai has a number of small tailor shops.
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| Tesco Lotus | |||||||||||||||||||
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Branch 1
Address: Near the Prince of Songkhla University
Branch 2
Address: Hat Yai Nai near the minivan station Comments: British-owned Tesco has done well in Thailand operating as Tesco Lotus. This large retailer has used the 'Superstore' format and turned each Tesco Lotus into a one-stop shopping mall. This is a good place to buy food, household electrical appliances, and a limited number of furniture items. They also sell clothes, toiletries, stationery and children's toys. Outside of the main food hall (but still inside the superstore) are shops and restaurant franchises. There is a large car park and the spaces are covered, which is a very welcome feature in hot Thailand. Getting tuk-tuks from the main door can be problematic. They tend to make you wait for a long time until they are full and the prices quoted to foreigners are often stupid. Sometimes it's easier just to walk across the car park to the road and hail a tuk-tuk from there. I don't think Tesco has done well in Japan, but the company has thrived in Thailand. On 16th September 2011 Tesco opened a second large superstore in the Hat Yai Nai area. There can't be too many towns in provincial Thailand with two branches of Tesco. The second branch is similar in format to the first but laid out differently. The food on sale is the same as the other branch but there are a few different shops and restaurants inside. If anything, dining options at the first branch are better. The second branch is quite a bit smaller. The car park outside is smaller and at busy times it can take a long time for a space to become available. The supermarket is also smaller inside and the aisles are narrower. The shopping trolleys are the same size but getting around in the second branch can be awkward if there are a lot of people because of the narrow aisles. Tesco Lotus used to open at 6am in the morning. That is no longer the case. It opens at 8am and closes at 11pm. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Thaihouse Honey | |||||||||||||||||||
| Address: 205/3 - 205/4 Prachayindee Road Telephone: +66 (0)74 239273, +66 (0)81 020 9559 Fax: +66 (0)74 239274 Map: Map 2
Comments: There are quite a few shops in Hat Yai that cater purely to Malaysian tourists. They tend to be a little out of town (where real estate is cheaper) and they don't even bother trying to attract local customers. Malaysians, like most Asians, travel in large groups. They arrive on tour buses and go everywhere together on the same tour buses. Presumably the Thai businesses wanting Malaysian customers do some kind of deal with the tour companies and subsequently large groups of Malaysians turn up in tour buses. Cashew nuts and dried food/fruit are popular with Chinese Malaysian tourists, and there are plenty of large shops selling that stuff. This shop goes after the same customer base but it is a little different. It sells honey, pollen, royal jelly, and all manner of bee products. The staff working in the places that deal with Chinese Malaysian customers speak Chinese, naturally. When I've been in there it's not like being in Thailand and I can't understand a word. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Thai Lee Seng Products | |||||||||||||||||||
| Address: Klongrien Road 1 Map: Map 2
Comments: This place is a similar concept to Nora Plaza except that it just sells food products, whereas Nora sells other things. If you look on Map 2 (bottom right) it's almost opposite the Acoustic Pub. Thai Lee Seng is a standard part of the Malaysian package-tourist trail in Hat Yai and Malaysian tourists arrive in their coach loads. The shop has a large parking area which can accommodate four full-size coaches but even that isn't big enough at times. I've seen as many as eight coaches and this can cause quite big traffic jams. It's run by Chinese Thais and offers all kinds of food that the Chinese are fond of. They can buy bags of cashew nuts, all manner of dried fruit and seafood products. The attraction is that the prices are cheap, especially compared to Malaysia. When 300 Chinese Malaysians suddenly descend it can get quite busy. This shop's popularity with Chinese Malaysians is very well known among the locals so Thai food vendors set up their stalls outside the shop hoping to sell fresh fruit or whatever. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Thai Watsadu | |||||||||||||||||||
| Address: 1119 M1 Liang Meuang Road, Kuan Lung, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110. Telephone: +66 (0)74 800400 Website: Thai Watsadu Map: Map 2 Comments: Located on the airport road, this is a huge place that sells an enormous range of products. Describing it is thus quite difficult. Thai Watsadu sells everything from building supplies and cement mixers to food and kitchen utensils. If you need something for your house, you will probably be able to find it here. If you are looking to buy a small boat so that you can get around when the town floods each year, Thai Watsadu is the place to go. I was even able to buy a potato masher after failing to locate one anywhere else in Hat Yai. The store has a large car park and is open from 7am to 8pm daily. In addition to the main store, there are some small independent retailers located outside near the car park and also a branch of Power Buy where you can buy electrical goods and appliances. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Vespiario | |||||||||||||||||||
| Address: 36-38 Niphat Uthit 1 Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110 Telephone: +66 (0)74 233169 Mobile: +66 (0)81 690 1213 Map: Map 3
Comments: Nothing is easier to buy in Thailand than a small Honda/Yamaha motorbike or scooter. All Thais have them and there are millions on the road. If you want something similar but you also want to stand out from the crowd you might consider buying a Vespa scooter. I have seen very few in Thailand, apart from in the Yaowarat (Chinatown) area of Bangkok where all the market traders use them to negotiate the narrow lanes inside the market. However, they're not cheap. A brand new Honda or Yamaha might cost you anything between Bt30,000 to Bt50,000 depending on the model. At Vespiario a Vespa LX125ie will set you back Bt88,500, and the GTV300ie model costs a staggering Bt345,000. The shop also sells funky fold-up bicycles made by Chevrolet (Chevy Bike). These aren't too expensive (just under Bt10,000) and I quite fancy having one in the back of the car for when I go travelling around in Thailand. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Vichusin Centre | |||||||||||||||||||
| Address: Phetkasem Road Map: Map 1
Comments: Vichusin is located on Phetkasem Road on the same side as the clock tower. If you walk from the clock tower, it is on the left just before the big roundabout. Vichusin Centre is a large electronics and electrical appliances store with everything from computers, Walkmans and digital cameras to Bt100,000 American-style refrigerators and large, flat-screen plasma and LCD TVs. There is quite a wide selection of goods and prices are competitive. They also run a photo lab where you can get digital images printed cheaply.
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