Shopping in Hat Yai - Page 2

Address: On the corner of Saengchan and Duangchan roads
Map: Map 3

Comments: Have you ever wondered where you can buy all the wonderful life-enhancing items that are advertised on American-style 'infomercials'?

Look no further because Hat Yai has its very own 'As Seen On TV' shop.

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Address: 69/22 Saeng Arthit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Telephone: +66 (0)74 350649
Mobile: +66 (0)81 341 3019
E-mail: ban_cha2550@hotmail.com
Map: Map 1

Latitude: N 07° 00' 32.4" (N 07° 00.540')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 15.6" (E 100° 28.260')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: I've always liked small specialist shops that concentrate on one product line and do it really well. The shopping experience is so much better than huge superstores that have massive selections of bland, uninteresting goods.

Baan Chaa is located in the shop where the old Chinese doctor used to live before he died. When he was alive he had all sorts of interesting tea-drinking accoutrements, and were he alive today I'm sure he would be happy that the tradition is living on in his old house.

The shop stocks a wide range of teas from China and Taiwan. Most is in leaf form, but they also have teabags (that can actually be reused). Some of the teas are cheap, and some are expensive.

In addition to tea, there are all sorts of teapots, kettles, cups and saucers, and other bits.

It's a good little shop with a friendly, helpful owner. The location is behind Gim Yong market, close to Cheo Chaang temple.

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Thai: ร้านจักรยานหาดใหญ่

Comments: Due to the huge increase in the number of bicycle shops that have opened in Hat Yai in recent years, I have added a separate page. Click on the link below for more information.

Hat Yai Bicycle Shops

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Address: Niphat Songkhrao Road 1 (quite a long way from central Hat Yai)
Map: Map 1

Latitude: N 07° 00' 54.0" (N 07° 00.900')

Longitude: E 100° 27' 21.6" (E 100° 27.360')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: There are three large 'superstore' chains operating in Thailand and, with the recent opening of the new Carrefour, Hat Yai has all of them. They are Big C, Carrefour and Tesco Lotus.

Some people may have personal preferences as to which one they like best but they are all basically the same. There is a big supermarket selling everything, some ancillary shops outside of the main supermarket area and places to eat. Because of their size they tend to be located slightly away from town centres.

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Address: Phetkasem Road
Map: Map 2

Latitude: N 07° 01' 08.5" (N 07° 01.142')

Longitude: E 100° 29' 08.7" (E 100° 29.145')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: Carrefour (Thais pronounce it 'car-foo') opened after Big C and Tesco Lotus. After it had been open for about six or seven years, Carrefour decided to pull out of Thailand and so sold up to Big C. The superstore is now officially known as Big C Extra but lots of people still refer to it as Carrefour.

Apart from the main supermarket there are the usual shops and restaurants within the store plus a massage shop. Just inside the entrance are several stalls selling handicrafts from various OTOP (One Tambon One Product) initiatives.

There is also a large 'HomePro' store selling everything for the home from towels, mats, lighting and electrical appliances to complete bathrooms.

Being located on the Phetkasem Road there are hundreds of sawng-thaews going past every day thus making it an extremely easy place to get to from both Hat Yai and Songkhla if you don't have a car.

For several years after it first opened, shopping at Carrefour was a better experience than shopping at Tesco Lotus. But then Carrefour started to get tatty and Lotus was completely refurbished.

In my opinion it's now a better shopping experience at Lotus, but everyone has their own preference. Even the Lotus shopping carts are better and drive a lot smoother.

Big C Extra is open every day from 9am until 11pm. The small shops inside open at around 10am.

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Address: Sanehanusorn Road (opposite Lee Gardens Plaza)
Map: Map 3

Latitude: N 07° 00' 20.5" (N 07° 00.342')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 17.7" (E 100° 28.294')

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Comments: This is one of the best places to shop in Hat Yai. The ground floor sells cosmetics and women's clothing.

On other floors are men's clothes, household goods (some very nice stuff), kids' clothes, electrical goods and a book department with a coffee bar. Above the department store is the Novotel Central Sukhonta hotel, probably the best hotel in Hat Yai.

TOPS supermarket used to be in the basement but it was completely destroyed by the 2010 flood. TOPS is now on the 5th floor where, hopefully, it will be safe from flooding.

The basement was closed for a long time after the flood. It has reopened again and there is now a branch of Jeffer Steak House and some other restaurants.

The quality of goods at Central is excellent and there is always something on sale. Tourists are given a 5% discount just by asking or by producing a discount card that can be obtained for free at the customer service desk.

If you are a tourist and planning to leave Thailand by plane they will also prepare the paperwork so that you can claim the VAT back. This VAT refund does not apply if you leave by road, as many visiting Malaysians do.

I generally haven't had a problem with anything I've bought at Central but in case there is, everything is guaranteed. The most surprising aspect about Central is that despite looking like an expensive store and offering good quality merchandise with a guarantee, a lot of items are cheaper than in the local street markets.

On the second floor is a branch of Western Union.

Central won't suit people who like to shop early in the day. From Monday to Thursday it opens at 11am and closes at 9pm. From Friday to Sunday it opens at 10:30am and closes at 9:30pm.

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Address: Kanchanawanit Road (opposite Makro)
Website: Central Festival Hat Yai)
Map: Map 4

Latitude: N 06° 59' 28.2" (N 06° 59.471')

Longitude: E 100° 29' 04.6" (E 100° 29.076')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: Phuket has had a Central Festival for a long time and now Hat Yai has one. It opened on 14th December 2013. It is a significant addition to Hat Yai's shopping scene.

Central Festival continues the trend of large, new shopping centres built out of town. Phuket went this way and Hat Yai is following suit. There isn't much in Phuket main town and that will soon be the case in central Hat Yai, apart from a few things for the tourists.

The main reason is a chronic lack of available land in the town centre, but I suspect that Hat Yai's annual flooding problems have also contributed to this trend.

Certain areas outside of central Hat Yai are now starting to get very developed. The airport road is one such area, and the Sadao road - where Central Festival is located - is another. These areas are on high ground and therefore not prone to flooding. I don't believe that this is a coincidence.

Makro is located just opposite, the second branch of HomePro is a little further along this road, and Central Festival is close to the night market, Greenway market, and the bus station.

The Hat Yai branch of Central Festival is huge and its opening has completely changed the whole of Hat Yai. Many businesses, such as mobile phone companies and beauty clinics, have relocated to Central Festival and some other businesses that remain outside are now struggling to survive because Festival is so popular.

There are a huge number of car parking spaces - maybe as a result of lessons learnt in Phuket? Whenever I have visited the Phuket branch of Central Festival I have always had enormous difficulty finding a car parking space because there are too few spaces.

Also, with Central Festival in Hat Yai being so popular at weekends, it has alleviated the parking problems in central Hat Yai. Finding a space in downtown Hat Yai on a Saturday or Sunday is now a lot easier because so many locals go to Festival.

What's there? There is so much there that I have written a separate section.

Visitors' Guide To Central Festival In Hat Yai

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Address: 36/58 Niphatsongkhrao Road (opposite Soi 11)
Telephone: +66 (0)74 366594
Mobile: +66 (0)81 990 2435, +66 (0)81 898 0059
Map: Map 1

Comments: Lots of shops in Hat Yai and all over Thailand sell silk products but this is the place to go if you wish to purchase genuine, high-quality Thai silk clothes and shoes. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for. The styles are traditional Thai and may not suit farang tastes but this shop isn't for tourists; it's the genuine article.

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Address: 160/24 Saengsri Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110.
Telephone: +66 (0)74 221122, 221111
Mobile: +66 (0)84 312 6633
Map: Map 2

Latitude: N 07° 00' 37.5" (N 07° 00.625')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 29.1" (E 100° 28.485')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: To say that there is no shortage of cheap clothing in Hat Yai would be something of an understatement. In the tourist area of Hat Yai around Lee Gardens Plaza it is difficult to walk along the sidewalk because sidewalks are blocked by vendors selling cheap clothes. In addition, there are lots of shops and markets selling cheap clothes. But there is just one problem.

The quality of most cheap clothing in Hat Yai tends to be very poor. Many years ago (before I had learnt this lesson) I bought some shirts from one of the stalls inside Hat Yai Plaza behind the clocktower. They looked fine at first, but after about three washes they started to look tatty and by the time they had seen the inside of a washing machine about six times they fell apart.

I'm not saying that you can't find bargains if you know what you are looking for, but buyer beware. In life you usually get what you paid for and for a long time I have only bought clothes from reputable shops in Hat Yai.

Crochet sells a lot of cheap clothing and the quality is quite good. As well as casual clothing, they sell more formal clothing and also sports gear. With the current cycling craze in Thailand you see lots of lycra-clad Thais on the roads and you can buy an Eddy Merckx style outfit in Crochet.

Even the regular priced items aren't that expensive, but there are also a lot of sale items and here you can find some real bargains.

Crochet is located near Bpaak Naam temple. It's in an area that tourists rarely visit, but it is a fairly comfortable walk from Lee Gardens Plaza.

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Address: 9/1 Chee Uthit Road
Telephone: + 66 (0)74 355599
Mobile: +66 (0)81 896 7667, +66 (0)81 599 4141
Map: Map 3

Comments: This shop advertises quite heavily in the free map that is handed out to tourists and has a prime location - being located next to Davis Tour and other travel agents where many Malaysian tourists arrive and depart from Hat Yai by bus.

There are plenty of other (and bigger) places in Hat Yai that sell the same kind of stuff but because of its location and its advertising presence this one is perhaps better known. So, what does it sell?

Their business card (in Thai, which I have transliterated) gives a clue: hoo chalaam (sharks' fin), gra-poh bplaa (fish stomach), bpling ta-lay (sea slugs). All this stuff is dried and they also sell cashew nuts, dried mushrooms, and other dried goods.

The Chinese love this stuff and prices are a lot more favourable than in Malaysia apparently. Lots of Chinese Malaysians visit Hat Yai, and buying this kind of food forms a big part of their trip. The Thais are extremely aware of this and there are many shops in Hat Yai that have opened purely to supply this kind of thing to Chinese Malaysian tourists.

Most other shops try to attract shoppers by being big and cheap. Dee Nair Non has taken a different strategy. It's a comparatively small shop but it is well located and advertises a lot.

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Address: Sripoovanart Road
Map: Map 4

Latitude: N 06° 59' 53.5" (N 06° 59.892')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 41.9" (E 100° 28.699')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: Diana is a little way out of town but easy to get to by tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi. There are restaurants and a cinema in addition to the shops. You will find a branch of TOPS supermarket and also quite a few beauty clinics. If you have kids, there is a children's play area and there used to be a bowling alley many years ago but it is now closed.

Clothes and shoes are the main items for sale at Diana. Prices and quality are reasonable. Don't pay much attention to the sales. Everything is always 'discounted' each and every day of the year, which actually means that nothing is ever discounted if you think about it. Items are never sold at the claimed pre-sale price.

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Address: 29 Niphat Uthit 1 Road
Tel: +66 (0)74 237458
Mobile: +66 (0)89 736 4246
Map: Map 3

Comments: In Singapore I've seen lots of places around Kampong Glam selling non-alcohol based perfume, which is of particular interest to Muslims.

There are obvious religious reasons why Muslims need to use alcohol-free perfume but it may also be of interest to non-Muslims.

In Hat Yai there aren't the same number of shops as Singapore, but this type of perfume is available. F & C Aromatic probably has the best selection.

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Address: 316 Kanchanawanit Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Tel: +66 (0)64 184 8920
Map: Map 4

Latitude: N 06° 58' 58.8" (N 06° 58.980')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 48.0" (E 100° 28.800')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: This place is fairly new and arrived, I think, some time in 2016. It sells a variety of goods, including clothes, cosmetics, furniture, household goods, bedding, confectionery.

The selection of individual goods isn't as extensive as in other shops, but I like it because they sell things that I don't see elsewhere. This has become my shop of choice in Hat Yai for underwear and socks!

It is a little way from the town centre. A few years ago there was nothing of interest in this area, but a lot of large retailers have opened stores on this road including Central and HomePro. FN Outlet is located almost opposite HomePro.

Parking is quite easy and there are regular promotions.

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Address: 45/2 Sanehanusorn Road (near Sakol Hotel)
Tel: +66 (0)74 244639
Fax: +66 (0)74 236145
Map: Map 3

Comments: Some people visit Hat Yai to play golf. If you are interested in buying equipment this is one of the few shops I have seen selling golf equipment.

It's been a long time since I bought golf clubs or accessories so I'm afraid I don't know whether buying golf stuff in Hat Yai is a bargain or not compared with other places.

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Address: Various
Map: Map 3

Comments: Like most towns in Thailand, Hat Yai has plenty of Chinese owned gold shops. The primary location is along Thamnoon Vithee Road near the train station. If you are a foreign male and spend more than about a week with the same Thai girl you will inevitably get dragged into one, "just to look," of course.

Unlike all other shops in Thailand they close at 6pm because, as a gold shop owner, it is apparently not very wise to remain open after dark. It's not a violent society but there are plenty of desperate people around.

Gold jewellery is sold purely by weight. Each item has the weight engraved on it somewhere. The price is then calculated using that day's gold price which fluctuates from day to day, like all other commodities. The shop will add on their commission if making a sale or deduct a charge if buying.

The workmanship isn't taken into account. It doesn't matter if the item is very plain or has been ornately created by an expert goldsmith. Only the weight is taken into consideration.

The gold is the yellow-coloured Asian variety that is quite different from what I am used to seeing in the West. Thai girls like gold bought for them. They can wear it as jewellery and because the Thais are very status conscious it tells other Thais they have some money.

Also, if they run into hard times, gold is very easy to convert into cash.

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Branch 1

Address: Big C Extra, Phetkasem Road
Map: Map 2

Latitude: N 07° 01' 08.5" (N 07° 01.142')

Longitude: E 100° 29' 08.7" (E 100° 29.145')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Branch 2

Address: Highway 4
Map: Map 4

Latitude: N 06° 58' 44.4" (N 06° 58.740')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 12.0" (E 100° 28.200')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: I have spent more money at HomePro than I have at every other shop in Hat Yai combined. There are advantages to living in Thailand, but I would not want a traditional Thai kitchen or bathroom in my house.

For example, a standard Thai bathroom has a large plastic barrel in the corner filled with cold water and a small plastic bowl floating on the top. You use the small bowl to sloosh cold water over yourself and although these bathrooms don't cost much to construct, this type of arrangement doesn't appeal to me very much.

HomePro sells all the things you need to enjoy a Western level of comfort in Thailand. The original branch is located in Big C Extra on Phetkasem Road and a new branch was built on Highway 4 going out to Sadao. It is close to Central Festival, which was built after the second branch of HomePro.

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Address: 79-81 Niphat Uthit 3 Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90110
Tel: +66 (0)74 244322, 232136, 234230
Map: Map 3

Latitude: N 07° 00' 22.2" (N 07° 00.369')

Longitude: E 100° 28' 13.9" (E 100° 28.231')

Google Maps: Street Map or Satellite View

Comments: The name of the shop is fairly descriptive of what's inside - Khlang Synn Thai silk, jewellery and handicrafts.

They sell various silks and fabrics, along with the triangular pillows and cushions that Thailand is well known for.

The handicrafts include pottery, figurines, ornaments, etc, which come from various places around Thailand.

To be quite honest, most of what is sold in the cheap markets and on the streets of Hat Yai is junk. However, if you want to buy a decent quality memento of your trip to Thailand, a trip to somewhere such as Khlang Synn might be worthwhile.

It's near the centre of town, almost next to the Ocean shopping centre, and near the Asian and Diamond Plaza hotels.

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