Hatyai Shopping

Hatyai is and has always been the prime shopping and commercial hub of South Thailand. As mentioned, it has a few interesting local markets with a wide selection of goods for sale including handbags, knock-off (copy) goods, DVDs, electronics, ‘brand-name’ clothing, and footwear, not to mention fake designer jeans. Take a good look at the merchandise and compare prices before committing to a purchase and by all means bargain the price down as a western face invites escalated prices in this town. As for ‘legitimate’ goods and the real stuff, Hat Yai hosts a great number of shopping malls and department stores such as Central Department Store Hat Yai (the latest arrived in 2013), Lee Garden Plaza (with its multiplex cinema, games arcade and Karaoke booths popular with Thai teenagers), Robinson Department Store (one of the longest-established large store in Hat Yai), two Tesco Lotus supermarkets, two Big C supercentres, and more; those are the places to score marked-down brand-name shirts and jeans as well as accessories. There always seems to be one promotion or another going on in department stores here. Hat Yai is also a good place to buy precious metals and jewelry and is the centre of gold trade for the region.