8 places worth your time
From the walkable city-centre market district to the bigger malls and the night markets.
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Say "shopping in Hat Yai" and most people picture Kim Yong first — the city-centre market for dried goods and souvenirs that has been a Hat Yai fixture for years. Inside you'll find stalls of fried and pureed durian, dried mango and other dried fruit, roasted nuts, dried squid, Chinese pastries and Chinese-Malay dried goods lined up the whole way, mixed in with clothing and household stalls. It's busy in the way an old market is, with food and souvenirs all in one place — a natural place to start before walking straight through into the adjoining Santisuk and Plaza markets. Honestly, weekends are packed and the lanes are narrow, so keep an eye on your wallet.
Right next to Kim Yong is Santisuk Market, Hat Yai's clothes-and-fashion zone — fashion, bags, shoes, fabric, accessories and youth styles at easy prices, with plenty of stalls selling both retail and wholesale. Malaysian and Singaporean visitors stock up on clothes to take home because they're cheaper than back home. It runs straight on from Kim Yong as part of the same district, so it's an easy continuation. Good if you want several items on a modest budget; bargain and compare a couple of stalls before buying, since quality varies with price — feel the fabric and check the seams before you decide.
In the same district as Kim Yong and Santisuk, Plaza Market is the place for cosmetics, household goods, imported snacks and food, small electronics and general odds and ends, where people come for Malaysian and Indonesian-brand items and imports that are hard to find in the rest of Thailand. Many things are cheaper than in the malls, which makes it good for sweeping up household goods and cosmetics in one go. You can fold it into a single trip with Kim Yong and Santisuk. To be straight: check use-by dates on food and goods before buying, and compare prices with nearby shops, because the same item can vary from stall to stall.
When you want a break from the heat of the markets, Lee Gardens Plaza is the city-centre mall closest to the market district — a hotel-and-shopping tower you can spot from a distance. Inside are clothing shops, cosmetics, general goods, restaurants and souvenir stores, all at clearly marked prices, so it's good for relaxed shopping with no haggling, or for ducking out of the sun or rain while you work the markets. The location is handy, walkable from Kim Yong and Santisuk, and it makes a good midday break before you carry on. Plenty of Malaysian and Singaporean visitors stay at hotels around here because they can step straight down into the market district.
For a big-city mall with a full brand range, Central Hat Yai (CentralFestival Hat Yai) is the largest shopping centre in town, with clothing brands, cosmetics, a supermarket, restaurants, a cinema and souvenir stores all under one roof. It's cool and easy to walk, good for a rainy day or when you just want to shop at a relaxed pace, with a lot of food to choose from. It sits a little outside the old market district, so a Grab or songthaew is easiest. Worth saving for the end of the day, or for a day when the weather isn't right for the open-air markets.
The Odean area is another of Hat Yai's clothes-shopping zones, well known to locals, with plenty of wholesale clothes, youth fashion, bags, shoes and fashion items at friendly prices, especially if you buy several pieces. It's in the central commercial district, an easy continuation from the Kim Yong–Santisuk markets, and not far from Hat Yai's train station. Good for sweeping up well-priced clothes or buying to resell. It has the feel of a working trading district, so explore a few shops and compare prices before buying — some sell genuinely wholesale, so ask clearly about retail versus wholesale rates first.
After dark, Hat Yai's shopping shifts to the night markets, and the Greenway Night Market is a large one that brings together street food, clothes, toys, general goods and second-hand finds in one place. You can graze and shop your way around at easy prices, in the fun atmosphere of a Thai night market — a good way to round off a day after the daytime markets. There's plenty of standout food, from fried and grilled snacks to sweets. To be honest, some days it only opens at the weekend and the hours can change, so it's worth checking before you go, and bring cash, as many stalls don't take cards.
The ASEAN Night Bazaar is a night market closer to the city centre than Greenway, an easy walk from central hotels, focused on street food, sweets, drinks, and souvenirs and gifts. It has the lively feel of a night market and suits an evening stroll, tasting a few things and picking up small souvenirs to take back to the hotel — a handy option for a night when you don't want to travel far. To be straight, it's stronger on food than on serious shopping; if you want lots of clothes, the daytime markets and Greenway are a better bet. Bring cash.