Cheap Clothes and other Hat Yai, Thailand Shopping Tips

Name of Shop: Street stalls and various

You often hear that Hat Yai is a great place to shop but I disagree. I've spent quite a bit of time in this large southern town and haven't been tempted to buy anything. There are the usual cheap clothes, many with fake designer labels. My experience of buying cheap clothes in Thailand is that the clothes don't last many washes.



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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Street stalls

Besides fake designer clothes there are the usual fake sunglasses. I understand that these can be quite dangerous as they do not block UV rays properly. They are tinted so trick your eyes into thinking they are protected from the sun and thus your pupils dilate. This allows more UV in so it is actually more dangerous than wearing no sunglasses at all. Obviously the best solution is to buy an original pair of reputable brand sunglasses.



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Name of Shop: Various street vendors

This is the first time I've seen fake Teva sandals in Thailand although it doesn't surprise me at all as the industrious Thais produce all manner of fake brand name products. What I do find surprising is why people buy fake items. My Tevas cost around 100 USD. I bought them because the manufacturing and component quality is excellent, meaning they will last for ages and it is very unlikely that a strap will break or they will fall apart leaving me stranded without a shoe in a remote place. They are also very comfortable, especially the ones with the gel soles. Mine have a special antibacterial ingredient so they don't stink to high heaven after a day's walking around in the tropics. The sole is specially designed to give good grip so I am less likely to slip and break a limb while clambering over wet rocks. In summary, I buy Teva products for their functional qualities. Fake items, of course, have none of these qualities. It says a lot, I think, about people who are more concerned about image over substance.



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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Street stalls

Fake clothes, shoes, luggage, sunglasses, CDs, DVDs, software and of course watches. Is nothing real in Thailand? Even some of the 'women' are not quite what they seem.

As a first-time visitor to Thailand in 1987 I was taken in by all of this, as are most first-time visitors. I bought a fake Rolex watch which looked OK and had a self-winding mechanism. It kept fairly good time for a while but then started to go very wrong before giving up the ghost all together a few months later. Of course, it was not waterproof either so useless on the beach or when diving. As is always the case in life, you pays your money and you takes your choice.



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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Street vendor

I can only assume that these were being sold for some kind of medicinal purpose or as aphrodisiacs. No, I didn't buy one.



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Local market.

What To Buy: Fish and all kinds of fresh produce can be bought from the local street market.


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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Various

There are loads of Chinese gold shops around Hat Yai. Personally I wouldn't be seen dead wearing anything from one of these shops as I have no desire to look like a used car dealer or a pimp. On women a small amount of subtle gold jewellery can look okay.



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Name of Shop: Various

Be aware that there are special restrictions in Thailand concerning the export of Buddha images. Before buying anything make sure that you won't have a problem getting it out of the country.



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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Robinson Department Store

Robinson is a very reputable department store in Thailand. The prices here for a lot of things are not actually much different from the prices asked for by street vendors. The quality will be a lot better though.



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Theme: Department Store

Name of Shop: Central Department Store

Central Department Store is like any other department store in the world. The first thing you see (and smell) as you enter is the cosmetics counter - why is this always the case? The girls working in this section are pretty - in a 'girl working in a department store cosmetics department' kind of way. The rest of the store has items you would normally expect to find in a department store.



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Theme: Department Store
Directions: In the centre of town next to the Novotel, opposite Lee Gardens Plaza.