HATYAI
THAILAND
Budget shopping Destination
There is a large range of options for your extraordinary evenings in Hat Yai, a vibrant gem in Southern Thailand. There is more to this charming city than the amazing Wat Hat Yai Nai, which houses a breathtaking reclining Buddha statue (the third largest in the world), or the Ton Nga Chang Waterfall. The city has more to offer when the sun disappears below the horizon, including night markets, museums and a great selection of pubs and restaurants.
KEY FACTS
CURRENCY : THB
LOCAL CUISINE : THAI
SPECIALITIES : SHOPPING MALLS
PEAK HOURS : 12p.m.
COMMUNICATION MEDIUM : THAI
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Features
Hat Yai (Thai: หาดใหญ่, pronounced [hàːt jàj], also Haad Yai or Had Yai) is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at 7°1′N 100°28′E, it is 946 km (588 mi) south of Bangkok, and has a population of 158,218 (2012) in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in the south, and the third largest metropolitan area of the country. It is often mistaken for being the provincial capital. In fact, Songkhla is the capital and the center of administration and culture while Hat Yai is the business center.
Odean Shopping Mall
The Odean Shopping Mall is a 5-storey department store and sells medium to upscale products and goods… There is a whole floor dedeicated to clothing with jeans, casual wear, business wear etc together with accessories… Other merchandise include shoes, comestics, swim wear, gift items, sports goods etc… There is also a food court on the fifth floor…
Odean Shopping Centre as the locals call it, is a nice place to shop. It is not as fancy as the other department stores in town but they seem to have sale quite often.
Hatyai Khlong Hae Floating Market
Klonghae Floating Market is located in Khlong Hae in Hat Yai. To get there you can take local transport from Hat Yai City.
At the floating market vendors pack their wares onto small boats and jostle with each other for the attention of buyers alongside canals. There is large number of vendors selling a big variety of local Thai food and snacks.
The market also has a campaign for the environment as the sellers use bamboo tubes, coconut shells, and clay pots instead of using plastic bags or foam boxes.
Kim Yong Market
Kim Yong Market is a local market in the center of Hat Yai city. It is famous for it's imported snacks from Malaysia and Singapore. A lot of the imported snacks, like potato chips, are cheaper here then in the rest of Thailand.The market itself has many small stalls nestled on narrow alleyways. Here you can buy anything from clothes, fruit, snacks, nuts, food, fresh flowers and even make-up, perfume and more.
Phra Phothisat Kuan Im Nakhon
Phra Phothisat Kuan Im Nakhon is a shrine dedicated to Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy. It is located on Hatyai Park’s Hill an approx. half an hour drive from the city. It is best to self drive to Hatyai Park Hill or rent a taxi or tuk tuk. It is hard to get a public transport on top of the hill. Phra Phothisat Kuan Im Nakhon has been around for years but since there are more attractions happening at the Hatyai Park Hill, there are more visitors visiting the place.
Hatyai ASEAN Night Market
This was called Hatyai Weekend Market before they rebuilt everything and called it ASEAN Night Bazaar. It is rebuilt, more organised now with part of the night market turned to a food center. There are plenty of things to shop here. From fashion products to accessories, most of the customers here are locals than tourists. The prices of the things here are competitive, cheaper than the prices in the town. This is no longer a weekend night bazaar as it opens daily from 4pm to 10.30 pm. The upper level of this bazaar is food stalls that you can try too.
Hatyai Park Lantern Festival
One of the most colourful festivals taking place at the moment in Thailand is the Lantern Festival in Hat Yai. The Thai slogan translates as “colours of the south”. It is running between 14th and 28th February 2009. This is the third time that they have organized the festival at the Hat Yai Municipality Park. Although this year’s event is very impressive, the city mayor promised that next year would be even more spectacular. The theme of the festival is “Seven Wonders” and there are categories such as International Lanterns, Amazing Fowl and Animals and World of Kids. After wandering around looking at the lanterns, you can then go shopping for OTOP products which have both locally produced food and handicrafts.
Wat Hat Yai Nai
Crafted in the 1970s and known as Phra Phuttha Hattha Mongkhon, the image’s facial expression resembles the reclining Buddha at Bangkok’s Wat Pho, though it’s not gilded and also not quite as long. It’s one of the city’s most revered Buddha images, along with the standing Buddha at the top of the mountain in Hat Yai Municipal Park.
The head can be viewed from outside, but to see the rest you’ll need to walk inside the chunky concrete wihaan topped by an image of Vishnu, the Hindu god riding the three-headed elephant, Erawan. There’s not much else to see at the temple other than a few minor halls housing some smaller seated Buddha images.
Somtamchaba
The menu is all in Thai with pictures so you can point to the dishes. One of the waitresses could speak some Mandarin but no English. The drinks menu were in Thai & English though. Everything we ate was delicious - the signature grilled pork neck, grilled fish with salt , fried potato leaf + omelette and sea food tom yum. Must take a tuk tuk as it is located away from the the tourist area . It is very near Kim Yong market as we found out after dinner . We were too stuffed to try the local food & delicacies at Kim Yong. Maybe next time.
