For some, the shopping in Hat Yai is a paradise. For many, it has all the charm of a Walmart with broken air conditioning.
What's on offer is mostly inexpensive casual clothing. If you're on a long trip and getting tired of your clothes, then Hat Yai is a good place to get replacements. You can actually find just about anything in the town's three main markets, including guns and pornography.
The most popular market for visitors is the night bazaar around the Central Department Store. Within narrow alleys running between the streets are many tiny stalls that you can search at your leisure. Many are open during the day, but most only open in the evening.
Along Suphasarnrangsan Road near Phetkasem Road is the Kim Yong market. Along the streets, it's mostly a fruit market. Inside the main building are some shops selling basic household items.
In and around the shell of the old Plaza Cinema is another market. Labeled as the 'night bazaar' in several guidebooks, the stalls inside are actually only open during the day. At night the inside stalls close and the streets around the area fill up with food vendors. This is the place to eat for the adventurous. In the cinema building itself, you'll find mostly clothing items for sale. Behind this building is a vast indoor market filled with small stalls, almost all of which sell either shoes or handbags.