🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Kim Yong and Santisuk sit right in the middle of Hat Yai, just a short walk apart. Both markets have been the city's go-to for souvenirs and imported goods for decades. The appeal is prices that beat the malls, and a huge mix of products from Malaysia, Singapore, China, and Japan alongside local items like dried squid, lookyee (Southern wild fruit), and shrimp paste, all under one roof. Most people who come to Hat Yai make a point of hitting these markets to load up, whether for themselves or for gifts back home.
Kim Yong vs Santisuk: what's the difference?
These two markets get mixed up a lot because they're right next to each other and people lump them together as "Kim Yong-Santisuk." But they actually sell quite different things. Here's a simple breakdown before you go.
- Kim Yong Market — a two-storey indoor market on Saeng Arthit road, known for food, souvenirs, imported snacks, nuts, dried fruit, squid, coffee, tea, and dry goods. This is the main spot for loading up on edible souvenirs.
- Santisuk Market — spread along Niphat Uthit 1, 2, and 3, all connected on foot. It's known for cosmetics, perfume, electronics, gadgets, clothing, and imported snacks at wholesale prices.
- Walkable together — both markets are in the same neighbourhood, and it's only a few minutes' walk from Kim Yong to Santisuk. You can easily do both in one go.
How to plan your walk
If you're mainly here for edible souvenirs, start at Kim Yong, then walk over to Santisuk for cosmetics and other goods. That way you won't be lugging heavy bags around in circles.
Want more out of Hat Yai? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Opening hours and the best time to go
Kim Yong Market is open daily, with main hours of 9am–6pm. Some stalls inside open from around 8am. If you want the fresh outer market, fruit, and breakfast, come early, around 6:30–8:30am. Santisuk opens a little later, roughly 9am–8pm.
- Early morning 6:30–8:30 — good if you want the fresh outer market, fresh fruit, and breakfast, before the crowds build.
- Late morning 9:00–11:00 — the souvenir stalls inside are all open, it's easy to walk around, and stock is full. This is the sweet spot for souvenir shopping.
- Afternoon to evening — it gets busy, especially on weekends and when lots of Malaysian tourists are in town. Walking is a bit slower but the atmosphere is lively.
- Near closing, around 5:00–6:00pm — some stalls drop prices to clear fresh stock, but dry goods and imported snacks stay pretty steady.
Avoid the busiest days
During long weekends and festivals when lots of Malaysian and Singaporean tourists come in, the market gets very crowded. If you want an easier walk and better odds at bargaining, try a weekday late morning.
Best souvenirs at Kim Yong: what to buy
There's so much at Kim Yong it's hard to choose. We've picked the groups people buy most often and rarely regret, with rough prices you'll see at the stalls. To be straight with you, prices move up and down by shop and time of day, so use these as a reference, not fixed figures.
Seasoned & dried squid
One of Kim Yong's best-selling souvenirs. You'll find three-flavour seasoned squid, shredded squid, large dried whole squid, and Korean-style squid. Pick a stall with steady foot traffic so the stock turns over fast and stays fresh, and you can usually taste before you buy.
Mixed nuts & cashews
The top-selling category at many stalls. There are cashews, pistachios, almonds, and macadamias, freshly roasted and crisp, scooped and weighed by the kilo. Taste-test across a few stalls before you decide.
Dried fruit
Cranberries, blueberries, apricots, dates, and dried strawberries, sold by the kilo or in packs. They keep for a long time and make great snack-style gifts.
Lookyee (Southern Thai specialty)
A genuine Southern Thai local treat. There's stewed lookyee, fresh hand-rolled lookyee, and seedless lookyee, with a sweet-sour taste that's fun to chew on. Easy to find around Kim Yong.
Imported snacks: Oat Choco / Pepero
Tourist favourites. Oat Choco is a crispy baked grain snack in several flavours, and Pepero is chocolate-coated biscuit sticks. Both are cheaper than the malls, and buying by the big box is good value.
Dried seaweed
Seasoned seaweed sheets and fried seaweed, very cheap. Good to keep at home or hand out to kids, with several brands to compare on price.
Coffee, tea & imported dry goods
Malaysian-style sachet coffee, tea, MILO Energy Cube, and imported canned goods like Ayam Brand. This group keeps for a long time and travels easily.
Fresh fruit at the outer market
The fresh outer market has well-priced imported fruit: seedless grapes, seedless guava, cherries. Try bargaining and buy in the morning when it's freshest.
Shrimp paste, salted fish & processed seafood
Southern local goods that home cooks love to stock up on: good-quality shrimp paste, salted fish, dried fish. Choose a stall that seals tightly and ask them to vacuum-pack against the smell before you travel.
Stalls the locals go to
Kim Yong has hundreds of stalls, but a few get talked about often by Hat Yai locals and reviewers because their stock turns over fast, they seal well, and they let you taste before buying. These are stalls you can actually find inside the market.
Pee Kong's stall
Stall B149, Soi 3 inside Kim Yong. Popular for all kinds of nuts, lookyee, three-flavour seasoned squid, dried fruit, and Oat Choco. Open daily 8am–6pm, with vacuum-sealing service.
Je Duang Souvenirs
Behind Kim Yong Market. Reviewers praise its dried squid, dried strawberries, and imported Malaysian snacks. Another stall where tourists stop to load up on gifts.
Nut & dried-fruit stalls on the ground floor
The ground floor of Kim Yong lines up several nut and dried-fruit stalls side by side, so you can compare prices and taste-test one after another. Pick the ones with the most foot traffic since fresh stock turns over fast.
Plang Thong (Santisuk side)
The Santisuk-Plang Thong area is Hat Yai's legendary shopping zone, known for cosmetics, perfume, imported goods, and wholesale-priced snacks. An easy walk on from Kim Yong.
How to pick a stall with fresh stock
The locals' simple rule is: the busier the stall, the more its stock moves and the fresher it is. Always ask to taste before buying, check the expiry dates on packaged snacks, and ask whether they can seal against smell and moisture if you've got a long trip ahead.
Bargaining tips for a better price
Not everything is negotiable. Dry goods and imported snacks with a price tag are usually fixed or only flex a little. But clothing, cosmetics, household goods, and fresh fruit have more room, especially when you buy several items. Here's what actually works.
- Buy more, then ask for a discount — bargaining is easiest when you grab several bags or items from one stall. You can ask for a freebie or to round the price down.
- Compare 2–3 stalls first — the same item can vary in price. Walk a loop first, then come back to buy from the best-value stall.
- Smile and ask nicely — polite bargaining works better than pushing hard on price. Don't lowball too much, since stall margins are thin.
- Fresh fruit is negotiable — at the outer fresh market, imported fruit is open to bargaining, especially when buying several kilos or near closing time.
- Santisuk cosmetics and perfume have room — this category is flexible, so ask for a net price when you buy several items.
- Carry cash and small bills — many stalls prefer cash, and small bills make it easier to close the deal.
Watch for fakes and expired goods
The market has a wide range of imported products, and some are suspiciously cheap, so check expiry dates and packaging first. For cosmetics and perfume that are too cheap to be real, read the label and buy from a stall that looks trustworthy.
Getting to Kim Yong & Santisuk
The good news is both markets are in central Hat Yai, near hotels and the eating-and-drinking district, and walkable from many places to stay.
- Kim Yong address — Saeng Arthit road, Hat Yai sub-district, in the city centre, near Niphat Uthit road and Santisuk Market.
- Walk from a central hotel — hotels around Niphat Uthit and Sanehanusorn are an easy walk away, and it's a popular area for tourists to stay.
- Motorbike taxi / songthaew — easy to flag down all over town. Just say Kim Yong Market and the drivers know it well.
- Ride-hailing app / taxi — handy if you're carrying lots of bags, but traffic around the market can get jammed when it's busy, so allow a little extra time.
What to see nearby
Near the market are Chao Pho Suea Shrine and Wat Mahattamangkalaram (Wat Hat Yai Nai), home to a large reclining Buddha, both easy to walk on to. And in the evening, the Hat Yai walking street is in the same area, so you can plan one continuous walk and make a full day of it.
Want a central Hat Yai hotel within easy walking distance of Kim Yong, Santisuk, and the walking street?
See recommended hotels in Hat Yai →