I am currently staying in Hat Yai on Thumnoon Road, near the train station. When I was walking to the market I counted 17(?!) Chinese-themed gold shops [between the train station and Robinson department store](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/The+Train+Hotel+Hat+Yai,+Thumnoonvithi+Rd,+Tambon+Hat+Yai,+Hat+Yai+District,+Songkhla+90110,+Thailand/7.004112,100.4690761/@7.0051999,100.4697329,17.05z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x304d2843f60259f9:0x4c0bc96b2c65437a!2m2!1d100.467671!2d7.00386!1m0!3e2?entry=ttu) (less than 200m distance). About 6 of them were right next to each other.
I keep walking past them and rarely see people buying anything. Can someone explain to me why there are so many of these stores together? Is it actually a viable business to have so many gold shops so close together, or is it a front for something else? I don’t remember these shops being so centralized in China Town, Bangkok. Is there a specific market for this jewelry in Hat Yai because of the Asian tourism?
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