Patong Beach (Haad Patong)
is the largest beach resort on the island of Phuket.
Patong is the party capital of Phuket,
with a sex-drugs-booze-saturated nightlife and a
great beach. Mostly made up of hotels, restaurants,
nightclubs and various tourist attractions, there's
a thriving nightlife, with numerous "entertainment
complexes" and countless bars clustered together
in and around Bangla Road, and female, transgender
and male prostitutes to cater to every taste. Massage
parlors of the erotic as well the therapeutic (Thai
Nuad) genre provide less alcohol/drug infested venues
for punters and wellness seekers. One can even find
masseuses practicing this medical art atop bamboo
mats on the beach sands (100 baht and up).
Prices are higher than in Phuket Town, but there's
more budget accommodation here than at the more
southerly beaches. This may not be a good destination
for the average backpacker, except in the rainy
season when prices are far lower. Rooming houses
('Mansions') a few blocks inland provide nice, clean
a/c rooms and suites as cheaply as 300 baht/day
(less without a/c), or 3,000-10,000 baht/month.
How to get here
By plane
Phuket International Airport is 35 km to the north
of Patong. "Limousine" taxis from the
airport to Patong are a steep 500 baht (45 minutes);
meter-taxis 300+ baht (if coming from the airport,
from outside the car park gates); shared minibuses
limit the damage to 150 baht (but 180 baht in the
Patong to airport direction, presuming you book
through an agency). Cheapest way of all (however
also the most time consuming) is to take the airport
shuttle bus to Phuket Town, and switch there to
a local bus to Patong.
By bus
Regular buses connect to Phuket Town (20 baht, 45
minutes) every 30 minutes or so between 07:00 and
18:00. The route starts from the southern end of
the beach, after which the bus crawls through town
(via Bangla Road), stopping to pick up passengers,
before finally heading off across the hills.
Get around
Patong can (just about) be covered on foot, but
there are plenty of taxis and motorbikes to get
you around.
Phuket has two types of taxi - millions (or so
it seems) of small songthaew-style minivans (usually
bright red, occasionally bright yellow), and a much
smaller number of conventional sedan-style taxis
(yellow and red, with a "TAXI-METER" sign
on top).
The minivans have no meter, and their drivers are
notoriously mercenary, so always agree a price beforehand
and do bargain hard. Short hops around town shouldn't
cost more than 100 baht these days, but you'll have
to bargain hard.
For longer distances the metered taxis are generally
a better bet, so do your bit to break the iron grip
of the minitaxi mafia and patronize them if you
can. You can hail one by telephone on 076-232157.
Motorbike taxi rides within Patong start around
20 baht.
See
There are many sorts of beaches on Phuket, if one
wants unspoiled and natural then Patong is not your
kind of place, there are many unspoiled beaches
in the north and south of this beautiful island.
Patong is for those of you who like a developed
resort with a wonderful nightlife.
The beach is both stunning and busy. One of the
finest developed beaches in Asia.
If one goes out in Patong with head full of prejudices
and a determination to see the seedier side of Thailand,
then this is what you will see. If on the other
hand you go with an open mind and a willingness
to understand rather than judge, you will find a
highly sophisticated holiday resort with dozens
of world class restaurants and entertainment opportunities.
There is a sex industry, but it easily avoided
if you stay off the main drag of Bangla Road. If
you do go there, please try not to judge what you
see there, it is more complicated than you think.
Amongst the non sex related bars we can recommend
are 'Erotica' off Soi Bangla, on Soi Seadragon -
its aimed fairly and squarely at couples and is
a sexy, smart, fantasy cabaret bar. Professional
dancers perform a unique and highly entertaining
series of original dance routines to some of the
best tunes from the last 40 years.
Saxophone - on the beach road is the little brother
of Bangkok's most famous live music venue. They
have top quality Jazz, Blues, funk and soul outfits
there each night and the place is very well designed.
Can be hit and miss with the bands but usually very
good quality.
Rock City - for those about rock - just down the
beach road from Saxophone this place is easily spotted
due to a giant, neon guitar outside. Live, hard
rock and tribute bands perfromed by excellent musicians
in a great atmosphere. Don't miss it.
Do
Jet-skiing, parasailing and other watersports.
Most of the big Scuba diving companies have offices
here too.
Get a designer suit or dress made for peanuts.
Jaspalas Tailor off Soi bangla is a good place to
start. Pay to see the world famous ladyboy show
at Simon Cabaret or see one for free at Katoueys
R Us, off Bangla road.
Pay to see Muay Thai - Thai Boxing at the Bangla
Stadium, or see it for free further down the road
at the Simon complex, next door to katoueys R Us.
Take a river cruise with River Rovers.
Have a massage, we recommend Bali Hai on 200 Years
Road.
Boogie at either Tai Pan, Banana, Tiger, D Club
or Seduction discos.
Buy fake goods off the many stalls all over the
place.
See the cabaret Show at Erotica - Soi Seadragon,
off Soi Bangla.
Eat
Patong offers an amazingly cosmopolitan array of
eating options, including Arabic, French, German,
Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Scandinavian
and pretty much any country that sends tourists
here. Prices are, however, generally inflated (at
least by Thai standards).
Ali Baba, 2 Thanon Ruamchai, and
Ali Baba 2, 206/17 Thanon Rat-U-Thit 200P [2]
have two separate menus for two separate cuisines,
namely Indian and Arabic; both are pretty good,
and both locations offer air-con inside and smoking
waterpipes outside. Appetizers 60-100 baht, mains
around 200 baht.
Baan Yin Dee Restaurant, 7/5 Muen
Ngen Road [3] offers a fusion of European and
Thai food in a warm and relaxed atmosphere, with
a discreet ambience and outstanding service.
Green House and Balcony Restaurant,
Bangla Road. Extensive menu covering Thai and
Western food, plus pastries and snacks from the
in-house bakery. Terrace seating outside and air-con
restaurant inside. A bit pricy though with most
everything over 100 baht.
Karlsson's Restaurant & Steak
House, 108/16 Taweewong Road, Soi Patong Tower
[4] is a good choice for imported steaks and Scandinavian
specialities. Open 15:00-midnight.
Drink
Patong's nightlife spills out in all directions
but the center of the maelstrom is Thanon Bang La
and its four sois - Crocodile, Eric, Gonzo and Seadragon,
packed with a frenetic mix of pubs, beer bars, and
go-go bars. Soi Crocodile is also known as Soi Katoey,
a reference to its many transvestites. While many
of Patong's establishments are little more than fronts
for prostitution, there are also a couple of good
nightclubs with dance floors - an unusual sight in
Thailand otherwise.
Molly Malone's is a nice
place to sit down and have a decent pint or two.The
prices are a bit high, but if you need some good
pub food and want to sit back and watch the human
traffic plus the great music band, this is a good
enough pub.
Irish Bar Is another nice
and less expensive place also on Beach Road, though
not with a view of the beach. One of the only places
in Patong to sell Guinness, it also has a Celtic
cross made with Guinness cans.
Nightclubs
Banana Disco, Thanon Thawiwong
(50 m south of Bangla Road) - entry 100 baht,
including one drink
D Club, Soi Crocodile, Bangla
Road [7] - recently opened nightclub under joint
Thai/Swedish ownership
Phuket Beaches
Particularly in the monsoon season, there are
strong currents on many of the beaches and drownings
are a depressingly common occurrence. Heed the
warning flags on popular beaches and play it safe
if off the beaten track. It is important to note
that, while many tourists who flock to the beaches
of Phuket are European, nudity is viewed as highly
offensive to Thais. It is very rude to go topless
to beaches. Thais are generally non-confrontational,
but it is always best to be respectful while treading
on another's home country.
About Patong Beach, Phuket Thailand
