Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand is a top travel destination for adventurous tourists, seeking for fun, wild nightlife, and boat trips around different exotic tropical places.
Patong is one of the resorts on the Thai island of Phuket. It is the most developed and crowded beach in the area. It used to be among the best diving places in Southern Thailand but nowadays the place is mostly the heart of the nightlife attractions and a starting point for exotic boat trips and water sports. The majority of Phuket population lives in the area of Patong Beach. The great part of tourists (over 5 million) mainly stays at Patong beach hotels.
Patong Beach Location
Patong is located on the west coast of Phuket. It is 8 degrees north of the Equator. The best time to spend your vacation in Patong beach Phuket, Thailand is from December to April. The local time is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Beach Activities in Patong
The sandy beach is 3 km (2 miles) long. In the last years it has become crowded and not very clean. The northern part is more suitable for relaxation while the southern beach is famous with its vicinity to the local fishermen village. On the whole, Patong beach is definitely not a peaceful place to relax. One exception is the traditional Thai massage on the beach. Services are cheaper than in an air-conditioned studios and the open-air experience is amazing. Experienced Thai masseur offer a whole range of manipulations such as 4 hands massage, foot massage, and more.
Patong Beach, Phuket offers a variety of water sports activities such as para-sailing, jet skiing, long tail boat trips or boat cruises to beautiful beaches in the area. There is a pier at the south end of the beach (in front of Holiday Inn Hotel).
Patong Beach Nightlife
Millions of tourists come to Patong beach every year to feel the thrill of its vibrant nightlife. Here are some of the Patong beach, Phuket, Thailand highlights.
Bangla road with is bars is the heart of nightlife. This iconic place in Patong is crowded all the time but after sunset it becomes a party zone for everyone – couples, single people, and even families. On the bright Bangla road there are many bars with girls or ladyboys performing on a street stage. This place is considered the most popular gay street on Phuket Island. Bangla Road is located in the central part of Patong Beach. You can reach it by walking on the Beach Street or Rat U Tit Road.
The show starts at 08.30 – 09.00 p.m. with a parade of spectacularly dressed ladyboys dancing on the street. The entertainment starts in all outdoor beers bars, go-go bars and discos on the Bangla Road. Among the most attractive places are the Tiger Entertainment, Rock Hard, Tai Pan and Hollywood club. You can have a bottle of local Singha beer, watch cabaret shows and have fun. Some of the girls or ladyboys will ask you to buy them a beer. Do not hesitate, they are friendly and will go away if you ask them. It is recommendable to tip the dancers if you want to make a photo with them otherwise they may become frustrated. They can even point a laser beam towards your eyes which can damage your vision.
Shopping in Patong Beach, Phuket
Shopping is fun in Patong beach, Phuket due to the abundance of several small shops on the streets. The outdoor shops are open long hours. There you can find local souvenirs, hand painted Thai pottery, sports shoes, clothes, bags and suitcases.
Luxury travelers will definitely be fascinated with the precious or semi-precious gemstones; Thai silk; pearls; and silver jewelry. The porcelain enamel decorated with sophisticated details in many colors and liquid gold outlining the elements, is one of the things you should buy in Patong. The Thai ceramic pottery is painted with ancient designs.
You can find everything in one place in a Jungceylon Shopping Center. It is the biggest shopping mall in Southern Thailand. There are plenty of luxury Thai and international shops, fast food and restaurants occupying 200,000 square meters. Places to eat include Italian, Mediterranean and Japanese restaurants, Thai cuisine, Russian food and many more. Visitors can go to a cinema, theatre or shell museum.
Patong Beach Restaurants
Thai food is served in many restaurants located on the Beach road. Some of them are small restaurants offering authentic dishes. There are nice places for outdoor dining with live music and sophisticated menu. One of the Patong beach attractions is the Food Court with many booths offering different types of Thai meals. It is a cheap place to try local specialties because of the self-service model.
When you are in Patong beach, Phuket, Thailand, it is recommendable to try the world-famous Tom-Yum soup (a combination of seafood/chicken, Thai herbs and spices); Tom Ka Gai Soup (coconut milk, chicken and curry leaves), Som Tam (spicy papaya salad) and deep-fried fish. Many restaurants have big display where the fresh seafood is placed on ice. Tourists can opt for lobsters, prawns, and exotic fish. These foods are priced by weight. These beachfront restaurants offer healthy food options with a traditional twist.
If you are bored with eating Thai food, take into account that Indian restaurants are also among the top lunchrooms that are worth visiting when you are in Patong beach. These are other delicious locations in the area of Bangla road, Beach Road, Sai Nam Yen, RAT-U-TIT.
Thai Boxing (Muaythai) in Patong Beach
Thai boxing is the most famous sport in this Asian country. The ancient Thai boxing Muaythai attracts many tourists. Thickets vary between 50 US dollars and $75. During the hand to hand fights, people can drink beer or spirits as well as admiring dancing girls next to the stage. Among the fighters there are many foreigners.
Kids Friendly Places in Patong Beach
Luxury hotels with special playground area such Duangjitt Resort, are perfect place to stay when you are spending a family vacation in Patong beach. During the day children will have fun playing in hotel`s swimming pools, and drinking a young coconut milk or cocktail. Most of the day boat trips are suitable for children except Similan Island trip.
There are plenty of fun places for kids around Patong beach. Phuket Zoo in Phuket town offers daily shows of monkeys, elephants and crocodiles. It is open daily from 08.30 to 18.00. Phuket botanic garden is another breathtaking place where your kids may explore various tropical and exotic plants from all over the world – palms, herbs, fruit, and orchids. Families with kids can enjoy the beauty of Thai nature with an elephant trekking tour in the Jungle area of Phuket.
Jungle Xtrem Adventures Park in Chalong is one of the largest in Thailand. It is located near Big Buddha Temple. There are more than 70 attractions throughout the park – nets barrels, bridges, walkways. This place is suitable for kids because of the safety systems.
Thanyapura Retreat Center is another amazing place for families with kids. It offers sports facilities such as full-sized Rugby board standard pitch, tennis courts, high-end fitness center, yoga and meditation classes as well as babysitting services.