Patong Beach

Patong Beach is the most well developed and popular travel destination in Phuket, Thailand. Being the busiest resort area in Phuket it has the greatest amount of bars, shops, restaurants and accommodation. Including a wide variety of beach fun activities and a reputation for it's colourful naughty nightlife and cheap shopping.

The beach stretches 2.7km in length and is fringed with casuarina trees and lined with rows and rows of sunbeds and umbrellas. Which can be hired for 100 baht a day. Beach vendors sell everything from beer, ice-cream, and clothes to bed linen and guess what..... all while you are lying on your sunbed, you don't have to move a muscle the vendors will come to you. They will even watch your belongings for you while you have a swim.

You will find the beach is beautiful but very busy, especially in the peak months so you don't come here to get away from the crowds.

Activities

You will never be bored at Patong Beach as there is a range of water activities, like parasailing, jet skis, banana boat rides, windsurfing, wakeboarding or water-skis. Water sport areas are cordoned off to separate swimmers.Be aware there is no insurance with these watersports activities.

Towards the southern end of the beach you can snorkel or hire a longtail boat around to Freedom Beach, where you will find the coral viewing better. If water and beach activities are not for you, there is also Phuket Bungy Jumping, or Go Kart Speedway. Or maybe you just want to chill out and enjoy a massage or foot massage on the beach.

Patong is a popular spot for those who are looking for beach fun activities, it is not a relaxing, secluded beach.

Our first trip to Patong was in 1990, there was only one row of sunbeds on the beach and you could walk across the beach road with ease. These days I cross where the police stop the traffic to let pedestrians cross.

Accommodation

Patong offers a great range of accommodation options. There is something here to suit all budgets from a cheap Phuket Hotel or guesthouse to five star resorts.

Opposite the beach there are many of Phuket's best hotels and resorts including one of our favorites The Holiday Inn Phuket which is located along the beach road. A perfect location close to the beach, and within walking distance to Bangla Road and Jungceylon. Also located at the southern end of Patong is the Absolute Seapearl Beach Hotel. Towards the north of the beach you will find the Novotel Resort Phuket and for the best location for nightlife there is the Patong Resort Phuket or Patong Beach Hotel Phuket.

Nightlife at Patong Beach

Patong is the main hub for nightlife in Phuket, in particular Bangla Road, which is full of go-go bars, lady boys and thai girls dancing around poles. There are also many other places to go that are more up market,or maybe you would enjoy a drink and like to listen to live bands or go dancing.

Patong Beach Thai Food and Restaurants

Patong has a great selection of restaurants to choose from and some of the best international cuisines including Thai, exotic seafood, German, Scandinavian, Austrian, Mexican, French, English Japanese, Indian, Italian and lots of Western style fast food.

Along the Beach Road you will find many international restaurants and an abundance of seafood restaurants. For a fantastic Indian meal try Baluchi Restaurant which is located in the Horizon Patong Beach Resort, they also serve Thai and continental meals.Current of the Sea restaurant is located at the La Flora Resort along the Beach Road.

One of our favorite places to eat is The Islander which is located off Soi Bangla serving all day english breakfasts as well as Thai and international food. There are also plenty of hawker stalls where you can try authentic Thai cuisine. Make sure that you try the corn cobs and kebabs cooked on the carts in the street, they are cheap but taste great. For the kids you will find three McDonald's restaurants in Patong, there is one located in Bangla Road, another on the Beach Road and one in Jungceylon. If the kids prefer Subway they will find it at Jungceylon as well.

For a quieter more relaxing beach have a look at Karon Beach.

Shopping at Patong

Along the Beach Road you will find shops and stalls selling bikini beach wear, billabong shorts and shirts. Diesel shirts, dresses, shoes, bags, sunglasses and fake DVD's as well as souvenirs. Literally what ever you want to buy. There are tailors if you would like to get something special made. When shopping a the roadside stalls remember to haggle. In Rat- U-Thit Road opposite Soi Bangla you will find Jungceylon International Shopping and Leisure Complex . The two main stores in the complex are Robinsons and Carrefour a french based supermarket, as well as the other 200 shops that are located in this massive complex.

Patong Beach also has two Ocean Department stores, one is located in Bangla Road and the other is located on the Beach Road near the Holiday Inn.

Phuket Shopping

How to get to Patong

Patong is 35kms south of Phuket international Airport; around a 45 minute drive, depending on your mode of transport and driver.

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