A Popular Shopping Mall in Patong Beach
Jungceylon Phuket (จังซีลอน), located in the heart of Patong Beach, just a few minutes’ walk from Bangla Road, is still the largest mall on the island at over 200,000 square meters. I remember when Jungceylon first opened in 2007. It completely changed shopping in Patong. After the 2024 renovation, I was impressed by how much they improved the layout and atmosphere.
These days, it’s the place to go when the heat gets unbearable or when the rain gets too heavy. You’ll find everything here: souvenir shops, a huge range of restaurants, Robinson Department Store, electronics, sports clothing, upmarket massage, and a large cinema.
Over the years, I’ve spent many afternoons wandering through here. The upper floors have electronics stores, massage places, and entertainment options. I still discover new things. The two-storey Big C supermarket is where I do some grocery shopping when I’m in this part of the island.
The name Jungceylon comes from what early traders called Phuket Island, dating back to 1511. The mall adopted it when it opened in 2007. See my full guide to things to do in Phuket for more ideas.
Jungceylon at a Glance
| Jungceylon Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Location | Patong Beach, steps from Bangla Road |
| Open | 11 am – 10 pm daily |
| Size | 200,000 sqm, 200+ shops |
| Main Stores | Robinson, Big C, Uniqlo, Apple |
| Dining | 40 restaurants and a Thai food court |
| Entertainment | SF Cinema (6 screens), Kidzoona, Froggy’s Fun Park, Go-Kart |
| Parking | 2,000+ spaces, free first 30 min |
| Hotel | M Social Hotel Phuket (inside the mall) |
| Opened | 2007, renovated 2024 |
Jungceylon has four zones: The Jungle (fashion, massage, electronics), The Bay (outdoor area with fountain), The Garden (restaurants and cafes), and The Botanica (Robinson, Big C, Kidzoona). The mall is open from 11 am to 10 pm daily. Parking is free for the first 30 minutes. The food court in the basement serves authentic Thai dishes from 60 to 120 Baht per plate.
Jungceylon vs Central Patong
Central Patong opened directly across the street from Jungceylon in 2019. Tourists walking up from Bangla Road now see two malls facing each other and wonder which one to go to. Short answer: they serve different purposes.
Jungceylon is bigger, louder, and has more to do. Cinema, go-karts, Kidzoona, Froggy’s, massage, and over 40 restaurants. It’s a full afternoon of entertainment. Central Patong is quieter and more focused on shopping. It feels like a proper department store rather than a tourist attraction. The Central Food Hall supermarket in the basement is better than Big C for imported and premium products, but it costs more.
If you have kids, go to Jungceylon. If you want a calm shopping experience with good air conditioning and fewer crowds, Central Patong works better. If you want to eat, Jungceylon wins easily. Most visitors end up going to both since they’re 30 seconds apart on foot.
Floor-by-Floor Quick Guide
| Floor | What’s There |
|---|---|
| 3rd Floor | SF Cinema (6 screens), Kidzoona, Froggy’s Fun Park, Power Drive Go-Kart, arcade games |
| 2nd Floor | Uniqlo (two floors), fashion stores, electronics, phone accessories, beauty salons |
| Ground Floor | Robinson Department Store, Apple (Studio7), restaurants (Churrasco, Paname, Why Not, Wine Connection), Bangla Road entrance |
| Basement | Big C supermarket (two storeys), Thai food court, Thairapy massage zone, souvenir shops, Thai handicrafts |
What Things Cost at Jungceylon
| Activity | Price |
|---|---|
| Food court meal | 60 – 120 Baht |
| Thai massage (Thairapy Zone) | 300 – 500 Baht per hour |
| Cinema ticket (standard) | From 200 Baht |
| Cinema sofa seat (2 persons) | 500 – 600 Baht |
| Kidzoona (child, 2 hours) | 200 – 400 Baht (adult entry 100 Baht) |
| Power Drive Go-Kart (10 min session) | From 750 Baht per person |
| Parking (without receipt) | 190 Baht |
Prices are from my last visit and may change. Kidzoona prices vary by child’s height and weekday vs weekend. Ask for discount coupons at the Jungceylon information desk before paying. It can save you 100 Baht or more.
Jungceylon Phuket Video
Here is a video I took after the 2024 renovation, showing how the mall looks now.
Restaurants in Jungceylon
The food is often the main reason I come to Jungceylon now. The restaurant selection has grown massively over the years. You’ll find everything from proper Thai classics to dim sum, sukiyaki, steakhouses, and Korean BBQ. If you’re watching your budget, head to the food court downstairs. I eat there more often than I’d like to admit. The Thai food is actually more authentic than most tourist restaurants on the streets outside.
Churrasco Steakhouse
| Cuisine: Steakhouse |
Churrasco is my favourite steakhouse in Patong. I’ve been coming here for years. It’s tucked away at the back of Jungceylon, which means it’s quieter than the restaurants near the main entrance. They import Wagyu and Black Angus beef, and I usually go for the Ribeye. The South American-style preparation is consistently good.
Paname Brasserie Phuket
| Cuisine: French and Western |
Paname is right at Jungceylon’s main entrance, so I often walk past it heading to Bangla Road. The retro French brasserie style works well, and the menu covers comfort food from Europe and Thailand. I’ve had lunch or even breakfast here a couple of times when I wanted something more substantial than hotel buffet eggs. Open from 10:30 to 22:30, so it covers most meal times.
WHY NOT Restaurant
| Cuisine: Thai and Western |
Why Not is a colourful, casual restaurant on the ground floor of Jungceylon’s Garden Zone. I’ve stopped here a few times when I wanted something quick between shopping. The portions are generous, prices are fair, and they have vegetarian options if you need them. Nothing fancy, but reliable when you don’t want to think too hard about where to eat.
The Food Court
| Cuisine: Mostly Thai Food |
The selection covers most Thai classics: pad thai, green curry, som tam, grilled meats, noodle soups, and rice dishes. The cooks aren’t toning things down, so expect proper flavours and real spice levels. Meals run 60 to 120 Baht per dish. For budget travellers or anyone wanting a quick, authentic meal, it’s hard to beat.
What to Do at Jungceylon?
Movie Theater
The cinema has 6 screens and usually gets new releases pretty quickly. There’s also a 4D Mini Movie Theatre with moving seats. I tried it once and spent most of the time trying not to feel seasick on the virtual roller coaster. Fun for kids, but not my thing.
Kidzoona
If you’re travelling with children, the Kidzoona playground on the top floor is a lifesaver. It’s huge, colourful, and everything is made of soft, bouncy rubber. I’ve watched friends drop their kids here while they went shopping. The staff are attentive, and the setup feels safe. Parents get a breather, kids burn off energy. Everyone wins.
For older kids, Froggy’s Fun Park is also on the 3rd floor. It has trampolines, bumper cars, a rope track, and VR games. It’s bigger and more active than Kidzoona, and suits kids who have outgrown the soft-play stage.
Power Drive Go-Kart
| Activity: Indoor Go-Kart Racing |
Power Drive Elite Kart is an indoor go-kart track on the 3rd floor of The Jungle zone. It opened after the 2024 renovation and has become one of the most popular attractions in the mall. The track is 203 metres long with two levels of twists and turns. Electric karts, so no fumes or noise. They have three kart types: PROFI (up to 80 km/h, adults over 21), MINI (up to 40 km/h, ages 15-25), and KID (up to 32 km/h, ages 7-15). A standard session is 10 minutes. Book online in advance to secure a time slot.
Massage at Jungceylon
The basement floor of the Jungle Zone has a dedicated massage area called the Thairapy Zone. Several shops side by side, all offering Thai massage, foot massage, and oil massage. Prices are reasonable, around 300 to 500 baht per hour. It is a good option after a long day of shopping or sightseeing. If you want something more upmarket, Let’s Relax Spa inside the M Social Hotel at Jungceylon is a step up in both price and setting.
Shopping at Jungceylon Phuket
For shopping, Robinson Department Store anchors the first building and has most of the international brands. There’s an Apple store if you need tech support or accessories. I’ve used it a few times when my phone acted up. For better deals on phones, games, and electronics, skip to the top floor of the second building near the cinemas. And Big C downstairs is where I stock up on groceries. It’s massive, two floors, and has everything you’d need, whether you’re cooking on holiday or living here full-time like me.
Uniqlo at Jungceylon Phuket
Uniqlo opened a two-floor store in Jungceylon, and it’s become my go-to for basics. I stock up on t-shirts and socks here whenever I’m running low. Same quality and prices as Bangkok branches, which is useful if you don’t want to make the trip to Central Phuket for clothing.
More Shops at Jungceylon
Where to Stay in Jungceylon?
M Social Hotel Phuket
| Category: 5-star |
If you want to stay right inside Jungceylon, M Social Hotel is the obvious choice. It is directly connected to the mall, so you can walk to the shops, restaurants, and cinema without stepping outside. The location is also only 400 metres from Patong Beach and steps from Bangla Road. Eight room types to choose from, and the hotel has its own restaurant, Bincho Izakaya, which serves Japanese-inspired food and drinks on the ground floor. Let’s Relax Spa is also inside the hotel if you want a proper treatment during your stay.
Don’t miss Banzaan Market!
Banzaan Fresh Market is just behind Jungceylon, across the small road. It is worth a visit on its own. The ground floor is a fresh market with an impressive display of tropical fruits, vegetables, fresh seafood, and local ingredients. Come in the morning for the best selection. The clever part is upstairs: you can buy your fish or seafood on the ground floor and take it to the restaurants above to have it cooked any way you like, grilled, steamed, or spicy stir-fry. It is a fun experience and very popular with visitors.
Insider Tips
Here is a trick I have used for years. If you are driving to Bangla Road at night, forget trying to find street parking. Park at Jungceylon instead. Buy anything, even an ice cream, and keep your receipt. You will get free or cheap parking (20 to 100 baht, depending on how late you stay). The shops close at midnight, but you can walk down the driveway to get your car. It is near the disco, easy to find. Just do not lose your receipt, or you will pay 190 baht. I learned that one the hard way.
Jungceylon is the most convenient meeting point in Patong. When you need to meet someone you have never met before, it always ends up the same way: “Ok, let’s meet at the Irish bar in Jungceylon.” The other person will know exactly where that is. No confusion.
One thing to know before you park your scooter: the automated parking system can be frustrating. You get a ticket at the entrance, but finding the validation booth before you leave is not easy. It is somewhere in the underground parking. Look for it before you go back to your scooter, or you will be going in circles.
The food court in the basement is often overlooked. Tourists tend to stick to the restaurants on the ground floor, but the Thai food downstairs is cheaper and more authentic. A full meal costs 60 to 120 baht. Ask for discount coupons at the information desk before you pay for cinema tickets or Kidzoona. It can save you 100 baht or more.
Jungceylon Through the Years
The name Jungceylon (จังซีลอน) is actually the old historical name for Phuket island itself, used over 100 years ago by foreign traders. It referenced the island’s wealth from international trade and its natural beauty. Early European maps from the 16th to 19th centuries labelled the island as “Junk Ceylon”, “Jangceylon”, or similar variants, likely a corruption of the Malay “Ujung Salang”, meaning the cape or end of Salang. The mall owners chose this name deliberately to tie the shopping centre to Phuket’s trading past.
Jungceylon was supposed to open in March 2005. Then the tsunami hit in December 2004, and the management decided to wait. No tourists, no point. The new target was late 2005, but then a financial dispute between the two main investors froze construction for five months. It finally opened in 2007. I remember those early days. Patong was still recovering, and local people were not sure a mall that size would work here. It felt too big for what Phuket was at the time. It took a few years before it really found its pace.
Jungceylon Phuket Photos
Jungceylon Info
Location: Patong BeachAddress: 181, Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road, Patong, Phuket 83150
Open: 11 am – 10 pm
Phone: 076 600 111
Distance from Phuket International Airport: 35 km
Jungceylon Map
Get the directions on your phone: https://goo.gl/maps/rRKEnQupnegzR9ik6FAQs About Jungceylon
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