What to Do in Phuket at Night?
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Phuket is famous the world around for its colourful nightlife. It has evolved a lot to reach all kinds of travellers and today; it’s not as rowdy as in Pattaya or even Bangkok. During high season (November to May), Nightlife is vibrant in most beach towns. Patong of course leads the pack, but Kata, Karon and Kamala have their own bar streets, lively and colourful until midnight or 2 am.
What is there to do in Patong at night?
Nightlife in Patong features great night clubs hosting international DJs, fancy rooftop bars, more live bands than you need, and ladyboy shows that defies your imagination. Of course, you might be tempted to have a look inside the notorious Go Go bars at least once. Go on it is easy going and couples are welcome.
1. Bangla Road
Soi Bangla or Bangla Road is the heart of all Phuket Nightlife, and the battle for night supremacy is raging between Soi Seadragon and the new Tiger complex. Over the years, the centre of interest has been moving up and down Bangla road depending on seasons and popularity, but the ever-changing face of Patong nightlife is worth a look. Of course, wherever you go in Bangla, friendly ladies will call you with a big smile and encourage you to have a drink and play a few silly bar games, everyone is welcome. Read more…
2. Soi Seadragon
Soi Seadragon is the main ‘Soi’ of Patong beach, where most Go-Go bars are. The street is covered so you don’t have to worry about the rain and there are plenty of beer bars in the central part. Those beer bars are fun and famous for their friendly ladies and their silly games. Connect 4 and Jenga are the traditional ones but hitting a nail with a hammer in the minimum amount of time after a couple of beers is a memorable experience. See lower in the page to read about the famous Go-Go bars of Soi Seadragon. Read more…
3. Soi Tiger
Soi Tiger as always been very popular, possibly due to its prime location, fancy design but mostly because of the many sexy dancers on bars. Located in Soi Bangla, just next to Sugar Club, Soi Tiger and just above it Tiger Disco is hard to miss with their Flintstones giant cave look. It’s vast and a bit kitsch but don’t hesitate to explore inside. It’s always fun, loud and very colourful. Read more…
4. Soi Easy on Bangla Road
Soi Easy is the closest Soi from the beach, and not as famous as its neighbours. Apart from few usual indoor beer bars, the main attractions are the Hollywood Disco and a place popular for decades called Aussie Bar on the second floor, and ‘The Secret‘ a Go Go bar hidden in the back trying to be a bit more upmarket. The dancers on stage, advertised as ‘models from Bangkok’, put on a decent dancing show. Read more…
5. Soi Gonzo
Soi Gonzo is a tiny lane with bars on each side and a large tattoo shop above called Pitbull Tattoo. Soi Gonzo used to be colourful and lively with small beer bar and laughing staff encouraging you to sit for a drink. Soi Gonzo is now mostly the doorway to the very popular White Room Club. Read more…
6. New Tiger Complex
The New Tiger entertainment complex in the famous Soi Bangla in Patong Beach is about to take a severe bite at the nightlife scene in Phuket. With three floors dominated by three massive tigers, much higher ceilings and a lot more room to walk around the new Tiger is a party monster. A blast of lights and colours are taking this vast Flintstones cave looking venue to a much higher level of the party zone. Read more…
7. Bangla Street Food
Bangla Street Food has replaced the old food court located behind the Old Tiger complex. It’s a vast open space with all the cooking stalls placed under colourful tents in the centre of the plaza and all the dining tables located around. It’s not very sophisticated but this kind of ‘night market’ way of dining is very popular in Thailand. It’s relatively cheap since you have to walk to the cooking station, order and bring your food and drink back to your table.
Go-Go Bars of Phuket
What happens in a Go-Go bar?
The concept of Go-Go Bars in Soi Bangla doesn’t vary much between places. It always rotates around a few standard features. So what really happens in there? At the centre of the room is an elevated stage with stainless poles, surrounded by stools. Sofas and small tables are lined up around the room, sometimes on two levels, and bar plays loud music with flashing colourful lights. Read more…
1. Suzy Wong’s A Go Go
Suzy Wong’s is already an icon of Soi Bangla nightlife, and you can’t go to Patong without visiting them. They gave a great deal of effort to the new bar facade with its bright red Chinese decoration and massive door. Despite being the last bar in the Soi Seadragon, you won’t walk by without being intrigued. But Go-Go bars are not only about beautiful facades, so you’ll ask what makes this one any different from any other Go-Go bar? Read more…
2. Harem Bar
Harem A Go Go is the most luxurious Go Go bar in Phuket, with plush red velvet sofas and curtains all around, two main stages with four smaller platforms on each side. The place feels cosy and intimate, and the staffs are beautiful. Just like this wasn’t enough to make you want to visit, Harem is also the most extensive Go-Go bar since it occupies the space that used to be Playschool and Candy Club. Read more
3. Devil’s Playground
From the owner of the famous Suzy Wong in the same Soi Seadragon, Devil’s Playground ‘raise the bar’ of Go-Go bars to a new level. Right from the outside you can tell that this is not just the usual boring dark room with a central stage and few stools around. Built like a cave entrance with a large castle door, you’ll be welcome to hell by a pretty cute devil with a tiny red skirt and some flashing red horns. Entrance is free so let your curiosity take over this time, you always wanted to know what happens ‘Inside a Go Go Bar‘, so, why not do it in style. Read more
Other Nightlife Stories
10 Tips to Spot a Ladyboy
Is that lady you are chatting with not a bit ‘too good to be true’? Tall, slim, pretty to die for, big assets and really sexy. Ah-ah! You fell for it! She’s a Ladyboy! So here are 10 tips for you not be fooled next time.
So what is a ladyboy, is a transvestite that is considered by others as a ‘woman’. They often look very feminine and get a lot of attention, look at some of the places where they perform their little act of ‘look at me! I’m more feminine than your wife’. Read more
Phuket Gay Festival
The Phuket Gay Festival or Phuket Pride usually occurs in Patong Beach from 22 to 28 April. Phuket Gay Festival has been around for a while, with some ups and downs, and in the good years, it attracted a large crowd of party-goers, gay or not.
For almost twenty years, the heart of the Phuket Gay party zone has been beating in the Paradise complex in Patong Beach. I don’t know if the fancy name had any influence on the choice of location, but it’s effortless to find, right at the foot of the ‘Paradise Hotel’ a 24-floor tower erected in the middle of it like a lighthouse, well you get the picture. Read more…
10 Fun Ways to PARTY in Patong
Where to Party in Phuket? Everyone expects something different from his holiday, but everyone wants to see the best of it in a minimum amount of time and (almost) everyone wants to PARTY! Here are 10 fun ways to party wild in Phuket, don’t take it too seriously, this is not a Top 10 that would suit everyone, just 10 Fun Party Tips I would certainly recommend to my visiting friends. The list could go on and on, but these are a good start. Read more
(Click here to see the “Girls’ Top 10 Things to Do“)
Live Music Bars in Patong
Live bands are everywhere in Patong, and thankfully, the sound and skills have improved a lot in recent years. It’s a fierce competition, but not everyone can afford a great band, and some venues would do better concentrating on their food. The best are without a doubt New York Music Bar, Monsoon and the famous Hard Rock Cafe. Read more
Party and Hangover Drinks
Energy drinks are part of the daily landscape of Thailand. Convenience stores always dedicate several fridge shelves to those tiny bottles. Do they really work? That might depend on which brand, but mostly that will rely on you. If like me you are an Italian espresso drinker, that might give you a mild boost, for some, it’s an all night long kerosene. If you don’t know what these tiny bottles are, you might want to memorise some of the names! ‘Energy Drinks’ are used as mixers to help you party through the whole night, while ‘Hangover Drinks’ to make the day after less miserable. Better safe than sorry! Read more
