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What to do in Patong Beach?
Patong Beach is the most popular beach resort town in Phuket, with a 3 km long beach and an immense choice of hotels, restaurants and shops, and legendary nightlife. What makes it so attractive to many is often what other people dislike most about it. Patong can be big, bold, crowded, bright and loud in normal years, yet millions of people can flock here like flies on honey every year. If Bangkok is the Big Mango, then Patong is the Big Durian: you’ll love Patong or hate it!
The initial success and popularity of Patong mostly rotate around two things: a fantastic beach and a legendary wild nightlife. The rest? Don’t blind yourself: shopping, dining, and foot massage are just the cherry on the cake. Anyway, there is a long list of things to do at night in Patong!
Just walk up and down Bangla Walking Street at night, and you will instantly understand why it is so popular. Everyone is there: guys, girls, couples and even families with kids. And why not? Patong has rooftop bars, beach clubs and world-class nightclubs. For many, it’s a once in a lifetime party experience (once a year for some). For others, it’s mostly a curiosity to tick off their Phuket must-do list and something to talk about once back home. Just look at the crowd staring at sexy and very feminine ladyboys dancing on a street stage in a very tiny outfit, and you’ll get the picture, literally. And don’t forget to close your mouth.
Best Things To Do in Patong Beach
The main reason people come here is obviously: the beach! If you decide to spend the day on the beach, you can rent beach chairs and umbrellas, get a beach massage, try some parasailing, or get yourself killed by renting a jet ski (we warned you). Beyond the beach and the nightlife, Patong has a surprisingly wide array of things to do for everyone. There are rooftop bars, night markets, ziplines, cable skiing, cinemas, bowling and huge shopping malls that are a lot more fun than you may think.
▷The Beach in Patong
The beach is 3 kilometres long and often crowded in the middle part during the high season. Forget about parking your car anywhere around there, and even parking your motorbike can be a problem.
he northern part of the beach, not far from Novotel Phuket, Four Points by Sheraton and Graceland Resort, is more beautiful and a lot less busy. There are fewer people in this part of Patong, more parking, and plenty of local food and fruit vendors to enjoy. Water is also bluer during the high season, and there are plenty of palm trees to offer shade.
The water at the southern end is not always as transparent as in the north. You can rent umbrellas and beach chairs available on 10% of the beach on this part of the beach (probably more now!). A long floating pontoon allows tourists to board those longtail boats to take them to the beautiful and secluded Freedom Beach during the high season.
▷ Beach massages
Beach massages have always been popular because they are affordable, very casual and are the perfect way to relax and make the best of your day on the beach. There are a few types of massages available: foot and leg massages, shoulder massages, Thai massage, which involves strong pressure on muscles or pain points, the oil massage which is a great way to totally relax and even the aloe vera massage which is a great way to help that sunburn you probably got on your first day on the beach! The massages are done on a mattress under the shade of a tent and usually cost around 300 to 400 baht.
▷Surf House Phuket – Patong Beach
Surfing is popular in Phuket during the rainy season, but you can surf anytime at Surf House Phuket Patong, a fun activity that is more like a soft version of wakeboarding. Thankfully it is also a lot easier than real surfing or even wake-board, with a prime location near Bangla Road and the beach nearby.
▷Freedom Beach
Freedom beach is one of the most beautiful public beaches in Phuket, and despite being just next to Patong, it has remained relatively untouched because it’s not easy to access.
▷Tri Trang Beach
Tri Trang is a beautiful beach situated just a couple of kilometres south of Patong, known to be surprisingly quiet, as well as one of the few beaches in Phuket where you can swim safely in the low season. You will find a few modest restaurants with superb views on the roadside, plus a couple of hotels to stay at, including the luxury Rosewood Resort.
▷Wat Suwan Kiriwong
Wat Suwan Kiriwong is an understated Thai temple located at the foot of the road that leads Patong Beach to Phuket Town. The temple is always quiet but if you come from overseas you can easily stop and take a few minutes to admire the beautiful craftsmanship.
▷Doi Thepnimit
There are three Thai temples in Patong and one Chinese Shrine on the hill just outside. The most visually attractive and often missed is the one at the bottom of the hill. It’s not easy to park if you drive a car, but it’s worth taking a photo on your way out if you are on a bike. Built at the top of the hill overlooking Patong, Doi Thepnimit is more impressive. Technically it’s not a temple but a Chedi and a monastery, but with such a panoramic view of the bay, it is unique. You can’t miss the small Chinese temple on the main road.
2. Shopping in Patong 🛍️
You could say, “there is something for everyone in Patong Beach”, but in fact, it’s very tourist-oriented. As you walk the streets, expect to see souvenirs shops, Thai massage-foot massage-soapy massage, suitcases shops, art galleries, and lots of tailors.
Night markets have become incredibly popular in Patong, and there are no less than four to explore, Otop Market, Malin Plaza being the most popular. There are also two shopping malls here to enjoy. Jungceylon and Central Patong both offer a more sophisticated shopping experience as well as an excellent way to escape the heat with plenty of restaurants, shopping and activities. If you want to know more, read about the Jungceylon Shopping Center, but don’t miss the Banzaan Fresh Market just behind it, it is a chance to see real fresh local fruits, spices and products!
▷Street Shopping
Street shopping is fun and convenient, mostly because it is entertaining as you walk around. Usually, people are not here to shop, but something often grabs their attention as they walk. It can be something they need but didn’t think about, but it’s usually just for the fun of buying. The demanded price always starts higher than expected, so bargaining is a must. That starting price changes with seasonalities, central location (near Bangla), and crowd density: you should bargain harder during the high season, especially if the town is busy. With Covid, people are desperate to sell, so it better not negotiate much.
▷Jungceylon Shopping Mall
Jungceylon is a massive shopping and dining complex that occupies a strategic location in Patong near the famous Bangla Walking Street. Here you will find a department store, a huge supermarket, a cinema, and plenty of restaurants serving all kinds of cuisines. Travellers often spend time here before the party, when it rains or even when it’s a little too hot out there. (note: Jungceylon is still temporarily closed)
▷Banzaan Market
Banzaan started as a fresh market on the lower, a bazaar selling cheap clothing on the second floor, and a modest food court. Its popularity grew when it opened the night market where visitors can buy mostly seafood and have it cooked on the spot. It is just a little cheaper than in a restaurant, but it’s more fun, something typical of south-east Asia.
▷Malin Plaza
Malin Plaza is a popular and successful night market in Patong. It is an excellent place to spend some time after the beach to eat, drink, and buy inexpensive souvenirs and clothing.
3. Patong Beach nightlife 🍺
Patong nightlife has changed a lot since the old days when Patong was mostly beer bars, go-go bars and a couple of discotheques. There are now great live music bars, enormous international nightclubs, beach clubs and even rooftop bars. Of course, Go-Go Bars are still here.
▷Bangla Walking Street
Patong nightlife essentially rotates around Bangla Walking Street, all the way to Rat-U-Thit Road (the second road parallel to the beach). Every evening from 6 pm, this road closes to the traffic and turns into a bustling walking street. A vast amount of entertainment battles to grab your attention, senses, and money on each side!
▷Rooftop Bars
There are more and more rooftop bars in Patong, and while they can never compete with rooftop bars in Bangkok, they are a great way to enjoy a sunset from a high point. So far, we have found four rooftop bars in Patong.
▷Live Music Bars
Live bands are very popular in Phuket, and Patong features a few excellent bars with a stage equipped with good lighting and sound systems. The quality varies with the day and the hour, but the bands in Bangla road are generally pretty good, and it only costs you one drink to enjoy any of them.
▷Go-Go Bars
Whether it’s with bright light, loud music or ladies wanting you to have a seat at one of the many open beer bars or even touts inviting you to have a look at the naughty shows (you should never follow touts, by the way!)
▷Kudo Beach Club
4. Where to eat in Patong
Restaurants are everywhere in Patong, serving anything from Japanese to Russian, but real Thai food is difficult to find around here. You’ll get some Thai restaurants serving decent Thai food, but you would hardly see a Thai person eating there, which should give you a clue. For instance, in Soi Post Office, roughly around the middle of the beach, is Sabai Sabai, a Thai restaurant very popular among tourists. You will find little places to eat around these small streets, but the taste of the Thai food served is often adjusted and toned down to fit tourists’ palates.
▷Street Food
Like everywhere in Thailand, street food is omnipresent in Patong, from noodle soup to fried chicken, fish, and rice. It’s cleaner than most newcomers think, very cheap and surprisingly good. You will often see carts along the beach with a little smoking barbecue attached to them. The fruit vendors and banana pancakes are the most popular!
5. Where to stay in Patong
There are hundreds of hotels in Patong, and you will find yours with no problem. We tried some because they are close to everything, close to the beach or stand out from the rest. Below are some favourites, but there are many more.
6. Getting around
Getting around Patong and beyond is very easy and stress-free. Tuk Tuks are the most obvious way to go anywhere and can be fun, but the price varies depending on each driver, so always agree on the price before stepping in. Motorbike taxis are cheap, fast and a casual way to cover short distances.
7. Is Patong Beach safe?
Patong Beach is very safe, considering the massive amount of tourists visiting it every year. Of course, just like in any city, there are a few incidents and occasional tourist scams, but if you use your common sense, you will never feel threatened or worried, even very late at night. Patong beach is very much alive until 4 am, and finding a tuk-tuk to go back to your hotel is always easy, and it’s a lot safer than driving your motorbike if you have a couple of drinks!
▷ How to get to Patong Beach?
You can easily go to Patong Beach by bus, tuk-tuk, taxi or self-driving:
From Phuket Airport to Patong: 37 km
From Phuket Town to Patong: 14 km
From Patong Beach to Kata Beach: 10 km
