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| Tung Ka Restaurant - Top
of Rang Hill |
The nightlife scene in Phuket City is certainly different
from the all-out assault on the senses of Patong.
If Patong is Rocky Road, with everything sweet crammed
in willy-nilly, then Phuket City is Green Tea: a distinctly
Asian flavour that's an acquired taste, but a delight
once you get used to it.
Rather than being an animatronic, Disneyland-ride
version of Thailand, Phuket City is a great window
into the life of real, everyday, modern Thais. The
scene in Phuket City's nightclubs and bars is very
indicative of Thai culture: it's fun, slightly corny
and no one is taking anything seriously.
What to Expect 
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| The Bar Coyoty on Phang Nga
Rd |
The big draws in Phuket City are the Thai-style
night clubs - cavernous rooms packed wall to wall
with people drinking, dancing, shouting and laughing.
The main entertainment of these joints is usually
a live band playing a variety of music ranging from
western favourites (usually about three years out
of date) to Thai folk music that's been amped up.
There is rarely an actual dance floor as locals prefer
to cluster around standing tables. Although the crowds
are mainly Thais, there are plenty of foreigners scattered
about, mostly expats who live and work in Phuket.
There are plenty of regular pubs around, as well.
Many of these are run by and for foreigners and are
popular meeting spots. Most of these bars are frequented
by long established Phuket residents who gather after
work to have a laugh and let off some steam. A few
beers liberally spread around will get you the best
inside information on the island. One such bar that
is good for happy hour is Dorn's on Vichit Songkran
(the road leading out of town to Central).
Partying Thai Style
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| Fever Corner on Takua Pa
Rd |
When in Rome, do as the Romans do; when in Thailand,
BYOB. It's common practice for the thrifty Thais to
drink their whiskey by the bottle rather than pay
by the glass. Most nightclubs will happily sell you
a large bottle for slightly more than the price you'd
pay in the shop. Ask or look for a 'set' that includes
spirits, ice and mixers (Coke or Pepsi and soda water).
Split it between a few people and you can get well
lubricated for a few hundred baht. Make sure to spread
the love around and invite fellow patrons to join
you. Generosity is one way Thais earn status and it's
a great way to make friends.
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| Zeed - a dodgy place on Mae
Luan Rd |
You may be wondering, "What about the girls?"
Well, in Phuket City there's good news and bad news.
The bad news is that you really don't find much 'ready
company' there; the good news is that you will find
plenty of normal Thai girls. Thai people, young and
old, love to have a good time and there are plenty
of single Thai girls who go out just to have some
fun with their friends. Some of them are curious about
foreigners and may be interested in sparking up a
conversation, or something more, with you.
Remember, though, these are not bar girls, they're
everyday, working people and you should treat them
as such. Despite the impression that you get from
heavily tourist places like Patong, most Thais are
actually fairly reserved and old fashioned. If you're
interested in a genuine relationship with a Thai,
be prepared to put in some real effort and be very
patient. Don't expect every Thai girl (or boy) to
go home with you just because you flash some cash.
Where to go
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| Rocking Angel on Yaowarat
Rd |
Unlike Patong, there isn't one 'strip' of pubs and
party spots in Phuket City, rather, the bars and nightclubs
are scattered all over the city, although there are
some areas with a few places close together.
One of those areas is the section of Yaowarat Rd
between Old Town Phuket and Tesco-Lotus. Coming from
the Old Phuket roundabout the first place you'll see
on the right is Rockin' Angel, a must for music
lovers and artists. The owner is a guitarist and singer
and impromptu jam sessions are the norm, just don't
sit too close to the drums!
Across the street you'll find Suea Saming,
known to locals as 'The Bar with the Big Blue Doors'.
This is a swanky place with a fine selection of imported
spirits and energetic music courtesy of the DJ.
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| Live music at the Timber
Hut |
Timber Hut, a mainstay on the Thai pub scene
that attracts its fair share of westerners, is just
up the road. Timber Hut features one of the best bar
bands in Phuket and the place is jumpin' almost every
night, albeit later on. An upstairs seating area is
available if you get claustrophobic.
Carrying on further up Yaoworat Road, adjacent to
the Phuket Merlin Hotel is Blue Marina, which,
with its basement location and exposed ceiling, is
reminiscent of a hip underground music club, an impression
which is borne out by the regular crowd of Thai university
students.
Continue down Yaowarat and you'll spy E-Sarn
Terrace, easily recognized by the giant projection
TV. No live music here but a lovely outdoor setting,
good food and a cool bar area with billiards and a
large selection of downloaded music serving as a jukebox.
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| 9 Richter on Rasada Rd |
Just a little ways farther lies Idea Bar,
which has the coldest beer in town. The help isn't
bad to look at, either. Sprinkled in between these
bars are a number of restaurants large and small offering
some excellent food at reasonable prices.
The other area with a good concentration of bars
and pubs is Rasada Road, near the large roundabout
in the middle of old Phuket. This area has really
improved recently, with a number of high-end restaurants
and shops moving in, including an all-out dance place
opposite Phuket Shopping Centre called 9 Richter
that features a hopping DJ and a quasi-Vegas live
band.
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| Michael's Bar on Takua Pa
Rd |
Michael's Bar, on Takuapa Road off of Rasada,
is popular with expats and features a pool table,
sports TV and Internet connections.
Next door is Kana Sutra, a very good Indian
restaurant that hosts regular singles' nights and
parties.
Continue down Takuapa Road and you'll find half
a dozen places featuring an all-Thai crowd. One such
place is Fever Corner – a Thai beer garden.
The end of Takuapa Road is the party frontier. Round
the corner things get markedly seedy.
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| Kor Tor Mor on Nimit Circle |
Aside from these areas there are plenty of hot spots
scattered around town. Balika and Oasis
(Mae Luan Road), Ozone (Thalang Road) and Kor
Tor Mor and a large new place next door with Thai
script (translating to Akeakanekeng) (Nimit Circle)
are all very popular with Thai youths.
They all have live bands and Ozone features a multi-level
dance floor and scantily clad singers. On Phang Nga
Road there are a number of pubs, clubs and bars, none
of which resemble each other. Roxy is a bar run by
two friendly Turkish lads; Fantasia may look
like a large club from the outside but is really a
glamourised knocking shop and the Pink Lady Cafés
are pretty much in the same ball game and certainly
not cheap.
The Bar Coyoty (sic), on the left past the
bus station, also features girls, girls, girls with
drinks at almost reasonable prices and things are
handled with a bit more class there.
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| O'Malley's on Suthat Rd |
Inevitably, there is an Irish bar and it's called
O'Malley's. O'Malley's (Suthat Road) has occasional
live music and deals on beer.
A good place to watch some sport is Lemongrass
(Luang Pho Wat Chalong Road). The TV isn't great but
they stay open late and there might be someone around
to make watching the game a little more interesting.
For the best Mojito in town check out Music Matter
(Tilok Utis 1, near Ocean Plaza) which also has a
live jazz jam every Wednesday night.
Good to Know
Patong seems purpose-built for pub crawling, but the bars in Phuket
City are a different story. A few are within walking
distance of each other but you'll need some sort of
transport for serious bar hopping. Driving a motorbike
is dangerous enough while sober; don't even think
about it after you've had a few. Your best bet is
to engage a taxi for the night. Most tuk-tuks will
be willing to ferry you around the hot spots and then
back to your hotel for a flat rate (usually around
1,000 baht). Although this may seem a little steep,
it's not bad if you split it between a group and it's
a lot cheaper than a hospital stay.
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| Fantasia - "a glamourised
knocking shop" |
While there aren't nearly as many ladies of dubious
reputation in Phuket City as there are in other areas
of the island, they can still be found, especially
in bars with a mixed Thai and western crowd. It's
difficult at first to tell a working girl from a normal
Thai girl who just wants to get to know you. The rule
of thumb here is if she's provocatively dressed and
assertive she's looking for money. The advantage is
that she's also a freelancer so you won't have to
pay a 'bar fine'.
Thais have a strong tradition of bringing their own
bottle and paying for the mixers, with many leaving
their marked bottle at the bar. Indeed, Kor Tor Mor
has a garbage can specifically for whiskey bottles'
cardboard containers! Mixers generally cost about
200 baht.
No one smokes inside anymore. Some places will have
a designated outside smoking area while others are
more haphazard. Open-sided bars and restaurant are
generally more tolerant of the evil weed but in air-conditioned
establishments smoking is a big no-no.
Unless you're 15 years old you won't get asked for
ID as a foreigner (and maybe not even then). Similarly,
cover charges are unheard-of at Thai nightclubs. Bars
in Phuket City, like the rest of the island are allowed
to stay open until 02:00 but some of the smaller places
are likely to bend the rules.
Drink Price Guide
Prices vary slightly from place to place but are always a little
more expensive in nightclubs (places with a live band) as opposed
to bars (places with a pool table).
- Local Beer (Singh, Chang, Leo, Tiger, Cheers):
60-90 baht, more in nightclubs
- Imported Beer: 20-30 baht more than the local
beer.
- Spirits: 100+ baht including mixer.
See Phuket City for more info
on things to do and see.
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