Phuket Nightlife: All You Need To Know [2024]

Phuket is one of the most renowned nightlife destinations in Thailand. It has a buzzing party scene, with most of its bars and nightclubs concentrated on the 1-km long street of Bangla (or Walking Street), in the beach town of Patong.

Here is the concise guide of Phuket (Patong) nightlife:

Best Hotels Near Patong Nightlife

If you are in Patong for partying, I advise you to stay within walking distance from Bangla Road, but far enough that you won't hear the music until 3 AM.

By doing so, you won't have to deal with the tuk-tuk and taxi mafias (charging ridiculous prices at night even for a 100-meter ride), and if you have your own car or bike, you will avoid the temptation of driving back home while drunk.

Booking.com has a great list of hotels located within a short distance from Bangla Road. Among them, the following are the best in terms of value for money, rating and location:

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Clover Hotel: One of the most popular hotels in Patong, only 150 meters from the beach and 5 minutes from Bangla Road. Nice rooftop pool, delicious breakfast, and affordable price (under 60$ off season). Rated 8.9/10.

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Summer Breeze would be my first choice within this price range: a 1-minute walk from the nightlife and only 25-35$ per night. Rated 8.7/10.

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Sleep with Me: It is 200 meters from the nightlife and 100 meters from the mall JungCeylon. Price starting at 30$ per night on Agoda. Rated 8.5/10.

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Yorkshire is a popular choice among regulars of Patong. It is both guest-friendly and a 200-m walk from nightclubs. Their basic room is comfortable and costs 30$ per night. Rated 8.2/10.

Note: Some hotels in Patong may ask for a "joiner" fee (around 300 THB) if you bring someone to your room who wasn't part of your initial booking.

Phuket Nightlife Tips

What to expect

Type of crowd

With its gogo bars, its naughty massage parlors, and its sleazy clubs, nightlife in Patong is rather male-oriented. It is a (paid) sex destination that draws mostly guys, older and younger, from all over the world.

While Russians are the main nationality in Phuket, you also have hordes of Northern Europeans (British, Germans, Scandinavians), Asians, Australians, Americans, Indians and Arabs. There are also thousands of foreigners who retired in Phuket or started their own businesses (restaurants, bars, tours, etc), many of whom are married to or dating a Thai girl.

Patong, and Phuket in general, also attracts "normal" tourists, including families, couples and backpackers. They come mostly for the beach, but at night, some will come to Bangla street out of curiosity. They are not particularly interested in the sex trade so they contribute to make Patong nightlife less creepy.

Dress code

There isn't a very strict dress code in most of the bars and nightclubs in Phuket. You can wear shorts, torn jeans, t-shirts, and even sandals.

Cost of partying

Patong is more expensive than the average for Thailand, but it is still reasonable compared to other countries.

In a typical gogo bar or nightclub, you will pay about USD 2-4 for a beer, USD 5-6 for a glass of spirits, and USD 6-8 for a cocktail. The cheapest bottles of imported alcohol, like Red Label, usually cost around USD 100.

Almost all the nightclubs in Phuket have a free entrance, except White Room and Illuzion (they will charge USD 10-15 depending on the event or DJ). If you are a small group, you should consider purchasing a bottle of alcohol as it will give you access to a table and you'll save money on drinks.

Many nightclubs run an all-you-can-drink promo for about 800 THB. It usually lasts from 10pm to 1am. Beware because if the club is full, you may struggle to get your drinks at the bar.

Music

DJs will usually alternate between commercial EDM (Electronic Dance Music), Hip-Hop, Rn'B and Top 40. The only places where I listened to more original playlists were in the VIP rooms of Illuzion and Seduction.

Dating/Meeting people

You shouldn't be too naive about the dating scene in Patong/Phuket, especially if you are a guy. On a dating site like Tinder, the majority of users are prostitutes or ladyboys. In nightclubs, even those with a good reputation, you can pretty much assume that most of the girls you will talk to make a living from dating guys or having sex with them.

For a sex tourist, it is probably paradise, but if you are looking for the love of your life, you'll struggle.

Best dating sites in Phuket

• To meet "normal" girls: Bumble

• To meet foreigners: Hinge

• If you are not in Thailand and you want to meet Thai girls before your trip, try Thai Cupid. It's very popular in the country among Thai women who want to date foreigners.

• To meet high-end, model type Thai girls: Seeking.com

You can also read Best Online Dating Websites and Apps in Asia.

Best time to enjoy Patong nightlife

The high season runs from December to February (with a peak during the Christmas holidays and Chinese New Year). More tourists choose to visit the island during this period because the weather is always sunny, the sea is quiet and the water is clear blue. This is when the nightlife will be the most happening.

The rest of the year, and particularly in July or August, you will have considerably fewer people visiting Phuket. In Patong, the occupancy during the low season may not even reach 50%.

While you will get cheaper deals on hotels, you can't expect that all bars and nightclubs will be crowded.

Travel Insurance

One foreigner dies every three days in Phuket. The most frequent causes of death are drunk driving, drowning and strangely, suicide. There are thousands of non-lethal accidents every month and the worst ones may end up costing you a lot of money (a medical evacuation from Phuket to Australia = 100,000$). Other common problems like dog bites, malaria, dengue fever, food poisoning, flu, etc... can be treated in Thailand but you will get charged a highly inflated tourist price.

Before or during your trip, check that you have proper travel insurance. It costs a few dollars per day and it can save you a lot of trouble if something happens to you.

Best Nightclubs in Patong

The most recommended nightclubs in Patong are the following:

→ Illuzion is my favorite party place in Patong. Ranked 93rd best nightclub in the world by DJ Mag, it is brand-new and modern, with a huge stage where sexy dancers, acrobats, DJs and singers perform all night long. You have fewer prostitutes than elsewhere and most of the customers are young Westerners. It also has a smaller room called Empire specializing in urban music.

→ White Room is smaller, less classy, with mostly hip-hop and R'n'B music. 600 THB for all-you-can-drink.

→ Sugar: Hip-hop club, same owner as Sugar Bangkok. Lots of Middle-eastern and Indians.

→ Tai Pan is an old nightclub popular with long-term Phuket residents. It is just one low-ceiling room with plenty of tables and dancing poles. There is always a show on stage: Dancers, live bands, DJs. At least 90% of the girls are prostitutes.

Gogo Bars and Erotic Clubs in Phuket

Girlie bars are everywhere in Patong and they make take several forms:

→ The cheapest are the ubiquitous beer bars that can be found every 20 meters (and especially in Soi Freedom or Soi Tiger). They can accommodate around 15-20 customers with a staff of 10 bar girls.

→ Gogo bars are larger and more expensive. They have a podium with girls dancing in lingerie/bikini/uniforms, topless or naked (depending on the bar). Customers can sit all around and enjoy the show. Like in beer bars, they may ask a girl to join them.

Most of the famous Patong gogo bars are located in Soi Sea Dragon. The group Suzie Wong manages at least four gogo bars there (Suzie Wong I & II, Harem, Exotica) and another one on Bangla (Rock Hard). They are the best ones (prettiest girls, great atmosphere, good music, first drink for 99 THB).

You can also try the new Upstairs Gogo Bar (nude and topless girls, first beer 99 THB then 200 THB), No1 A Gogo, Diablo A Gogo and Club Lover.

→ Erotic clubs or Ping Pong Shows. Those clubs are a trashier version of gogo bars. They usually have older, less attractive girls who will do some kind of sexual performances. Most often, it involves inserting something in their V.

Honestly, it is pretty gross. With my own two eyes, I've seen a girl removing an actual frog from her V, then throwing it on a customer. The staff looked depressed and tourists were rather uncomfortable.

Note: Many tourists get scammed in ping pong shows. They get inside because they are promised a 99 THB beer, but they ignore that it only applies to the first drink. After that, they get charged between 500 THB and 1,000 THB per drink.

→ There are a few Russian strip joints in Patong. More luxurious than Thai ones, they also cost more and have a bad reputation for scamming customers.

If you have any additional questions about Patong (Phuket) nightlife, do not hesitate to leave a message below. I'm also interested to know about your favorite bars and nightclubs if I missed them.