There
are many sorts of beaches on Phuket, if one wants unspoiled and natural
then Patong is not your
kind of place, there are many unspoiled beaches in the north and south
of this beautiful island.
Patong is for those of you who like a developed resort with a
wonderful nightlife.
The beach is both stunning and busy. One of the
finest developed beaches in Asia.
There is a sex industry, but it easily avoided if
you stay off the main drag of Bangla Road. This is mainly
populated by visitors whom are curious and mostly sex tourists.
Amongst the non sexual related bars we can recommend
are 'Erotica' off Soi Bangla, on Soi Seadragon -
its aimed fairly and squarely at couples and is a sexy, smart, fantasy
cabaret bar. Professional dancers
perform a unique and highly entertaining series of original dance
routines to some of the best tunes from the
last 40 years.
Saxophone - on the beach road is the little
brother of
Bangkok's most famous live music venue. They have
top quality Jazz, Blues, funk and soul outfits there each night and the
place is very well designed. Can be
hit and miss with the bands but usually very good quality.
Rock
City - for those about rock - just down the
beach road
from Saxophone this place is easily spotted
due to a giant, neon guitar outside. Live, hard rock and tribute bands
performed by excellent musicians in a
great atmosphere. Don't miss it.
Martial
Arts of Muay Thai
One of the most popular spectator sports in Thailand, and now gaining
world renown, is the martial art of
Muay Thai.
Exciting enough on TV - the furious punches,
crushing elbow strikes, lethal kicks and artful feints are even
more riveting when seen live.
Witness the passion and drama of Thailand's national
sport amidst crowds of onlookers whose cheers
blend with the strains of high-pitched Javanese clarinets, drums and
finger cymbals that accompany the
fights from beginning to end.
For tourists in the Patong Beach area, nightly
displays of Thai Boxing are carried out in specially built
stadiums on Soi Sai Namyen or on Bangla Road.
If you don't mind the violence, a Thai boxing match
is worth attending for the pure spectacle and the wild
musical accompaniment, the ceremonial beginning of each match, and the
frenzied betting around the
stadium.
Phuket
Simon Cabaret
It's a spectacular display of colour, originality and fun. Phuket's
Simon Cabaret has become one of
Southeast Asia's outstanding entertainment attractions drawing a
thousand enthused visitors from around
the world each evening.
A single show runs the entire range of musical
theatre from cultures around the world.
Extravagant costumes, make-up and sets take the
audience from Egypt to Latin America to China and
back to Thailand in themed displays of classical dance and song.
Wat
Suwan Khiri Wong (aka Patong Temple)
In a middle of Patong's busy development and the infamous nightlife
lies a peaceful and holy place called
Wat Suwan Khiri Wong or Wat Patong for short. It is the centre of local
Thai Buddhism. This Theravada
temple features beautiful structures including the main ubosot
(chapel), pagoda, monastery hall and statues
of Lord Buddha. There are monks living in the temple and every morning
they go through the nearby
community to collect food from the villagers who line their route. It
is a sight that takes Patong right back to
its original roots when the place was just a fisherman's village years
ago.
Open:
Daily from early morning till late afternoon
Location: In Patong at the junction of
Phrabarami and
Phisit Karani Road (at the bottom of Patong Hill by
the Phuket-Patong Road).
Pun
Tuao Kong Chinese Shrine
When cresting Patong Hill, most drivers honk their horns to show
respect to the Pun Tuao Kong Chinese
Shrine that straddles the hill. Built in 1980, it is not a big shrine
but it is well respected. When devotees'
wishes are granted they usually come back to pay respect by setting off
fire crackers. Some people show
open-air movies across the road from the shrine or donate money for the
shrine's maintenance.
Photography is not allowed inside.
Open:
Daily from 09:00 -- 17:00
Location: On Phuket -- Patong Road
