In the wake of another earthquake in The Andaman Sea last night and the evacuation of everyone to the nearby hills, I thought I'd write a review of Patong Beach as I saw it on my recent travels around Asia and in particular Thailand. It's my ay of hopefully bringing back the custom to Phuket.
Luckily, last night, the all clear was sounded about three hours after the evacuation meaning everyone could return home for some sleep before waking up this morning and 'getting on with it' as normal.
This happened to me too in May when the earthquake in Indonesia sparked another few worrying hours for everyone who witnessed the devastating tsunami on Boxing Day last year. The alarm rang and within minutes the streets were awash with everyone heading on up to high ground nervously awaiting mother nature's anger. The precautions and early warning system working perfectly and ensuring the safety of one and all.
So to my review...
Patong is placed on the west coast of the island of Phuket in the south of Thailand. It's long stretch of pristine white sands, backed with palms is a sight to behold, especially around sunset when the views are breathtaking to say the least. The beach itself actually is the one thing that was thankful of the tsunami as it cleared the rubbish and debris that had accumulated there over the years. Now back to its original state, it's one of the best in Thailand.
Patong isn't everyone's cup of tea. On my travels, I met with many who disliked the 'idea' of visiting the area due to the sordid reputation it has among the ignorant. Yes, there's prostitution happening here, and yes, many young girls are lured into the world's oldest profession by the idea of earning enough money in a night to feed their families back in places like Isan for a whole week or more, but that isn't all Patong is about.
Patong is a great 'base' for people who want a bit of everything. There's golf, scuba diving, Muai Thai boxing, markets, sightseeing, temples, great dining, fun bars, go-karting, shopping, sunbathing, watersports, massage and relaxation all within a cheap tuk-tuk ride.
Getting there: Flights go to bangkok then you can hop on a plane for 45 minutes to Phuket International Airport. This'll cost you about 1500 Baht (£20) or it could be part of you overall flight. A coach would take about 12 hours but would be a fraction of the cost.
Basics: The Thai's language is great fun to learn. It's polite to at least say hello (sawadii khrap/kaa) and thank you (khop khun khrap/kaa) so please try. The Thai's love it when you do. There's nothing better than the smile of a happy Thai.
The money is Thai Baht. It's roughly 70 Baht to the Pound so a good exchange rate for Brits.
Never touch anyone's head, including children, and never point your feet. The head is sacred as it's the highest part of the body and the feet are regarded dirty as they are the lowest part of the body. Also, never disrespect the Thai Royal famly, especially the King.
Hotels: So many but high season of November to March can be busy so book early. I tended to stay in cheaper places but there are some amazing resorts at about 3-4000+ Baht per night. My fave places were Neptuna Hotel, about 800 Baht per night, Sand Inn at 1200 bahy per night and Sea beach Inn at 900 baht per night. All very clean and friendly and all with good air-con (a must). If staying longer than a couple of weeks thenit's worthwhile getting an apartment along Soi Nanai for aroud 8-12000 Bah per month.
Getting about: Tuk-tuks are fairly cheap and will get you wherever you want to go. You can negotiate a full-day fare to see parts of the island or pay fixed prices around to other nearby beaches and attractions. Taxi's are more expensive, but are air-conditioned so good for longer trips like going to and from the airport. I prefered my own transport so hired a moped for the duration of my stay. it work out about a quid a day. You MUST wear a helmet if you're riding the moped but passengers don't have to. You must also carry around at all time your driving licence. There are regular police checks which if you abide by these points will not cause you any concern.
Religion: Most Thai's are Buddhist and rehularily attend temples. There are many scattered all over the area. The biggest and most famous on Phuket being Wat Chalong on the other side of the island to Patong but well worth the half hour ride. You are welcome to watch or join in, just remember not to point your feet at the Buddha images whilst sitting. Usually photo's are ok as long as there's not a sign telling otherwise. be respectful please.
There is a large community of Muslims too in Patong. They have their own mosques. Much of Thailand's south is Muslim, especially along the border with Malaysia.
Food: I love this section... Thai food is delicious. There's something for everyone too. If you like it spicy, I can recommend Tom Yom Gung which is spicy prawn soup or if you like flavoursome curries try Mussaman Moo which is Pork Curry with potatoes. There are some fantastic restaurants. My favourites are Kaab Gulay, a traditional Thai restaurant, where mainly Thai's eat, Mr Good's Seafood restaurant at the top of Bangla Road for the best curried fish and mussels in Patong, Deng, a small cheap restaurant opposite Mr Good's that sells great local dishes the way they should be and The Islander for when I needed a flavour of home cooked English food.
Drinks: Go for Singha Beer. Brewed in Bangkok, it make the likes of Tiger and Leo taste like gnat's pee. For the teetotal out there try watermelon shakes. It's like drinking pure watermelon and is so refreshing in the heat of the day.
Nightlife: The nightlife along Soi Bangla, the main party street feeding many smaller soi's (streets) has a fantastic nightlife and something for everyone. You can shop all night and maybe grab a really cheap bargain here or have amazing Thai food, or get a tattoo, or listen to both live music and club sounds or just mix with the locals and tourists alike.
There are so many bars along Soi Bangla and its adjoining streets but here are my favourites: Scruffy Murphy's has a fabulous live band doing anything from old Irish songs to pop music. And it serves a great pint of Guinness. Blue Note is upstairs above Scruffy Murphy's and has great music and a good view of the whole street from a higher vantage point. One of the best is Kangaroo Bar, across the street, where it's party night whatever the night.
My favourite bar though isn't actually on Soi Bangla. It's called Dolphin Bar and is at the southern part of the beach. Owned by Willy, from Holland, it has the best staff and great food, plus pool tables, TV's showing all the latest sport and news and fab barbeques every Saturday evening.
Patong is also home to some rocking 'discos'. Banana on the main beach road, Dragon and Crocodile along near Soi Bangla. Great fun.
Scuba Diving: The Andaman Sea is fantastic for scuba diving. Whether doing a beginner couse, a more advanced course or just un diving, it's cheap and well run. Nowhere else in the world do you get this level of service and attention to detail. There are many dive companies. My faves are Dive Asia, a German run company with an awesome boat, great friendly staff and excellent local diving knowledge and Scuba Cat who have recovered from last years disaster and are going great guns again.
Shopping: Markets and shops aplenty in Patong or head to Central Plaza Mall on road to Phuket Town for air-condition eating, cinema and shopping.
Massage: Try a traditional Thai massage. It'll seem like torture at first but you feel so good afterwards. There are more massage places in patong than there are bars I'm sure. I can recommend Diamond Beauty & Massage upstairs at Soi Big One, near Patong Tower on the beach.
Some other activities: Go-karting track on the way to Phuket Town. Get a tuk-tuk. he'll even wait for you to finish. Three amazing golf courses. fantastic days out. Caddy supplied too. Thai Boxing tuition and training available on Soi Gepsup and weeklt fight nights at the stadium near Soi Sai Nam Yen. Many differnt form of watersport available on the beach. Jet-ski's and parascending among the most popular.
I cannot recomment strongly enough The Rough Guide to Thailand. It has essential information, is easy to navigate through the sections and saved my life on numerous occasions...
I hope this review has helped anyone wanting to visit this amazing country soon. It is essential that people go back to places like Phuket as the only way for the people and the place to survive is tourism. Everywhere is cleaned up after the tsunami, most of it in better condition thab before. Please, please go back.
Thanks for taking the time to read this review.
ENJOY!!
Tony
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