Nightlife

Nightlife in Patong tends to center around Bangla Road and the many Soi (smaller roads) which spider off it. During the daytime, Bangla Road is deserted apart from deliveries being made to the bars and clubs, refreshing their stock for the coming evening. However, as the evening draws in and the sun goes down, things begin to liven up. By 6pm most bars are beginning to open, setting out tables and cranking up their sounds systems. At this time the road is closed to all but pedestrians. By 8pm Bangla Road is in full swing.

There are hundreds of venues to be found in the area of Bangla Road, and these consist of Beer Bars, Go-Go Bars and Nightclubs. Thousands of young Thai folks, both male and female, work the Bangla Road area in the bars and nightclubs, providing their services to tourists from around the globe.

Thai girls, dressed in raunchy clothing parade up and down Bangla Road, flirting with tourists. Venture in to one of the bars or clubs to meet them in more comfortable surroundings, break the ice by playing one of the ever present bar games (such as connect 4), before deciding if you would like to employ them for the evening.

Patong sports lively nightlife throughout the year, even during low season, and Bangla Road is the most vibrant, exciting place of all. Most tourists spend the day relaxing on the beach until the evening, when they switch their focus to the cheap drinks and the gorgeous girls. Many of the bars in Patong have an outside terrace area, a great place to sit back, relax, drink a few Leo, Chang or Singha and watch the girls (and boys) ply their trade. Patong is the only place in Thailand which offers a combination of stunning beach life, combined with world class nightlife. Other areas of Thailand such as Pattaya do not benefit from the kind of natural beauty which Phuket presents.

Seduction is a world class nightclub, the very first of its kind to be established in Patong. Seduction offers up a truly authentic experience for those who follow the western clubbing scene. Some of the world’s best DJ’s have played at Seduction, with guest DJ’s from around the globe being featured regularly, alongside local Thai DJ’s. This situation can lead to an incredible musical experience, as the local talent tries to outplay the international names.

Seduction caters for both the tourist crowd and the local expat community, and it's success has been outstanding, mostly due to the professional way in which the club was established, and continues to operate.

One of the more interesting features of Seduction is the themed area found downstairs, which has been turned into a beach club, including a full sized long tail boat, sand on the floor and a bamboo beach bar specializing in Margaritas.

Music wise, International House is most usually the order of the day. Internationally acclaimed DJ’s such as Dimitri, Louie Vega, Judge Jules and David Morales appear often, as well as special guest appearances by the better known Ibiza DJ’s. The Seduction sound system is famed as being the best on the island by far, entirely capable of pumping out more bass than the average human ear can handle.

Seduction Beach Club is without a doubt the premier nightclub on the island of Phuket. A prefect venue for a night of dancing, although there are some quieter areas of the club perfect for chilling out. For three nights every week, Seduction hosts ‘all you can drink’ nights, as well as offering free entry to female tourists.

Overall, there is no better venue to be found on the island of Phuket if you are in to the clubbing scene. Even if pumping house music is not really your thing, Seduction is well worth a visit just to witness the Thai take on the traditional western dance club.

Following closely on the heels of Seduction in the contest for the top Patong nightclub title, Hollywood is a mature, sophisticated venue which has been operating for a number of years.

Hollywood is split into two separate rooms or areas, each of which has its own distinct design and theme. The excellent in-house DJ’s lay down a heady mix of Hip Hop and RnB tracks, along with the occasional Thai favorite. Top DJ names from Bangkok make frequent guest appearances, often without warning, and for this reason a night out at Hollywood can often bring surprises, no two nights are the same!

One of the more interesting features of Hollywood are the games that are often run, complete with luxury prizes such as motorcycles or TVs. These games do not happen every night, but on the infrequent occasions when a sponsor donates a large prize they can be a lot of fun.

After midnight is a great time for male tourists to drop in to Hollywood. Many of the Phuket bars close at this time of night, and the available working girls often hit Hollywood on the prowl, looking to pick up a western man. However, be warned that the Hollywood sounds system is booming! You will not be able to make conversation with these young ladies, not like you need to anyway.

Be warned, there are several bars within the Hollywood complex, and one or two of these often only serve females. Nothing is more embarrassing than queuing up for 10 minutes only to be turned away because you are the wrong sex!

All female visitors are offered a drink for free. There is also a VIP and access is gained by purchasing a bottle of spirits within the club. Overall, Hollywood is a great nightclub and a fun place to hang out at the end of the night.

Although Tiger Disco is smaller than other nightclubs such as Seduction and Hollywood, it should not be overlooked. What Tiger Disco lacks in space it makes up with charm. Tiger Disco is frequented by both tourists and a local Thai crowd, and on a good night, when these two cultures meet, a great party atmosphere can be the result.

Tiger Disco is located in Soi Tiger, right in the heart of Patong’s nightlife area around Bangla Road.

Tiger Disco is also somewhat cheaper than the larger clubs, with the entrance fee being less than 200 Baht every night of the week, and this includes a free drink (a cocktail for the ladies and a beer for the gentlemen). For this reason Tiger Disco is jam packed every night of the week, although don’t bother turning up until after 11pm when things really start to rock.

The sound system at Tiger Disco is top notch and local DJ’s keep the dance floor pumping playing a mixture of Hip Hop, RnB and Thai chart music. The main dance floor is on the ground floor, with a second floor above which looks down over the dancers.

Tiger Disco is a lot more relaxed than its larger counterparts. You won’t find people dressed in designer clothes, hanging out and trying to be cool. What you will find are a whole lot of Thai and Western folks having a great time in a comfortable atmosphere.

For something a little more wild, then visit Tiger Disco on one of nights it is organizing one of its infamous foam or water parties. Dozens of cute Thai girls drenched in water, need I say more? Think large scale wet t-shirt contest!

Tai Pan is located at the top end of Bangla Road, it is the oldest of the Patong nightclubs, as well as arguably the most popular. The reason for the popularity of Tai Pan can be squarely stated as the cost. There is no entrance fee to the club and drinks are significantly cheaper than other venues. Due to this reduced cost Tai Pan is very popular with both the Thai and the expat crowd.

One of the things that makes Tai Pan such a cool venue is the fact it is actually two venues in one. From the early evening through until 11:30pm a live band plays, every night of the week. Classic rock covers are the order of the day. From 11:30pm onwards the club changes gear, with local DJ’s pumping out dance and Thai chart music until 3am.

Tai Pan may be smaller than just about every other nightclub worth mentioning in Patong, but it delivers an amazing vibe, great fun every night of the week.

An added bonus for those gentlemen seeking a little female companionship comes in the form of the sheer number of young Thai girls who hang out at Tai Pan over the weekend. The fact it is a relatively inexpensive nightclub (by Phuket standards) makes this the favorite haunt of the kind of Thai young people who do not work in the tourist industry. If you want to meet Thai ladies with normal jobs who are not part of the bar scene, then Tai Pan at the weekend is a good place to start.

Don’t be put off by the crowds of young Thai people and the general lack of western faces, just go on in and enjoy yourself!

Located right on Beach Road, Club Lime is a Patong nightclub with a twist. What is the twist? The music of course! Club Lime is a very rare kind of Thai nightclub, one which discards popular music genres such as rock and pop to concentrate purely on dance music. Whilst other clubs in Patong market themselves as dance clubs, Club Lime is possibly the only one which can truly claim this title. There is nowhere else in Patong where you will hear techno, drum ‘n’ base, funky house, trance, tribal and a whole host of other dance music genres. A popular club visitors and DJ’s alike, with international DJ talent appearing regularly.

Club Lime is actually three venues in one. A restaurant, a bar and the nightclub itself, a perfect venue for the entire night from early evening in the restaurant until early morning on the dance floor.

Price wise Club Lime is a little steeper than many competitors, but the overall high quality of the Club Lime experience is well worth a little extra. Entrance is usually around 300 Baht (sometimes less on a week day or more when a big name DJ is set to play). The entrance fee does include two free drinks. Club Lime is very easy to find, follow the pumping beat coming from the sound system until you find a large neon sign depicting a slice of lime.

Overall Club Lime suits a young, dance orientated crowd. This being said, those people who are carrying a few more years may well find Club Lime a fun place, there really is nowhere else in Patong playing the same quality of music you will find in Club Lime. So why not try something new and hit a proper dance club instead of those tired old beer bars on Bangla Road?

Club Banana is Phuket’s oldest discothèque/nightclub. However, although people may read this and think that being old, it is also probably run down and tired, this could not be further from the truth. Located as it is in a prime position on Beach Road, Club Banana remains one of Patong’s top night spots to this day.

Club Banana is split into two separate areas. Upstairs is the dance floor, decorated in elegant pastel tones, chic and sophisticated. Downstairs is the bar area, selling inexpensive drinks and delicious cocktails.

Surprisingly, Club Banana is also one of Patong’s cheaper nightclubs. At the time of writing, admission was just 100 Baht including a free drink, and every drink after this, regardless of what it actually is, also costs 100 Baht (within reason).

In recent years Club Banana has been updated and a modern laser light system has been installed, along with a large screen TV. This slight refurbishment has turned Club Banana in to an exceptional club, which can be enjoyed by everyone.

The club is popular with both tourists and locals, although at the weekend the local crowd tends to hit one of the larger clubs, as Club Banana closes at 3am, which is quite early for Patong on the weekend. If you do visit at the weekend then try and get to Club Banana around 11pm, check out the scene, if it’s busy then stay on, if not then you still have plenty of time to head off somewhere else.

Overall, Club Banana should be on every clubbers list of venues to visit whilst staying on Phuket. It may be old but it still has plenty of charm.

If rock music is your thing then you will find a home away from home during your vacation on Phuket at Rock City. There are many venues throughout Thailand which try and get the concept of a rock club right, very few manage it. Rock City is an exception. Rock City is located at the top end of Bangla Road and is very easy to find. Just listen for the screaming guitars and follow your ears.

Live music is the norm at Rock City, with a staggering seven bands playing live music every night from 9pm until late. No other venue in Thailand presents so many bands in a single evening. Music wise you will hear a huge range, from artists such as The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC and every major rock or metal band you can imagine. Don’t be fooled into thinking the local Thai musicians won’t make a good job of recreating these classics, they are exceptional and talented.

Three nights a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday) Rock City hosts an International Rock Party starting from 8:30pm. During this party you pay 1000 Baht and for two hours you can drink as much as you like! Normally on a non-party night entrance to Rock City is around 200 Baht at the time of writing, and drinks are also somewhat inexpensive.

Rock City is one of Patong’s premier night spots, catering for an entirely different crowd than the dance clubs do. Extremely popular with tourists, local expats and Thai people, this is a real melting pot of party culture, bought together by the slamming rock music played by the excellent resident bands.

If you like rock music you will love Rock City. Do yourself a favor and take one evening out of your vacation to visit this excellent venue.