Patong is the largest and busiest resort on Phuket, known for its wild nightlife, abundant shopping opportunities and a wide range of water sports.

Find out prices for hostels and resorts in Patong

Lovers of lively towns and long beaches will enjoy Patong's wide range of services and activities.

Beaches in Patong

The entire coastline of the resort is lined by Patong Beach, which is over 2km long and lined with a promenade with plenty of restaurants, shops or massage parlours.

The beach is very lively with sunbed and umbrella hire available (approx 300 thb per day), but you'll find plenty of space to yourself if you don't want to hire sunbeds.

Showers or public toilets are accessible in a few clean and modern cubicles (toilet for 10 thb, shower for 20 thb).

Patong Beach is covered with fine white sand and the entrance to the water is pleasantly gradual. Literally at every corner there are water sports on offer, such as jet skiing, parasailing and inflatable banana rides.

On the northern edge of Patong, you'll swim at a completely different beach. Several smaller beaches such as Kalim, JB Sunset and Sea Salt are bordered by photogenic rocks that create small pools and coves.

These beaches are absolutely ideal for families with children as they are considerably quieter than the main Patong Beach. However, here you will also find several restaurants, bars and sun lounger hire.

Nightlife on Bangla Road

Along with Bangkok and the resort town of Pattaya, Patong is Thailand's famous nightlife hub.

However, Patong's nightlife is a little different from the larger cities to the north. It is mainly concentrated on a single street called Soi Bangla or also Bangla Road.

Nights on Bangla Road are very lively and very diverse, but just turn a few streets over or onto the nearby beach and you'll find yourself in a much quieter environment.

Patong's nightlife is also going in a slightly different direction to Bangkok or Pattaya. It doesn't focus purely on "adult tourism", although Patong also has plenty of clubs and massage parlours where the main agenda is definitely not just the massage itself...

The main part of the nightlife, however, takes place in the regular bars, of which you'll find a really large number.

Expect significantly higher prices than in other parts of Phuket, however happy hours with discounted cocktails or beer are common in the afternoon (between about 5pm and 8pm).

Patong is also the centre of Muay Thai boxing.

Shopping in Patong

The resort is also the shopping centre of the whole of Phuket and if you want to enjoy shopping during your holiday, Patong should be your first choice.

Here you will find several modern shopping malls with luxury boutiques, the largest of which is Jungceylon.

However, the whole of Patong is also occupied by the ubiquitous off-brand clothing markets.

Where to stay in Patong?

Patong is one of the best centres for accommodation if you want to focus on a beach holiday combined with nightlife.

The town is the best equipped with services of all the locations in Phuket, and you will also find the most offers of large hotels, as well as extremely cheap apartments with prices starting from 30 usd per night.

The cheapest accommodation

• Grand View - very cheap and well rated apartments in the hills in a quiet area about 1 km from the centre
• Bedbox Hostel - ideal backpacker hostel with hotel rooms in a quieter area 1 km from the centre

Cheap hotels by the beach

Where is the cheapest place to stay right by Patong Beach? The lowest prices are between 50 usd and 75 usd.

• Baan Boa Resort *** - A nice smaller hotel in the south of Patong near the local bus station towards Phuket Town
• The Front Hotel and Apartments *** - apartment type hotel in South Patong

International hotels

If you prefer large or luxury international hotels, there are many options to choose from in Patong. Prices range between 80 usd and 200 usd.

• Days Inn by Wyndham Patong Beach Phuket *** - Hotel located in the middle of the city centre near shopping centres and about 400 metres from the beach
• Novotel Phuket Vintage Park Resort **** - large hotel near Bangla Road
• Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach ***** - luxury resort with private beach located 1.5 km from the centre of Patong in a beautiful quiet area

Transportation to Patong

You can reach the town by buses, songthaews and of course also by Grab or Bolt.

The journey by car is not very pleasant as there are very few parking options right in Patong.

Buses

There are two lines of classic buses passing through Patong.

• Smart Bus - single price 100 thb or 299 thb for a day ticket
  • Runs on the route HKT Airport - Surin - Kamala - Patong - Karon - Kata - Rawai
  • Frequency 30 to 60 minutes
  • Timetable and information: phuketsmartbus.com
• Phuket Bus Express - prices vary by distance from 80 thb to 150 thb
  • Runs on the route HKT Airport - Kathu - Patong - Karon - Kata
  • Frequency 60 minutes
  • Timetable and information: phuketbusexpress.com

Buses stop on the main avenue along the beach on the way north, while on the way south, buses run along Rat Uthit Song Roi Pi.

Songthaew (Blue Bus)

Local buses, i.e. pick-ups converted to carry passengers, run via Kathu to Phuket Town.

They have a punctual timetable and run every 30 minutes from about 6:30am to 4:40pm.

The fare is 40 thb and the final stop is in the southern part of Patong (location at google.com/maps).

Taxi, Bolt, Grab

Of this trio, the Bolt mobile app almost always comes out best.

Be warned, in the evening when demand increases dramatically, it can be cheaper to take the blue-yellow or red-yellow metered taxis, as prices on the Bolt and Grab mobile apps increase by up to 40% compared to daytime.

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