Destination guide
Phuket Nightlife
Bangla once, then the bars where locals go
Phuket's nightlife is really several scenes in different corners of the island. Patong has Bangla Road, the loud one, with clubs, live bands and go-go bars open until 04:00. I've done Bangla, and it's chaotic but fun for a night. My own preference is a more relaxed style where locals go, and on Phuket that means Phuket Town, 30 minutes from Patong, where small bars have live Thai bands, jazz, craft beer and cocktails, and the crowd is mostly Thai.
Between the two, the Bang Tao beach clubs do sunset with DJs and daybeds, Kata and Karon have small bars that close earlier, and Rawai has rooftops over the south coast. Below is each area, the Phuket Town bars worth the trip, what things cost and how to get back.
Arriving in Phuket
Where to stay in Phuket
This route ends in Phuket. Search Phuket hotels with your dates, or narrow it to the area you're heading for. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
See Phuket hotelsOpens Booking.com with your dates · also on Expedia · Trip.com
Key Facts
Patong for the big night, Phuket Town for a local one
Bangla Road is the party street. Phuket Town's Old Town bars are where the crowd is mostly Thai and nobody's touting at the door.
Sunset first
Beach clubs and rooftops are at their best from about 17:00. Sunset falls between about 18:05 and 18:50 depending on the month.
Grab between areas
Patong to Phuket Town is about 30 minutes, Patong to Bang Tao about 45. Grab from Kata to Patong is ฿300–400, and Kata to the Old Town ฿350–450.
You must be 20 to drink
Thailand's drinking age is 20, and clubs can ask for ID. On Buddhist holy days, ordinary bars and shops can't sell alcohol.
Watch the bill, not just your bag
Lady drinks, padded tabs and the change trick are the usual costs in Patong's bars. Pay per round and carry small notes.
Patong and Bangla Road
Bangla Road is the island's party street, 400 m from Patong Beach inland, closed to traffic from about 18:00 and busiest from 22:00 to 01:00. It has the big club, Illuzion, live rock bands at New York, sports bars, and the go-go bars down Soi Seadragon. A beer in an ordinary bar is about ฿80–140. My advice is to pick a bar, have a beer and move on if it's not your style, and to know that hostesses will ask you to buy them a lady drink, which costs more than yours.
Off the street, Patong has the sunset KYMA beach bar on the sand, FLYO's rooftop above the town and Malika Sky Bar on the hillside at the north end, where cocktails are ฿320 plus 10% service and 7% VAT. Paradise Complex is Patong's LGBTQ+ nightlife hub, with bars and drag cabaret.
Where Locals Drink in Phuket Town
These aren't from my own nights out. They're the bars in our records, all rated 4.5 or higher, where reviewers describe a mostly Thai or mixed crowd rather than a tourist one. Most are within a few streets of each other in the Old Town, so you can walk between them.
1. The Column, Takuapa Road
The easy first stopA bar where the crowd is half local, prices are mid-range and nobody pulls you in off the street. It builds through the night, so 20:00 is a drink and a conversation, 23:00 is a party. Open 18:00 to 01:00 every night.
- When to go
- 20:00 if you want to talk.
2. Ther, Ongsimphai Road
A Thai night outA neighborhood bar with a mostly local crowd, live music that's mainly Thai songs with English ones mixed in, and Thai-style bottle deals, about ฿1,650 for two bottles of whisky with mixers. It fills from about 23:00 and runs to 02:00.
- When to go
- After 23:00, with friends.
3. Sally Phuket Old Town, Phuket Road
Singing along to Thai popA mostly Thai crowd, a live Thai pop band with regulars singing along, good whiskey sours and bar food like fish cakes and fried chicken skin. Open 18:30 to 01:00.
4. Bebop Live Music Bar, Yaowarat Road
JazzJazz most nights in a bigger new room, good cocktails at mid-range prices, and a crowd of expats, locals and travelers. Open from 18:00, and from 15:00 at weekends, until midnight.
5. So What Bar, Talat Yai
Blues and rockA small alternative bar with solo acts and bands, blues above all, and well-priced cocktails. It's the sort of place where the crowd stays for hours. Open 18:00 to 01:00.
6. Chit Hole Phuket Brewery, Takuapa Road
Craft beerA brewpub pouring its own hop-forward beers, with tasters before you commit and a free pool table. It feels like a neighborhood local. Open 16:00 to 01:00.
7. Dibuk House, Yaowarat Road
A serious cocktailA cocktail bar with local flavors, where the bartenders explain each drink. The OG Milk Punch is the one people order. Open 18:30 to 01:00.
8. Rhythm Social Bar, Tilok Uthit Road
Live music and DJs, lateVintage décor, rotating live music and DJ sets, and cocktails good enough to impress bartenders. Busy and well dressed on a good night. Open 19:30 to 02:00.
- When to go
- Late, as the last stop.
9. Mad Hog Tavern, Yaowarat Road
A pub that opens at 10:00A shabby-comfortable pub with mainland prices, a mix of locals and people staying in town, and nobody working the door. The 10:00 opening makes it the cold beer after a morning in the Old Town.
Sunset: Beach Clubs and Rooftops
The west coast faces the sunset, and Phuket does it well. On Bang Tao Beach, Catch is the original beach club, with white daybeds facing west and a DJ who turns it up as the light goes. Its front-row beds are a ฿4,000 minimum spend for one or ฿8,000 for two, all of it on food and drink. Carpe Diem along the same beach is the mid-range one, open 11:00 to midnight. Café del Mar is at Kamala.
For a rooftop, Malika above Patong Bay opens at 17:30. Reflections at The Nai Harn in Rawai opens at 17:00 with live music and a happy hour, and Baba Nest, south-east of Phuket Town, is the famous view, with a minimum spend of about ฿1,000 a person and a short 17:00 to 20:00 window. Get to any of them half an hour before sunset.
Kata, Karon and Rawai
The south-west beaches are where Phuket goes for a quieter night. Karon has Inspired, a tiny locally owned cocktail and wine bar on Koktanod Road open 17:00 to 02:00, Halo's rooftop for sunset and bar food from 16:00 to 23:00, and Fira Beach Club for a relaxed night out. Kata's bars and beach restaurants close earlier than Patong's. Rawai and Nai Harn are expat and local, sunset and seafood rather than late nights.
Arriving in Phuket
Top-Ranked Hotels in Phuket
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Phuket. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2SAii Laguna Phuket4.7 (5,335 reviews)
A beachfront resort on Bang Tao Beach offering a relaxed lagoon setting within the Laguna Phuket complex.
Check rates
#3Banyan Tree Phuket4.8 (4,448 reviews)
Award-winning luxury resort in Phuket's north, known for private pool villas and an exceptional spa.
Check rates
#4Kalima Resort & Spa4.7 (4,782 reviews)
A hillside Patong resort with infinity pool, spa, artificial beach, and highly praised staff and dining.
Check rates
Markets, Shows and Muay Thai
Not every good Phuket night involves a bar. The Lard Yai walking street on Thalang Road in the Old Town runs on Sundays from 16:00 to 22:00, and Chillva Market's container stalls run Monday to Saturday with live music from 19:00. Simon Cabaret in Patong has shows at 18:00, 19:30 and 21:00, and Bangla Boxing Stadium has Muay Thai several nights a week in high season.
Phuket Nightlife by Area
| Area | Best for | From Patong | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patong (Bangla Road) | Clubs, live bands, go-go bars | On the doorstep | Up to 04:00 |
| Phuket Town (Old Town) | Local bars, live Thai music, jazz, craft beer, cocktails | About 30 min by Grab | Mostly 01:00–02:00 |
| Bang Tao and Kamala | Sunset beach clubs | About 45 min | Around midnight |
| Kata and Karon | Small bars, rooftops, beach restaurants | Grab ฿300–400 | Earlier than Patong |
| Rawai and Nai Harn | Sunset rooftops, seafood, expat bars | The far south | Early |
A cocktail in a local Phuket Town bar costs a fraction of one at a beach club or resort rooftop, where ฿320 plus service and VAT is normal.
Plan the rest of Phuket
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phuket Nightlife.
Yes, and more varied than its reputation. Bangla Road in Patong is the big, loud night out until 04:00, Phuket Town has small bars with live Thai music and jazz and a mostly local crowd, and the west coast has sunset beach clubs and rooftops.
Sunset at a Bang Tao beach club or a rooftop like Malika or Reflections, dinner, then a jazz or cocktail bar in the Old Town. Walk Bangla once if you're curious, but early in the evening.
Patong if you want clubs, crowds and a late night. Phuket Town if you want live music, good cocktails and a local crowd, without the touts. They're about 30 minutes apart by Grab.
Yes. Paradise Complex in Patong is the island's LGBTQ+ hub, with bars, clubs and drag cabaret.
Grab or Bolt. Kata to Patong is about ฿300–400 and Kata to the Old Town ฿350–450, while tuk-tuks quote more for the same ride. Don't ride a scooter after drinking.
Where to stay in Phuket
Compare prices across major booking sites, and filter for free-cancellation rooms if you want to reserve now and decide later.
- Compare prices across sites
- Filter for free cancellation
- Secure checkout on the partner site
Compare rates on Booking.com
Largest selection
Compare rates on Expedia
One Key member prices
Compare rates on Trip.com
Strong across Asia
We may earn a commission from bookings made through these links — at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
You Might Also Like
Bangkok City Guide
A city of three zones and a river — understand the layout and everything else falls into place.
Chiang Mai City Guide
A walled square, a mountain, and the best-value good living in Thailand — once you know the calendar.
Things to Do in Bangkok
Ten experiences worth the trip — ranked, priced, and timed so you catch each at its best hour.
Things to Do in Chiang Mai
Twenty-five things worth the trip north, ranked, priced, and timed around the mountain, the markets and the smoke-free months.
Best Time to Visit Thailand
November to February for most trips, and the right coast for the rest of the year
Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
More about MacReady to build your itinerary?
Use our free itinerary builder to save places, organize days, and share your trip.
Open Itinerary Builder