Patong Beach is a popular tourist destination on Phuket’s west coast. Historically, this is where package tourists were brought in droves, leading to continuous development of beach infrastructure that eventually grew into a proper island town.
You can hardly call Patong a place for peace and quiet – it’s a bustling, energetic, youth-oriented area with loads of entertainment venues staffed by thousands of Thai locals and foreigners.
If you’re after a lively atmosphere and fancy having everything at your fingertips – shopping, nightlife, and currency exchange – then Patong is right up your street.
Beach Overview
Patong is one of the longest beaches in Phuket, stretching about 2.5 miles (4 км) with a 100 feet (30 м) wide strip of sand facing west – the sunsets here are absolutely stunning. Being quite popular, Patong tends to get rather crowded.
Before COVID, the beach was packed to the rafters with sunbeds and umbrellas, which was quite an eyesore and made casual beach walks nearly impossible. Things have improved considerably now, and you won’t find yourself bumping into tourists at every turn.
Besides tourists, you’ll find plenty of street vendors, tattoo artists, massage therapists and nail technicians on the beach. Feel free to use their services, though I wouldn’t recommend getting a Thai massage or any massage above the knees.
A foot massage is fine, but I wouldn’t trust wandering masseurs with your spine. The beach only clears up in the evening – as darkness falls, people head towards the village where Patong’s nightlife kicks off, mainly concentrated on the famous Bangla Road.
The shore then becomes a haven for those seeking solitude and seaside walks, though strolling amongst litter isn’t particularly pleasant, and the Thai staff simply can’t keep up with the cleaning. overview of all Phuket beaches that might help you choose the right beach for your holiday. Have a look, it might be useful.
Swimming
The tides at Patong aren’t as dramatic as in Krabi province, so the beach remains swimmable at all times without restricting when you can visit.
Naturally, during low tide, you’ll need to walk a bit further out, but that’s far better than trudging half a kilometre or more under the sun across wet seabed. The shore at Patong has a gentle, even slope without sudden drops, and underneath the water, you’ll find firm sandy bottom.
Sometimes you might step on stones or shells – children’s favourite beach treasures. The calm season, free from monsoon rains and storms, runs from November to April (unlike Samui, where November and December are the rainiest months of the year).
On typical days when the weather isn’t stirring up waves, Patong’s sea is calm, making it perfect for both deep-water swimming enthusiasts and families with children.
But I’ll say it again – the area behind Patong Beach can hardly be called family-friendly.
Sunbeds and Shade
Here’s an odd thing – while the entire Patong area is drowning in greenery, it all peters out as you approach the water, leaving no natural shade on the beach itself. So, like it or not, you’ll need to budget for beach equipment rental.
A sunbed and umbrella set will cost you 100 baht daily. If you’re a family of three or four planning to lounge about for 10-12 days of your holiday, it adds up to quite a tidy sum.
Keep in mind that in some popular spots on the beach, you won’t be allowed to just lie down with your own towel – they’ll interfere, touch your belongings, try to provoke you and force you to rent a sunbed.
Beach Photos
Amenities
Right behind the beach strip runs a busy road with heavy traffic. You can catch public transport and taxis here, but this is Patong, which means prices for everything will be higher than at other beaches on the island. The infrastructure generally offers every possible product and service you could need.
There’s a range of shops, plenty of cafes and restaurants, massage parlours, cash machines and chain stores like Seven-Eleven. In short, Patong has everything you need for daily life, all within walking distance.
If you’ve chosen Patong as your base and aren’t particularly keen on exploring new places, you won’t even need to rent transport or use tuk-tuks and songthaews.
Beach activities at Patong include jet skis, parasailing boats, banana boats, volleyball courts and kayak and SUP board rentals. For passive leisure, besides bars and restaurants, you can treat yourself to quite a posh shopping experience at the Jungceylon mall, where you can buy practically anything.
It also houses Robinson department store and Big C. This shopping centre is located just steps away from Bangla Road, 0.6 miles (1 км) from Patong Beach, and is essentially one of the local attractions.
Local landmarks include: Loma Park, Pun Tuao Kong Chinese temple, Patong Boxing Stadium, Simon Cabaret transvestite show and Wat Suwan Kriri Wong temple. As darkness falls, the area near Patong Beach transforms into one big party scene.
Island nightlife enthusiasts flock here. The epicentre of the action is Bangla Road and its adjacent sois (alleys), which close to traffic after 6 PM and become completely pedestrianised.
The shutters of countless bars, nightclubs and so-called “go-go shows” roll up. Venues try to outdo each other with loud music, girls in revealing outfits beckon you into their establishments, and this celebration of life continues until dawn.
Accommodation
One of Patong’s advantages is its wide range of accommodation, from luxury hotels to budget guesthouses. Finding a place to stay isn’t a problem even during peak season, as there are truly loads of options. It’s worth noting that most accommodation (hotels, inns or guesthouses) isn’t located on the beachfront.
Interestingly, the further from the beach your accommodation is, the higher the prices tend to be. You can get an inexpensive guesthouse room five minutes’ walk from the beach from 450-500 baht per night, or rent a house for 11-13 thousand baht per month, ten minutes away by motorbike.
Here are some examples of excellent hotels in Patong:
- Phuket Graceland Resort And Spa — SHA Extra Plus
- Impiana Resort Patong 4
- La Flora Resort Patong — Sha Extra Plus 5
- Seaview Patong Hotel 4
Hotels with the highest ratings include:
Since Patong is traditionally a party spot, there are also quite budget-friendly options like classic hostels. One with a good rating is BearPacker Patong Hostel
How to Find the Beach
You can reach Patong from Phuket Airport by minivan. Tickets cost between 150 and 180 baht, or you can choose the air-conditioned Phuket Airport Bus Express, which costs 120 baht and departs from the same stop as buses to Phuket Town.
From Phuket Town to Patong, public buses run every 30 minutes, with a fare of 25 baht. The main bus stop is on Ranong Road. There are also buses departing to Patong from the old bus terminal on Phang Nga Road.
You can catch a taxi or reach the beach independently by renting a motorbike or car. It’s recommended to start from the southern part of the island and drive along the coastal road. You’ll first pass Kata Beach and Karon, and after crossing a hill, you’ll reach Patong.
If you’re starting from the airport, take the southern highway and drive straight for about 9 miles (15 км) until you reach the Heroines Monument. After the monument, continue 2.5 miles (4 км) until a traffic light where you’ll turn right. The next stretch is 3.5 miles (6 км) to the huge Tesco Lotus store.
Turn right again here. After a few minutes, the road will lead straight to Patong Beach. To move freely around the island, you can rent a motorbike for about 250 baht per day.
Alternatively, you can rent a car – from 1000 baht per day. Parking can be tricky, but you’ll always find a spot. Worst case scenario, you can park your car or bike a bit further away.
