[Info] Thailand : Phuket

[Simon Soh]

Phuket has the top 10 beaches in Thailand & well known to the world as the Pearl of the South. It is Thailand's largest island and a province in itself.

 

Phuket has a culture all of its own, combining Chinese and Portuguese influences. Around Phuket are beautiful beaches and islands with unspoiled nature.

 

Competitive resort hotel rates available from 300baht on off-peak season basis between May to November. Not all budget hotels are installed with air-conditioner. They are easily located & found at any beach, Patong beach is my favorite.

 

Patong beach has exciting island tour packages, trip to Coral island, Phi Phi island, Phang Nga Bay & Similan Island(one of the most beautiful Island in South East Asia). If you are not into island tours, you could simply rent a 'kup chia' to navigate whole Phuket from only 150baht. A visit to museum, jungle bungy, 'go cart', shooting & etc... You will never got bored, you have my word..

 

Another place to visit is Phuket town, an excitiing town of shopping for local & tourist. Interesting local food served are really an eye opener.

 

http://phuket-photoguide.com/images/gallery/09.jpg

 

Q. How to get there & travelling time..?

A. Few ways; coach, van or flight. Road distance from Hatyai town is approximately less than 500km, about less than 7hrs of ride. Re-conditioned trunks leading to Trang & Krabi province made ride smoother & easier. Need remain alert & enjoy the scenic ride along the way.

 

Route to use: Phattalung>Trang>Krabi>Phangna>Phuket

Fuel Stops: Trang town Caltex(RON 95) is ideal 1st top up station about 160km from Hatyai, Krabi town(near the pier) Esso(RON95) is next about 145km & about 140km to Phuket province Shell(after Sarasin bridge & airport, before the roundabout) from Krabi.

[bobdoom]

ive been there twice... the beaches are beautifool... but gals...bad...no good... can rent bike... no helmet fine 10 dollars sing.... i kena...

good stuff..

[none]

This is one good interactive thailand map

 

aTHAILANDmap

 

[FernandoLumTorres]

hello any tips..im goin there soon... if ride bike easy get lost or not? wat are the recommended activities? can u name me the price too?so tat wont kena hammer there..hehe

[arjen]

wouldnt get lost easily there. You can pickup a free copy of phuket map at any hotel.

Water sports there are not that cheap (to me)

rental of bike, depend on what you rent. Cub should be around 150B -200B range.

Hotel wise, depend on which part you stay. Price relatively quite different.

[shoei_com]

Originally posted by arjen@Jun 7 2006, 02:09 AM

wouldnt get lost easily there. You can pickup a free copy of phuket map at any hotel.

Water sports there are not that cheap (to me)

rental of bike, depend on what you rent. Cub should be around 150B -200B range.

Hotel wise, depend on which part you stay. Price relatively quite different.

the cub some will cost more if izzt the new one but the old dream will cost only about $150 bath, hope u will enjoy your trip...

 

 

i have some more if u want u can PM me i will some to u.

 

 

web 1

 

web 2

[Pauche]

wave100 - 150B

KSR110 - 200B

nouvo115 - 250B

CBR400 - ??

CBR929 - ??

z1000 - ??

R1 - 700B

suzuki vitara - 600B

 

 

*prices varies depends on location and duration

[Pauche]

Weather Forecast in Phuket

Looks like everyday also Cat 1 status......

 

Live Currency Update

As of April 07, 2006

1 Singapore Dollar = 23.82217 Thai Baht

1 Thai Baht (THB) = 0.04198 Singapore Dollar (SGD)

 

Phuket GazettePhuket Gazette - The local newspaper with the international audience

 

Status of hotels after Tsunami '04

 

Emergency Contact Numbers

Directory Enquiries: 1133

Operator: 100

Tourist Police: National Hotline:- 1155

Phuket Hotline:- 1699

Phuket:- 076 225 361, 076 254 693

Police & Emergencies: 191

Phuket Police: 076 212 046, 076 212 115

Marine Police: 076 211 883

Ambulance: 076 254 425, 076 210 935, 076 212 297

Fire Department: 076 211 111

Decompression Chamber: 076 342 518

Lost or stolen credit cards: American Express:- 02 273 0022-44

Master Card:- 02 299 1990-2

Visa:- 02 299 1990-29

 

Government Organizations Contact Numbers

Customs: 076 211 105

Immigration: 076 221 905, 076 212 018

Post Office: 076 211 020

 

Travel Contact Numbers

Phuket International Airport: 076 327 230-237

Tourism Authority of Thailand:

(Phuket branch) 076 212 213, 076 211 036

 

Safety Tips

 

Medical Facilities in Phuket

 

Dos and Don'ts in Thailand

 

Pictures of Phuket Today

 

Phuket Beaches Guide

 

Things to do in Phuket

 

Patong Beach Guide

 

Phuket Fantasea

 

 

 

Patong is without a doubt the centre of the island's entertainment scene. There are plenty of bars, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, snooker halls, massage parlors, à go-go bars and dance shows.

 

The scene in Patong is centred around Bangla road and its many offshoots. The road runs perpendicular to the beach road towards the northern end of Patong. Bangla is only about half a kilometre long so its easy to walk around and bar hop. It can seem quite seedy and you might want to keep the little ones away to avoid any lengthy explanations later, but it's also a fun and safe place.

 

Bars

Bars in Patong can be largely divided into beer bars, à go-go bars and non-naughty bars such as pool bars or sports bars. The vast majority of these are found on or near Bangla Road. A smattering can be found off Rat-U-Thit Road, opposite the Paradise Complex. There is also a vibrant collection of gay bars and clubs in the Paradise Complex. A little way inland is Nanai Road, which runs parallel to Rat-U-Thit, where a growing number of small bars have opened up.

 

Beer Bars

These are usually just a small bar with a few stools. You can have a beer and play games or chat with the ladies working in the bar. Popular games include connect four, jenga, dice games and backgammon. If you like the girl and enjoy her company you can buy her a drink for which she earns some commission. Of course if you just want to nurse a cold one and people watch, that's fine too. In Patong these bars are mainly located at Bangla Road and its offshoots, but there is also a bar district along the beach road near the Thara Patong Hotel.

 

À Go-go Bars

The majority of Patong's à go-go bars ca be found down the small sois (sidestreets) leading off Bangla Road. Girls in these bars dance on stage wearing nothing more than a bikini, or even less depending on the bar and the local authorities. Nudity is prohibited by Thai law although shows with nudity can be found. The girls may talk with the customers when they are not on stage. They are not owned in any way by the bar and its up to them if they want to spend time with a particular customer or not.

 

Pool & Sports Bars

If your not looking for a “friend” for the evening, there are quite a few places to party with friends or just people watch, a popular pastime on Bangla. The bars a little way down the main strip on the southern side are a favourite spot for this. There seems to be an Aussie theme going on with a few of these, but everyones welcome. These bars also happen to be directly across the road from one of the busy side streets, Soi Easy, where a lot of informal tabletop dancing by scantily clad bargirls takes place. An added bonus for the punters in the bars opposite.

 

Quite a few bars will show live sports matches from around the world. The English Premiership is particularly popular but other leagues and sports are also shown, including rugby and aussie rules.

 

There are also plenty of bars with pool tables. Some of these will be of the girly bar variety, others won't. Finding a really good quality table with good cues can be a little difficult though. The tables in Club Rio at the corner of Bangla and Rat-U-Thit roads are some of the best in Patong, but can be busy. As with most bars in Thailand, if there are already people playing, you write your name on the board and wait your turn. Its “winner stays on”, and the challenger pays for the game, usually 20 Baht.

 

Clubs

Banana Disco on the beach road is a Phuket institution and still a very popular place to dance the night away. Music tends to be mostly techno and the place can get pretty packed with young party-goers, especially after 11pm. Downstairs is a bar with a live band playing golden oldies.

 

On Bangla Road itself is Tiger Entertainment. The club is up a flight of stairs next to the Thai boxing at the eastern end of Bangla. The DJ normally plays a mix of techno and trance to a packed house.

 

Up the hill on the road between Patong and Karon is Safari Disco. As its name suggests, this disco is built around a “wild” theme. Despite this, Safari is a great place to party and only its drawback is its distance from the rest of Patong's nightlife spots. Safari has a reputation for a late night venue.

 

Live Music

If you prefer live bands to DJ spun tunes try one of Patong's two Irish pubs, Molly Malone's and Scruffy Murphy's. Prices are a bit higher than most other bars around but the music and the craic are good. Scruffy's is located on Bangla, while Molly's is next to McDonald's on the beach road.

 

Another popular haunt is Tai Pan, opposite the entrance to Bangla on Rat-U-Thit Road. A darkly lit bar with lots of small tables, Tai Pan can get quite busy late in the evening with a mixture of tourists and bargirls who have finished work.

 

If you like jazz head over to Baan Rim Pa, a famous Thai restaurant overlooking Patong Bay at its northern end. You can sit right at the bar and enjoy a drink while watching the ocean waves rolling against the cliffs just below the restaurant.

[Pauche]

2007 Events in Phuket

 

Phuket Bike Week, April 13-15, 2007, Patong Beach

Big bike rally and events in Phuket during Songkran Festival organized by Phuket Riders Club and Ride Thailand Magazine. Get to see an amazing collection of cruisers and superbikes at this annual event. Music, contests, parties and charity rides around the island. Fun for bikers and hangers-on alike. More info at http://www.phuketbikeweek.com or by calling Sumon (01-6919346) or Mr. Good (01-6915758).

 

 

Songkran Festival, April 13-15, 2007

Thailand's most famous festival celebrates the Thai New Year. Prepare to join in the fun and get very wet or stay indoors! A loud, boisterous festival that features a lot of water throwing in the streets. Contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office (Tel: 076 212 213) for details.

 

 

Turtle Releasing Festival

The Turtle Releasing Festival is held every year during Songkran. Turtle eggs are collected by the Fisheries Department in an effort to conserve the numbers of sea turtles. The baby turtles are released into the sea on Nai Yang beach.

[mudman]

Hi Bros,

 

i'm going to phuket soon for a holiday and am worried cos i've heard rumours of the bike rentals there being unreasonable. Some return their bike is perfect condition but the rental vendor insist on damages and tries to get some more money out from ya, is that true? did anyone experience it before?

 

where is the best place to rent a bike over there ? and do we need an int'l license ?

 

thanks to any bros who reply

[panclanrider]

Originally posted by mudman@March 05, 2007 09:35 am

Hi Bros,

 

i'm going to phuket soon for a holiday and am worried cos i've heard rumours of the bike rentals there being unreasonable. Some return their bike is perfect condition but the rental vendor insist on damages and tries to get some more money out from ya, is that true? did anyone experience it before?

 

where is the best place to rent a bike over there ? and do we need an int'l license ?

 

thanks to any bros who reply

Well... I've not met any unreasonable bike rentals there...

 

I'll advice to just go for the smaller bikes which r cheap and not too expensive and they tend to be more careful inspecting for damages when u return a say sports bike.

 

They'll usually do a visual check of the bike in your presence before handling over the keys to u.

 

There are ample of places to rent a small bike than those big sporty ones. The small bikes usually cost Bath$150~250 during "normal" time but can be quite ex. during "high" season like Songkran in Apr. Try not to rent near those tourist area like the beach side...

 

International license is not needed but just bring ur SGP license along... For ur info, I've got a fren who rented a small bike with his SGP license having onli Class 3 and was stopped by the Thai police who checked his license and can't even tell what is written on the license.

 

Hope it helps...

[mudman]

Originally posted by panclanrider@March 10, 2007 07:44 pm

Well... I've not met any unreasonable bike rentals there...

 

I'll advice to just go for the smaller bikes which r cheap and not too expensive and they tend to be more careful inspecting for damages when u return a say sports bike.

 

They'll usually do a visual check of the bike in your presence before handling over the keys to u.

 

There are ample of places to rent a small bike than those big sporty ones. The small bikes usually cost Bath$150~250 during "normal" time but can be quite ex. during "high" season like Songkran in Apr. Try not to rent near those tourist area like the beach side...

 

International license is not needed but just bring ur SGP license along... For ur info, I've got a fren who rented a small bike with his SGP license having onli Class 3 and was stopped by the Thai police who checked his license and can't even tell what is written on the license.

 

Hope it helps...

yah it does help bro ..thanks for the info ..will take note of wat you said...

as for the int'l license, since it's recog in several c'try and cost ard 20 bucks, i think i'll get it to be on the safe side. lolz ......though i rode in bali w/o an int'l license before ......

=)

[mudman]

hey bro, as mentioned , i got my int'l license today le....can last one year ...

 

have attached the pic for bros who are curious about it .

[panclanrider]

Oh that's great... Betta be on the safe side yah... Enjoy your holiday bro...!!

 

:thumb:

[mudman]

bros,

 

I know this may sound stupid but do helmets come along with the rental ? if so how's the condition? my exp in bali was quite jia lat, the helmet is really gone case de....so if the helmet is really that bad, might be bringing my own helmet i guess...

 

any bros who know pls kindly reply asap .

thanks in advance.

 

[mamu27]

tink of the helmet in Phuket like bicycle helmet sold at ur neighbourhood mama shops!

 

hehehe. no nid to strap or wat so ever.. just put it on.. thai policemen will issue u on the spot baht fine.

 

at nite.. especially near Soi Bangla areas, beachfronts.. very hard to find parking lots for ur kupchai.. n also very easy to get it 'lost' amongst the hundreds parked there..

 

hehe. have fun. and oh yah. top up petrol can be done at those small 'shell stations'.

[mudman]

Originally posted by mamu27@March 21, 2007 05:28 pm

tink of the helmet in Phuket like bicycle helmet sold at ur neighbourhood mama shops!

 

hehehe. no nid to strap or wat so ever.. just put it on.. thai policemen will issue u on the spot baht fine.

 

at nite.. especially near Soi Bangla areas, beachfronts.. very hard to find parking lots for ur kupchai.. n also very easy to get it 'lost' amongst the hundreds parked there..

 

hehe. have fun. and oh yah. top up petrol can be done at those small 'shell stations'.

thanks for the info bro ..point noted...

i was thinking should bring bike helmets or jus bring those pro-tec helmets there cos they are lighter ...haha ...

 

thanks yet again..

[mudman]

thanks for all the bros who posted info to help ..

 

am back from phuket trip and riding there was fun and great...traffic is not v fast on the streets along patong and the ride to karong beach, kata beach and chalong bay was definitely scenic........not forgetting the "View Point"....

the roads there are quite easy to get familiarize with and parking is not really a prob though...did manage to ride out to phuket town and did shopping at Big C, Central Festival and Tesco Lotus ..=)

 

oh ya, my ride there was a honda click ...200 BHT a day and my gal and i were wearing out own pro-tec helmet ...=) heard from the locals that fine for not wearing helmet is 300B.

 

as for the TP, not much of a prob but did manage to see some larger TP bikes along the Eway to phuket town, they are riding bmw bikes...

 

my 2 cents ..and thks bros ..

[deanz4]

guys i going to go for a ride to phuket this coming 31 may..

 

expert here any advise where to park my bike safely in which hotel??

 

im doing it in 4 days... advise advise pls

[ASTRADA]

Originally posted by deanz4@May 11, 2007 01:29 am

guys i going to go for a ride to phuket this coming 31 may..

 

expert here any advise where to park my bike safely in which hotel??

 

im doing it in 4 days... advise advise pls

you can park ur bike in any hotel in phuket. u do not have to worry bout ur bike going missing. its unlike malaysia. alternatively if u still feel insecure u could go around checking for a hotel that allows you to park rite in front of the hotel. it does help to tip the security guard as well.

[deanz4]

bro any recommendation of which hotel??? thanks man..

[panclanrider]

I'll personally recommend The Royal Paradise hotel .

 

:thumb:

[luminox]

Originally posted by deanz4@May 11, 2007 01:29 am

guys i going to go for a ride to phuket this coming 31 may..

 

expert here any advise where to park my bike safely in which hotel??

 

im doing it in 4 days... advise advise pls

no worries about the bike gone missing/stolen in Thailand. they should get MYTHBUSTERS to do a test on it,settle the issue once n for all.

[shoei_com]

Originally posted by panclanrider@May 12, 2007 04:25 pm

I'll personally recommend The Royal Paradise hotel .

 

:thumb:

izzt a good hotel as izzt one of the tallest hotel in Patong with alot of Jap, China, India n Singapore ppl who like to stay there if i m not wrong.........

 

 

 

 

 

[panclanrider]

Originally posted by shoei_com@May 12, 2007 10:22 pm

izzt a good hotel as izzt one of the tallest hotel in Patong with alot of Jap, China, India n Singapore ppl who like to stay there if i m not wrong.........

 

 

 

 

 

Bingo... You are rite!!

 

It's one of the tallest hotel in Patong...

 

With lots of babes from different countries...

 

Their parking area has got security guarding the lots...

 

I've stayed there a few times before....

 

:thumb: