Night-time in Patong means party time! As you will probably know, our beloved holiday-resort by the Andaman Sea has become one of Thailand's greatest centers for entertainment. Patong may be smaller than Bangkok. It may be less notorious than Pattaya. But nothing beats the unique Patong combination of island charm and big city atmosphere!

Remember: we've got literally hundreds of bars and restaurants clustered around Soi Bangla. We've got about ten A Go Go's, six Discotheques - not counting the Gay Scene. We've got two big and any number of small Cabarets. We've got several Night Food Markets. We've got Coffee-shops. We've got Massage Parlors by the score.

We haven't even mentioned the hotel scene yet, with its night-clubs, cocktail bars, coffee-shops and so on. And we're still talking Patong Beach only!

Finally: Patong by night is secure. We have no crime to speak of. And that's the way we want it. We know that you are going to love it!

A-Go -Go

Ago Go Bars are alive and well in Patong Beach. You will find many of them located within a very small radius of each other.

Many of you who have not traveled to Thailand before might well be wondering exactly what is an Ago Go Bar. An AGo Go Bar is a bar where you watch young Girls, clad in G-Strings, Gyrate around a shiny steel poles to the beat of modern music. An Ago Go Bar is not a massage parlour or whore house.
The Girls are not owned, controlled or pimped by any of the owners. That the girls sometimes go off with men or women is a decision that is made between the girls and any who visit the bar.

The girls interact with customers when they are not dancing and if they get on well with any customer, the customer may well pay their bar fine. This basically means that the girls are payed to finish work for the evening and are free to do whatever they please. Many girls act as escorts showing those new to Patong Beach a good time. They are able to show you where you can enjoy some late night dining, play pool or darts in one of the many beer bars or just go out for a fun night dancing in the Banana Disco or Shark Club.

For the real ragers, drinkers, and party animals I'm sure you will find many girls who are willing to show you around the late night party area down on Soi Sunset which kicks into action after 3.00 am in the morning.Soi Sunset should really be renamed to Soi Sunrise because this is when the party finishes. Anyway if you have a broad mind then visiting an Ago Go Bar is really quite an enjoyable experience. If , however, you subscribe to very strict code of moral behaviour then this little outing is probably one that you should skip.

Beers   Bars
In and around Patong Beach

For Night time entertainment the Beer Bars in Patong Beach are the most numerous and visited spots. Within a 500m radius around Bangla Rd there are over 150 Beer Bars. The bars are nothing more than benches with roofs over there heads, most no larger than 3 square meters and butted right on next to each other. The bars are filled with lovely little Thai girls calling out for your attention and affection (said with tongue in cheek) and of course your tourist dollar.

Seriously thought, there is a lot of action going on, in & around these bars and for the first time tourist a wealth of vivid light, sounds, smells, color and beautiful girls. The atmosphere is easy and relaxed as you sit in one of the many bars and take in the show around you. In season Phuket is awash with people from many different countries and Patong Beach in particular becomes a very cosmepolitien place. People who finish a days diving, sunbathing, sightseeing or other activities usually congregate in these places to meet and party on in to the evening.

There is a wide variety of bar sports to play with any of your new found friends. Games such as bang the nail into the lump of tree stump are popular. Connect Four, Backgamon or the Thai version of Ka Plunk are also in vogue. Some of the slightly larger bars have pool tables and dart boards and this becomes an affordable nightly ritual for most people. You have something to eat in one of the many restaurants and then settle for a few beers before retiring, keeping in mind that there is always many options for those who want to party on throught the night.

Thai Massage
After having had a fascinating dive in the Andaman Sea or after a night dancing in one of Patong's discos, a relaxing massage done by the soft hands of Thai girls will help to refresh and revive you. Thai traditional massage is one of the most famous recreational activities in Thailand (this should not be confused with Full Body Massage, offered in specialized massage parlors like Christins in Patong Beach).

Practiced for centuries and passed down verbally from one generation to the next, from teacher to student or from parent to child, traditional Thai massage has a long history.

The roots of this way of therapeutically healing and recreation go back to India. Jivaka Komabhacca, a doctor friend and contemporary of Buddha, is believed to be the founder of this practice over 2.500 years ago. The heavy Indian influence on the southeast Asian cultures including Thailand and the Malay peninsula, helped spread the knowledge about massage rapidly throughout the region. Ancient Chinese medical techniques, brought in by a large number of immigrants, had further influence on Thai massage.

At the time that Thai culture came to full flower under the kings of Ayutthaya, a large collection of medical texts about Thai massage and its techniques existed. But with the Burmese invasion of 1776, leading to the destruction of the capital, most of these scriptures were lost forever. What was left was carved in the Wat Poh in Bangkok in 1832 by order of King Rama III, who wanted to preserve this great tradition.

According to these inscriptions, the theoretical basis of Thai massage are energy lines, of which the major ten are called "Sen". Important acupressure points are located on these lines which run through the body and working on them will help to remove blockages of energy flow.

Therapeutic massage for treatment of specific conditions and diseases is also practiced in Thailand, but only by a small number of skilled practitioners. For a good experience of popular Thai massage, a massage girl from one of the many massage parlors all over Phuket or even one of the beach girls offering a massage for a few Baht will suffice.

Discotheques

The Banana
Thaweewong Rd, Patong Beach, Phuket Thailand

The Banana Disco is located about 50 meters from the western end of Bangla Road making it centrally located in Patong Beach. Nearly everyone who has come to Phuket has experienced at least one night in Patong beaches Banana Disco. The Club, which is a little on the small side attracts a legion of girls who flock there every evening after midnight when things start to heat up.

The music is a mix of modern techno & dance hits and thumps out until the small hours of the morning finishing at around 3.00 am which is quite early by Patongs Nightlife standards.
The Banana has a lot a girls and this in itself brings on a lot of young single guys.

Althougth the place is a renowned pickup spot where many a holiday romance will start it is not sleazy and any holidaying couple will be able to have a good time here. The Drinks are quite expensive at 100 Baht each (spirits, beers & soft drinks) and you will also be up for a 100 Baht entrance fee (including one free drink) when you enter.

The Shark Club
Corner of Rat-Uthid & Bangla Roads, Patong Beach The Shark Club is located on the corner of Bangla Road and Rat-Uthid roads directly across from the Rock Hard Ago Go.

The Club has the most sophisticated laser light technology and sound system of any club or disco in Phuket and the music blasts out from 10.00 pm until the wee hours of the morning usually finishing well past 4.00am. The dance floor is large and spacey and as stated before the club is now starting to develop its own band of followers. Many group tours like to visit this club because it can easily accommodate them.

"The Safari"
The Safari is a night club or disco just outside of Patong. Any tuk tuk driver will know where it is. Although they are located outside of Patong and not within walking distance, they have managed to gain a good reputation by having live music every night and skilled DJ's behind the turntables. And it doesn't really hurt that they don't have any entrance fee. Just walk inside and start dancing. Although they open their doors early in the evening, the party doesn't really start until after midnight. But when the party goes in to full speed, it stays that way until at least five in the morning. They also have a very nice restaurant which gives you the illusion of having your dinner in the middle of the jungle. You can also have parties here which are catered by the Safari. All in all, it's a very nice place and there areno slow nights here. Combine this with the friendly atmo- sphere and you have a winner. So, once you feel the urge to party in Patong, the Safari will not let you down. And the drinks are inexpensive too...