Due to the development in the infrastructure, Patong is home to many restaurants, hotels and pubs. It can be safely said that one will never run out of things to do in this place. You can be from the luxury circle or from the common circle, Patong cares for you just the way you need it to. Catering to this wide range of tourists has let Patong grow phenomenally. For those who just want to lay down kick back and relax, there are activities like sun bathing and Thai Massage. Local masseurs will be occupying the shady parts of the beach.

These masseurs really help revive you from your stress and anxiety and let you cool down without burning a hole in your wallet. Jet skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, water skiing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, banana boat and Hobie Cats are some of the water sports that are available on the beach. All the equipment and safety gadgets such as life jackets are available on the beach itself for rent. All you have to do is strap in and have a blast. Volley ball and beach soccer are two other sports that are played on the beach. They are usually played by the home crowd and the locals don’t mind hanging with the tourists. This is also a good way to make some new friends as well. There are beach vendors who sell almost everything from souvenirs to eatables. Bargaining is an important part in doing business with these sellers, but the friendliness of it is enjoyed by both sides.

Ad: Jungceylon mall, Unit 2303, 3rd Floor,193 Rut-U-Thit 200 Pi Road, Kathu, Patong. Tel: 076-366-163. Web: www.soundphuket.com

Sound Phuket in Patong is an upscale nightclub run by the same people who brought the world Bed Supperclub in Bangkok. It’s the kind of place where people go to be seen, as well as to party all night. As such, you’re going to want to dress up for this one.

Sound looks incredible inside, like some kind of nightclub in a spaceship. It’s all very fashion-oriented, so expect the “it” crowd to be in attendance most nights. The music policy varies between hip hop, house, electro and all else in between.

There’s an OK selection of resident DJs at Sound Phuket, including Thai whiz Golfy, as well as a couple of less-impressive expats. Would it have hurt Sound’s image to have delved deeper into the local talent rather than scrape the barrel?

Golfy doesn’t live in Phuket, to our knowledge, and there are a large number of quality Thai DJs on the island.

In high season, the Bed All Stars come out to play, which means some of Bangkok’s finest, including Octo and Bangkok Invaders.

DJ gripes aside, Sound is a fine venue and previous guest DJs have included the likes of Benny Benassi. If you want a real party, though, you might be better off heading to Stereo Lab.

The Twinpalms Phuket has two swimming pools, one of which is a lap pool and the other a large lagoon pool. They also have a spa, a sauna, a fitness center, a lounge bar, a poolside bar, a gift shop, a business center and a library. They also offer massage services, conference facilities and laundry services. It is about 30 minutes away from the Phuket International Airport.

Ad: 106/46 Moo 3,Surin Beach Rd, Cherng Talay, Talang, Phuket 83110 Thailand

This is a wicked little nightspot located on the beach road at Patong Beach. The whole place feels kind of like an oversized train carriage, but it’s totally chic and very cool, with pictures of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara on the wall.

Salsa is the order of the night. The house band is great and keeps the music flowing while patrons are encouraged to strut their stuff on the dance floor. If you’re shy, you can just kick back with a cocktail and watch the rabble pass by outside. Even the waitresses get involved with the dancing.

Cocktails are about 200 baht each and are well made. La Salsa is a great place for a night out in Patong. They also serve food in the form of tapas. La Salsa is located just up the road from 3 Spices, which is actually run by the same guy behind La Salsa.

Yet another Irish bar in Patong. Molly Malone’s is possibly Patong’s most famous Irish bar. It’s been open for close to 10 years and being located on the beach road, it attracts a sizebale crowd of partygoers every night.

We really don’t spend too much time in Irish bars in Patong because they feel a bit out of place, but if you must succumb to pints and pub food, you may as well do it here or at Scruffy Murphy’s.

Patong nightlife is full of small, tired bars and large behemoths such as Molly Malone’s. The food is decent, but expensive, although the portions are famously enormous. This Patong pub stays open until about 2 am every night. Being right on the beach road, Molly Malone’s is close to a bunch of Patong’s other bars and clubs, such as Rock City and Club Lime, which are just around the corner.

On the up side, if you want the chance to meet random sexy Thai girls, Soi Bangla is an easy place to do it. Just don’t forget that most people around Soi Bangla want your money.

A typical example of this are the games the bar girls of Soi Bangla play with customers. Chances are you’ll be hustled at Connect 4 or that weird game of hitting a nail into a tree trunk with the wrong side of a hammer. Bar girls know how to get free drinks, so bear that in mind.

If you simply must sample the delight of Patong’s beer bars, you need only stroll around Soi Bangla to find some of them. Soi Bangla has several of its own little sois, each filled with bars and discos. The atmosphere is pretty hectic and the crowd an odd mixture of people.

We don’t usually venture up these sois much, but for the benefit of those who might, here’s a run down.

Soi Easy is not an open-air soi, but it is one of the most boring areas in all of Patong. This soi isn’t far from the beach road and is where the Aussie Bar is located. There are a bunch of other nightspots here, too. Nothing to write home about.

Soi Gonzo is generally considered a step up from Soi Easy, but that isn’t saying much. There are a few bars and some places to nab cheap booze, otherwise, the main draw of the soi is that its less crowded than some of the other areas.

Perhaps the most busy part of Soi Bangla is Soi Crocodile, which usually finds itself packed with people every night. In this soi you can experience the delights of having your photo taken with ladyboys, who pretty much have the run of the soi. It’s primitive entertainment at its worst and it’s incredibly popular.

Probably the second-busiest soi is the oddly named Soi Eric. We don’t know who Eric is, or was, but his ideas for Patong nightlife haven’t exactly set the world on fire. Lots of bars and places to wax your loose change. A DJ plays the music for the whole soi and keeps the sounds blaring.

Soi Tiger is more of the same off Bangla. There are numerous beer bars, many full of sexy Thai girls ready to go one-on-one at Connect 4. Soi Tiger is usually one of the busier Bangla sois. Soi Tiger is, of course, home to Tiger nightclub.

Known as a haven of Soi Bangla bar scene, Soi Seadragon is the place to be if you want to get up close and personal with bar girls in Patong. There are rows of bars all around. This is a large, popular soi.

Soi Sukhumvit Road off Rat-U-Thit Road at the end of Soi Bangla is another fairly dull place that lacks any of the real buzz of some of the other sois. They do have pool tables though.

Cheap drinks, a big TV to watch sports on and, yes, more sexy Thai girls doing their thing. Welcome to yet another of Patong’s charming beer bars. We have to admit that the girls are pretty, but this isn’t the most exciting place to spend an evening clubbing in Phuket.

That being said, they are a friendly bunch down at the Let’s Go Beer Bar and they do serve food if you start feeling hungry. Bars in Patong like this one are 10 a penny, so don’t go expecting any life-changing experiences. Pull up a chair, order your beer and drink until the novelty wears off. There are far better places to party in Phuket.

NOTE: Quick note to all Phuket clubbers that dclub is currently closed for renovations and is due to reopen September 2009, so keep a look out for that. In the meantime, the agogo on the third floor of the dclub building is alive and well. The Body Nude Club (www.bodynudeclub.com) is billed as Patong’s only gentleman’s club, so check it out if that sounds like your cup of tea. Anyway, back to dclub…

Located up the stairs from Dingo’s Bar, dclub is a reasonable club in Patong where people go to drink cheap beers and dance until the sun comes up. Located on Soi Bangla, this Patong club isn’t exactly family friendly, but if you want to meet bar girls and party with them, this is as good a place any to do it.

They have coyote dancing shows, which means that you can watch almost-naked girls gyrating about on a stage to obscure techno music. Every now and then they have live bands at dclub.

dclub is far from the mellowest disco in Phuket, but if you want to people watch, this place may warrant your attention.

Patong is full of clubs such as this one. If you know that you’re going to be appalled by the sight of naked Thai girls then don’t bother going. It is what it is and has been for a long time.

Located right in the heart of Patong’s club scene, Dingo’s Bar is one of many Aussie bars in Phuket. As you’d expect with an Aussie bar, especially one in Patong, the fun is loud and raucous and goes on until the early hours of the morning.

Beers, cocktails and an abundance of pretty Thai girls, Dingo’s Bar isn’t exactly the classiest establishment around, but it was the first Aussie bar on Soi Crocodile. If you’re a single guy in Patong then you’ll probably have a great time, otherwise you may find yourself a little confused by your surroundings.

It’s one of those places where you can get cheap beer and cheap sex and play a game where you hit nails into a large trunk of wood. The Patong club scene is full of bars such as this one. It’s no bad thing.

If you want to go clubbing in Patong, chances are you’ll come across Banana disco at some point. It’s one of the most famous clubs in Phuket, but it’s really nothing out of the ordinary. The drinks are priced fairly for a Patong club and the place is a favorite among tourists and local Thai girls out to dance their socks off.

You can usually be assured of a good time at Banana if you’re suitably drunk and out with a large group of friends. The place attracts a few undesirable characters and beer louts, so be careful whose toes you stand on.

The music at Banana in Patong is standard Phuket party tunes, with heavy doses of hip hop and popular dance music. Located on the beach road, Banana is close to several other Patong clubs, so if you don’t like the place, simply leave and head on to the next club. There is usually a small cover charge that includes a couple of drinks.