Discover Phuket
Restaurants, Hotels, Beaches, Tours And Nightlife Across The Island
Island Guide
Discover Phuket
114+ operators across the island: west-coast beach restaurants, Old Town shophouse kitchens, Chalong dive shops, Phang Nga boat operators and Bang Tao beach clubs. One independent guide across 11 categories.
Car Rental
Hire a car and explore the island
Wanna Laundry Kamala Phuket
Neighbourhood laundry on a soi
Travel Tip
Two Very Different Seasons
November to April is the dry season: calm sea, full boat programme, highest rates. May to October is the southwest monsoon, with surf and rip currents on the west coast but a greener island, far lower prices and the surf season at Kata.
Fitness Hero
Hammer Strength and Life Fitness
Barra Cuda Beach Club Phuket
Billed as Thailand's first pool
Restaurants
Beach seafood grills & Old Town shophouse kitchens
Dibuk House
Cocktail house working under a
Food & Drink
Eat Like A Local
Island dishes to look for: mee hokkien noodles in gravy, o-tao oyster and taro fry-up, moo hong pork belly braised in soy and pepper, loba offal platters, and kanom jeen Phuket eaten for breakfast with curry.
Empire Estates Phuket
Desk in the Laguna-side villa
Beans Coffee Roaster Phuket
Eco-minded coffee brand from the
Beaches
Patong, Kata, Nai Harn & the northern park bays
Art Rendez-Vous Gallery
Small gallery among the shophouses,
Directory
114+ Operators
From Old Town shophouse kitchens to west-coast beach restaurants, Chalong dive shops and Bang Tao beach clubs. Every part of Phuket in one place.
Catch Beach Club
Infinity pool, cabanas and two
A2 Pool Resort
Deluxe suites and cottage rooms
Accommodation
Beach resorts, pool villas & long-stay apartments
Pure Serenity Spa Phuket Town
One of four island branches,
Heritage
Built On Tin
Phuket's Old Town was funded by the nineteenth-century tin boom, which drew Hokkien Chinese migrants whose Sino-Portuguese shophouses still line Thalang and Dibuk. The same community shaped the island's Peranakan food and its Vegetarian Festival.
Area One Phuket
Roasting operation with a bar
Phuket Scooter Rental
Multilingual rental office with delivery
Attractions
Big Buddha, Wat Chalong & the Old Town
The 88 Phuket Property
Agency working in Thai for
Day Trip
Phang Nga Bay
Limestone karsts, sea caves and hidden lagoons an hour north of the island, reached by speedboat or longtail from the piers. James Bond Island and Hong Island are the standard stops, with sea-canoe trips going into the caves.
Fulfill Phuket
Simple dorms beside hip private
Moon Crafts Gift Shop
Small maker-run store in the
Nightlife
Bangla Road bars & northwest beach clubs
Carpe Diem Beach Club - Phuket
Sandbed rows and a beachfront
Travel Tip
Two Very Different Seasons
November to April is the dry season: calm sea, full boat programme, highest rates. May to October is the southwest monsoon, with surf and rip currents on the west coast but a greener island, far lower prices and the surf season at Kata.
Pure Car Rent
Family firm running one of
All4Diving Phuket
Operating since 1995, running daily
Activities & Tours
Island day trips, diving, elephants & Muay Thai
Sixory Coffee
Specialty stop trading under an
Food & Drink
Eat Like A Local
Island dishes to look for: mee hokkien noodles in gravy, o-tao oyster and taro fry-up, moo hong pork belly braised in soy and pepper, loba offal platters, and kanom jeen Phuket eaten for breakfast with curry.
Jungceylon
Zoned complex in the middle
Mamy Exchange
Trading since 2016 in more
Shopping
Central & Jungceylon malls, night markets & tailors
RYB Hostel Phuket
Twelve rooms across dorms and
Directory
114+ Operators
From Old Town shophouse kitchens to west-coast beach restaurants, Chalong dive shops and Bang Tao beach clubs. Every part of Phuket in one place.
Phuket Sail Tours
Small groups capped at eighteen
Motorbike for Rent Phuket (Sek)
Owner-run bikes hired out under
Health and beauty
Private hospitals, dental clinics, spas & massage
EXFM Fast Money Karon
Holds a Bank of Thailand
Heritage
Built On Tin
Phuket's Old Town was funded by the nineteenth-century tin boom, which drew Hokkien Chinese migrants whose Sino-Portuguese shophouses still line Thalang and Dibuk. The same community shaped the island's Peranakan food and its Vegetarian Festival.
Empower Gym
Training floor built around performance,
24Wash Patong
A branch of a Thai
Transport
Airport transfers, car and scooter hire & the ferries
B2 Phuket Premier Hotel
Budget group property between the
Day Trip
Phang Nga Bay
Limestone karsts, sea caves and hidden lagoons an hour north of the island, reached by speedboat or longtail from the piers. James Bond Island and Hong Island are the standard stops, with sea-canoe trips going into the caves.
Love Diving Phuket
PADI 5 Star IDC running
Lae Lay Khao Khad
Local kitchen above the water
Services
Visa agents, banks, repairs & everyday trades
Asian Art Souvenir Shop
Eclectic stock of art pieces
Travel Tip
Two Very Different Seasons
November to April is the dry season: calm sea, full boat programme, highest rates. May to October is the southwest monsoon, with surf and rip currents on the west coast but a greener island, far lower prices and the surf season at Kata.
Real estate
5 places
Explore Phuket
From Old Town shophouse kitchens and beachfront seafood grills to Bang Tao beach clubs, Phang Nga Bay boat trips and the dive operators at Chalong. Every part of Phuket by category.
Around the island
Around the Coast
From Patong and the west-coast beaches through the Old Town and Chalong to the quiet park-protected bays north of the airport.
Patong
Patong is the busiest resort town on the west coast, holding the island's main nightlife strip and its densest hotel stock.
Kata
Kata is a west-coast resort village built around a sheltered surf beach, popular with families and long-stay yoga visitors.
Kata Noi
Kata Noi is a small enclosed bay south of Kata, backed by steep hills, with a short beach and resort hotels.
Karon
Karon is a broad west-coast beach between Patong and Kata, with a long sandy frontage and a large hotel stock.
Phuket Town
Phuket Town is the island's administrative and commercial centre, with a Sino-Portuguese old quarter, everyday shops and the main markets.
Rawai
Rawai is a southern coastal village known for its seafood market, longtail pier and a large resident expatriate and long-stay population.
Tours & Tickets
Tours & Day Trips in Phuket
Island day trips, boat tours and skip-the-line tickets across Phuket and Phang Nga Bay, via GetYourGuide.
Driving in Phuket: What to Know Before You Rent
The International Driving Permit police actually ask for, what first-class insurance covers and the Patong hill road: a practical guide to driving in Phuket.
Phuket's Beaches, Area by Area
How Phuket's west coast bays differ from Patong to Mai Khao, what the monsoon does to the water, and why the red flags matter more than anything.
Eating Your Way Through Phuket Old Town
Hokkien noodles, moo hong, o-aew ice and royal Thai dining in a governor's mansion: why the old shophouse quarter is the best food day on the island.
Car rental
Compare car rental in Phuket
See local operators side by side, with free cancellation, no deposit and no hidden fees. Prices from 470 baht a day.
Recently Added in Phuket
The newest businesses to join the directory.
Common Questions
It depends on what you want within reach. Patong has the densest choice of hotels, restaurants and nightlife and everything is walkable. Karon and Kata offer the same beach access at a calmer pitch, which is why they suit families. Bang Tao, Surin and Kamala carry the resort and beach-club end on the northwest coast. Rawai and Chalong are the long-stay and everyday-living areas rather than beach bases, and Phuket Town is where the local food, the Old Town and the practical business are.
The airport sits at the northwest corner. Nai Yang is about ten minutes away and Bang Tao around twenty. Patong is generally forty-five minutes to an hour, Kata and Karon about an hour, and Rawai an hour or more. Metered taxis, app rides, the airport bus and pre-booked transfers all run from the terminal kerb, and the car and motorbike rental desks are on the same frontage.
The dry season from November to April is the reliable window, with calm seas, the full boat-trip programme running and the Similan Islands open from mid-October to mid-May. It is also the busiest and most expensive stretch, peaking from mid-December to February. The southwest monsoon from May to October brings surf, rip currents and rain, but also much lower rates, a greener island and the surf season at Kata.
In the dry season the west-coast beaches are generally calm and well suited to swimming. During the monsoon the same beaches produce a strong shore break and rip currents, and drownings do happen every year. The red-flag system is enforced on the main beaches and lifeguards are posted at the busier ones. If a red flag is flying, stay out, regardless of how the water looks from the sand.
Public transport is thin, so most visitors rent a vehicle or pay for rides. A car makes sense for anyone staying outside a single resort area. Scooters are cheap and everywhere, but the island's accident rate is high, a helmet is legally required, and an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle entitlement is needed for both insurance and police checks. Metered taxis, app rides and the local songthaew routes cover the rest.
A few days ahead is usually enough outside the December to February peak, when the popular Phi Phi and Phang Nga boats are worth booking a week or more in advance. The Similan Islands trips need more notice because the national park limits daily numbers and only runs from mid-October to mid-May. Most trips leave from Rassada Pier or Chalong Pier with hotel pickup included.
It depends on what you want within reach. Patong has the densest choice of hotels, restaurants and nightlife and everything is walkable. Karon and Kata offer the same beach access at a calmer pitch, which is why they suit families. Bang Tao, Surin and Kamala carry the resort and beach-club end on the northwest coast. Rawai and Chalong are the long-stay and everyday-living areas rather than beach bases, and Phuket Town is where the local food, the Old Town and the practical business are.
The dry season from November to April is the reliable window, with calm seas, the full boat-trip programme running and the Similan Islands open from mid-October to mid-May. It is also the busiest and most expensive stretch, peaking from mid-December to February. The southwest monsoon from May to October brings surf, rip currents and rain, but also much lower rates, a greener island and the surf season at Kata.
Public transport is thin, so most visitors rent a vehicle or pay for rides. A car makes sense for anyone staying outside a single resort area. Scooters are cheap and everywhere, but the island's accident rate is high, a helmet is legally required, and an International Driving Permit with a motorcycle entitlement is needed for both insurance and police checks. Metered taxis, app rides and the local songthaew routes cover the rest.
The airport sits at the northwest corner. Nai Yang is about ten minutes away and Bang Tao around twenty. Patong is generally forty-five minutes to an hour, Kata and Karon about an hour, and Rawai an hour or more. Metered taxis, app rides, the airport bus and pre-booked transfers all run from the terminal kerb, and the car and motorbike rental desks are on the same frontage.
In the dry season the west-coast beaches are generally calm and well suited to swimming. During the monsoon the same beaches produce a strong shore break and rip currents, and drownings do happen every year. The red-flag system is enforced on the main beaches and lifeguards are posted at the busier ones. If a red flag is flying, stay out, regardless of how the water looks from the sand.
A few days ahead is usually enough outside the December to February peak, when the popular Phi Phi and Phang Nga boats are worth booking a week or more in advance. The Similan Islands trips need more notice because the national park limits daily numbers and only runs from mid-October to mid-May. Most trips leave from Rassada Pier or Chalong Pier with hotel pickup included.