Patong Beach is located on the west coast of Phuket island. The beach is about 3.5 km long and is lined with restaurants, shops and resorts. The gay section of Patong is located towards the centre of this white sandy beach, just behind La Flora Resort.
Friendly and Fun
Patong Beach has a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere, attracting many gay expats and visitors. You are pretty much guaranteed to make new friends. Patong town is also home to the lively gay nightlife venues within the Paradise Complex.
Beach bars here usually fly a rainbow flag, making this section of beach easy to find. Deck chairs and sun shades are available for rent and you can get massages on the beach.
Peak season for Phuket is from early December until April, with February to April usually being the hottest months. The best time to visit is outside of European school holidays.
How to get there
From Bangkok to Phuket
Most tourists travel by plane. The Phuket International Airport connects flights from many foreign countries as well as from Bangkok and other regional Thai cities. Flight time from Bangkok is about one hour.
It is possible to travel from Bangkok, Malaysia or even Singapore by bus, car or train. Train passengers get off at Surat Thani province and make the last leg to Phuket by road.
From Phuket Airport to Patong
Phuket is a big island so you will need some form of transportation to get around. Unless your hotel has arranged to pick you up, you can catch a
metered taxi from the Phuket airport into town.
The average taxi fare from the airport to Patong is around 600 baht, and it takes about 40 minutes. The fare is the rate shown on the meter plus an airport fee of 100 baht. Some taxi drivers may want to charge a flat rate.
For a slightly higher fee, you can hire a
limousine taxi which is more comfortable. A cheaper (but more time-consuming) option is to take a door-to-door airport
minivan that leaves after it fills up and drops passengers off along the way.
If you want to rent a
car, there are several rental companies in and around the airport. Car rentals are not expensive, but driving in a foreign territory can be a challenge.
Motorbike rental is also possible although best avoided, as it is dangerous.
For short trips around town , a “
tuk-tuk” is the best option. Always agree on a price with the tuk-tuk driver in advance.
Last updated: 04-28-2014
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