Patong Beach, Phuket Island

From Phi Phi Island, Kelly and I took the ferry to Phuket on Monday. Phuket is Thailand's largest island, sometimes referred to as "Bangkok on the Sea" (yuck). It is connected to the mainland by bridge, and it feels like any other big Thai city. It definitely doesn't have the mellow island vibe of the other beaches we've visited. Kelly stayed long enough to catch the sunset on Patong Beach, then she headed to the Phuket airport to fly to Bangkok and start the long journey back to Boston.

I said goodbye to Kelly at 9pm and greeted my friend Caroline at 10:30pm. Caroline is an Irish girl that I met in NZ. She lived in Thailand for a few months in 2007 and now she's back for another year to teach English. I was hoping her visit and Kelly's visit would overlap a bit because I think they'd enjoy each other. Alas, Caroline's arrival was delayed by 6+ hours due to... what else... a motorbike accident! Her friend's tire blew during the commute to the pier. No one was injured, but she missed the morning ferry to Phuket. Some directional miscommunication also contributed to the delay. Who knew there were 2 guesthouses named "Lucky's" within a one block radius??

Caroline planned to show me the "real" Phuket, but for a variety of reasons, we haven't left the Patong Beach area in the last 2 days. Patong is a relatively small section of island, but it is one of the biggest tourist areas in Thailand. Never come here. It is gross. The streets are like ThaiVegas and the beach is like Wildwood. Bangla Road is lined with flashing lights, discos, dancers, etc. There is Hard Rock A Go-Go, Sexy Lady A Go-Go, Anything You Want A Go-Go... Other than Pattaya, this is the main tourist sex spot. The place is teeming with old, fat Western men with very young Thai girls. It makes my stomach turn. Although I have to admit it makes for good people watching.

The beach itself is just okay. It's big and very crowded (and this is the low season). You can rent a lounge chair for 100 baht ($3 US) a day, but they are crammed together like sardines. The water is brownish compared to the crystal clear seas on the other islands. You're also hounded by touts all day. They walk up and down the beach saying, "buy something, buy something." Sunbathe at your own risk because parasailers fly dangerously close to your head.

A man approached Caroline and I last night and asked, "Do you girls like to party and listen to rock 'n roll music?" He was trying to sell us tickets to a party at the Phuket Rock Bar. AC/DC and Bon Jovi were going to play (cover bands he clarified, lest I think the real Jon Bon Jovi was hanging out in Patong). He promised us a "completely westernized bar... no ladyboys, no chicks with d***s, no dudes with boobs, no one tapping you on the shoulder trying to sell something." The price of the ticket included a group photo. He showed us a copy of the previous night's photo to prove that the place admits only drunk white people. Riiiight... isn't this why everyone comes to Thailand??

Note: These pictures make Patong look better than it is. I'll try to post more accurate pictures later.