So you've Never been to Thailand pt1 Patong Beach, Phuket

Patong is THE destination when heading to Thailand, more specifically Phuket (poo-ket). Located South of Bangkok -

Patong is beautiful and tropical but mainly known for the night life, I would call this party central! rivaled only by Pattaya, but that's for another article ! Flying in to Phuket is an easy 45-60 min flight from Bangkok, once at the airport it's easy to secure a
taxi or bus dropping tourists off at verious beach destinations such as Kata, Kamala, Surin, Karon, Nai Harn and many more, but those are some of the most popular. The drive to Patong from the Airport is about one hour.
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Once in Phuket the main road is Bangla lined with bars and crawling with lovely Thai girls. The entertainment is non-stop
until about 2 A.M. and inlcudes nightclubs, indoor bars, outdoor bars, Aussie bars, pubs and really anything you could want.
Be kind to the locals and they will treat you like gold, after 6 successfully trips to the Land of Smiles I can stay I have zero
negative experiences aside from overpaying a few bucks, oh well...being cheap isn't fun, and tip when you can!

During the day you can spend your time at the beach although the further south you go down the coast the beaches become a bit nicer and sometimes less crowded. Personally i like the quietness of Kamala, Kata is hustling and bustling, Kata Noi is a bit less traveled and Rawai is closest to being authentic Thai and still is used as a fishing village, I have not personally been here because i don't want to see it commercialized the way that much of Thailand so I choose not to go.
Popular activités are para-sailing, Jet skiing, snorkeling, sub diving or one of the famous tours that can be
arranged by your Hotel. Have been on the Phi Phi tour as well as the James Bond Tour and loved both of them.

My recommendation for visiting Phuket is do your research! if all that you want to do is party than Patong is the place. If you
want to get a better taste of Phuket stay in Kata and than taxi to Patong for some nightlife or taxi to one of the other beaches
during the day. Kata is pretty busy nowadays and is very touristy and has about everything you want as far as food and bars and a little shopping and the beaches are nice. Russians seem to have really flocked to Kata and you will find many menus featuring
Russian language. Overall you will find it very multi-cultural and everyone seems to enjoy themselves.

Some popular viewpoints in Phuket are Phromthep Cape, Kata View Point, and don't forget Big Buddha. You can all see
a nice Cobra show as well. Be warned that Thailand beaches sometimes have rip tide warnings and always follow the
rules at the beach! many tourists have drowned by not taking the warning seriously. I find the best weather for travel to
be between November and January, not too hot! not too rainy, usually just right. If you like Thai food you will really get band for your buck! as the street food can be $2-$3 dollars for a small meal or $5 or $6 to get you real full of their authentic cuisine.
Remember if you eat western style you will pay western prices!

I hope this gives you a bit of info and some ideas for your trip to Thailand, more specifically!