Patong

Patong is a beach resort town on the west coast of Phuket Island, facing the Andaman Sea in the southwest of Thailand. Its sandy, crescent beach is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. The famously raucous nightlife scene features beer bars, go-go bars, nightclubs, massage parlors and cabarets that overflow into the street along neon-lit Bangla Road and in the Patong OTOP Shopping Paradise complex. Patong’s main beach has water-sports equipment for hire, wandering masseuses and vendors selling jewelry and handicrafts. The modern JungCeylon Mall has shops selling international brands and a movie theater. Longtail boats ferry visitors south to laid-back Freedom Beach. Paradise Beach has a coral reef for snorkeling, and Laem Singh Beach to the north is also popular for snorkeling and kayaking. Inland, a shady jungle path passes drop pools where people can swim before reaching the Kathu Waterfall. Offshore and to the north, the Surin and Similan Islands national parks are renowned for scuba-diving sites such as Richelieu Rock