Patong
Everything on foot, and noise to match: which part of the bay to sleep in, and who would be happier elsewhere.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Phuket
Seven areas compared on the same points: the sea in each season, the evenings, the airport drive and the way to the Old Town.
On this page 4
Phuket is a large island, and its areas are far enough apart that the choice of base shapes the whole trip. The airport is at the northern tip, the beaches run down the west coast, and the Old Town is in Phuket Town, the island's only real town, away from the sea.
Three questions decide it: do you want to swim from your hotel, do you want evenings out on foot, and how early is your flight home? This guide compares the seven areas on the same points; each one has its own page with the detail.
The short answer
For a first trip, Kata or Karon: beaches with lifeguards, restaurants within walking distance, and quieter nights than Patong. Choose Patong only if the evenings matter more than the sea, and the Old Town only if you can do without beach mornings.
Whatever the area, from May to October the southwest monsoon makes the west coast dangerous for swimming on many days: the beach next to your hotel is not always one you can swim from.
Pick your base
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A first trip, with a beach every day
Lifeguards, restaurants on foot, calmer evenings than Patong.
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Nightlife on the doorstep
Bangla Road, the malls and the markets on foot; loud at night.
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A resort stay not far from the airport
A long bay of big resorts, with little nightlife.
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Quiet, sunsets and a good beach
The south of the island; plan on a scooter or taxis.
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Food and shophouses rather than sand
No beach: the west coast is 30 to 40 minutes away by road.
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A late arrival or an early flight
The closest area to the airport, inside a national park.
The places to stay
Each area is described on the same points, in the same order: the sea in the dry season and in the monsoon, the evenings, the drive from the airport, the way to the Old Town, and who it suits.
All the beaches, and when to swim
Kata and Karon
Three beaches south of Patong, calmer in the evening: which one to sleep at, and who would be happier elsewhere.
Kamala and Surin
A village bay and a small, smart one north of Patong: what each is like to sleep at, and who would be happier elsewhere.
Bang Tao
A long bay of big resorts, closer to the airport: what it is like to sleep here, and who would be happier elsewhere.
Rawai and Nai Harn
A harbour village and a beach without a town, at the southern tip: what each is like, and who would be happier elsewhere.
The Old Town
Shophouses, markets and the island's own food, and no beach: which streets to sleep in, and who would be happier by the sea.
Mai Khao and Nai Yang
The quiet north, in a national park by the airport: what each beach is like, and who would be happier elsewhere.
Getting around from your base
Public transport on Phuket runs like the spokes of a wheel rather than round the coast. The blue songthaews go from Ranong market in Phuket Town to one beach and back; they do not link the beaches to each other. The Phuket Smart Bus runs from the airport down the west coast, through Laguna, Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata, to Rawai, and stops on the main road rather than at hotels. For everything else it is Grab, Bolt, a taxi or a scooter, and riding a scooter legally takes a motorcycle licence.
The airport times on this page are rough, and guides disagree on them. One 2026 guide says the drive can take 30 to 45 minutes longer between 4 and 7 pm: allow for it on the day you fly.
Arriving and getting around Phuket
Compare the areas
| Area | Sea, December to March | Sea, May to October | Evenings | Airport by road | To the Old Town | Suits | Not for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patong | Calm | Red flags on many days | Loud, Bangla Road | 40 to 50 min | Songthaew or bus | Nightlife on foot | A quiet beach |
| Kata and Karon | Calm | Surf; most drownings at Karon | Restaurants, quieter | 1 h to 1 h 30 or more (guides differ) | Songthaew | A first trip, families | Nightlife at the door |
| Kamala and Surin | Calm | Rougher | Calm; a beach club at Kamala | About 40 min to Kamala (one guide) | Songthaew | A calmer alternative to Patong | Nightlife on foot |
| Bang Tao | Calm | North end most reliable (guides) | Little nightlife | 25 to 45 min | Songthaew | A resort stay | A town on foot |
| Rawai and Nai Harn | Calm at Nai Harn; no swimming at Rawai | Waves at Nai Harn | Quiet; seafood at Rawai | Farthest; no reliable time | Songthaew | Quiet and long stays | Getting about without a scooter or taxis |
| The Old Town | No beach | No beach | Food and markets | About 1 h (one guide) | On foot | Food and culture | Beach mornings |
| Mai Khao and Nai Yang | Calm at Nai Yang; steep shelf at Mai Khao | Strong currents at Mai Khao | Very quiet | Closest: 5 to 20 min to Nai Yang (guides differ) | Taxi or car | Early flights and quiet | Restaurants and evenings out |
These places on the map
- Patong Beach Beaches
- Kata Beach Beaches
- Kata Noi Beach Beaches
- Karon Beach Beaches
- Kamala Beach Beaches
- Surin Beach Beaches
- Bang Tao Beach Beaches
- Nai Harn Beach Beaches
- Thalang Road Old Town
- Nai Yang Beach Beaches
- Mai Khao Beach Beaches
- Phuket International Airport (HKT) Airport and piers
Read next
Things to do · the beaches
Beaches
Phuket's beaches line its west coast, from an empty 11 km strand by the airport to small coves reached on foot or by boat. The one thing they share is the sea: calm from December to March, and dangerous on many days from May to October.
Things to do · the islands
Islands
From Phuket you can reach many islands in a day: Phi Phi and Maya Bay, the Racha islands to the south, small Coral Island, the Khai islands, the Similan far to the north-west, and the quiet Koh Yao islands in Phang Nga Bay. They are not reached from the same pier, and they are not all open all year.
Things to do · Phang Nga Bay
Phang Nga Bay
North-east of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay is a sea of limestone towers, mangroves and hidden lagoons, much of it protected as a national park. A day there usually combines James Bond Island, a stilt village and a canoe ride into the hongs. Sheltered on three sides, the bay can be visited almost all year; James Bond Island is crowded around midday.
Things to do · the Old Town
Old Town
A grid of painted shophouses built on tin money, a food culture that earned Phuket a UNESCO City of Gastronomy title, and a Sunday market that fills Thalang Road: the Old Town is the part of Phuket that is not about the sea.
Things to do · temples
Big Buddha & temples
A white marble Buddha on the hill above Kata, reopened in 2026 after a deadly landslide; the island's best-known Buddhist temple, at Chalong; Chinese shrines in the Old Town; and a golden Buddha half-buried in the ground at Thalang.
Things to do · Patong
Patong
Patong is Phuket's busiest resort: a 3 km beach in a bay on the west coast, a town of hotels, malls and markets behind it, and Bangla Road, the island's nightlife street. It is convenient, loud and very easy to enjoy if you know where its rules and its traps are.
Things to do · the south
Rawai and the south
The south of Phuket ends in a cape where crowds gather every evening for the sunset. Around it are Nai Harn, a bay with a lake behind it, the small cove of Ya Nui, Rawai with its longtail pier and seafood market, and Chalong, whose pier is the island's busiest for boat trips.
Things to do · night markets
Night markets
Phuket's markets run on a weekly rhythm: the Old Town's Sunday Walking Street, the weekend market at Naka, container stalls at Chillva from Monday to Saturday, and markets every evening in Patong and Kata. The food is the reason to go, and the day you are on the island decides which one you can see.
Travel info
Travel info
The practical side of a trip to Phuket: entry rules that changed in September 2026, an airport at the far north of the island, blue buses that run from Phuket Town to one beach and back but never between beaches, scooters that put many riders in hospital, and a few habits that save money.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Phuket for a first trip?
Kata or Karon: beaches with lifeguards, restaurants within walking distance and quieter nights than Patong. Patong is also practical for a first stay if you want nightlife and do not mind noise.
Where should I stay in Phuket for nightlife?
Patong, around Bangla Road, where bars and clubs stay open late into the night. Choose a hotel away from Bangla Road, or at the northern or southern end of the bay, if you want to sleep.
Which area is closest to Phuket airport?
Mai Khao and Nai Yang, on the northern coast next to the airport: guides give about 5 to 20 minutes to Nai Yang. Bang Tao is about 25 to 45 minutes away according to three guides; Patong about 40 to 50 minutes outside rush hour.
Can I stay in Phuket Old Town and still go to the beach?
Yes, but every beach day starts with a drive: the west coast is 30 to 40 minutes away by road. Songthaews leave from Ranong market for one beach at a time, roughly every 30 minutes from 6 am to 6 pm.
Is there an area where the sea is safe all year?
No. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings waves and rip currents to the whole west coast, and red flags go up on many days. Swim only between the two red and yellow flags, and never when the red flag is up.