Patong Beach

Saturday night – all the streets are very surprisingly quiet except that very “unappetizing” street. I feel very “dirty” even standing in the middle of that street. Saw some “well grown artificial watermelons with black dot” hanging around the door way of the bar/pubs and trying to get some customers. Others were dancing on top of the bar tables with hot and close to naked attire (Gender? Undefined). Not planning to ever ever drop by this place in this lifetime. Farewell forever!

During the first Gulf War this became the new R&R stop over for sailors and marines since the U.S. military had closed shop in the Phillipines. It was a Great Party spot, take all your spring breaks and put them in one spot, add incredible coastline scenery and Carriben style beach/water activities and mix that with your best/worst visions of a Roman orgy.

A little surreal and odd. But, like always interesting. Just be sure to have your own girlfriend present!

Patong Beach is a fascinating place. We saw the good, the bad and the ugly all within 8 days! I highly recommend staying at the Novotel Coralia Phuket—it overlooks the entire beach and it is also a recognised Tsunami Evacuation Route (meaning that if there’s any trouble, you’ll be safe at your hotel!). The beach does smell a bit of sewage (poor plumbing, methinks) and you DO see a lot of 40+ year old men toting around with their young girls/ladyboys, but the locals are really friendly and some of the taxi/tuktuk drivers have fascinating information on the history of the area. By all means visit this place, but I wouldn’t take kids (especially if you’re like us and spend many a night down Bangla Road..!).

Patong was dirty, smelly, greasy and yukky.
We hated seeing the flabby old white guys sniffing out the really young girls and boys down the road. Our hotel may as well have been a brothel, horrid Germans and Dutch men with girls and boys in their rooms whilst we, trying as hard as we could not to hear the noises, swam in the toilet of a swimming pool.