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Exploring the nightlife in Phuket city

The nightlife scene in Phuket City has, over the past few years, grown into something special. It seems that on almost every corner, a new hip bar or small club is opening.

  Phuket City

The scene in Phuket caters to all tastes and has a little something for everyone. A recent wander through the city showcased the wide variety of options on offer for those looking for a bit of fun once the sun goes down. Narrowing down the various options can prove to be challenging, but on the next few pages are some of the best, to help you reach a decision.

Craft Beer Bars
Trendy beer bars serving the latest flavours and brews of craft beers continue to pop up all over Phuket Town, and they’re a welcome addition to the Phuket nightlife scene.

Phuketique 
A charming downtown corner café that serves awesome coffee drinks and cocktails. Two well-stocked refrigerators at Phuketique showcase hard-to-find bottled craft beers from around the world. Perhaps the first bar in Phuket to serve craft beer, Phuketique is a great place to relax and ‘people watch’. The café menu has good food at affordable prices as well.

The Barrel Wine Beer & Bistro Bar
A new restaurant that serves a wide variety of Thai and Japanese dishes, as well as a few western favourites. An expansive wine list, and a generous craft beer list, accompany the food. Seating is comfortable and ample at The Barrel and the restaurant features live acoustic music in the evenings as well as great nightly specials on drinks and food.

Crafts & Co
Located on Yaowarat Road in the heart of Phuket Old Town. The bar itself is small and cozy which makes it perfect for an evening with friends. Crafts & Co. has a wide variety of craft beers on tap and in bottles, and offers a small menu of simple snacks and Thai food.

Comics Café & Bar
Feels like walking straight into a comic book. Drawings cover the walls, and the overall decoration theme is black and white. Comics Café & Bar serves many imported beers and craft beers, as well as rather large cocktails. Most nights, there’s live acoustic music or a DJ.

Mixology & Flair
A few really interesting mixology & flair bars have opened up in Phuket Town, and these establishments take cocktails to the next level. Creative and skilled, the ‘mixology & flair’ bars are gaining quite a reputation in Phuket.

Club No. 43
An upscale cocktail bar located on Yaowarat Road, staff members are highly skilled in the arts of mixology & flair. Watching the cocktails being made is half the fun of this place. The cocktail menu is extensive, and it should be noted that Club No. 43 makes a good mocktail, too. Events surrounding cocktails and food pairings are regular occurrences at Club No. 43.

Cariocas Bistro & Lounge
The new kid on the block in Phuket City. This South American themed bistro serves Mexican favourites and Thai food, while the cocktail menu is as thick as a schoolbook. Cariocas hosts events nearly every night of the week, including salsa dance classes, live music and some of Phuket’s finest DJs.

ZIMPLEX
A mixology laboratory that is the brainchild of a very hip and artsy Thai couple. Drinks here are carefully constructed and pack a punch. ZIMPLEX’s drinks are art in a glass featuring neon-coloured liqueurs that blend into interesting designs. ZIMPLEX features DJs most nights of the week.

Dance Club Favourites

If you’re looking to dance the night away in Phuket City, there are a few clubs sure to please. Clubs in Phuket may be quite different from those in other international cities, but they provide the same level of great entertainment and fun, nonetheless.


Timber Hut Dance & Night Club
Popular amongst young professionals, Timber Hut has two levels and is a great place to ‘people watch’ and meet friends. It’s the kind of place where you grab a bottle, claim a table, order some snacks and watch the night unfold. There’s a dance floor and both a live band and DJ providing the nightly soundtrack.



Kor Tor Mor Pub
An Phuket City icon. This pub enforces a strict dress code and is the place to be seen for the younger crowd. Kor Tor Mor Pub Phuket offers an array of alcoholic beverages and features live music and DJs most nights. There’s no cover charge to enter, but do bring your ID as the doorman tends to check...


Local Thai Pubs

Popular amongst the university crowd, local Thai pubs are found scattered throughout Phuket City. Most feature indoor and outdoor seating, a basic Thai food menu and live music.


Rockin’ Angels
Rockin’ Angels has been a staple on the Phuket City scene for a number of years. It’s a favourite amongst expats and hosts live music and open jam sessions every night. Rockin’ Angels serves up a variety of beers, cocktails and great whiskeys. This is the best bar in the city for live blues.



Ploenchit Phuket
Decorated in vintage style, it’s a kitsch lover’s delight. Famous for its bright marquee sign and vintage movie posters, Ploenchit Phuket sells Thai food, a variety of whiskeys and local Thai beers. Many local musicians play acoustic sets here and on the weekends there’s often a local Thai band.



CUE Bar
A local Thai pub that leans more towards being a sports bar, Cue Bar is popular with those who like to play pool and often hosts contests. There are two pool tables in the bar, and well-placed television sets which feature the latest sporting events. Cue Bar has great happy hour deals and is a fun place to meet up with friends to watch football on the big screen.

With so many great spots to choose from, there’s no doubt that a night out in Phuket City is well worth the effort. As it’s still small enough, an old style pub crawl is the best way to sample all the venues on offer. Enjoy and have fun, but remember to call a taxi to get yourself home safe and sound.

  Photo gallery : Exploring the nightlife in Phuket city

CUE Bar is popular among pool players

CUE Bar is popular among pool players

Casual and comfortable atmospheres

Casual and comfortable atmospheres

\'Pruenjit\' or \'Happy\'. A restaurant and bar with live music.

'Pruenjit' or 'Happy'. A restaurant and bar with live music.

\'Saywana\' or \'Chit chat\' restaurant and bar with live music and sports on the TVs.

'Saywana' or 'Chit chat' restaurant and bar with live music and sports on the TVs.

Kor Tor Mor Pub. A place to be seen for the younger crowd.

Kor Tor Mor Pub. A place to be seen for the younger crowd.

Timber Hut is a popular place to people watch and dance to live music and a DJ.

Timber Hut is a popular place to people watch and dance to live music and a DJ.

A happy craft beer?

A happy craft beer?

Mexican flavour at Cariocas Bistro & Lounge

Mexican flavour at Cariocas Bistro & Lounge

Old Phuket Town has fast become a place for quality pub crawling

Old Phuket Town has fast become a place for quality pub crawling

Good times, craft beers and special cocktails at Club 43

Good times, craft beers and special cocktails at Club 43

A crowd of people enjoying a bar atmosphere

A crowd of people enjoying a bar atmosphere

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