Located on the southwestern coast of Thailand, Phuket boasts of being the largest and most popular island in the country. A typical landscape in Phuket constitutes of sandy beaches with cyan waters, lush rain-forests that extend to the beaches' coasts, and small towns with colorful houses.
Phuket is very popular among the gay community, and even famous gay bloggers like TwoBadTourists have characterized it as a "Gay Travel Oasis". The gay locals are out and open, even though the majority of them choose to follow a discreet gay lifestyle. So, the Gay life in Phuket is vivid and laid-back at the same time.
The main gay scene is concentrated in and around Paradise Complex in Patong Town, and it includes a wide range of thrilling gay bars, clubs, saunas, as well as a gay beach where you can chill out and sunbath. But let's not waste any more time and start our gay journey in Phuket!
Check In: The Perfect Oasis in Patong!
The best and easiest way to discover Phuket's night scene is by staying in a centrally located hotel. This is exactly why Grand Mercure Phuket Patong Resort & Villas is an ideal hotel option. The hotel, enjoys a great location (10 minutes walking from Phuket's gay scene), and it also stands out from the nearby properties due to its exceptional service and facilities.
We highly recommend you to stay in the Deluxe Pool Access Room or One Bedroom Pool Villa, offering advanced services like an express check-in that will surely make your life easier, a private sundeck to relax and chill out in the mornings/afternoons and complimentary WiFi so that you don't need to neglect your Instagram followers.
Of course, there are more than 314 rooms in the hotel that can host from solo travelers to large families. So, Grand Mercure Phuket Patong Resort & Villas is a convenient choice for all kinds of gay vacations. Each room features some standard facilities and services like a 40' LCD satellite TV and stunning pool views.
You can actually check prices directly from the hotel by clicking here!
Patong by Day: Exciting Asian Experiences!
A day in Patong involves lots of exploration, sunbathing and, of course partying. Since you will be staying in the center of the biggest town on the island as well as the most reputed one for its superb lifestyle, you can pretty much spend your whole vacations without the need of a vehicle. However, if you want to explore a little bit of the town's surroundings or even some major attractions of Phuket, you will need a car, since the public transportation in the city is not the best.
Patong is mainly known for its thrilling party scene, - and this is why its marvelous shopping opportunities come as a surprise to many of its visitors. It's actually the home of the biggest shopping mall on the island - Jungceylon, which is actually less than 10 minutes walking from Grand Mercure Phuket Patong! Of course, there are much more shopping venues in the town which are very easy to find.
If you are not planning to stay in the town, there are hundreds of activities that you can do near Patong including jungle trekking, snorkeling, or simply sightseeing. Since exploring the surroundings of Patong is going to need a lot of planning and searching beforehand, the best way to discover Phuket's spectacular temples, isolated islands, and national parks, is throughout tours. In case you still want to explore the surroundings by yourself, make sure to have a good driving guide so that you will not get lost.
The only Gay Beach in Phuket!
Patong Beach is the only beach on Phuket that has an official gay section. The beach can be easily accessed from Grand Mercure Phuket Patong on foot (10 minutes away). Even though the rainbow flag, alongside the sun beds and food vendors have been removed from the beach in order to improve the beach's environment, many gay visitors and locals continue to visit it on a regular basis. KUDO Beach Club, located on Patong Beach, attracts many gay men so it's a great place to socialize (15 minutes walking from the hotel).
More beaches like Surin Beach, Laem Sing Beach and Bangtao Beach located on the Northern part of Patong, as well as Karon Beach, Kata Beach, and Nai Han Beach located on the Southern part of Patong, are also distinguished for their gay-friendly attitude and are very easily accessible from Patong Town.
After your day exploration in Phuket, you can visit the hotel's award-winning Ryn Spa and enjoy a re-awakening experience that focuses on the well-being of your mind, body and soul.
Patong by Night: An Exotic Gay Nightlife Experience!
Patong is the most popular town in Phuket for partying and, hosting many great events - including Full Moon Parties, that can be compared to Koh Phangan's. The gay nightlife is organised and it can be even compared with major gay Asian destinations like Bangkok and Jakarta. The bars and clubs get crowded from around 11 pm until 2-3 am. But the fun still goes on until very early in the morning, mainly in more underground gay venues.
The best way to start your evening is with a fabulous dinner at the Grand Mercure Phuket Patong's restaurant, Bubbles, which serves authentic Thai, European and Asian cuisines. Feeling sleepy after your dinner? Head out to the Jaguar Ice Bar which is only 5 minutes away from the hotel and it's guaranteed that you will leave this place ready to party! So, let's find out some great gay venues to hit the night:
The Boat Bar: Only 15 minutes walking from the hotel, The Boat Bar is a major venue for the local gay community of Phuket and its visitors for decades now. It has a daily cabaret show, while a live DJ keeps the spirit alive with all the latest hits.
ZAG Club: Definitely among the most popular gay venues in Phuket, ZAG Club is only 14 minutes walking from Grand Mercure Phuket Patong. You can either enjoy a quiet drink at the club's outdoor terrace, or dance your shoes off at the dance area. If you are not in a mood for dancing, the go-go dancing shows will surely thrill you!
TANGMO: Go-go dancers, drag queens and stunning world-class performances make Tangmo Cabaret Bar the best cabaret show bar to visit in Phuket. There are three nightly shows from 22:30 to 01:00, while male go-go dancers take over the stage during the breaks. And if you are not fond of big shows, you can have a drink at the bar's casual yet elegant terrace bar - ideal for checking out other guys.
Passport Pub: For a casual night whilst in the middle of the gay nightlife, Passport Pub will win your heart with its attentive service, fair prices and go go dancers. The pub has an indoors and an outdoor seating area and it's open until 02:00 am. Click here and get directions from the hotel!
This is only a small part of the gay life in Phuket. Once you are in the town, you will realize that there are so many things to do and places to visit that will surely get you out of program. You can start planning your trip right-away by booking a hotel room here!