Patong Beach

Patong Beach (Thai หาด ป่า ตอง) refers to the beach and Phuket town on the west coast of the island. It is the main tourist center of Phuket and shop contains an important center of Phuket nightlife and cheap. The beach became popular with western tourists, especially Europeans, in the late 1980s. Many hotels are located there and the area was expanded into a major tourist mecca.

HistoryPatong Beach is famous for its nightlife and 3.5 km (2.2 miles) beach, the entire length of the west side of Phuket runs. The nightlife is on two main areas Bangla Road and "Paradise Complex" in the middle, with Bangla Road, which is predominantly straight and Paradise Complex Gay. Both streets are lined with bars, discos and bars fed Go Go. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand but tolerated, as in the case of Patong Beach, especially on Bangla Road where is drinking much older western men with young Thai women and transvestites. Most discos in Patong charge a 100 baht entrance, but instead an envelope, which is actually a drink minimum, because you get a voucher and most clubs for 100 baht for most drinks.

On 26 December 2004, Patong Beach along with many other areas along the west coast of Phuket and Thailand by a tsunami in the Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004. The wave caused a great damage to the boardwalk to the beach and the immediate hinterland and many people were slain. Patong was one of the hardest hit areas of Phuket, but the destruction was not as bad as nearby in Khao Lak. Patong is recovering from the tsunami.

Climate
Patong beach, Phuket Province, Thailand.
The island of Phuket has a tropical climate with a dry season from November to April and a rainy season from May to October. Average temperatures are consistent year-round. Average highs range from 29 °C (84 °F) to 33 °C (91 °F); average lows range from 23 °C (73 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F).