Whatever you desire, you can find it in Patong, is not an exaggerated statement if it refers to Phuket's world-famous Patong Beach. During the day, one can enjoy sand, sea and sun on the crescent-shaped, powder-white sandy beach dotted with colorful beach umbrellas and lapped by crystal-clear water ranging in color from emerald to blue and turquoise depending on the season, climate or time of day.
From sunset to dawn, Patong is wide awake with its wide range of entertainment, particularly in Soi Bang La, otherwise known as Phuket's "Patpong" district, named after Bangkok's raunchy Patpong Road known for its bars and girls where everyone can have fun and enjoy life as if there's no tomorrow.
Patong is also a shoppers paradise, with "fake" brand-name products, which even experts have difficulty to distinct from real, openly displayed in stalls along the beach front.
Patong offers international cuisines that would please even the most discriminating palate if price is no object to your wallet, yet it also boast a wide variety of inexpensive local food including sticky rice, papaya salad, and rice and curry in food stalls along Rat-Uthis-Bicentennial Road.
Patong has gone a long way since Western hippies discovered the natural beauty of the spot three decades ago. Today, tourists from all parts of the world can find diverse and multi-dimensional attractions on this side of Phuket.
Unfortunately, the beach has little space for local tourists, with most attractions catered for foreign visitors. Phuket has become such a popular tourist destination that today, foreigners outnumber locals in many of the island's busy tourist spots, making Thais feel a bit of an alien in their own country.
Other popular, less crowed white sand beach destinations in Thailand can be found on Koh Chang Island, Thailand second largest tropical island after Phuket.
