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The nightlife in Phuket is infamous. There is something for everyone, whether your preference be for the indoor or open air girlie bars, regular pubs, amazing nightclubs, and thankfully a growing number of trendy bars where customers can enjoy the bars design and surroundings, enjoy quality drinks, and be able to maintain a conversation without losing your voice from having to shout over extremely loud music.

Before we begin, It should be noted that in Thailand the legal minimum drinking age recently changed from 18 to 20 years old, and the bars and clubs can ask for ID and refuse to serve someone who is too young. How this is enforced seems to vary.

As with our general look at the Bars in Bangkok, or Bars in Koh Samui, we are not going to feature the girlie bars, but instead the bars where couples and/or singles can comfortably visit, and have a great time, without being harassed for "ladies drinks" and such. Sure, it is fun, and many would describe it as a must, to at the very least walk down Soi Bangla in Patong once during your stay, but it can quickly become less of a novelty and many travellers to Phuket may well look for somewhere slightly more upmarket.

Having said that, there are a few fun bars down Soi Bangla, and one that stands out is the Irish Pub called Scruffy Murphy's. This pub opens from 10 am to 2am daily and in addition to a very good selection of regular pub food and a few Thai dishes, they feature an excellent band (10pm to 01:30) that plays all the old favourites, and even a fiddle player who never seems to fail in getting the crowd to party that little bit harder.

If pubs are your thing, and you do want to stay away from all the Soi Bangla action, then head to the Jungceylon shopping and leisure complex which is on Rat-Uthit Road at the intersection of Soi Bangla, and right next to the new Millennium Resort Patong Phuket. Jungceylon should be an absolute must-visit for every traveller to Phuket anyway, as it is the best shopping mall available in the whole of Phuket. Not only is the shopping available there excellent, but there are so many restaurants, coffee shops and entertainment options that it would not be surprising to find that many travellers to Phuket will visit Jungceylon at least once per day. From a bar and nightlife perspective, Jungceylon has an Australian pub restaurant called the Hog's Breath, an Irish Pub called the Irish Times, a very large Paulaner Absolute Sports Bar with numerous pool tables, a small German Bar and a few others that serve a variety of drinks in comfortable surroundings. Jungceylon will also be the home to The Bed, which will be run by the same company that runs the extremely popular and almost iconic The Bed Supper Club in Bangkok. The Bed Phuket is expected to open around 24 December 2008.

The Beach Road also has some excellent bars where you can enjoy the sunset or party later on. Bars worthy of a mention include Molly Malone's, Coyote, the famous Banana Disco, and Le Pont. Molly Malone's is a modern Irish style bar, with an indoor and outdoor section, which is suitable for families and singles. As with most bars in Phuket they play all the major sporting events on large screen TV's scattered around the bar. There are also 3 good quality pool tables (30 Baht a game) to the back with sufficient space for a good game of pool without accidentally crippling someone. Molly's is open from early on till closing. The band starts from 10:30 and keeps rocking until 01:30. Coyote Ugly has an outdoor deck on the second floor which is an ideal vantage point from where to watch the sunset or all the street activity that accompanies the day turning into night. Inside the bar is large and Coyote also serves excellent Mexican and Tex Mex cuisine.

Still in Patong, but to the other end of Beach Road head to the La Flora hotel from September/October, as this boutique style hotel is building what should be an amazing restaurant/bar on its roof top overlooking the beach. More on this once it opens.

If you want to enjoy a more romantic evening, listen to some good but not overpowering music and be close to the breaking of the waves on the beach, then head to Joe's. This trendy bar / restaurant is part of the three restaurants that make up the award-winning Baan Rim Pa. Only a few minutes from Patong and almost opposite the Novotel Phuket, Joe's serves international cuisine and has some very romantic enclaves from which you can enjoy Phuket at its finest. Waves breaking on the shore a few feet below add a perfect ambience to a bar where you can enjoy a refreshing drink and fine cuisine in a quiet, classy and relaxing atmosphere. While not strictly a bar, Da Mauirizio which is right next door to Joe's serves excellent Italian food and is a perfect venue to chill out and enjoy a nice bottle of wine or two.

More on the bars in Phuket to come.....

Have you voted yet for your favourite bars in Phuket yet? Premier Travel Awards for Excellence - Vote Now! We also have extensive photo galleries offering different images from around the world. Have a suggestion for a bar we have missed contact us here. Along with all our other country tips and guides, we also cover Bars in Phuket, Bars in Singapore, Bars in Dubai, Bars in Koh Samui, Bars in Hong Kong, Bars in Manila, Bars in Jakarta, Bars in Bangkok and Bars in Vietnam.

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