PHUKET -- area code (66-76)

Click here for more info on the Phuket Gay Festival. Pictures from the 2006 7th Annual Phuket Gay Festival Click here for pictures and a report from the 2005 Phuket Gay Festival Click here for pictures and a report from the 2004 Phuket Gay Festival Click here for pictures and a report from the 2003 Phuket Gay Festival Click here for pictures and a report from the 2002 Phuket Gay Festival Click here for pictures and a report from the 2000 Phuket Gay Festival

Phuket is so large it is practically a peninsula rather than an island. The most popular resort town is Patong Beach, about 45 minutes drive southwest from the airport. This well-developed tourist resort caters to huge numbers of visitors from around the world, but seems to appeal especially to Europeans. There are only a half dozen hotels right on the beach, the rest spread back across the main beach road (the layout is very similar to Pattaya). Nearby Phuket Town is filled with Sino-Portuguese architectural treasures: beautiful old shophouses and mansions built by Phuket's wealthy merchants. Sun-splashed weather, fresh seafood feasts, and carefree nights bathed in an ocean breeze is the lifestyle enjoyed here.

Phuket's gay nightlife is mostly centered in the sprawling Paradise Complex, a couple of blocks back from the ocean on the second major road that parallels the beach. This rather ugly beehive of concrete shophouses has been colorfully colonized by Phuket's gay community and there are lots of bars, restaurants, guesthouses and shops here as well as the popular gay disco, Boat Bar.

Phuket's population is over 300,000 and growing (that's over 12,000 Utopians, not counting the tourists).

• Lesbian listings
• Men in Phuket message board
• Phuket Gay Scene Updates message board
• Travel in Phuket message board
• Some helpful resource sites include Gay Phuket or Gay Patong Beach.
• Phuket is a beautiful place to visit, and you may find great hotel deals on some of the seaside rooms. Last minute hotel deals offer great deals, though if you prefer planning ahead, just be sure to look online for your travel deals.

The updated and expanded Utopia Guide to Thailand offers a comprehensive glimpse at the gay and lesbian scene in 23 cities including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, and Pattaya. Listings include organizations, bars, discos, accommodations, spas, restaurants, and more. A special section highlights venues that are especially welcoming for women. Enjoy savvy comments and recommendations from hundreds of local Utopians and gay travelers. Click here to order the collector's First Edition

Warnings from Utopians:

"Please be aware of a rip-off for unsuspecting tourists. The limo transfers from the airport (Phuket Limousine and Business Service Co-Operative Ltd.) is hijacking every customer to their sales office (Phuket Easy World Travel) half-way to Patong Beach where a sales pitch was offered before you reach your destination. Even though they were nice and I have declined their services with a smile, it added another 45 minutes to our commute to our hotel. Freedom beach (B$1,000. for the boat ride) isn't gay at all. It is filled with European family/seniors. I wished there was a gay section of the beach. Hey, that might not be a bad idea..." -- Azthairub, Feb 19, 2006

• paradisegaywedding
  28/3 Wiset Rd, 087-884-5069, email. Gay wedding and day trip planners to remote and romantic islands and beaches in the Andaman Sea. Utopia Member Discount

Purple Dragon 119/5-10 Surawong Rd, Bangkok, (662) 238-3227, FAX (662) 634-0292, email. Asia's oldest and largest gay tour company offers hundreds of options using local English-speaking guides throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), India, China, Singapore and Bhutan. Specializes in programs focusing on culture, cuisine, adventure and aesthetic improvement programs. Utopia Member Discount

• Playboy Diving
  7/5 Sawadirak Soi Yay yui, Patong Beach, 076-296-402, 24-hour contact: 081-077-1418, email. Full range of PADI scuba diving courses as well as diving and snorkeling day trips in the beautiful Andaman Sea of Phuket. Serving the main Phuket tourist areas of Patong, Kata, Karon, Chalong and Phuket Town. Gay-owned (learn to dive with one of us, not some straight beach cowboy). E-mail for a full color e-brochures of courses and trips. Utopia Member Discount
• SBY Leisure Tour and Travel
  133/15 Paradise Complex, Patong Beach, 076-344-831, FAX 076-344-826, email. Located in the heart of the gay entertainment precinct in Paradise Complex. A gay-owned and licensed travel agent in Patong on the Island of Phuket. They can service all your requirements for hotels, package tours and airfares. You can drop by their bar SBY SBY after your tour and tell them how everything went.

Click here for Phuket hotels and accommodations.

• Phuket FantaSea
  Not gay, but lots of bare-chested Thai dancers (sit close) in an over-the-top pageant spectacular featuring an on-stage rain storm, bungee-jumping trapeze artists, a herd of 30 elephants, explosives and Thai dance mixed into an incomprehensible camp sampler, fittingly subtitled "Culture Illusion Show". Don't miss it!
• Sphinx Theatre
  Andaman Promenade, 120 Rad Uthit Rd, Patong Beach, reservations: 076-341-500, email. On the second floor above the fabulous Sphinx Restaurant is a luxurious and intimate theatre purpose built for their talented dance troupe, "The Pharaohs". Two shows nightly (except Tues)at 9pm and 10:30pm. Patong's finest entertainment, with an eclectic choice of repertoire, from Lloyd Weber's Cats to exotic Thai dance and more.

Click here for Phuket bars and clubs.

Click here for Phuket cabaret.

Click here for Phuket discos.

Click here for Phuket karaoke.

Click here for Phuket massage for men.

• Beach area in front of The Beach Resort Hotel and the Patong Beach Bungalows. Local gays and their admirers hang out there in the afternoon, playing volleyball in front of the Thai Marine Rescue Station.
• Suan Luang Park in Phuket Town. Local gays meet from 8pm-2am.

• Baan Yin Dee Restaurant & Grand Piano Bar
  7/5 Muean Ngern Rd, Patong Beach Kathu, 076-294-104, 076-294-105, FAX 076-294-108, email. A chic fusion restaurant adjacent to the Baan Yin Dee Boutique Resort. A warm, relaxed and stylish atmosphere, with a discreet ambience and outstanding service, offering a flavor fusion of East and West. Choose from an extensive gourmet menu, including delicious mouth-watering tenderloin steaks and peppered prawns, or traditional Thai cuisine, accompanied by fine wines, and relax to the romantic grand piano through the night. Do-it-yourself grill and Chef Pick of the Day. Also offering a fine selection of Cuban cigars. Breathtaking views of Patong Bay in the evening, it is a place not to be missed when you dine out in Phuket. Utopia Member Discount
• Club One Seven Lounge and Restaurant (Thai)
  9/9-10 Prachanukorh Rd, Patong Beach, 076-341917, 076-341-605, FAX 076-341-684, email. Gay restaurant providing home-style Thai cuisine for lunch and dinner at reasonable rates. Very Cozy, with artistic decor. Indoor seating in aircon or outdoor seating in a private garden setting. Free Internet WIFI. Breakfast from 8-11am, lunch 11:30am-3pm, and dinner from 5-10pm. Utopia Member Discount
• Connect Internet Cafe and Guesthouse
  125/8-9 Rath-U-Thit Rd (on the "in soi" Paradise Complex), 076-294-195, email. Popular hang-out and cozy guest rooms. Thai and Farang food in an open-air cafe that's a great place to watch the nightlife crowds. Open morning until late night. Gay owners and staff.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "The two bosses and staff (Boy, Vicky) here made me feel welcome and warm. I'll go back again." -- austin, Nov 13, 2007

• Drunken Monkey Restaurant & Bar (British)
  21/6 Viset Rd, Rawai (see map on their website), 081-087-8742, email. Gay-owned and run restaurant offering a contemporary British menu including breakfasts and Sun roasts with Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Their motto: come as a stranger, leave as a friend.
• Kenya's (Thai and seafood)
  Soi Permpong 3, just off Thaweewong Rd (Beach Road), about 50 meters from the beach, 076-345-783. Kenya's second restaurant (see Kenya's Sea Hag below) specializes in steaks, lobsters and fine continental cuisine.
• Kenya's Sea Hag (Thai and seafood)
  Soi Permpong 3, just off Thaweewong Rd (Beach Road), about 50 meters from the beach, 076-345-783. The Patong Beach flagship for excellent cuisine brings. This classy, modern restaurant draws a strong gay following. The seafood is tops, and effervescent chef Kenya will fill you in on the latest happenings on the local scene.
• La Diva
  204/44 45 Soi Ladiva Ratauthid 200 Year Rd, email.
• La Salsa (Latino)
  Beach Rd, in front of Phuket Cabana Hotel, 076-340-138. Big, colorful cocktails in proper, chunky glasses, icy margaritas in endless tasty variations, and spicy snacks. Great place to sit and watch the parade of faces and bodies on the main drag.
• Lanna Thai Restaurant and Bar (Thai and international)
  159/7 Nanai Rd (opposite Mae Ubul Market), 076-512-155, English: 087-282-5086, Thai: 081 268 4856, email. Restaurant and bar in this gay-owned guesthouse. Handsome gay staff. Outdoor terrace. Good choice of Thai and international food.

  Lim's Restaurant & Bar (modern Thai) 28 Phrabaramee Road Soi 7, 076-344-834, email. Phuket's first upscale gay-owned restaurant is also one of the most stylish restaurants on the island. A short drive from Patong Beach, in a lovely garden setting. Modern interior with art and photography on display and clever architectural segues that bring the garden into the interior. Daily set menu as well as a la carte dining. The food is a simple, urban take on popular Thai dishes with dashes of regional Asian flavor. The crowd is classy and you'll usually see movers from the local gay community. Closed Wed.

• Newspaper Restaurant (Thai and European)
  Paradise Complex (opposite Tangmo Club). Live music from local singers. Ground floor open air or second floor Japanese style seating with air-con. Open all date and into the wee hours.
• Rim Suan (Thai and western food)
  5/13-15 Aroonsom Square, Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Rd, 076-345-679. Located on the ground floor of the hotel, next to reception. A cozy place decorated in Thai style to blend in with the natural surroundings. It also has an outdoor garden dining area to its rear where you can relax under palm trees, and the stars.
• Siam Restaurant (Thai food)
  135/8 Rat-U-Thit Rd, Paradise Complex. Gay-owned restaurant and coffee spot, with excellent cuisine. This popular hang-out is filled with charming antiques and Asian decor. Open late.

  Sphinx Restaurant & Theatre Andaman Promenade, 120 Rad Uthit Rd, Patong Beach, email. New in Phuket! Enjoy the famous Sphinx Thai cuisine and friendly professional service that they've been offering for over ten years in Bangkok, garnering awards and rave reviews along the way. Elegant, extremely comfortable, with a view onto a lush garden and pond. Cozy, full service bar with a vast choice of cocktails. The wine cellar offers a comprehensive selection of fine vintages from around the world. And, of course, charming and well-trained staff are one of the secrets to their success. Upstairs is a plush theatre, purpose built for Sphinx’s exclusive dance troupe, "The Pharaohs", who will entertain you with energetic performances of Thai cultural dance, Broadway classics, popular musical favorites. Closed Tues. Utopia Member Discount

Click here for Phuket saunas for men.

• Modern Model Studio
  141/10 Ta-U-Thit Rd, Paradise Complex, 076-341-917. Gay-run beauty salon.
• Sak Collection
  70/178 Rat-uthid Road, Patong Beach. Silverware, tableware, decor and artsy things for the home.
• Wiwat Haute Couture
  70/90 Rat-uthid Rd, Patong, 076-341-958. Funky and colorful fashion, art and style from the imagination of designer Khun Wiwat. Visit his shop right in the heart of Patong's gay attractions.