Bangla Road
Bangla Road is considered the most party street and nightlife center of the Thai island of Phuket. It is located in its western part, in the famous resort area of Patong. Bangla Road stretches from west to east between Patong Beach Street running along the sea and Ratuthit Songroipi Street. Bangla Road has a continuation to the west, Soi Sansabai Street, which is effectively one with it.
Video: Bangla Road
Contents- Highlights
- Street Vending
- Where to eat on Bangla Road
Nightlife on Bangla Road - Hotels and guesthouses
- Useful tourist information
- How to get there
Highlights
Although Bangla Road is short at only 350 meters long and only takes 5 minutes to walk across, it is known to anyone who has chosen to vacation in Phuket. Bangla Road is filled with bars, restaurants and small stores selling all sorts of things: souvenirs, replica watches of famous brands, kitschy T-shirts, DVDs and even edged weapons.
.Closer to nightfall, the street is closed to vehicles and becomes pedestrianized. All along Bangla Road, brightly colored signs and billboards are lit up and loud music begins to play. At this time, numerous discos, striptease bars and nightclubs open here, providing any services to those who wish. The noisy fun ends in the morning.
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Street Vending
Shops and stalls on Bangla Road are open throughout the day. In the evening, in addition to them, street vendors spread their goods along the road. Inexpensive cotton T-shirts with funny inscriptions such as “Good guys go to heaven, and bad – in Patong” are in great demand among tourists. Travelers are also eager to buy souvenirs, magnets with symbols of Thailand and local handicrafts: sun umbrellas, wooden dishes, ceramics and Thai silk.
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The street is lined with jewelry stores and stalls selling cheap beach goods – swimsuits, swim trunks, flip-flops, shorts, colorful summer dresses, hats, sun glasses, towels and sunscreen. You can always choose inexpensive clothes and shoes here. True, their quality will not be very high.
.Near Bangla Road are very popular in Thailand stores “7-11”, which work around the clock. In them you can buy dairy products, bread, sausage, snacks, pastries, various, including alcoholic, drinks, household chemicals and many useful household trifles.
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Where to eat on Bangla Road
You can buy food, fruits and drinks on the street and grab a snack on the go. There are also many cafes, bars and restaurants open on Bangla Road, so you can’t go hungry. There are popular international chains such as Starbucks coffee and McDonalds. Those wishing to try Thai food can do so almost anywhere.
.Connoisseurs love to visit one of Phuket’s best Indian restaurants, Navrang Mahal, which is located across from Sea Dragon Street. Both meat and vegetarian dishes are skillfully prepared here, and the prices are quite reasonable.
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Those who like to watch sports programs while eating prefer Sharkys American Pub. Recorded sports matches and live broadcasts from competitions are shown here on large plasma panels. Barbecue, hamburgers, smoked ribs and pizzas are the pride of the place. Besides, the pub has billiard tables. Conveniently, Sharkys is also open any day of the week from 8:00 to 2:00.
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Fans of Irish beer are sure to check out the Molly Malone pub. Connoisseurs consider it one of the best drinking establishments in Phuket. Here you can taste quality draught beer and order traditional Irish cuisine. At 9:45 pm every night, this pub hosts a live concert.
.An exotic attraction for Patong’s sweltering heat is the Ice Bar, which is located on Soi Vegas adjacent to Bangla Road. It is full of artificial ice and even the bar counter here is ice cold. The temperature inside stays around -5°C, so the staff work in warm jackets.
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Nightlife on Bangla Road
In terms of the intensity of nightlife and “adult” entertainment, Bangla Road leads the way in Phuket. In this, the street is very similar to Pattaya’s world-famous Walking Street.
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While Bangla Road is sparsely populated during the day, especially in the hot afternoon, it transforms in the evening. Around 6pm, which is when it gets dark in Thailand, the street is closed to all traffic and becomes a large walking area for visitors to Patong. Every evening, a mass of travelers from different countries flock here after spending the day’s hours on beaches, sightseeing and shopping malls.
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Most of them come just to see the brightly colored signs and ladyboys dressed up in women’s outfits, and to listen to live music in the bars. But there are quite a few adventurers who come to this street for all sorts of sex services and entertainment.
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Although prostitution is officially illegal and prosecuted in Thailand, the Bangla Road area is home to many “speakeasy” establishments year-round. Active callers invite gawkers to look into the night bars and discos, to watch entertaining sex programs, lesbian and gay shows, striptease in go-go bars and bouts of Thai boxing – Muay Thai. That said, the shows themselves may be free, but the drinks served during them are expensive – $5-$10, and the price tends to go up several times during the night.
.Those who advertise entertainment services can be seen everywhere during the evening. They may be plainly dressed Thais, young girls, or exuberantly dressed transvestites. They walk around with pre-prepared flyers and advertising posters, which briefly describe the show and set prices. Many love priestesses saunter right along the street.
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Almost all discos on Bangla Road are decorated without much fancy, but there are installed high-quality and expensive acoustics, and therefore the sound is powerful and clear. Here they play music mostly in the spirit of MTV – from popular pop to heavy metal. Discotheques are used much less often than bars to meet local girls.
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Another local entertainment is magicians. They appear on the street in the evening, when the place gets crowded, and gather crowds of curious people around. Besides them, Bangla Road is also home to jugglers, street gymnasts, musicians and artists who draw caricatures and portraits of passers-by for a small fee.
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The main hangout spots are both on the street itself and in the alleyways or “soi” that branch off from it. Most of these places are on the left side of Bangla Road if you are coming from the sea side.
Hotels and Guesthouses
Travelers who love the bustling nightlife prefer to stay close to the famous street. There are many options for accommodation in the vicinity of Bangla Road. Here you can find inexpensive hostels and guesthouses, hotels with private pools, as well as luxury apartments with a wide range of services for guests. Prices per night start at $8 and go up to $2,000.
.Discounts are available for those staying for an extended period of time. Long-term travelers can take advantage of the laundromats, hair salons, massage and beauty salons that are open on Bangla Road and its surrounding alleys.
Useful tourist information
How to get there
From the “capital” of the island – Phuket Town – Bangla Road is 20 kilometers away. From here to Patong Beach, shuttle buses run every half hour from the bus station on Pang Nga Road.
.From anywhere in Patong, Bangla Road is not difficult to walk to. If you wish, you can get here by cab. From the sea side, the entrance to the street is decorated with a tall archway on which its name “Bangla Road” is written. This colorful sign is illuminated at night, so it is impossible to miss the turn to the famous street while walking or driving on Patong Beach.
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