Patongหาดป่าตอง

The questions people ask first about Patong, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

• Cash or card?Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿).Thailand-wide
• SIM or eSIMAIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.Thailand-wide
• Tap waterNot drinkable from the tap.Thailand-wide
• TippingSit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 (≈ US$1–4) or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.Thailand-wide
• Plugs & powerSockets A/B/C/O. US/Canada (A/B): fits · UK/Ireland (G): adapter · Australia/NZ (I): adapter. 220 V: US 120 V-only devices (hair dryers) need a converter; most chargers are dual-voltage.Thailand-wide
• SafetyPatong is busy and generally safe by day; the real risks are traffic, unmarked taxi fares and rip currents in the wet season.

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

• Street or quick mealFried rice or noodle dish฿80–150 (≈ US$3–5)
• Beerlocal bottle at a bar / at a shopCheaper inland around Nanai Road; beachfront bars charge the top of the band.฿60–120 (≈ US$2–4)฿40–60 (≈ US$2)
• Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, about 3 mi (5 km)Short tuk-tuk or minivan hopAgree first; no meter. Fares are set by the driver, so treat ฿200 as a going rate, not a fixed price.฿200 (≈ US$7)
• SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week฿250–500 (≈ US$8–16)
• Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person฿400 (≈ US$13)
• Mid-range bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per room฿1,800 (≈ US$60)
• High-end bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per room฿4,000 (≈ US$130)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ฿1,500 (≈ US$50) · Mid ฿3,000 (≈ US$95) · High ฿6,000 (≈ US$190)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Airports

HKT Phuket International Airport (About 35 km (22 mi) north; 45–60 min by road depending on traffic.)HKT Phuket International Airport (About 22 mi (35 km) north; 45–60 min by road depending on traffic.)

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Budget

฿1,200–2,000 (≈ US$40–65) excl. bed

Mid

฿2,000–4,000 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed

High

฿4,000 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

• Jet-ski rental disputes are a known scam on Phuket: damage claims can run into tens of thousands of baht. Do not hand over your passport as deposit.
• Agree every taxi or tuk-tuk fare before boarding; there is no meter in the minivans.
• Do not buy counterfeit goods; they can be confiscated at the airport.
• Rip currents in the monsoon months (roughly May–Oct): swim between the flags and follow lifeguard warnings.
• The sex industry is visible around Soi Bangla; expect touts and keep valuables out of sight at night.