Phuket & the Northern Andaman Coast - Thailand's Islands and Beaches - page 555

(Th Bangla; 9pm-2am) The newest dance club on Patong's sluttiest street takes up the top
two floors of a long-running tin-roof beer and bar girl garden. The crowds descend and
the energy picks up after 11pm.
GAY PRIDE IN PHUKET
Although there are big gay pride celebrations in Bangkok and Pattaya, the Phuket Gay Pride Festival is con-
sidered by many to be the best in Thailand, maybe even Southeast Asia. The date has changed several times, but
it usually lands between February and April. Whenever it blooms, the whole island - but the town of Patong
specifically - is packed with (mostly male) revellers from all over the world.
The main events of the four-day weekend party are a huge beach volleyball tournament and, of course, the
Grand Parade, featuring floats, cheering crowds and beautiful costumes in the streets of Patong. In recent years,
the festival has also included social-responsibility campaigns to increase awareness of child prostitution, sub-
stance abuse and HIV.
Any other time of year, the network of streets that link the Royal Paradise Hotel with Th Rat Uthit in Patong
is where you'll find Phuket's gay pulse. The Boat Bar OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 0 7634 2206;
www.boatbar.com ; 125/20 Th Rat Uthit; 9pm-late), Phuket's original gay nightspot and still its only disco, is
usually jumping with a lively, mostly gay crowd. Make sure to arrive before the midnight cabaret! There's an-
other good cabaret, some might say the original, at nearby My Way OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (125/15-17
Th Rat Uthit; 9pm-late). For updates on future festivals or for more information about the scene in general,
go to Gay Patong ( www.gaypatong.com ).