Puketas Patongas

We spent the last six nights in Patong, Phuket. Our accommodation, with a pool, was just a few hundred meters from the sea and only a five-minute walk from the bustling atmosphere of Patong. For the first two days, we rented a scooter for 150 Baht per day, which is equivalent to 4.50 Swiss Francs. After driving just a few meters, we realized how difficult it was to navigate on the road without causing an accident. Every driver did as they pleased, overtaking on both the left and right. The trick was simply not to stop - otherwise, you would be lost in this chaos. We visited the Big Buddha, a 45-meter high statue that offers a beautiful view of the island. On the fourth day, we met up with a friend and her parents, who were also vacationing in Phuket. Together, we went to Phuket Town, the capital of the province. We strolled along Thalang Road in the old town, which is characterized by Chinese-Portuguese-style buildings and many small shops. We ended the evening with a cozy dinner together. The next morning, I woke up feeling very nervous because I was getting my second tattoo. A Bamboo Tattoo, which is the traditional Thai tattoo art, is done by hand using a needle attached to a bamboo stick. The pain was bearable during the one-hour process, and I was very satisfied with the result. On Saturday afternoon, we rode our scooter to Surin Beach. It is a 1 km long white sandy beach with fantastic blue water. We enjoyed the hot temperatures. On our way back, we encountered a police checkpoint. In the days leading up to this, we had observed the Thai police checking every tourist on a scooter. The officer in uniform asked us to show our entire luggage. Everything was thoroughly checked, especially my brother's cigarette box. At that time, we didn't understand the purpose of the check, but we were relieved to not receive any fines, even though we only had a scooter license from Switzerland. In the evening, we met my friend in Patong to show her the nightlife on the famous 400-meter-long Bangla Road. One bar after another lines this street, and loud music blares from various corners. You walk among hundreds of tourists, and every 5 meters you are approached by scantily dressed women inviting you into their bars. Among the crowds, there are also touts trying to convince you to watch the famous Ping-Pong Show and spectacularly dressed Ladyboys with whom you can take photos. As we walked along the street, a very discreet offer of original packaged cigarette box was made to us. It was only upon taking a second look that I realized the boxes contained marijuana. Now we understood the purpose behind the police checkpoint. A few minutes later, a tourist was escorted away in a police car with flashing lights. I was glad not to be in his shoes because anyone involved with drugs here would have a big problem. We enjoyed the last hours of the evening with a drink. We really enjoyed our time in Phuket and appreciated the diversity of the island. Most days had beautiful weather, although we were occasionally surprised by rain showers. The following day, we continued our journey to Ko Yao Yai.

Created: 24.11.2019