This is where it all started
Patong in Phuket is where we first experienced Asia some 8 years ago. We also revisited the area again 6 years ago and we thought that we had pretty much done the area.
A lot of travel for us has past since then and we now have a whole heap of Asia experiences ticked off the list.
An opportunity arose for us to retrace our steps and take a trip down memory lane to see just how the area had changed over 6 years and maybe even discover how we have changed since our last visit. It was certainly not high on our list to come back as we remembered the travellers we were back then compared to the travellers we are today.
Has Patong changed or have we changed
There was no flashy hotels in the middle of the action for us this time. We stayed just out of the inner circle but still a walk into the hustle and bustle. The Patong Mansion ticked all the boxes for us and they upgraded us to a superior room which came with a balcony and an outlook on the 6th floor. At $52nz a night, it was at the lower end of the scale for accommodation in the touristy town.
Street side view of Hotel
It was like visiting an old friend or neighbour, retracing our old haunts in Patong. Yes there has certainly been progress in the way of buildings and construction. Yes, the footpaths have also improved and there is a certain amount of regulatory restrictions put in place with regards to rubbish, roading and the amount of deck chairs on the beach. There are safety measures now in place for swimmers and water sport activities.
We did find that the town is a lot cleaner (although you still get that whiff as you step over the drainage grates in the footpaths!). The stallholders even seem less aggressive when touting for business.
We found that we were able to step back from all the craziness and look at it from a different perspective. We saw what gives Patong its character. Quite different to all the other towns and city’s we have visited, the assault on your senses is what gives this tourist town its uniqueness.
The myriad of stalls, shops and malls along with the lines of tuk tuks and taxi’s. The fruit vendors and pancake makers next to the massage and nail parlours.
And then there is the infamous Bangla Road. Now that has not changed. Some of the bars have gone but have been replaced with new bars – along with the girls dancing around the poles, traded in for newer, younger versions.
Colourful and brash Bangla Road
As Bangla Road comes to life after dark, the road is blocked off to traffic and the open-fronted or outdoor bars turn up the music so that it all blends into a mess of mixed beats. Street performances are also common most nights, which can make dodging around the tailor shop salesmen, leaflet distributors (usually for a ping pong show) and street vendors more difficult but it’s all part of Patong’s character.
We’re glad we gave Patong another chance
Since our dramatic change in the direction of our life, we have a different aspect on our surroundings and how we see places and people. How would we see Patong now compared to our last visit?
It made us realize that it’s not easy to put a label on something and sum up something or someone in a few words. There are so many variables to everything and everyone will have their own label or take on a place. Patong is such a place. Although we would not rate Patong as a destination we would want to spend a lot of time in anymore, it is certainly a town we think is worthy of visiting and discovering your own take on it’s quirks, character and finding different layers of this fascinating tourist town (warts and all).
Patong is not a sterile town where the surroundings are so clinical that it lacks sole. It is rather a place with a very colourful character but it is not to be taken lightly. You do need to have your wits about you and although we always felt safe, there is a darker character that no one would want to discover.
Enjoy our video below of our short stay in Patong.