Bangla Road / Rat-U-Thit Road Junction
Right at the top of Soi Bangla where it meets Rat-U-Thit road,
lies one of Patong's main party and entertainment zones. Neon nights
and a cacophony of sounds mark lively clubs decorated with seemingly
everlasting balloons and packed into about 100 metres. max attractions
like Club Rio, Rock Hard, on one side, and Tai Pan, VIP
and Baya Beach Club on the other - all next door
to each other, are places to party out until the small hours. In
the side street at the side of VIP, the aptly named Soi
Nam Keng (Soi Ice) provides a perfect place to cool down with
local pubs and cafes.
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While across the road the Margarita
Bar elevated slightly above the street and outdoors, is a perfect
place to people-watch and listen to the live band playing every
evening. Above it is the Bangla Boxing Stadium hosting real
Muay Thai fights and competitions about twice a week. Expect to
pay 700 B for normal seats and 1000 for VIP seats, but they are
not so different. An average of 10 fights last for about 4 hours,
but you can join anytime, or even go in and out as you like once
you have your ticket. Usually the first rounds are very young fighters,
but it gets more serious at the end of the game, Thai supporters
and betters are also fun to watch! Muay Thai is more a Martial Art
than Boxing, so everyone can watch.
Rat-U-Thit Road (Soi Song Roi Pee)
A quieter option to the mayhem of Bangla. Rat-U-Thit runs parallel
to the beach road and offers a different perspective on Patong.
A stroll down Rat-U-Thit Rd, starting at the south end reveals guest
houses, a couple of hotels - notably the beautifully refurbished
Holiday
Inn and a large night market (OTOP) selling handicrafts from
Thai villages, but mainly all the classic copies and fake brands. Over recent years, more and more restaurants have gravitated away
from the expensive beach road towards Rat-U-Thit road. The
result is a truly international selection of quality eating places.
A cluster of middle eastern restaurants proffering hubble bubble
pipes occupy the area near Christin Massage. While Italian,
Indian and Mediterranean restaurants and comfortable lounge bars
with easy chairs dominate the area close to the Holiday Inn.
Soi Sunset Soi Sunset was once a thriving bar street, but much of it has been
torn down to make way for the new TaiLife Health & Leisure
Centre. Only a few bars remain, some which are expected to move
to an area opposite the Expat
Hotel. |
