Phuket Night Life Part 2

Motorcycle Ride Around Phuket Town

Renting motorcycles is a great way to tour the countryside. The rent price range from 200 baht to 400 baht per day, depending on the types of motorcycle. For daily rentals, it is reasonable to expect that the lessor would require your passport as a deposit. And please do not forget your helmet, because if you did not do so, you may be fined up to 300 baht by traffic officers, who supervised the town quite actively.

However, a supposed to be an interesting motorcycle ride can turn into a disastrous experience. It was reported that there are significant cases of motorcycle’s accident (some were deadly) involving foreigners in Phuket. Mine was one of those cases. Hahaha.

A friend of mine expressed his eagerness to try riding the motorcycle while I sat on the back as the passenger. Given his ability to do almost everything well, I did not doubt his ability to ride a motorcycle even though he did not have the experience before. It was my mistake that I did not remind him on how to control a motorcycle. He ended up losing control and we hit another motorcycle parked at the beach.  We sustained minor bruises and scars, but the scariest part is to witness a whole gang of local Thai teenagers went furious. Well, his side mirror was broken, so we deserve it. However, we were lucky that he agreed to let us go without having to pay any compensation. 

So, lesson learnt, if you intend to rent one, make sure you at least know the basic.

To me, riding a motorcycle in Phuket Town is super fun. We traveled around the island for two hours like nobody else’s business. We stopped by three times to fill in the petrol. (by the way, the local people does not call it petrol, they refer it to gasoline instead). We survived the chaotic and horrible traffic in Phuket by riding the motorcycle nice and slow. Besides, by doing so, you are able to enjoy the journey and the scenery. Well, most of the scenery is identical to my hometown in Malaysia, except for the Thai language on the signboards. 

Given Phuket is mountainous, riding a motorcycle (especially when you are carrying passenger), may be a challenging experience. 

Tuk Tuk Ride

Since the resort that we stayed in is fairly near to the Phuket Town, most of the time we walked from the resort to the town. However, since Tuk Tuk is not available in my country, Malaysia (rather we have old men cycling trishaw), I wished to experience the ride. 

Tuk tuk is a three-wheeled pedicabs, motorized by engines. It is vital to negotiate the fare for tuk tuk ride because most tuk tuk driver tend to grossly overcharge tourists. I still remember, for less than 10 minutes ride, we were charged 200 baht, while upon research, we should have been charged 25 baht only!

Remember to always negotiate the price.

Foot Massage, Spa and Souvenir Shopping

Foot massage and spa centre are everywhere in Phuket that most of the time you do not have to search for it. Services are as low as 250 baht per hour. Based on my observations, Thai masseurs are more technically skilled as compared to Cambodian masseurs. While your feet being massaged, you are able to know which part he or she is focussing based on a diagramme hanged on the wall in most massage centres - lung, heart, brain, eyes etc. 

Most of the shops may appear corny. Trust your guts instinct. I chose a massage centre where the front liner is an old lady, with a big family portrait hanged on the wall. Well, in the end, it depends on what you are searching for. 

Other than massage and spa centres, along the way, we encountered various stalls selling souvenirs like t shirt, key chains, fridge magnets. Lots of choice of things you want or you do not want to buy. Knock yourself out. Enjoy. 

Bangla Road

The nucleus of entertainment in Phuket Town. Bars lining up. Music playing out loud. Overly dressed transvestites marching in from every angel towards every angel. Honestly I find them super scary. Unlike those beautiful lady boys in Simone Cabaret, these transvestites were physically large and tall. 

Do not get me wrong, they do not mean any harm, they were just promoting the bars and night clubs. 

Premier Outlet

While riding the motorcycle around Phuket, we came across Premium Outlet of Phuket. We decided to take some rest and take a walk in here, even though we did not have the intention to shop at all. If you are really into shopping, you may want to drop by here. You may want to check the taxi fare from the hotel receptionist. 

Banana Chocolate Pan Cake

Last but not least, I was told by my officemates not to miss two important things in Phuket - Tuk Tuk Ride and Banana Chocolate Pan Cake. Actually it is also available in my country. But who can ever resist combination of pancake, Nutella and banana? The business owner is a Muslim from Bangladesh, he greeted us with Salam. 

Well, that's all I can share from Phuket Town. Let's hope that one day I may be able to experience the island tour around Phuket. 

Till then, adios.

Hairi Tahir