By Kevin Wilkeson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger
With beer prices between 40-150 Bhat (about $1-4 USD), Phi Phi Don island in Thailand is a party paradise.
Frankly, I found it much more agreeable than Patong Beach, which I evacuated on a ferry to escape the crudeness of the place and too-aggressive people at the seemingly endless “massage parlors.” Phi Phi Don island reminded me more of what I like when I travel to a party place: something akin to Mykonos in the Greek Islands, tho a heck of a lot cheaper and even more casual. Here, you don’t even need shoes; flip flops are fine.
It doesn’t take long to figure out the landscape on Phi Phi Don and this simple guide to its bars and nightlife will put you right in the action.
Start at Banana Bar, a spacious open-air rooftop bar that has a beer pong table and has movies at night. It’s a great place to meet other travelers and get some keen local insights from the bartenders. If nothing is happening when you get there just hang around because a tide of people are likely to come in at any moment. The food is decent, more sustainable for your party needs rather than a fine culinary experience. And sometimes, that’s all you need.
From there, to to the cluster of small bars to the left. Kongsiam Live Bar is really just a small stage at an intersection where people gather to chat and sing to a band playing on a small stage. While there, you might as well see what’s happening at Jordan’s Irish Pub, Stockholm Syndrome, (a sign on the wall shows its drinks are in three levels: Strong, Stronger and Strongest!). For something completely different – and very Thailand-ish – Reggae Bar is not a regaee bar at all but a Thai boxing ring in which patrons (even girls!) step into the ring and go at it. Patrons can sit down, have drinks, watch and cheer.
About the only other thing to know about bars and nightlife on Phi Phi island are the row of techo bars on the back-side beach. The music is pumping, there’s people doing fire shows and you grab a beer or cocktail and party on the sand. Slinky Bar is is the first of the bars you come to at the end of the street going to the beach.
On that same road is Shripwreck. There’s nothing fancy about this place; it’s just some picnic tables where you can go before and/or after the beach bars.
On the back-side beach, there’s 3-4 bars playing thumping techno. You go up to the bar, get your drink (beer or bucket!) and drink it while dancing on the beach. You can watch or even partake in the fire show. Slinky Bar is usually the most popular of the beach bars, mainly because it’s at the end of the primary street going to the beach.
On that road on the way to the beach is a good place to stop called Shripwreck. It’s a picnic table bar and is an ideal place to take a girl or guy you’ve met on the beach for a few “closing” drinks.
Daytime Drinking: The Booze Cruise
If you’e in for a some daytime drinking, there’s a booze cruises. Boats leave on the beach by Slinky go to Monkey Beach where monkeys crawl on you (know this tho, they do bite!). People also jump off the boat for fun and snorkeling. You can inquire about these boats at Shrpwreck.
So there you go, a quick, simple guide with all the information you need to party hard and have a great time on Phi Phi Don island in Thailand.
Related Post:
• More Details About the Phi Phi Bars And Things To Do There
Kevin Wilkerson is the founder of PubClub.com, an award-winning journalist and nightlife expert who has covered destinations, events and entertainment for more than two decades. While working as a newspaper reporter, he received an Associated Press award for investigative journalism.
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