Pubs and bars at Kamala Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Kamala Beach on the western coast of the holiday island of Phuket stretches from just north of the hectic and bustling town of Patong to Surin Beach. This is a much quieter area than Patong but still boasts a number of bars in three main areas – along the beach itself, in Kamala Village that backs onto the beach and on the main road from Patong to the airport in the north. All offer a wide variety of pubs, bars and restaurants, though in most cases the beer choice is unimaginative, with fizzy, bland lagers the norm.

On the beach

At the northern end of the beach is Skyla’s Beach Bar. This rickety-looking building on stilts is only accessible by climbing rocks and stairs. The view over the beach is tremendous and it is a good place from which to watch the sun set. Very chilled, the bar has a sideline of providing surfing lessons.

The main group of bars on the beach is at the centre, near Kamala Village. The most northern of this grouping is Bob’s Bar, a reggae pub named after Bob Marley. A sand floor reminds you where you are and a pool table provides entertainment. A little further south and jutting onto the beach itself is the Boom Bar, which is a pub and restaurant combined and is good place to watch the waves while sipping a cocktail or glass of beer.

Nearer the southern end, and a little back from the beach front itself is the small but pleasant Banana Bar.

Kamala Village

Tucked away down a little side street off the high street through Kamala Village is Moon Bar (not to be confused with the identically named bar on the beach front). This has the look and feel of a traditional pub. It is darkish, with seating at the bar or around tables. One of the two big screens shows sports while the other has music, normally rock. A pool table sits in the corner.

One of the highlights of the high street through the village is Kho Kee Bar, a combined pub and restaurant, but for those who like the bar atmosphere, just sitting at the bar lets you forget the restaurant part behind you. A big screen shows sports and the barman is happy to chat with customers.

The main drag

Driving or walking up the main drag from Patong to the airport, you know when you are in Kamala because of the large yellow sign viewable from a distance in either direction advertising the location of the Aussie Pub. This very popular venue has multiple large screens showing mostly sports but other channels on request. There is also a small upstairs area with a pool table. This is one of the few places that offers a break from fizzy lagers in that it serves some German bottled beers including the dark and lovely HB Dunkel.

Other places to drink

The stretch of road in which the Aussie Pub sits is littered with pub and bars and can provide on its own multiple pub crawls. The area of he beach front that contains Boom Bar also has a selection of alternatives, as does the high street through Kamala Village. Happy exploring.