My last day in Phuket started with fresh seafood noodles from a street stall near Patong Beach. The vendor cooked everything in front of me, pad thai style with vegetables and savory sauce. I carried it to the beach and ate it with a dragon fruit juice watching the boats in the bay. That meal cost less than 2 euros.

Patong is busy and it knows it. The beach itself is long and well maintained. The water was warm and clear when I went in, which was around midday. Then I got stung by a jellyfish. Not dramatic, just painful enough to remind me that the ocean is not a swimming pool. A beach vendor immediately appeared with a fresh aloe vera leaf, cut it open, and applied the gel directly to my skin. It cost about 50 baht. It helped immediately.

The evening walk along the coastline is where Patong earns its reputation. Bangla Road lights up at night with bars, music, and more people than you would think could fit into one street. The massage spots along the side streets charge around 150 to 250 baht for a full hour, which converts to under 5 euros. I had a massage almost every day in Phuket and I already miss it.

My honest verdict on Phuket: it is more touristy and more expensive than other parts of Thailand. The day trips to islands cost a lot and some are not worth the price. But the daily life, the beach food, the massages, and the sunsets are genuinely good. You just have to get off the main tourist strip to find them.

If you are going to Phuket, stay near Patong for access, but eat where the locals eat and walk one street back from Bangla Road for everything else.