Look, there are about a thousand “Top Things to Do in Phuket” articles out there. Most of them are written by someone who visited for a week, Googled the Big Buddha, and called it a day. That’s not what this is.
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I’m JD Simpson. I’ve been living in Phuket for over 8 years with my wife and our two French bulldogs — Denzel and Coco — and I run a YouTube channel called Thailand Stuff where I vlog everything we actually get up to on this island. No sponsored resort reviews. No drone shots of temples I’ve never been to. Just two people, a GoPro, and whatever stuff Phuket throws at us. If you want to see how it all started, watch our first video here.
This guide is built from real experiences: eating live shrimp at a night market, attempting wake surfing on a windy afternoon, hiking to a waterfall in 35-degree heat while my wife packed a bikini but forgot her shoes. Real stuff.
So whether you’re visiting Phuket for the first time or you’ve been here a while and want to get off the tourist trail — pull up a chair, grab a passion fruit soda (25 baht, cheers), and let’s get into it.
Phuket has beaches for every mood. The trick is knowing which one to hit depending on what you’re after. I spent a full day doing a proper beach crawl — Nai Harn, Kata, and Patong — and each one is a completely different world. You can watch that whole day unfold here.
Nai Harn is probably my favourite. I’d been avoiding it for months because I heard it was packed with foreigners. Total lie. It’s chilled, the waves when they’re up are massive, and there are 50-odd surfers out there stacking it all day. The area around it is surprisingly well open — restaurants, cafes, a couple of bars with music. It’s got a proper local feel without being totally dead.
Kata is the surfer’s playground. Out of all the beaches I’ve visited on this island, this one is consistently the most alive. Surf shops every ten steps where you can rent a board for 200 baht an hour or get a full lesson for 800–1,000 baht. My wife had a go. She was terrified and shaking before she got in the water. She stood up on her first proper run. Kata will do that to you.
Patong is the loud one. You either love it or you’re trying to escape it. The beach itself is brilliant — a long stretch of sand on a crescent bay with everything you need within stumbling distance. By day it’s sunbeds and fresh fruit. By night, Bangla Road takes over. More on that below.
Chillva Market has become a bit of a regular for us. I filmed a whole video there and it’s one of those places that sounds simple — market, food, shops — but ends up being one of the highlights of any trip. Watch the full Chillva Market vlog here.
The headline attraction for us is the French Bulldog Barber Shop inside the market. Denzel and Coco absolutely lost their minds meeting the resident Frenchies. It’s a proper little barbershop where I get my hair cut for 150 baht. My barber in England was charging me £35. I think about that every single time I sit down.
After the haircut, head to Frenchy Corner for French bulldog-shaped pastries — Nutella, ham and cheese, custard, all 39 baht each. My wife tried to win one from the claw machine. She didn’t. I didn’t help.
The rest of the market has fresh passion fruit juice (25 baht), a little dog accessories shop at the back (we got Coco a new collar — allegedly Gucci, 300 baht, haggled to 250), and a load of food stalls, clothes and random bits. Sometimes there’s a live band on in the outdoor area. Open Mon–Sat, 11am–10pm.
Chillva Market (Sugar Market) — City centre, Phuket. Open every day except Sunday, 11am–10pm.
Phuket’s food scene is one of the best arguments for moving here. I did a full video on the weird stuff we’ve eaten at the market and I’ll be honest — I was not prepared. Watch: WTF Did We Just Eat?
On a typical market wander you’ll find: spicy chicken tenders, squid balls, cheese balls, eggs on sticks, fried mussels, fresh orange juice, and those rolled ice cream things where they scrape oreo-chocolate ice cream into little rolls right in front of you. I got one. My stomach argued with me later. Still worth it.
Then there’s the stuff that takes a bit more courage. Live jumping shrimp — still alive when they hit your mouth. My wife ate them. I filmed her face. She said it was “a bit spicy.” There’s also grasshoppers, squid mouth, and various bugs. They’re not bad — salty, like very salty crisps. Just… with legs.
If you’re new to Thai food, here’s my actual shortlist. Massaman Gai (chicken massaman curry) is the one I always come back to — big chunks of chicken, rich sauce, incredible. The best I’ve had is at Ban La Mai on Patong beach. Highly recommend.
Pad Thai is the safe option and everyone cooks it well here. Ask for mai phed (not spicy) if you can’t handle heat. Sixty-baht noodle soup from a street stall is Michelin-starred in Phuket — yes, really.
Thailand Tip #1: Say tao rai? (“how much?” in Thai) instead of asking in English. Watch the price change. Works every time.
This one surprised me. We went wake surfing with our neighbours Hugo and Peloni and none of us had done it before. Hugo claimed he was a “professional.” He was not a professional. Watch the full wake surfing video here.
We did a little side competition — last one standing wins 900 baht (300 baht from everyone else). I lasted nearly four minutes on the rope. Our mate Dan did 15 seconds without holding the rope, which technically made him the best. My wife stood up on the board. I was prouder of her than she was.
All in, it worked out at around 750 baht each for a solid amount of time on the water. The boat was brilliant, the staff were great, and the whole thing is one of those activities where everyone’s falling off and everyone’s laughing. 10 out of 10, my wife said. You heard it here first.
On the drive home we also clocked the Phuket Wakeboard Cable Park — a cable wake system where you can ride rails and go over jumps without needing a boat. Some proper tricks happening in there. Definitely one to come back to.
We lived near Kathu Waterfall for months and somehow never went. Classic expat thing. When we finally made the effort, it was a proper little adventure. Watch the Phuket Waterfall vlog.
There’s a 15-minute walk up some stairs from the car park — in full Phuket heat, which means you need water and you need to accept that you’re going to sweat through your shirt immediately. There are a few smaller falls on the way up. The second one is the best of the bunch: a nice cool spot where you can swim, local kids jumping off the rocks and making it look easy.
The grand finale at the top was a slight disappointment. The second waterfall more than makes up for it.
It’s surrounded by jungle, feels like Jurassic Park, and cost us nothing to get in. My wife rated it 5 out of 10. I’d say 7. Go and rate it yourself.
Kathu Waterfall — Kathu district, free entry, 15-min walk from the car park.
We found Three Monkeys partly because we ran out of petrol nearby. What followed was one of the best afternoons we’ve had in Phuket. Watch the Three Monkeys vlog here.
The headline is Kopi Luwak — the world’s most expensive coffee. Made from beans processed by a civet cat (before you leave: yes, it does just taste like coffee — very good coffee). Served in a fancy glass kettle contraption with pink syrup, 600 baht for four shot glasses’ worth. We tried it. Worth it.
The ribs — which the sign outside calls “the best ribs in the world” — are 450 baht, and the meat falls straight off the bone. My wife gave them high marks. No complaints from me except they could have given more sauce.
Beyond the food, Three Monkeys is loaded with Instagram spots: swings, air-conditioned pods, a roller coaster (8am–5pm), a 500-metre zip line with 16 platforms, and a skywalk through the trees. My wife spent a geological age taking photos. I pushed the button and called myself a professional photographer.
Three Monkeys — Near Phuket City Centre. Kopi Luwak 600B · Ribs 450B · Roller coaster & zip line open 8am–5pm daily.
CBD is legal in Thailand and Phuket has some great spots for it. Our go-to is Phuket Filling Station, located on what we call “Soi Muay Thai” — a road packed with gyms, healthy cafes and vegan spots. Watch our CBD day out here.
We tried the CBD brownie (premium chocolate — tastes like a very good brownie, nothing suspicious about it), the rose CBD tea (my wife’s pick, smells and tastes exactly like roses), and a CBD almond cookie. The lemon honey soda is worth getting even without the CBD. Friendly staff, healthy vibe, a great spot if you’re curious about what Thailand’s wellness scene looks like.
Phuket Filling Station — Soi Tai-Ad (Soi Muay Thai), Phuket. Look for the row of gyms — you can’t miss it.
Patong gets a lot of stick from long-term expats who are over it. I get that. But if you’re visiting for the first time, it’s still worth a day. We did a full Patong update video here.
The beach during the day is genuinely good. Ban La Mai restaurant on the beachfront has consistently been one of my favourite spots on the island — best massaman curry I’ve ever had, brilliant staff, great service. We’ve eaten there during a storm, pad thai in the rain, and still had an amazing time.
At night, Bangla Road is the Bangla Road. Neon lights, music from every direction, street performers, open-air bars, live bands, nightclubs. It’s loud and chaotic and not for everyone. But walk through it once, even if you duck into a quieter side-street bar. It’s one of those Phuket experiences that’s just… Phuket.
Thailand Tip #2: Always negotiate in Thai — say tao rai? before they quote you in English. The number will be different. Guaranteed.
Sometimes you want to swap the market food and the motorbiking for somewhere that has sun loungers, a swim-up bar, and staff who bring you things. Le Méridien Beach Resort in Phuket is that place. We did a full day there and it’s one of those resorts that reminds you why people fly thousands of miles to get to this island. Watch our day at Le Méridien here.
It’s not an everyday kind of spot — but as a one-off treat, or if you’re travelling with someone who wants the luxury beach resort experience alongside the street food and chaos, it fits perfectly. The beach is calm, the grounds are beautiful, and they know how to look after you.
One thing about Phuket that not enough people talk about is how liveable it actually is. This isn’t just a holiday destination — it’s a place where people build whole lives, work remotely, launch businesses, and settle properly. I know because I did it.
If you’re here working remotely or thinking about making Phuket more than just a holiday, Denz Phuket on Patong Hill is the kind of place that makes it easy. Hilltop coworking café, solid internet, sea views, proper coffee, and a crowd of digital nomads and long-term expats who all know what a productive day looks like. The kind of spot where you get a full day’s work done and still make it to the beach before sunset.
Eight years in, here’s what I actually know:
Get a motorbike or scooter. Ours is a 50cc — the Hot Rod. Around 3,000 baht a month to rent. Goes everywhere, parks anywhere. You will not regret it.
It rains here — a lot, especially in rainy season. Everyone hides under the nearest shelter and waits it out. This is the correct approach.
Learn three Thai phrases: “sawasdee khrap/ka” (hello), “khop khun khrap/ka” (thank you), and tao rai? (how much?). You’ll use all three every single day.
Take your dogs to Chillva Market. They will meet French bulldogs. It will be the highlight of their week.
Phuket is cheaper than you think if you do it right. 150B haircut. 39B Nutella pastry. 25B passion fruit juice. 450B “best ribs in the world.” The tourist price and the local price are different — learn a few words and you’ll get the better deal.
Phuket isn’t perfect. The Patong traffic does my head in. Rainy season means some days you’re basically trapped inside. And finding a decent chocolate bar that tastes like home is genuinely impossible.
But eight years on, I’m still here. Still finding new things to eat, new places to go, and new experiences that remind me why I came. Still dragging Denzel and Coco along for the ride.
That’s what Phuket does. It keeps you.
Watch our adventures on Thailand Stuff on YouTube, and if you’re in Patong and want to work remotely with a view, go find Denz Phuket up on the hill. You’ll be glad you did.
See you out there!
by Denz Team
by Denz Team
by Denz Team
by Denz Team
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Denz: Co-Work, Co-Eat, or Co-Chill with a breathtaking view of Patong Bay. Our tranquil mountain location in Phuket is perfect for relaxation. Sip on a refreshing fruit juice on our balcony and take in the beauty of Phuket.
Open Monday to Friday, 10:00 AM – 11:30 PM
