Patong is probably not what you have in mind when planning to visit the salt-white beaches of Phuket -- unless lady boy cabarets, ping pong shows and hoards of 20-something intoxicated tourists strikes your fancy. Cancun spring break veterans jaunt down endless rows of Irish and Australian pubs with names like "The G Spot," the stories above them reminiscent of Amsterdam's red light district, but behind boarded windows. But Patong has one redeeming factor definitely worth the trek from another destination, like Evason Phuket or Indigo Pearl.
Its night market offers some of the best local fare on the island, without inflated prices or forceful wooing. Since it closes before the night creatures descend on town, you won't have to defend your bounty against the drunks.
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night, local food vendors line the corner of Thanon Rathutit Songroipi at a block south of Thanon Bangla to offer up local specialties. For what natives contend as the best Pad Thai on the island -- the chef doesn't crack an egg until you specify shrimp or chicken ($2) -- begin with the first booth at the east end of the market. Make your way down the tightly packed aisle, gawking at seafood fresher than you see back home.
Take your pick from crab meat heaped onto a paper plate, spritzed with lime and green pepper sauce, or skewers of locally-caught squid, octopus or shrimp that are barbecued to order, sliced, and tossed in a bag of homemade chili sauce for $1.50 each; a platter of nigiri -- salmon, crab, roe and more are all on the table -- for 20 cents a piece; lightly fried quail egg -- 9 for under a dollar. The best part? With about 25 other vendors, and almost everything under $2, the meal doesn't end there.
