Hi everyone!

Two of my friends (one guy and one girl) and I are traveling to Phuket in February 2027 with Emirates for 2 weeks. This will be the first trip to Thailand for all three of us, and none of us have much overall travel experience, so we would love to collect as many useful tips and personal insights as possible. 😊

We’ve booked our accommodation at Patong Beach, at "The Deck Condominium." However, we still have a lot of questions, so we’d really appreciate your experiences, tips, and even things you would do differently in hindsight.
Generally, we want to experience a bit of everything: party, explore the island, take day trips and participate in activities, but at the same time relax, spend time at the beach, and simply enjoy the whole trip. So we’re not looking for strictly a wild party holiday or a purely relaxing one—we want to get to know as many sides of Phuket as possible. 😊
For example, we’d be curious to know:

What are your experiences with Patong Beach?

Has anyone stayed at this specific accommodation?

Which neighborhood/area did you like the most in Phuket?

What were your favorite restaurants or local eateries?

What practical things should first-time travelers to Thailand definitely keep in mind?

What are your experiences with Emirates, especially regarding the long-haul flight?

What vaccinations would you recommend?

Which ones did you get?

If we happen to do separate activities—for instance, if one of us goes for a walk alone or we split up in the evening—how safe is it?

Are there any areas or times of day you would avoid?

How much spending money is recommended as a realistic minimum to bring?

Is there any activity, island, beach, restaurant, or bar that you consider a absolute must-visit?

What places or experiences do you think every tourist should definitely try out?

For spending a night out partying, where are the best spots, and what should we rather avoid?

Which beaches, excursions, or island tours would you recommend?

What are the most common mistakes first-time visitors tend to make?

We’ve already researched a ton, but most information online is quite generic, so hearing genuine personal experiences would mean a lot more to us.
Seriously, anything goes: nightlife, beaches, excursions, island tours, food, bars, local tips, transport, safety, money, shopping, or even "definitely do NOT do this" type of advice. 😄

Thank you so much in advance to everyone! 🙏🇹🇭

I’m staying at a villa in Patong for 12 nights, I know we can’t smoke indoors but it shouldn’t be an issue to smoke by the pool?

I really liked the only 20 baht store in Bangkok but Im only traveling to phuket this time, any suggestions for similar stores with cheap prices in phuket? Dollar stores or something similar?

On the gym street in Chalong the most common beginner mistake is walking into a fight camp on day one and deciding after that Muay Thai isn't for them.

The camps here roughly split into three groups by spirit. Soft ones work mostly with tourists: short sessions, no contact. Mixed ones, which are most of the street, split people by level. Fight camps prepare people for actual fights, so clinch and sparring are part of the daily routine.

A normal class runs 1.5-2 hours. It starts with skipping rope, then technique in pairs, and the last part is rounds on pads with a trainer. Nobody throws a beginner into sparring. You get there once you're ready and only if you want to.

Small things for day one: shoes off before the ring and the mats, sneakers on in the weights area, the trainer is kru (Thai for teacher), don't touch a Thai person's head, don't point at people with your foot, wash your hand wraps. Check your travel insurance separately, a lot of policies exclude combat sports.

For people who train here: what type of camp did you start in, and what would you tell someone in their first week?

We are open minded couple in late 30s.
Tonight we want to try massages and any fun.
Just want to understand the vibe here.

Good day,

We are looking for a hair and makeup artist to come to our resort in Khao Lak for an event. We are not looking for bridal makeup etc.

Any recommendations or suggestions?

Thanks a ton!