Phuket's Old Town seems closer to Europe than asia with its cafes and bakeries

What’s there to say about Phuket – if you know, you know right? I thought so too until my most recent visit which unveiled a whole new world, tres European.

What’s there to say about Phuket – if you know, you know right? I thought so too until my most recent visit – my seventh visit to Thailand, and second specifically to Phuket.

Anecdotally most Aussies are staying clear of the holiday hotspot for fear of overcrowding with Russian tourists, and if that’s you, check out these other cheap holiday destinations in Asia.

And they would be right, it’s now as popular with Russian and Chinese tourists as it once was with our lot. Where you would have seen ‘Aussie Bar’ signs, you now see signs for KBAC (kvass, a fermented Russian bread drink, it’s delicious).

The view out over Kata Beach from a viewpoint. Photo: Navarone Farrell.

Thailand’s largest island is now the spot for Russian couples and families escaping harsh winters and the ex-pat community is very clearly growing.

However there’s one spot in Phuket that still provides an incredible cultural, and almost European experience: Phuket Old Town.

When I started backpacking, and for decades before that, it was an affordable haunt for those heading out to the myriad islands from Phuket like Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi: think Leonardo DiCaprio on The Beach.

Touts, guides and taxi drivers would once actively steer you away from the city centre, advising a trip to a secluded beach instead. But the formerly divey town has undergone a rebirth: the Sino-Portuguese (colonial) buildings have been painted pastel colours and others tastefully graffitied.

More examples of the colourful Sino-Portuguese architecture prevalent in Phuket Old Town. Photo: Navarone Farrell.

The shopfronts are no longer cheap bars or travel agents but cafes, legal marijuana shops and bakeries. It’s like Amsterdam and Paris had a baby and someone turned up the temperature.

At peak hours you have to slow your pace for the hordes of happy tourists stopping to snap Insta-perfect selfies with art installations, flower arrangements, lairy dessert spots, or said refurbished colonial buildings reminiscent of Jaipur or Lisbon.

The food is as plentiful and as cheap as it once was and while there are offerings from all around Thailand at two food halls, Local and Street Food Market – a little more tourist friendly, and the Lock Tien Food Hall, a bit more rustic but arguably better value.

Dim sum, som tum (papaya salad) and wonton soup at the Local and Street Food Market.

Pad thai and ancient broth soup at the Lock Tien Food Hall.

But don’t limit yourself to just the local cuisine.

Those hip cafes are brewing up proper barista made iced lattes and cortados that will please a picky Melburnian and if you can’t find a croissant your eyes must be closed.

There’s also excellent vegan offerings at The Vegan Table and House Cafe, high-end Thai dining at The Charm and Raya House, more sushi than you can poke a chopstick (I loved Kazoku) at and best of all – not a single fast-food franchise in sight.

The only downfall of Old Town is that after eating yourself silly and wandering around a stinking hot city, you’re going to want to cool off.

While there’s plenty of accommodation, most is set in those refurbished colonial buildings, leaving no room for pools.

The exterior at The Memory by On On Hotel, a formerly divey hotel from the 2000 film The Beach is now a favourite with everyone for a moody pic. Photo: Navarone Farrell.

Golden hour at The Memory by On On Hotel is peak hour, dodge those selfie snappers! Photo: Navarone Farrell.

I stayed at The Memory at On On Hotel (it’s the one with all the selfie-snappers out front because it’s stunning – and because it featured in the aforementioned The Beach) and as delightful as it was, after three nights I was ready for a dip.

Any of the beaches worth visiting are around 30-40 minutes by car and the ride costs around 1000THB ($43~ AUD) so you won’t be nipping between out of town daily.

The beaches on the west of the island are chockas; the formerly quieter Karon, Kata and Kata-Noi are now bustling hubs sporting beautiful resorts and accommodation ranging from very affordable to high-end. If you’re after something quieter, check out Nai Harn if it’s in the budget, Ra Wai in the south-east, or up north at Kamala, Surin or Bang Tao.

Ra Wai near the fishing pier is wonderfully peaceful and a taste of the old Phuket. Photo: Navarone Farrell.

Scams appear to be at an all-time low, transport is all fixed price and things seem to have taken a turn for the better post-Covid. There are a lot less tourists embarrassing themselves after too many buckets, and far fewer sunburnt (insert country here) punters on scooters and in general, things seem a touch more organised.

Pre-pandemic in 2019 just shy of 40 million tourists visited Thailand. That number has bounced back to around 28 million last year, and despite the drop in numbers it still seems busy, but not without good reason.

Food and drink is cheap – $4 for a meal at a market, $3 for a beer and $2 for a fruit shake – and the accommodation is excellent – not to mention the stunning beaches.

For first time visitors, Phuket is an excellent taster for the country. For experienced travellers, should you go back? Absolutely, check out Old Town, hit the quieter beaches, but then indulge in the rest of the country.

I wouldn’t spend all my time in Phuket again – there’s so much more to see and do in the Land of Smiles, and as someone who should have a stamp card in their passport, I’d advise spending the extra time to get out to the islands, the temple complexes at Ayutthaya or up north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai for some culture – it’s worth it.

Originally published as Phuket's Old Town seems closer to Europe than asia with its cafes and bakeries