Patong and Karon are two neighboring beach towns located on the west coast of Phuket. These are some of the most popular areas to stay in Phuket. They are known for their beautiful beaches, vibrant nightlife, central location, and wide range of tourist amenities.
In this article, I will show you the similarities and differences between Patong and Karon. These include aspects such as location, accommodations, nightlife, shopping, dining, and beaches.
I’ve traveled all around Thailand, including Phuket, so I hope to give you the best possible comparison between these two beach towns. If you are searching for which is better, Patong or Karon, keep reading.
Is it better to stay in Patong or Karon Beach?
I personally stayed in both Paton and Karon. I was a solo female traveler who enjoyed sightseeing, beaches and exploring different parts of Phuket. Nightlife wasn’t really my thing. I stayed in both towns to experience what each area has to offer both day and night.
Generally speaking, Patong is the best place to stay for nightlife and shopping. Karon is the best place to stay for quieter nightlife, close proximity to Patong, and family-friendly atmosphere. Patong is just 10 minutes drive north of Karon, and Kata is just south of Karon.
Staying in at a hotel in Patong allows me to walk to the night market, Jungcelon Mall, Bangla Walking Street. I don’t need to worry about getting transport or drive back to my hotel in another town at night.
For non-party people like me, a night in Patong is all about strolling through markets, browsing the malls, exploring walking streets, people-watching, and enjoying the local food.
Staying in Karon allows me to enjoy a quieter atmosphere while still having easy access to nearby Kata and Patong for nightlife. Patong is the island’s nightlife hub, so it tends to be noisy, crowded, not everyone’s cup of tea.
Both Karon and Patong have a long white sand beach with lots of sunbeds, umbrellas, and watersport activities like jet skiing. You can swim, sunbathe, watch the sunset, or just stroll along the beach.
Both locations are excellent for exploring Phuket. You can easily get to major points of interest like the old town, Big Buddha, Wat Chalong, Promthep Cape, as well as other beaches on the west coast.
Top recommended hotels in Karon:
- luxury: Paradox Resort Phuket
- Mid-range: Beyond Karon
- budget: Baan Sailom Hotel
My recommended stays in Patong:
- luxury: Four Points by Sheraton
- Mid-range: Phuket Graceland
- budget: Silver Resortel
Location
Both Karon and Patong are located on the west coast of Phuket. Karon is right south of Patong, around 5km away. Patong is around 13km west of Phuket Old Town and 37km south of Phuket Airport. Karon is around 43km south of Phuket airport, and 16km south west of Phuket Old Town.
They are both excellent locations to explore Phuket. You can easily get to Phuket Old Town, Big Buddha as well as other beaches like Kata, Kamala, and Nai Harn.
Patong has a slightly more central location to explore both south and north parts of Phuket. Karon is a little more south of Phuket which is an ideal base to explore the southern area of the island.
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Accommodations
Both Karon and Patong have a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. There are luxury five star resorts, mid-range hotels, and budget backpacker hostels.
As the two most popular areas to stay in Phuket, accommodation are often sold out, especially in the high season from November to May. If you’re planning to stay in these areas during this peak period, make sure to book your accommodation well in advance to secure your spot.
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Beach
Both Patong and Karon beaches have similar length, around 3km long, which are some of the longest beaches on Phuket. These beaches have white sand, clean water, ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and watching the sunset.
Both beaches have lots of beach amenities such as umbrellas and sunbeds for rent. There are watersports on the beach such as jetskiing, and banana boats.
Beach Road 4030 runs along the length of both Patong and Karon Beach. Patong and Karon Beach Road are lined with resorts, restaurants, bars, and shops.
There are beachfront parks in these two beaches, providing plenty of natural shade. Patong is more hilly at two ends of the beach, which offer stunning views of the whole beach and the city.
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Nightlife
Both Patong and Karon have a great nightlife scene with a wide range of restaurants, bars, and shops. The nightlife in Patong is more intense and vibrant, while Karon has quieter nightlife. If you want to stay in the middle of the action, Patong is the place to go.
There are bars and nightclubs all over Patong. The Bangla Walking Street is the red light area and is packed with adult entertainments, bars, clubs, and shops.
In addition to the walking streets and the bar scene, you can browse the night markets (Banzaan, Malin, OTOP), the Jungcelon Shopping Mall, watch a Muay Thai match, or a ladybug show.
In Karon, restaurants and bars are centered in a small area around the area from Karon Circle to the Karon Temple. Nightlife is about finding a good restaurant to eat. They have a good range of restaurants serving both local Thai and international dishes.
From Karon, you can always get to Kata for more nightlife with more night markets, food stalls, and bars on Kata Road. If you stay at the southern end of Karon, you can walk to the busy nightlife area of Kata.
Shopping
Patong is one of the best places to go shopping in Phuket. It offers modern shopping malls and a variety of night markets, making it a great spot for shopping enthusiasts.
You can shop at Jungcelon Mall, one of the biggest modern shopping malls on Phuket. It has everything from luxury brands to local Thai shops. It has beautiful architecture, fine dining restaurants, and is a great place to escape from the heat.
In addition to the modern shopping mall, you can check out several night markets like Banzaan, Malin Plaza, or OTOP night market. These places are great to find cheap souvenirs and Thai handicrafts.
Karon has smaller shopping centers and independent shops. If you want to do shopping, you can always take a short drive to Patong, only a 10 minutes Grab ride away.
Food
Both Patong and Karon have a wide range of food, including both local Thai and international food. There are many restaurants, street food stalls where you can enjoy eating in both areas. You can easily find pad thai, fried rice, pizzas, spaghettis, seafood, and fast food chains.
Patong has more night markets, so it’s easier to access street food stalls. Karon has one night market but it is only open Tuesday and Friday night. But again, if you stay in Karon, you can always get to the nearby Kata for more night markets and street foods.
Family-friendly atmosphere
Both Patong and Karon have a wide range of family-friendly resorts with family connecting rooms, kids clubs, children playground, or kid-friendly swimming pools.
Due to its quieter atmosphere, Karon is more suitable for families with kids. Patong is known for its wild nightlife which can be too noisy and overwhelming for families with kids.
In addition to a family-friendly beach, wide range of tourist amenities, Karon is home to Dino Park Mini Golf, which is a kid-friendly spot in the area between Kata and Karon.
Cultural Attractions
There are no significant cultural attractions within Patong and Karon. You can find some local temples within each area. Karon has Karon temple, and Patong has Wat Doi Thepnimit on the hillside area.
Both Patong and Karon are located within reasonable distance from Big Buddha and Wat Chalong, which are the two most famous cultural attractions on Phuket.
Hiking Opportunities and Viewpoints
Both Karon and Patong have a hillside area behind the beach and the village. There are trails on the hill where you can hike to some attractions and viewpoints.
In Patong, you can find the trail around the Wat Doi Thepnimit, or the trail to Kalim Viewpoint and Bang Wan Waterfall in Kamala.
In Karon, you can find the trail to the Big Buddha, which offers stunning views of the sea and the mountain. Other popular viewpoints near Karon that can be reached by scooter or a car are the Karon viewpoint. This place has breathtaking views of Kata, Karon, and Kata Noi Beach.
Getting to and Getting Around
Both Karon and Patong are well-connected to other parts of Phuket by road. You can easily get to these two places by metered taxi, and riding share services like Grab, InDrive, or Bolt.
It is a bit cheaper to get from Phuket airport and the old town to Patong in Karon by taxi. It is around 700-1000 baht to get from the airport to Patong, and around 400-600 baht to get from Phuket Old Town to Patong. You need to pay around 200-300 Baht from these locations to Karon.
There are bus connections from both the airport and the old town to Karon and Patong. The smart bus ride from the airport to both Patong and Karon costs 100 baht. The local bus ride from the old town to Karon and Patong is around 50 baht.
You can get around Patong and Karon on foot, tuk tuk, or Grab bike/ taxi. Most major points of interest in each town are located within walking distance from each other.
In Patong, you can easily walk between the beach, walking street, Jungcelon Mall, Bangla Muay Thai stadium, and Banzaan Night Market. For a bit further attractions, you can use a short tuk tuk ride.
In Karon, most restaurants, shops, and night markets are located around the northern area near karon Circle. You can easily browse restaurants and shops on foot in this area. There are tuk tuk and lots of riding share services available to catch if you are tired of walking.
See more:
- How I Spend 5-7 Days In Phuket
- Ultimate guide to where to stay in Phuket
- 50 Best Things to Do in Phuket
So you have it, my comparison of Patong and Karon. They are both popular beach towns on the west coast of Phuket, known for its beaches and vibrant atmosphere. Overall, if you are into wild nightlife, Patong is the place to go. If you want a quieter and family-friendly atmosphere while still being close to Patong, Karon is the better choice.