Kaewjai Bakery and Restaurant (Phuket Town)

It's not always 100% true, but I reckon that if you want good local Thai food, then you have to eat where the locals eat. We have been checking out some restaurants in Phuket town recently, helped by my wifes sister who works at a bank in town and has been giving us hints for the best lunch spots. If a restaurant is full of local people it must be good local food.. and most of the time quite a bit cheaper than Thai food at beachside restaurants. It's up to you - as a visitor to Phuket maybe you prefer to eat by the sea, make the most of your holiday - I also like eating by the sea, but I am not on holiday so have to find good Thai food without tourist prices! Thus a lot of the restaurants on this blog are more local style with prices to match. We like to eat out and if you find the right restaurants in Phuket, eating out is very cheap. Yesterday we spent 240 Baht on lunch for the family...

The Kaewjai (แก้วใจ) Bakery and Restaurant close to the Phuket Town bus terminal has been a popular local eatery for years. The menu says something about "since 1961". The area is busy with banks, businesses, the bus station etc.. so you get plenty of office workers and such taking lunch there, or just local folks popping in for a coffee and a cake. You can tell its not a tourist restaurant, as I can hardly find any mention of it (apart from this blog) on Google unless I search in Thai! We stopped in for lunch yesterday with the kids. It's on the south side of Phang Nga road, just west of the bus station, very close to the Royal Phuket City hotel.

Note : This blog post was written in 2009, updated 2013 - the prices at Kaewjai have hardly gone up. Just ate there recently (January 2013) and my main dish was 65 Baht.



It's not a huge place, could maybe seat 30 people max. Aircon inside, and there are a few outside tables too. The coffee and cakes are easy to find, and without seeing a menu you might think that was all they had. The cakes and snacks are right inside the door at the counter.



And behind the counter just coffee and drinks. The kitchen is out the back out of sight.



The menu is simple, basic Thai food, all the lunchtime favourites. Our kids love chicken fried with garlic (gai tod kratiem), I had a tasty fish with black pepper, my wife had a fried rice made with tom yum seafood. Plus drinks. As I said, 240 Baht. That's why you see so many Thais eating out! At that price you hardly save by cooking at home!





So now we have another restaurant for lunch in Phuket Town. I have aimed over the years (with the blog in mind) to try lots of new places to eat, partly to add to this blog and partly to stop me being lazy. My wife and I do like to play it safe sometimes and have a tendency to go to the same places where we know the food is good. Hopefully some more new restaurants coming soon!

More places to eat in Phuket Town:

• Rimtang
• Uptown Noodles
• Kopitiam
• Route 68
• More Phuket restaurants

Kaewjai Restaurant - Location Map


View Kaewjai Restaurant, Phuket Town in a larger map

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Kamala Beach

We used to visit Kamala beach quite often, we had quite a few friends living there, we liked the quiet beach and the little beachside restaurants - we knew a couple of the owners of these restaurants too. But friends who lived there moved away to be closer to the center of Phuket. Kamala beach is a bit off the main road, and it has remained that way. Not a trendy beach, a bit of a backwater, not many bars as it's a Muslim area, and it always seemed to me like a bit of a drive to get there. Somehow, Kamala still has a quiet feel unlike any other area in Phuket and yet has quite a lot of hotels and restaurants.



• Kamala Beach Hotels - Check at Agoda.com

And then there's what happened on December 26th 2004. Kamala beach was hit quite hard, and took time to recover. But Kamala was not mentioned nearly as much as Patong just down the road. More talk of the tsunami on these pages: Kamala Temple, and 4 Years After the Tsunami. We were all on the beach at Kamala on December 25th 2004. So Kamala has some memories for me. Lots of "what if?" thoughts.

One morning in April 2009, I drove to Kamala in the early morning sunshine for a walk along the beach. The photos on this page are all from that morning. It's about a mile along the beach starting from the temple at the south end passing fishermen and their longtail boats, then the main beach with beach chairs and small restaurants. The northern section is very quiet, as a large part of the land behind the beach is a Muslim graveyard. There are still a few little beachside shacks selling drinks. It's not most people's idea of "busy" Phuket!

I started the walk at the temple...



The temple end of Kamala beach is not so good for a swim, as a couple of canals drain into the sea there - all the chairs and hotels are further up the beach. Not far from the temple there were longtail boats and fishermen cleaning their nets. I guess they had already unloaded the catch - you have to wake up really early to catch a fisherman in the act!



Before 9am the heat is not too bad for walking, and there are patches of shade on the beach, shadows cast by trees, not by tall buildings - you don't see any huge hotels here, even the larger hotels at Kamala are quite low key. Beach chairs were empty, although some of the restaurants were busy serving breakfast.



The "main drag" along Kamala beach is a narrow path lined with small restaurants and hotels. The traffic mainly passes through on the main road which is about 500 meters away from the beach. Most of the population of Kamala lives along roads to the east of the main road, rather than near the beach. The school is close to the beach, but if you wanted to see more local life in Kamala you'd have to get off the beach.. much like anywhere else in Phuket! Much of the local population lives inland towards the hills.



It's very low key along the beach at Kamala, not flashy or over touristy. Small restaurants, guesthouses, hotels, bars and tour desks, and all kind of holiday related things for sale. No traffic noise, no jet skis and (maybe because it was early) I was not hassled once to buy this, try that, have a drink, massage etc... I enjoyed my little morning walk. Should do it again sometime!





A sign helpfully points the way to the beach, just in case you hadn't noticed the sand and the blue ocean right next to you!



Here's one of the little beachside restaurants. Nice. Simple. Unpretentious. On the sand. There must be at least a dozen all looking similar, I can't recommend any particular one, but I would recommend heading to Kamala beach for a sunset one day, a cold beer or a cocktail and an evening meal right by the sea as the sun sets.





Once I reached the north end of the beach near the aforementioned graveyard, the sun was heating up. Not many people up this end but still a few little shacks selling drinks and signs to a restaurant way up at the far end of the beach where you find a shady forested area.

Kamala is like the forgotten beach of Phuket. The local Muslim community kept things quiet for a long time. When we visited friends there 7 years ago it was hard enough to buy a beer in a local shop. There was no 7-11, and the "main" road was a fairly narrow 2 lane street. Things changed a bit when Phuket Fantasea opened - Phuket's largest "tourist attraction" is just at the north end of Kamala, but on the main road, not on the beach. A wider road was needed for all the tours and minibuses coming from Patong. There are now 7-11's and some bars, some new hotels have opened in more recent years, but Kamala is still quiet. Well worth a visit even if you are not staying there, and worth considering for hotels if you want some peace and quiet... and Patong is only about 15 minutes away by car if you do need a crazy night out!

Suggested Kamala Beach Hotels

• Aquamarine Resort and Villas
• Cape Sienna
• Andara Resort
• The Palms Hotel
• The Trees Club Resort
• Kamala Beach Resort
• Swissotel Resort (formerly Marriott)
• Print Kamala Resort
• Layalina Resort
• Kamala Beach Estate Hotel

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The Yorkshire Hotel (Patong Beach)

There are a few reasons for writing about the Yorkshire Inn (well, it used to be called that, now it's the Yorkshire Hotel), even though it's right in the middle of Patong, just a few minutes walk from Soi Bangla, the nightlife center. Normally this area is off my list. Patong is not my cup of tea. BUT I do recognise that many people like Patong, so you will find some Patong Beach hotel recommendations on the blog already such as Amari Coral Beach and Burasari.

Reasons for including the Yorkshire Hotel on Jamie's Phuket... Well, firstly it's a great location if you want to stay in Patong. The street (Soi Sansabai) is just to the east of Bangla Road and yet is much quieter. I won't promise 100% noise free nights, but a few hundred meters can make a big difference. Second - recommendations from customers who have stayed there - I keep hearing how friendly it is, like a home from home, how the Yorkshire Hotel makes you feel like part of the family. Thirdly - the price. Check the link below for booking/rates on Agoda. I have had a few comments recently asking for more mid price hotel recommendations rather than the slightly fancy places I tend to write about. Yorkshire Hotel is a bargain. Fourthly - I lived in Yorkshire for a few years. Sentimental value. Fifthly - I used to work at a dive shop on Soi Sansabai and indeed met my wife at said dive shop. Double Sentimental value!

So, great location (if you want the Patong vibe), good price... also, friendly personal service. This is not a chain hotel, this is a one off. Rooms look decent and the pool great... and the food... Yes I know you are supposed to eat Thai food here, but the Yorkshire Hotel is not just a place to stay but has a well known restaurant which does good old traditional English food, just in case you miss home.

A final word on the location - less than 10 minute walk to the beach, just a few minutes to the Jungceylon Shopping Mall. A few more things - free internet, free sauna, 2 restaurants, poolside dining... If you want a good price in Patong, I recommend the Yorkshire Hotel.

Yorkshire Hotel - Booking & Reviews

• Yorkshire Hotel - Rates and Reservations at Agoda.com
• Yorkshire Hotel - Reviews
• More Suggested Patong Beach Hotels

Yorkshire Hotel - Photos

 

 

Phuket Hotels - More Information - Online Booking

• More of Jamie's Phuket Hotel Suggestions
• Top 10 Phuket Hotels
• Phuket Hotels - Book Online at Agoda.com
• Thailand Hotel Booking at Agoda.com

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Phuket Brewery

UPDATE 2013 - Phuket Brewery closed some time ago - not making enough money. I think the place was just too big for Phuket, not in a tourist area and while it was packed when they had concerts, it was almost dead on weekdays. We went to a Sek Loso concert one night and went a couple of times with the family, and the kids enjoyed the magic show and the atmosphere, but for such a large place with so many staff, it needed to be much busier. It was taken over by an entertainment company called "Whisky and Moonlight" for a while and was then converted into a big LadyBoy show called Aphrodite Cabaret, which is still open.

Original Post

I admit to not being a nightlife person - noisy bars and clubs are not my thing... thus there's not a great deal on this blog relating to nightlife in Phuket or bars or clubs! A lot of the nightlife in Phuket is related to bargirls, ladyboys and everything in between. Not really family entertainment. What I like to find is a place that has a good atmosphere, is not a rip off and preferably has good beer!

Enter Phuket Brewery, just opened last November - a huge entertainment venue just outside Phuket Town, opposite the Tesco Lotus store, impossible to miss.. I mean, there's half a boat sticking out the front of the building, more or less everyone will see it when driving from the airport to the beaches.





I had been putting off a visit due in part to laziness and in part because I heard it was very expensive. The Brewery is just 5 minutes from my house, and could become my local pub! Certainly not as expensive as I thought, and there's even a happy hour from 7 - 8pm (we found that out when we got the bill)! I had a friend visiting from England and we both like good beer, so I thought it was time to try the Brewery.



It does look a bit fancy and expensive. The entrance is like stepping on board a cruise ship, all polished wood and portholes for effect, mirroring the boat on the outside. You can sit outside to eat or just for a drink, or you can head into the theatre. Inside there is an impressive looking wooden and copper bar, with the freshly brewing beer right behind the bar - all the pipes and valves of the microbrewery out in the open and it looks great!



The house band had already started before 8pm. It's a large theater, I reckon must seat over 1,000 people. Only about 30 people when we arrived, but it did fill a little later, maybe around 200 people there by 10pm, not bad for a week night.

So, what's Phuket Brewery all about? Well, for me, number one - (the word Brewery is a hint) - BEER! The microbrewery makes 3 different beers, a dark beer, a lager and a weizenbier (wheat beer). It looks good, it tastes great. Normal price 130 Baht for half liter, but only 75 Baht during happy hour. There are also 0.3 liter glasses and huge beer towers containing 3 or 5 liters - good for large parties.

Here's some of that beer - in the photo below you see a dark beer and the weizenbier.



But, this is not a drinkers den. The beers are good, but the Brewery is aimed at families, work social evenings, ladies nights out and concerts - some of the big names in Thai rock have been already such as Carabao and Sek Loso. I wonder if they can attract any big Western bands? When we were there on Thursday it was just the house band, which was not too bad. Also some Thai dancing and a magic show. I think kids would enjoy it, though they'd have to be allowed a late night by mum and dad.





There is an upstairs balcony too which would seat several hundred people. On this quiet week night the balcony was not being used but I went for a look upstairs and also wandered down to the stage. They have an impressive array of live video screens around the venue and 3 different cameras shooting all the action from the stage. From the balcony I could look back down on the bar area too.



So, you've got beer, entertainment, concerts, friendly staff, oh and they do food too - not super cheap, but I think for the western food about the same as you'd pay elsewhere. Open every day, easy to find, and only 5 minutes from my house. Did I mention the beer? Who's meeting me for happy hour? :)

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Hotel Booking with Agoda.com

Over the years since Jamie's Phuket started, I have looked at a number of online hotel booking sites, signed up for affiliate deals, seen the results, tried new sites... the original idea was to have several different booking options for the hotels reviewed here, giving people the opportunity to check rates at a bunch of different sites. Regular travelers will probably have their preferred booking site, I don't wish to try and change anyones mind about which is best, but I have to say that over the last few years the Agoda.com site has got neater, the hotel descriptions better, the booking process easier.

The Agoda brand name is getting well known especially around Asia, as Agoda is based in Singapore and Bangkok. The word "Agoda" you might expect to mean something in Chinese or Thai.. in fact it's just a result (according to the About Agoda page) of a phrase suggested by someone at Agoda "Agoda where I wanna go to!". The important part of the word being "GO"! For more about Agoda, check their FAQ.



Agoda offers a reward program. From your first booking you get reward points worth around 5% of the room price. You can use these points to reduce the price of the room you are booking, or you can let the points mount up after several bookings and use them to get even bigger savings, or even free rooms! You decide. A friend here in Phuket said he ended up with a free room on his last trip to Kuala Lumpur, having saved up his reward points. You can earn extra points by contributing a hotel review (good or bad!) after your stay.



The Agoda site is available in many languages, not just English - for example you can find Agoda in German, French, Japanese, Swedish, Thai .. and many more, reflecting the worldwide appeal of Agoda. Not just Thailand, not just Asia, but Worldwide. The site is very easy to use, easy to navigate, it's easy to find rates, easy to make bookings. I'd suggest checking Agoda for your trip to Phuket and Thailand.

Related Jamie's Phuket pages:

• My Phuket Hotel Recommendations
• Top 10 Phuket Hotels
• Patong Beach Hotels
• Karon Beach Hotels
• Kata Beach Hotels

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Wat Vichit Sangkaram (Phuket Town)

Yes! It's time for another temple! I do like to check out a temple now and then.. there are about 25 temples and shrines on this blog so far... so if you are a fan of religious architecture, or want to follow the temple trail, check my Phuket Temples section. There are Buddhist temples all over Phuket, mixed in with Chinese shrines and lots of mosques too.

Wat Vichit Sangkaram, also called Wat Kuan, can be found just to the Northeast of old Phuket Town, near the government offices, the court, the prison and Satree Phuket school. As with many temples around Phuket, there is very little on the internet about Wat Vichit Sangkaram. As of now, it's my weather blog that is No.1 in a Google search!.. I imagine this blog will be by tomorrow. All I can find is that the temple has been used for funerals of some important local people, and last year was the site of a ceremony paying respects to Her Royal Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana.



I forced a "temple stop" on the family some weeks ago. We had just eaten lunch at the Uptown restaurant which is nearby, and I could not resist the lure of an unblogged temple! So, I ran around and took a few photos. The temple grounds were being renovated, with backhoes and construction workers all around. Sure it will look better soon!







Naga (multiheaded snakes) guard the entrance to the temple. The Naga is a part of the Buddha story. You often see Naga images above the head of the Buddha. In the story, the Naga raised it's multiple heads to protect Buddha from the rain as he meditated.

 
(above) Naga outside Wat Vichit Sangkaram, and detail of one of the temple doors.

More temples to come. I think, if you are passing by, any local temple in Phuket is worth a look. The detail and decoration is often impressive. Much more to Phuket than beaches, you know!

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Travelfish Guide to Phuket

Phuket, pearl of the Andaman Sea, with golden sands, beautiful smiles, blue skies... Phuket is blessed with powdery, palm-fringed white beaches, sparkling island-dotted seas ... delightful turn-of-the-century Sino-Portuguese architecture.. la la la. You know it's the same kind of poetry on almost every website, the same cliches, some of which are true in a way, but certainly there is the idea that Phuket is indeed perfect. I have to say this: I love living here, Phuket is great, but Phuket is not perfect. I hear this many times: "I was surprised by... (insert comment here)". Somewhere out in the mass of websites and guidebooks is the truth. I hope my Phuket Blog paints a fair picture of Phuket, though as you may notice, I don't write about the bits I don't like! I keep the blog positive and prefer to talk about the things that I do like.

Back in August I did a quick review of the new Lonely Planet "Encounter" guide to Phuket, which is a nice little book, well researched, a good deal more up to date than your average LP guide book.. Lonely Planet "Shoestring" bearing backpackers walk past my office every other day looking for a guesthouse that closed 2 years ago. Sometimes they come in and ask and are AMAZED to find that the Bible is wrong!

So, I am happy to say that you can get a well researched, up to date, easy to use, recommended-by-Jamie guidebook for Phuket for FREE. Well, "book" is the wrong word. Actually you can buy a 37 page pdf file by making payment online and the "guidebook" can then be downloaded. And it's good. It knows things I don't know, it has reviews of guesthouses and hotels, it says this about Patong: "a seething mass of tourism, squalor and unrestricted development, a mess of hotels, bars, restaurants, travel agents, massage parlours, tailor shops and touts. Patong is everything that tourism in Thailand should not have become." Amen.

You see? This guidebook does not pull any punches! Compare to the No.1 website about Phuket, which says "With its wide variety of activities and nightlife, Patong is an ideal place to party and play.".. although admittedly Phuket.com does try to hint that Patong is not perfect... "the steaming hot streets, neon lights and chaotic atmosphere of Patong can be overwhelming for the new arrival".. yeh, still overwhelms me 9 years later!

So, where can you get a FREE Phuket guidebook? The website to look for is Travelfish.org, which has been silently growing into an internet giant. If you are looking for SE Asia information, Travelfish is a very good starting place. And the range of guidebooks includes Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Tao, Koh Samet, and various guides in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Travelfish is certainly backpacker oriented - the accommodation recommendations are for lower budget travelers (Note to Travelfish - you should include Pineapple Guesthouse in Phuket!). The Phuket guide includes some general info, local transport info (local buses, not taxis - this is for backpackers!), and extended info on different beach areas and on Phuket Town. The information is tightly packed, no wasted space, ready to print. It may not suit the luxury traveler, but on the other hand, if you are looking for a very nice hotel and want to explore some of the real Phuket, this Travelfish Phuket guide is certainly worth a look!

Thanks to Stuart of Travelfish for sending me a copy to read. It's good, I say again. The price of a few beers for a guidebook? If you're coming to Phuket, you should head to Travelfish and download the Phuket guide.

• Travelfish Free PDF Travel Guides - Get them here!

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