Nightclubs in Thong Nai Pan

Nightclubbing in Thong Nai Pan is awesome; and it's awesome because it's nothing like the Full Moon Party on Haad Rin. No taxi drivers demanding outrageous sums of money to drive you home; no hoards of pimply youths spewing from too many buckets; and no theives waiting to nab a bag or roll a lush. Instead you wander back to your bungalow at your convenience and nobody hassles you.

Monday is Jungle Bar and Friday is The Hideaway Bar. Locals and visitors start to gather around 10pm but it's usually pretty quiet on the dancefloor before 12am.

There is no great difference between the 2 evenings because DJ Ton invariably plays the late spot at both clubs. Perhaps Jungle Bar is more hip hop whereas Chai-lek at the Hideaway likes to get the evening started with an eclectic mix of pop and rock.

Ton's beat matching is spot on and recently he has stopped playing the same supposed 'killer tunes' every week. Well nearly. However, the parties are far more than the music, it's a time to make new friends and hang out with old friends.

DJs passing through on holiday are often to be seen on the decks which brings variety to the music. It's nearly all CDs because the turntables are on their last legs.

In Thong Nai Pan Yai the Funky Buddha puts on a party on Sundays. It's best to ask a local first because Funky Buddha has a habit of opening irregularly. DJ Lai plays a cool selection of dance music and avoids the same dull pop hits that used to plague the Jungle Bar and the Hideaway Bar.

The Monday and Friday parties are moved to other days when they clash with a Full Moon Party or a Buddha day. Very occasionally the police come in from Tongsala to enforce the 2am alcohol curfew, otherwise it's possible to drink through until 6am when the clubs start winding down. After that you can stroll down the beach and catch the sunrise before hitting the sack.