The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (August 27–30)

Perched on a cliff above Kamala Bay, Casa Boho has a lot of sunset appeal to spare. For this edition of Sunset Sounds, guest DJ Maliya (also billed as Malija) joins former Hed Kandi and Ministry of Sound resident Dean Oram for uplifting house and Afro-Latino grooves by the pool . Arrive early for the views or come at twilight as the session gathers pace. Part of Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, the boho-styled restaurant, Latino bar and lounge serves a Latin-inspired menu, and entry is free.

Aug 30. Free entry. Sunset Sounds at Casa Boho, Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, Kamala. 4pm-10pm

Skip the awkward one-to-one introductions: Rush On’s Meet & Mingle is designed for easy, free-flowing conversation. ‘Mingle bingo’ gives guests cards of personality traits and prompts them to find matching people around the room, while interactive mini-games and DJ beats keep the mood lively without making the evening feel over-organised. A welcome drink and a shot during the games are included – handy social lubrication for breaking the ice.

Aug 29. B350 in advance; B450 on Aug 29. Rush On Meet & Mingle, SōL Phuket, Bang Tao. 7pm-10pm

The opening ceremony’s live jazz, Khon dance and cultural workshops may be over, but the Illuminating Peranakan Festival still has plenty to see. At its centre is a projection-mapping show that washes Phuket Old Town’s bright yellow, Sino-Portuguese Charter Bank in light, colour and sound, bringing the island’s Chinese-Thai traditions and identity to life every 20 minutes from 7pm. If you’re lucky, you may also find a street vendor selling kanom tao daeng (red tortoise cake), an auspicious rice flour dessert with a mung bean coconut milk filling. 

Aug 23-29. Free. Feel all the Feelings @ Phuket: Illuminating Peranakan Festival, Charter Bank Intersection, Phuket Old Town. 7pm-10pm

Start Saturday on Bangtao Beach, where this community-minded three-kilometre fun run welcomes walkers and first-timers as readily as regular runners. Capped at 200 participants, the emphasis is on the sea views and shared experience rather than speed. Finishers receive a healthy breakfast at Arinara Beach Resort and can enter a lucky draw, while part of the proceeds goes to Oceans For All Foundation, a Phuket-based marine conservation charity. Worried about slogging through powdery sand? At low tide, Bangtao’s shore is hard-packed, making the family-friendly route considerably easier underfoot.

Aug 29. B490. Run for the Reef, Arinara Beach Resort Phuket. 6am-9am

Porto DJ-producer Trikk, aka Bruno Deodato, has developed a sound layered as his background. The son of a Mozambican father, he honed his skills in Berlin and London and has released music on labels including Innervisions. His sets move through underground house and techno with long melodic builds, while his album Mundi Ritual explores deep, earthy house, minimal textures, techno-infused tribal rhythms and Afro-Latin grooves. Expect slow-burning tension, melodic colour and finely judged shifts in intensity. 

Aug 29. B300. Trikk at Café del Mar. 10pm-3am

Candle-lit ceremonies, lion dances, street food and an old town bathed in red make Phuket’s Por Tor Hungry Ghost Festival one of the island’s most atmospheric cultural events. Rooted in the local Hokkien-Chinese community rather than staged for tourists, the annual festival welcomes respectful visitors. Por Tor, or universal salvation, centres on the belief that the gates of hell open and spirits return to the human world. It is also a time to remember ancestors who died far from home, especially those without descendants to make offerings for them. Head to Seng Tek Bel Shrine and Ranong Road Fresh Market for Hokkien-Chinese merit-making, with incense, burnt paper money and food offerings including red turtle cakes. Visitors may also get to try the blessed hand-sized cakes – or see giant versions weighing up to 100kg, later cut up and shared once the rituals are complete.

Aug 19-Sep 6. Free. Por Tor Hungry Ghost Festival, Phuket Old Town shrines and Ranong Road Fresh Market. noon-midnight

Bring an appetite to Azzurra Phuket’s weekly Saturday Italian Feast. The brunch goes big on cold cuts, artisanal cheeses and hand-rolled pasta, alongside Italian staples such as slow-roasted porchetta – boneless pork wrapped around lean meat and seasoned with garlic, fennel, rosemary and salt. Live sax adds to the atmosphere as you move between the burrata bar, live cooking stations and the pool at neighbouring XANA Beach Club, which brunch guests can use for free. Try the black Angus prime rib, but save room for Azzurra’s signature tiramisu: chef Giampiero layers espresso-soaked savoiardi biscuits with mascarpone cream, prepared live at your table.

Aug 15 (weekly). From B1,690. Saturday Italian Feast at Azzurra Restaurant. 11am-3.30pm

Into spirits? The drinkable kind? Head to The Distillery Phuket for an insider look at how Chalong Bay Rum and other small-batch tipples are made, from raw sugarcane to snifter cup. This is no backstreet operation – this is a proper guided tour through the working distillery, with stops for tasting along the way. Sure, you can sip Chalong Bay at many bars along the beach, but sampling yet-to-be-bottled rums, gins and vodkas while learning the basics behind distilling and cocktail-making adds new ‘depth’ to the glass. Plenty of swirling and sipping happens here, and maybe a few ‘just one more’ moments to be found as well. 

 Daily. B1,290. The Distillery Phuket. 11am-10pm

Ladies, Thursdays in Bang Tao just got a little more glamorous. Dolly’s Night at Maya Beach Club is your weekly excuse to lean into refined beachside energy with a night dedicated to feminine vibes. Start off at sunset, with deep-house rhythms and an ultra-glam dress-code to match Phuket’s beautiful golden hour. By 7pm, things shift to smooth sophistication with DJ Marcella curating a soundtrack and a troupe of pink-cladded acrobats who take you from dinner to dancefloor in one fell swoop. If you’re skipping the food, get there before 9pm to make the most of free-flow Prosecco and catch up with those already a bottle or two deep. 

Every Thursday. Free for women, B1,000 for men. Maya Beach Club. 7pm-late