The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (July 16-19)

British DJ-producer Hardt Antoine has moved fast. A set at Burning Man in 2024 and a place on DJ Mag’s ‘Ones to Watch’ list for 2025 helped push him into the spotlight, followed by appearances from Milan and London to Berlin and Ibiza. His sound resists neat labels, moving between deep house, tech house, soul, ’80s pop and even classical influences, with releases on labels including Innervisions. At Café del Mar Phuket, expect infectious melodies, soulful vocals and deep grooves shaped by his French and Jamaican roots. As Antoine puts it, dancing is the ultimate form of active relaxation.

July 18. B300. Hardt Antoine, Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

COAST Beach Club brings the flavours of Rome to Phuket with a Sunday brunch built around hearty cooking, seafood and slow afternoons by the sea. Start antipasti before moving on to Italian favourites from the live stations. The food-only package starts at B1,590++, while B2,880++ adds free-flow drinks – handy with orata or gilt-head sea bream, and a chilled white. Brunch also includes access to the resort pool and waterpark. Save room for strawberry tiramisu, finished  with fluffy mascarpone cream and juicy berries and served from the chef’s trolley. 

July 19 (monthly). From B1,590++ (food only). Roma Sunday Brunch by the Sea, COAST Beach Club and Bistro, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket. noon-3pm

The PYC Yachting Festival brings five days of regatta racing and waterfront gatherings to Chalong Bay. First-warning flags go up at 11am each day, followed by sunset socials, Thai buffets, pizza and barbecues at Phuket Yacht Club’s Waterfront Restaurant & Bar, with onshore events sponsored by Really Good Deli Ltd. Courses range from short inshore races to longer, multi-province passages and are announced daily according to the wind. Sailors can register at the club, while spectators can buy a pass or watch free from viewpoints including Big Buddha, Khao Khad in Cape Panwa and Windmill Viewpoint near Yanui and Nai Harn beaches. The festival wraps up with an awards dinner on Sunday. 

July 15-19. B18,000. PYC Yachting Festival, Phuket Yacht Club, Chalong. noon-11pm

The southwest monsoon means surf season is in full swing, and Kata Beach is one of Phuket’s best places to get on a board. The one-kilometre stretch has beach breaks running in both directions, with the southern end generally offering the best angle. Beginners can learn how to read waves, time their take-off and build enough momentum to glide, while more experienced surfers can make the most of the swell. Book a class and the surfboard, rash guard and leash are typically included for use after the lesson.

July 16-19 (daily). From B1,500 (1.5-hour private lesson). Phuketsurf, Kata Beach. 8am-7pm

Barra Cuda Beach Club’s new weekly AZUR Festival brings a dose of Mediterranean glamour to Patong. For the occasion, the bright, white beach club and its sea-facing pool take on a blue-and-white Mykonos look, with international artists including Bimini joined by vocalists and local DJs. The pace starts easy, with champagne, daybeds and afternoon lounge sets, before building into harder-hitting afro house from sunset until late.

July 16 (weekly). B700 (no minimum spend required). AZUR Festival, Barra Cuda Beach Club, Patong. 2pm-late

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