The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (August 13-16)

Think you know house music? Bangkok-based DJ-producer Meltmode may surprise you. A pioneer of Thai house, he blends traditional instruments such as bamboo mouth organs, nostalgic vocals, regional luk thung and poetic mor lam with house, techno and electro. The result is a wildly inventive mix of rapid-fire vocals, contemporary club energy and Thai sounds rooted in the struggles and heartaches of working-class life. This Friday at BOA, expect off-kilter percussion, deep production and a set that blurs past and present.

Aug 14. B300; B350 walk-in. Meltmode at BOA. 9pm-late

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

Locals outnumber tourists at Chillva, a bohemian market packed with Thai food, affordable fashion and cocktail bars with rooftop seating. It is liveliest from Thursday to Saturday, when flea-market 

stalls add trinkets, clothes and plenty more to the mix. Popular with students from the nearby university, the 6,400sqm market is split into a container zone, street-food area and central stage backed by an amphitheatre. Shipping containers house stylish clothes, designer goods and tattoo parlours; grilled seafood and coconut-based Thai desserts scent the air; and live music keeps things buzzing. Take a taxi or ride a scooter – the chaos begins in the car park.

Aug 13-15 (closed Sunday). Free. Chillva Market, Phuket Town. 5pm-11pm

Marriott International’s Luxury Group returns with the third edition of Across The Table, its multi-month Asia-Pacific dining series built around culture, creativity and connection. At The Naka Island, the headline event is an eight-hand beachfront banquet beneath the Andaman sky. Resort executive chefs join Agustin Ferrando Balbi of Michelin-starred Andō in Hong Kong and French-cuisine specialist Arnaud Dunand Sauthier for a wine-paired menu spanning Latin-Japanese precision, Alpine terroir, Mediterranean flavours and French pastry. Immersive masterclasses and collaborative menus round out the programme, all in a peaceful setting just steps from the waves.

Aug 12-15. From B16,000++ per night for two. Across The Table: The Luxury Dining Series, The Naka Island. From 7pm

Paris-based duo CHAMBORD refuse to be boxed into one genre. Their exuberant blend of deep and melodic house draws on atmospheric soundscapes, warm basslines, hypnotic grooves and uplifting rhythms. Recent releases on Get Physical and Around Midnight Records have helped take them around the world, from Mayan Warrior and WooMooN Ibiza to The Gardens of Babylon. At Café del Mar Phuket, expect a festival-ready journey through organic instrumentation, global percussion and soulful, harmonious chords – without relying on obvious peak-time drops.

Aug 14. B300. CHAMBORD at Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-2am

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