The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (August 20–23)

Making his debut in Phuket, Berlin-based SOMMA is more than a DJ. The German artist is also part of LE YORA, the label and creative collective he founded with YUMA and JEWELS in 2021. ‘Everything you see on this brand, the music, the artworks, the clothes – it’s all designed by us (SOMMA, YUMA and JEWELS). We’re songwriters, designers and DJs.’ His music has won support from Keinemusik, Adriatique and Dennis Ferrer, balancing underground house with mainstream appeal. Head to Café del Mar on Friday for a late-night set of groove-driven house and techno with Berlin roots.

Aug 21. B300. SOMMA at Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

Meet Me Offline hosts its first speed-dating event exclusively for gay men, built around face-to-face conversation without the pressure of awkward small talk. Table cards with prompts such as ‘Coffee or dinner?’ get things moving, while games help break the ice and spark curiosity. Whether you’re looking for a date or simply keen to meet new people, expect a relaxed atmosphere and plenty of quick connections.

Aug 22. B690 (B890 for registrations after Aug 20). MeetMeOffline Speed-Dating for gay men, Wembley Tavern. 5pm-8pm

Dust off your best – or worst – school uniform for Champs Sports Bar Phuket’s 10th-anniversary Back to School Party, a revival of its 2019 bash. The Aussie sports bar and local expat hangout is laying on a photo booth, killer pool games, prizes for the best dressed and a soundtrack of old-school classics. Add pub grub and ice-cold beer, and class is back in session – with considerably more fun than detention.

Aug 21. Free (entry only). Back to School Party, Champs Sports Bar Phuket. 7pm-late

Meet Me Offline continues its Phuket speed-dating series with an evening for straight singles aged 25–55, organised by Tanchanok ‘Elle’ Pongpanich. At Selina Serenity Phuket in Rawai, one-on-one chats come with ice-breakers and red-flag-or-green-flag questions such as, ‘Is keeping in touch with your ex okay when you meet someone new?’ Expect 10–15 swipe-free mini-dates in a relaxed beachfront setting, whether you’re looking for romance, friendship or simply a fun night out.

Aug 23. B690 (B890 for registrations after Aug 21). Speed-Dating Rawai for singles aged 25-55, Selina Serenity Phuket. 5pm-8pm

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