It’s been a busy day today. The kids have been flat out and it was intended that we visit the Phuket aquarium, but unfortunately that didn’t quite work out as planned. As time was short we decided to pay a visit to the play area on Patong beach so that the kids could work off some steam, and for a bit of relaxation.
Kids Play Area in Patong
Patong beach has been cleaned up over the last few years, in respect of the back part of the beach, which is near the main road running alongside the beach. The local authority has provided some play areas for children, and also some nice looking paths and some ornamentation.
I am left wondering why the powers managing the renovation didn’t think to provide some toilets. For a resort trying to maintain a top position as a favourite tourist destination this seems to me a rather glaring oversight. Attention to a few details such as toilets, control of parking, tuk tuk management and really the whole tourist transportation issue would reap very beneficial rewards given a little thought, willingness and determination to overcome entrenched practices especially those benefitting the local mafia to the detriment of the resort. Anyway I digress.
The beach itself still has rather too many sunbeds and umbrellas for my liking. You can find many quieter beaches, where the beds are cheaper and better spaced and the sea and your ears less innundated by jetskis, parasailers and the like. However, one has to recognize that Patong is the full on tourist centre where going to the shops, nightlife and tourist based attractions take centre stage.
Although it was late in the day the beach was really quite quiet, and the Beach boys had already started packing up the parasols and lounger cushions. after a little paddle in the sea, playing sandcastles and then messing around on the play equipment it was time for dinner.
Pan Yaah Restaurant - A little way north of Patong
As we were in Patong, we thought would go to a local restaurant. As it was coming up to sunset time, we made our way up to Pan Yaah Restaurant just outside Patong to the north on the beach road.
Now a number of the sea view restaurants in Patong are really very expensive and cashing in on the tourists. of course as a reader of this blog, you are more savvy than the average tourist or perhaps live here, joining those in the know, and finding the places that the average lazy tourist never sees.
Now I’m not saying that Pan Yaah is the cheapest restaurant on the island, but for Patong, it is pretty good value for money. The beers were 70 baht for saying and 85 for Heineken. The fish, crab and squidworked out at 80 baht hundred grams, cooked, and the tiger prawns were 200 baht per hundred grams cooked. There was also a western menu available.
Tasty Mussles - Check Out the Little Covers
As you can see in the picture our attempts at reducing the calorie intake were foiled yet again. Pan Yaah serves a few dishes in a manner that you won’t find in many other restaurants. The dish to the left is mussels cooked in garlic butter, and I have to say that the shape of little covers over the individual mussels rather appeals to me. Perhaps I have a rather active imagination, but no worries they tasted just as good!
One of the benefits to this restaurant is the panoramic views that you are treated to buy the slightly elevated position of the restaurant. I apologise in advance for the quality of the image below, but wanted to give you an idea of the sort of views, you can get from the tables overlooking the sea.
Panoramic View from a Table at Pan Yaah Restaurant
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