Shows in Phuket

Phuket has a good range of shows to help fill your evenings with entertainment. The spectacular Fantasea show regularly wins the award for best tourist attraction in Thailand and is a must-see. There are also song and dance shows, variety, ladyboys or the dramatic stunt show. There should be something for most tastes so check out the following:

Fantasea

This is a highly professional and polished operation. More than just a show - it is a small entertainment park covering 140 acres in Kamala. They hold the show in a state of the art theatre seating up to 3000 people. It is a mixture of traditional Thai entertainments and modern effects. It includes Thai dancing, shadow puppets, battle scenes, acrobatics, magic show, elephants, tigers and more. The only real complaint about the show is that at 1 hour and 15 minutes it is over too quickly.

The park contains entertainments, games, shops and handicrafts. Entrance to the park and the show is 1,100 baht. For an extra 500 baht, you get entrance to the restaurant which has an excellent buffet of Thai and international food.

Book your tickets here.

Fantasea is open daily except Thursday. The park opens at 17:30, buffet starts at 18:00 and the show starts at 21:00. You can buy tickets from tour shops and they will include transport from your hotel to the show. Alternatively, you can make your own way and buy tickets at the gate. The park is on the main road at the north end of Kamala - you cannot miss it.

Simon Cabaret

This show is not as slick as Fantasea but it is still well done. It is a ladyboy show - that is transvestites or katoeys as they are known in Thailand. The performers dress in spectacular costumes and mime to a range of classic female songs. While some ham it up like pantomime dames, others are utterly feminine and make totally convincing and beautiful women. The sets are good and there is an excellent sound system. It is a good piece of light entertainment.

Simon Cabaret is at the south end of Patong on the road to Karon. The show takes place twice daily at 19:30 and 21:30. Tickets cost 500 - 600 baht and you can buy them at tour shops or at the ticket office.

Phuket Stunt Show

This new major attraction in Phuket opened in June 2008. We hope it is a success and remains here a long time. The Phuket Stunt Show is an original idea and a great addition to Phuket's entertainment options. It is an action and stunt show featuring performers from Thailand, Europe, North America and Australia.

The show is split into two acts with a 20-minute intermission. The first act features some spectacular high diving, including a vertigo inducing 27-meter high dive. There are also jet-skis, Samoan fire sticks and some mock fighting. They even throw in a bit of comedy. The second act is a pirate show with lots of mock fights and pyrotechnics.

The show is put together by some top stuntmen. The action is well co-ordinated and keeps coming. There are times when you hardly know where to look because there is so much is going on. Each act is about 45-minutes long and the show fairly flies by. Generally, they have everything about right. Perhaps they could do with a little more entertainment outside the arena to make the whole experience feel like a bigger event.

The open-air arena features a water pool and a large stage area where they perform the stunts. The seating is under cover and has sport stadium style plastic seats. The seating is not allocated so you sit where you can. The best view is from the central seats in front of the high-diving area or the right hand seats near the pirate village.

The show starts at 7:30pm every day except Wednesday during the high season. Tickets are 1,200 baht. They currently have a promotion for Thais and Residents of 600 baht but we don't know how long that will last. Probably until they start filling the arena.

The show is closed during the low season.

The Phuket Stunt Show is in Chalong. From Chalong Circle, take the road to Kata and on the upward slope of Kata Hill is a left hand turn signposted towards the show.

Playhouse Theatre and Restaurant

This is a nice little addition to the choice of shows in Phuket. They call it a caberet show. It is basically a song and dance show although the singers are miming. They have energetic dancers in extravagant costumes performing well choroegraphed routines. It is a small theatre and stage so the whole event has a nice intimate feel. The comfortable lounge style seating adds to the intimate ambience. The performers are constantly adding new routines to the show to keep it fresh and vibrant.

The theatre is upstairs. Downstairs is a chic restaraunt serving good set menu meals with an option of Thai or western food and tapas. The whole venue has a feel of understated refinement that almost feels out of place in gaudy Patong.

The show is performed each evening, with shows at 8.30pm and 10.30pm, except Sundays. You can eat and drink first at the restaurant or just head straight into the show.

Entrance to the show is 500 baht and if you want to eat then for set dinner and the show it is 1,200 baht.

Playhouse is on Rat-U-Thit Road in Patong, just north of the Sai Nam Yen junction.