Phuket Island (update 20 February 2008)

The largest island in Thailand – roughly the size of Singapore –

PHUKET is an international destination attracting visitors from Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States. With 17 sandy beaches, access to the amazing Pha Na Bay with its dramatic rock formations, and numerous smaller islands, PHUKET has vaulted to become one of Conde Nast’s Magazines top ten tropical resort destinations in the world.

And no wonder. From fantastic food, to world class water sports (a top world snorkeling and scuba diving destination), from fabulous shopping to a vibrant night life, PHUKET has something to offer every traveler. And your money goes a lot farther here than in other places. (You can life the high life in PHUKET for weeks for the same amount of money one week in Hawaii or the Caribbean would cost you.) There are countless smaller boutique hotels and guesthouses – both stylish and inexpensive – as well as the usual array of the world’s top hotel chains.

The weather is tropical with plenty of sunshine. Don’t bother bringing a lot of clothes with you – life on the Island is casual. Though the High Season – from late November to early April – when it is cold in the northern hemisphere and the temperatures range from the mid 80’s for highs to the mid 70’s at night – attracts the most people, PHUKET is now a year round destination. The attitude is laid-back tropical fun. But whether you are an adventurer, sports enthusiast, sightseer or world class shopper or night time person - you will never be bored here. There is simply too much to see and do. Or you can do absolutely nothing at all.

While many travelers to PHUKET come here and simple never leave, PHUKET’S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT allows visitors to explore not only the rest of Thailand – from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, you can also easily connect to Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Malaysia or Myanmar. There are active Gay scenes in Bangkok, Pattaya (an hour or two south of Bangkok,) and Chiang Mai in the north.

If you want to explore the island, go native and rent a motorbike for around five dollars a day.

And, like Amsterdam, Sitges, Fire Island and San Francisco, PHUKET is one of the world’s most exciting Gay playgrounds. Parasail, snorkel, play golf, ride an elephant, canoe in hidden caves, sightsee, take a Thai cooking school course, have a tailor make you a custom suit, dance the night away or just spend lazy days on the beach. PHUKET has it all – adventure, sun, nightlife, shopping, great food and friendly people. They don’t call Thailand The Land of Smiles for nothing. This may just be one of the friendliest places on earth. If you haven’t been to PHUKET you simply haven’t seen what Gay life can be like.

The Gay lifestyle on PHUKET is centered in the tourist hub of Patong Bay where there are dozens of Gay venues – hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and shops. There is always something going on in the Gay hub near the Paradise Hotel, and any excuse for a party fits the Thai lifestyle. From the Gay Festival in April to the Vegetarian Festival in October – there are unique holidays and celebrations all year long. Nobody anywhere likes to have fun (“Sanuk in Thai – it’s almost a religion).

The Gay traveler will feel right at home in PHUKET. Legal in Thailand, gays here are welcomed and respected and the prejudice found elsewhere in the world simply doesn't exist. Katoys – transvestites – have long been a part of Thai life – respected and accepted by the general population. Whether you come with your partner or a group of friends, or even by yourself, you will find a wide variety of Thais who will welcome you with open arms.

Meet new friends at local bars and clubs, or on the beach, PHUKET has long been the antidote to loneliness and boredom. There is an active ex-pat Gay community here and lots of Thais, and it’s easy to make friends and find companionship

99% Buddhist – Thailand is Southeast Asian in culture, Western in lifestyle and a safe and nurturing environment for all travelers of whatever age, sex, religion, ethnicity, country of origin or sexual identification.

And don’t forget to bring your camera – PHUKET is surrounded by natural beauty and spectacular ocean vistas, sunrises and sunsets.

NOTE ON THE TSUNAMI:
The 2004 Tsunami wrecked havoc on parts of the island, but everything has been totally rebuilt and restored. If you didn’t know there had been a Tsunami you would never guess based on the restoration. On PHUKET it’s as though the Tsunami never happened.

Upcoming events:

Phuket Gay Pride Festival 2008.
Dates are to be confirmed. There has been a discussion about moving the festival to 6-9 August 2008.
More information here

Do you want to be the first to know.
Sign up for our newsletter
The newsletter will have more details and more updated information than the web site. The gay patong newsletter has 4000 members.

Weekly events:

Thursday –
Connect’s Thursday Buffet with 10 Thai dishes, soup, fruit 20:00-22:00 Only 200 THB/person excl drinks.

Saturdays –
Connects gay day tour to Kai Island 11:00-19:00. Every week since 1999. This tour will probably bring you the best memories from your stay in Phuket.

Sundays
Go to the Weekend Market in Phuket town. Thalad rot fai

E-Newsletter
Subscribe to our e-news letter below. You will receive information about upcoming events, special deals etc on a monthly basis.
Now with 4000 member.

Connect Guesthouse is located in the middle of the Gay area, yet only a short 5 minutes walk from the beach. Our room rates at Connect starts at 450 THB in low season.
If you book and pay online by SIPS (Siam Commercial Bank) you can get 10% discount on our already very low prices.

We have a on-line reservation system. You can check availability, rates and make reservations online with an immediate confirmation. All rooms at Connect have private bathroom with shower, Internet connection, Electronic Safe, Kettle for Coffee/Tea, Air conditioning

NEW: Breakfast is included in the price
NEW: Big balconies on room 602,603,617,618,621 and 623
Link to Connect Guesthouse

Connect Guest book:
Read what recent guests at Connect has to say. We started with this Internet Guest book 1998 when we first opened Connect. Guests from 28 countries are represented.

Connecting people - Rooms for rent, food to eat, Internet to surf, friends to meet. Come and enjoy.