Last updated September 3, 2026

Colorful Sino-Portuguese shophouses lining Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town

Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Phuket

Where to Stay in Old Phuket Town, Phuket

Old Phuket Town, on the island's calmer east side, is where Phuket's tin-mining history is still visible — streets of colorful Sino-Portuguese shophouses, built by Chinese merchant families in the early 1900s, now hold cafes, boutique hotels, galleries, and street art. It has no beach of its own, but it's the most walkable and culturally distinct base on the island.

What it's actually like to stay here

Slower and more local than the beach towns — daytime is cafe culture and heritage architecture, and the Sunday Walking Street market closes Thalang Road to traffic for one of the best evenings to see the district.

Stay here if

Best for first-time visitors who want a cultural counterpoint to a beach stay, architecture fans drawn to the Sino-Portuguese shophouses, and budget travelers — hotels here are generally the least expensive on the island.

Stay elsewhere if

Consider a beach town instead if swimming and beach time are the main point of your trip — Old Phuket Town has no beach, and the nearest ones are a 20–30 minute drive away.

Walkability
Very walkable — Thalang Road, Soi Romanee, and the surrounding heritage streets are all within a 10-minute walk of each other.
Noise at night
Quiet on weeknights, livelier on Sunday evenings when the Walking Street market takes over Thalang Road.

Best Hotels in Old Phuket Town, Phuket

The Memory at On On Hotel

★★★
  • 💰 Best value

Our take A way to stay inside an actual piece of Phuket Town's history, a restored 1929 shophouse hotel, without paying boutique-hotel prices for it.

Highlights

  • Housed in a restored 1929 shophouse, with much of the original architecture kept intact
  • In central Old Phuket Town, an easy walk to Thalang Road and Soi Romanee
  • Simple, clean rooms at a lower price point than most of the district's boutique hotels

What to know

  • Rooms are simple rather than boutique-styled — the draw here is the building and location, not luxury finishes
  • Being an older building, some rooms are smaller than a modern hotel at the same price
Check availability on Booking.com

BAAN 125 STAY Phuket

★★★
  • 🏛️ Best for architecture & design

Our take Hard to beat for location if the shophouse architecture is part of why you're visiting Old Phuket Town — you're sleeping inside the thing you came to see.

Highlights

  • Set inside a genuinely restored Sino-Portuguese shophouse, with period details kept through the renovation
  • Right on Thalang Road, the district's most photographed street
  • Rooms come with kitchenettes, useful for a longer stay or self-catering

What to know

  • A self-service property with limited staff on-site, so it suits independent travelers more than guests wanting full hotel service
  • Thalang Road closes to traffic for the Sunday Walking Street market, which can mean noise until later that evening
Check availability on Booking.com

WOO Gallery & Boutique Hotel

★★★
  • ❤️ Best for couples

Our take A calm, adults-only alternative to the area's family-oriented guesthouses, with the heritage-building character that makes Old Phuket Town worth a stay.

Highlights

  • Adults-only, so it's a genuinely quiet stay even during the Sunday Walking Street market nearby
  • Set inside a converted heritage building with gallery-style common areas
  • On Phangnga Road, an easy walk to Thalang Road and Soi Romanee

What to know

  • Adults-only, so it isn't a fit for families traveling with children
Check availability on Booking.com

Transportation & practical information

No beach access on foot — a scooter, Grab, or taxi is needed to reach Patong, Kata, or Karon, each roughly 20–40 minutes away. Phuket International Airport is about 30 minutes north.

A car or scooter is genuinely useful in Phuket, unlike Bangkok or Chiang Mai — the beach towns are spread along the coast and public transport between them is limited to songthaews and Grab. Renting a scooter is common but riskier than it looks: Thai law requires a motorcycle-endorsed license plus an International Driving Permit, and riding without one can void travel insurance. A rental car with an automatic transmission is a safer option for reaching multiple beaches or day trips to viewpoints and waterfalls inland.

Frequently asked questions

Is Old Phuket Town worth staying in if I want a beach vacation?
It works best as a one-to-two-night addition to a beach stay rather than a full-trip base, since you'll need a scooter or taxi to reach any beach. It's a strong pick if history and architecture matter as much to you as the sand.

Related areas

Panoramic view of Patong Beach's crescent bay, lined with hotels and hills in Phuket

Ryomaandres / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Patong

Best for: Nightlife, Beach time, First-time visitors

The Karon Viewpoint overlooking Kata Noi, Kata, and Karon beaches in a row along Phuket's coast

Frank Overzier / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Kata

Best for: Beach time, Couples, Families

The long sweep of sand at Bang Tao Beach on Phuket's northwest coast

Raita Futo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Bang Tao

Best for: Luxury travelers, Beach time, Families, Couples

← All Phuket neighborhoods