Chillva Market

Chillva Market is in Phuket Town, away from the west-coast beaches. It is a ride from Patong, so allow time and book a Grab or Bolt for a fixed fare. Once there, you are close to Timber Hut, the Phuket Old Town bars and Khao Rang Viewpoint, which makes a Phuket Town evening easy to plan.

It is a container market with bars and food stalls. The container layout keeps it casual, with drinks and food in one place. It is a relaxed place to eat and have a drink, rather than a red-light scene, so go in that frame of mind.

Nearby are Khao Rang Viewpoint, Timber Hut, Rain Tree Spa, Lotus's Samkong Phuket, the Phuket Old Town bars and Meeting Point. That mixes a viewpoint, a live-music club, a spa and a shopping center with the Old Town cocktail bars, so there is plenty to add to your evening.

It is good for a relaxed one. You can eat at the stalls, have a drink in one of the bars and then move on to the Old Town or Timber Hut. It is not a nightlife strip, so combine it with another stop if you want more than a meal and a drink.

It is a casual market with a mixed crowd, so treat it as a place to eat and have a drink, not to find a working girl. Be friendly, buy a round and let conversation happen. If you want the bar-girl scene, the beer bars and gogo bars in Patong are the better choice.

Chillva is a container market in Phuket Town with bars and food stalls, and it feels like a local hangout. Banzaan is a food market behind Jungceylon in Patong, a short walk from Bangla Road. Pick Chillva for a calm Old Town evening, and Banzaan to eat before the clubs.

Go in the evening, early enough to find a table and look around, and later if you want the bars. Trading days and hours can change, so check on the day, and look at what is on before you travel across the island. Weekends are likely to be busier.

Eat first, walk through the whole market, and then choose a bar. Combine it with the Old Town bars or a Sunday visit to Lard Yai, and book your ride home early. Keep small notes for the stalls, and keep your phone in a front pocket in the crowd.