The best things to do in Phuket this weekend (June 25-28)

Drawing on his South African roots and his Berlin base, Floyd Lavine moves between deep house, afro-house and afro-futuristic techno with the ease of someone who knows exactly how to build a room. Expect hypnotic percussion, warm basslines, vocal chants and a sound that keeps one foot in house music heritage and the other in African club culture. His remixes and releases, including work on Innervisions, the melodic ‘Kusimama’ and his own Afrikan Tales label, have taken him to Hï Ibiza and onto platforms including BBC Music, Mixmag and Beatport. Catch him at Café del Mar this Friday for a night built on rhythm, soul and serious dance-floor lift.

June 26. B300. Roots presents Floyd Lavine, Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

Chess is having a moment, and DOPA is making it social. The wellness club’s monthly tournament keeps things fast with short, five-minute games and a three-second increment, so expect quick decisions, sharper focus, a few dramatic clock-watching moments and possibly a trophy. Entry is free and all levels are welcome, from curious beginners to serious players, though places are limited to around 20. After the final move, stick around for discounted sauna sessions or an ice bath if you fancy cooling down in the most literal way possible. 

June 26. Free (chess tournament only; pre-booking required on Instagram). DOPA Chess Tournament & Ice Bath, DOPA Sauna & Wellness Club Phuket. 10am-1pm

‘Do you have any annoying kids?’ asks Junkyard Theatre on its website, which tells you plenty about the tone. Children are not banned, exactly, but this Saturday-night cabaret is best suited to ages 16 and up thanks to its drag skits, naughty jokes and gleefully irreverent take on Phuket life. The 2.5-hour dinner show throws together live music, breakdancing, powerhouse vocals and a madcap send-up of expats, tourists and local culture, all staged inside an upcycled theatre built from recycled materials. Dinner leans Thai with a modern twist – think snapper with mango salad – while the show does the rest. 

June 27. From B1,500. A Night at Junkyard Theatre. 7.30pm-10pm

Don’t let the ticket price fool you into expecting a formal sit-down dinner. Skål Phuket’s June networking evening keeps things casual, cocktail-style and close to the sea, bringing together travel and tourism professionals with under-30 students looking to make industry connections. Sunset drinks, pass-around gourmet and live cooking stations keep the mood breezy, before fire spinners turn up the spectacle. The catch: reservation and payment are required via Google Form two days in advance.

June 25. B1,300 (members), B1,700 (non-members). Skål Phuket, Tann Beach Club. 6pm-9pm

‘Spin, spin, sugar . . .’ If you were anywhere near a dancefloor in the ’90s, you can probably still hear Kelli Dayton’s moody vocals cutting through Armand van Helden’s dark, bass-heavy speed garage mix. The connection with Ministry of Sound feels spot on. The global dance-music powerhouse turns 35 this year, bringing its anniversary world tour to Phuket for a night at Illuzion. DJ heavyweight Darius Syrossian leads the charge, with Riva Starr and Jesse P also ready to deliver a rock-solid run of kick-driven house and tech. As Syrossian puts it: ‘I was inspired massively back in the ’90s by the way Armand van Helden would make you want to move with a kick, snare and bassline. Today, I’m writing tracks as a tool to make people lose themselves on the dance floor.

June 26. B500. Ministry of Sound, Illuzion Phuket. 9pm-4am

Into spirits? The drinkable kind? Head to The Distillery Phuket for an insider look at how Chalong Bay Rum and other small-batch tipples are made, from raw sugarcane to snifter cup. This is no backstreet operation – this is a proper guided tour through the working distillery, with stops for tasting along the way. Sure, you can sip Chalong Bay at many bars along the beach, but sampling yet-to-be-bottled rums, gins and vodkas while learning the basics behind distilling and cocktail-making adds new ‘depth’ to the glass. Plenty of swirling and sipping happens here, and maybe a few ‘just one more’ moments to be found as well. 

 Daily. B1,290. The Distillery Phuket. 11am-10pm

Ladies, Thursdays in Bang Tao just got a little more glamorous. Dolly’s Night at Maya Beach Club is your weekly excuse to lean into refined beachside energy with a night dedicated to feminine vibes. Start off at sunset, with deep-house rhythms and an ultra-glam dress-code to match Phuket’s beautiful golden hour. By 7pm, things shift to smooth sophistication with DJ Marcella curating a soundtrack and a troupe of pink-cladded acrobats who take you from dinner to dancefloor in one fell swoop. If you’re skipping the food, get there before 9pm to make the most of free-flow Prosecco and catch up with those already a bottle or two deep. 

Every Thursday. Free for women, B1,000 for men. Maya Beach Club. 7pm-late