Philipp Meier

Phuket shifts into party mode this weekend, with poolside house, a lively social mixer and a late-night club set. Those after culture or cardio have strong options too. Guest DJ Maliya joins Sunset Sounds at Casa Boho, while Rush On brings its drinks-fuelled Meet & Mingle night to SōL. In Phuket Old Town, the Feel all the Feelings Illuminating Peranakan Festival casts local culture across a heritage landmark in light and colour. Over on the west coast, runners and walkers gather on Bangtao Beach for Arinara’s Run for the Reef, before Porto DJ-producer Trikk takes over Café del Mar after dark. Here are five ways to make the most of the weekend.

Porto DJ-producer Trikk, aka Bruno Deodato, has developed a sound layered as his background. The son of a Mozambican father, he honed his skills in Berlin and London and has released music on labels including Innervisions. His sets move through underground house and techno with long melodic builds, while his album Mundi Ritual explores deep, earthy house, minimal textures, techno-infused tribal rhythms and Afro-Latin grooves. Expect slow-burning tension, melodic colour and finely judged shifts in intensity.  Aug 29. B300. Trikk at Café del Mar. 10pm-3am

Start Saturday on Bangtao Beach, where this community-minded three-kilometre fun run welcomes walkers and first-timers as readily as regular runners. Capped at 200 participants, the emphasis is on the sea views and shared experience rather than speed. Finishers receive a healthy breakfast at Arinara Beach Resort and can enter a lucky draw, while part of the proceeds goes to Oceans For All Foundation, a Phuket-based marine conservation charity. Worried about slogging through powdery sand? At low tide, Bangtao’s shore is hard-packed, making the family-friendly route considerably easier underfoot. Aug 29. B490. Run for the Reef, Arinara Beach Resort Phuket. 6am-9am

The opening ceremony’s live jazz, Khon dance and cultural workshops may be over, but the Illuminating Peranakan Festival still has plenty to see. At its centre is a projection-mapping show that washes Phuket Old Town’s bright yellow, Sino-Portuguese Charter Bank in light, colour and sound, bringing the island’s Chinese-Thai traditions and identity to life every 20 minutes from 7pm. If you’re lucky, you may also find a street vendor selling kanom tao daeng (red tortoise cake), an auspicious rice flour dessert with a mung bean coconut milk filling.  Aug 23-29. Free. Feel all the Feelings @ Phuket: Illuminating Peranakan Festival, Charter Bank Intersection, Phuket Old Town. 7pm-10pm

Skip the awkward one-to-one introductions: Rush On’s Meet & Mingle is designed for easy, free-flowing conversation. ‘Mingle bingo’ gives guests cards of personality traits and prompts them to find matching people around the room, while interactive mini-games and DJ beats keep the mood lively without making the evening feel over-organised. A welcome drink and a shot during the games are included – handy social lubrication for breaking the ice. Aug 29. B350 in advance; B450 on Aug 29. Rush On Meet & Mingle, SōL Phuket, Bang Tao. 7pm-10pm

Candle-lit ceremonies, lion dances, street food and an old town bathed in red make Phuket’s Por Tor Hungry Ghost Festival one of the island’s most atmospheric cultural events. Rooted in the local Hokkien-Chinese community rather than staged for tourists, the annual festival welcomes respectful visitors. Por Tor, or universal salvation, centres on the belief that the gates of hell open and spirits return to the human world. It is also a time to remember ancestors who died far from home, especially those without descendants to make offerings for them. Head to Seng Tek Bel Shrine and Ranong Road Fresh Market for Hokkien-Chinese merit-making, with incense, burnt paper money and food offerings including red turtle cakes. Visitors may also get to try the blessed hand-sized cakes – or see giant versions weighing up to 100kg, later cut up and shared once the rituals are complete. Aug 19-Sep 6. Free. Por Tor Hungry Ghost Festival, Phuket Old Town shrines and Ranong Road Fresh Market. noon-midnight

Meet Me Offline continues its Phuket speed-dating series with an evening for straight singles aged 25–55, organised by Tanchanok ‘Elle’ Pongpanich. At Selina Serenity Phuket in Rawai, one-on-one chats come with ice-breakers and red-flag-or-green-flag questions such as, ‘Is keeping in touch with your ex okay when you meet someone new?’ Expect 10–15 swipe-free mini-dates in a relaxed beachfront setting, whether you’re looking for romance, friendship or simply a fun night out. Aug 23. B690 (B890 for registrations after Aug 21). Speed-Dating Rawai for singles aged 25-55, Selina Serenity Phuket. 5pm-8pm

Dust off your best – or worst – school uniform for Champs Sports Bar Phuket’s 10th-anniversary Back to School Party, a revival of its 2019 bash. The Aussie sports bar and local expat hangout is laying on a photo booth, killer pool games, prizes for the best dressed and a soundtrack of old-school classics. Add pub grub and ice-cold beer, and class is back in session – with considerably more fun than detention. Aug 21. Free (entry only). Back to School Party, Champs Sports Bar Phuket. 7pm-late

Meet Me Offline hosts its first speed-dating event exclusively for gay men, built around face-to-face conversation without the pressure of awkward small talk. Table cards with prompts such as ‘Coffee or dinner?’ get things moving, while games help break the ice and spark curiosity. Whether you’re looking for a date or simply keen to meet new people, expect a relaxed atmosphere and plenty of quick connections. Aug 22. B690 (B890 for registrations after Aug 20). MeetMeOffline Speed-Dating for gay men, Wembley Tavern. 5pm-8pm

Making his debut in Phuket, Berlin-based SOMMA is more than a DJ. The German artist is also part of LE YORA, the label and creative collective he founded with YUMA and JEWELS in 2021. ‘Everything you see on this brand, the music, the artworks, the clothes – it’s all designed by us (SOMMA, YUMA and JEWELS). We’re songwriters, designers and DJs.’ His music has won support from Keinemusik, Adriatique and Dennis Ferrer, balancing underground house with mainstream appeal. Head to Café del Mar on Friday for a late-night set of groove-driven house and techno with Berlin roots. Aug 21. B300. SOMMA at Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

Paris-based duo CHAMBORD refuse to be boxed into one genre. Their exuberant blend of deep and melodic house draws on atmospheric soundscapes, warm basslines, hypnotic grooves and uplifting rhythms. Recent releases on Get Physical and Around Midnight Records have helped take them around the world, from Mayan Warrior and WooMooN Ibiza to The Gardens of Babylon. At Café del Mar Phuket, expect a festival-ready journey through organic instrumentation, global percussion and soulful, harmonious chords – without relying on obvious peak-time drops. Aug 14. B300. CHAMBORD at Café del Mar Phuket. 10pm-2am

Marriott International’s Luxury Group returns with the third edition of Across The Table, its multi-month Asia-Pacific dining series built around culture, creativity and connection. At The Naka Island, the headline event is an eight-hand beachfront banquet beneath the Andaman sky. Resort executive chefs join Agustin Ferrando Balbi of Michelin-starred Andō in Hong Kong and French-cuisine specialist Arnaud Dunand Sauthier for a wine-paired menu spanning Latin-Japanese precision, Alpine terroir, Mediterranean flavours and French pastry. Immersive masterclasses and collaborative menus round out the programme, all in a peaceful setting just steps from the waves.   Aug 12-15. From B16,000++ per night for two. Across The Table: The Luxury Dining Series, The Naka Island. From 7pm

Locals outnumber tourists at Chillva, a bohemian market packed with Thai food, affordable fashion and cocktail bars with rooftop seating. It is liveliest from Thursday to Saturday, when flea-market  stalls add trinkets, clothes and plenty more to the mix. Popular with students from the nearby university, the 6,400sqm market is split into a container zone, street-food area and central stage backed by an amphitheatre. Shipping containers house stylish clothes, designer goods and tattoo parlours; grilled seafood and coconut-based Thai desserts scent the air; and live music keeps things buzzing. Take a taxi or ride a scooter – the chaos begins in the car park.   Aug 13-15 (closed Sunday). Free. Chillva Market, Phuket Town. 5pm-11pm