Philipp Meier

Phuket eases off the throttle this weekend. The beach clubs are still in rotation, but the energy dips just enough to favour slower plans and better pacing. Sinae Phuket links up with Chef Daniel Franco for a two-day Dilmah Tea Experience that puts tea front and centre, pulling in Indian flavours with a more layered approach. Over at Café del Mar Phuket, Benja lands from the Netherlands with a set that leans into afro-house’s deeper end – slow-burn grooves with melodic techno edges that build rather than hit. Across the island, My Beach Resort Phuket keeps it tight with a speed-dating-style Peri Peri Wine Tasting, where Giacomo Marchione walks you through Sicilian Perricone in a format that doesn’t linger. Elsewhere, Molly’s Tavern keeps things loose with the Phuket Social and Language Exchange – low stakes, mixed crowd, conversations that tend to run longer than planned. For something more pared back, Casuarina Beach Club lines up by the water, where the draw is less the event and more the excuse to settle in. Pick your spots and don’t overcommit. Looking slightly ahead, Julian Marley touches down later this month, while a low-key scavenger hunt is quietly gaining traction as a different way to get around the island.

Aperol Spritz Day lands at Casuarina Beach Club on Bangtao Beach with a simple draw: sunset, sea air and free-flow drinks. Pink skies and soft surf set the tone, whether you’re stretched out on a beanbag or settled in at a table. Fire spinners kick things off, then DJs take over with deep house and soulful sets, but the pace stays relaxed enough to drift through the night. May 12. B790. Aperol Spritz Day, Casuarina Beach Club. 6pm-9pm

Molly’s Tavern hosts this weekly meetup just off Soi Bangla, pulling in a mixed crowd of locals, expats and travellers with no real agenda beyond conversation. Guinness is poured cold, Jenga blocks do their part to break the ice, and the pub menu – steaks, pizzas, burgers – keeps things grounded while sports play in the background. You can register online, but most just turn up, find the group and ease in. May 8 (weekly). Free. Molly’s Tavern Irish Bar & Restaurant. 7pm-10pm

Perricone – once pushed to the brink by phylloxera – has made a quiet comeback, and this session at My Beach Resort Phuket puts it front and centre. Also known as Pignatello, the grape takes its character from Sicily’s red clay soils, and export manager Giacomo Marchione walks you through it alongside tapas and estate-grown wines. The format moves quickly – you’ve got 90 minutes to get through it – so this is one to show up on time for. May 8. Free. Peri Peri Wine Tasting, My Beach Resort Phuket, Cape Panwa. 6.30pm-8pm

Benja (Jesse Mak) arrives from the Netherlands – a country better known for peak-BPM EDM – with a sound that sits firmly on the deeper end of afro-house. Expect organic grooves and melodic techno edges that build rather than hit. His breakout track Yamore has carried him from Amsterdam’s Loveland Festival to Ibiza’s Circoloco parties at DC10, and this set at Café del Mar Phuket follows that same arc: unhurried, but locked in. May 8. B500. Cafe del Mar Phuket. 10pm-3am

Chef Daniel Franco puts a deliberate spin on a very British ritual at Sinae Phuket, swapping out Earl Grey, string quartets and scones for Ceylon tea and Indian-rooted cuisine. The Dilmah Tea Champion – and 2019 winner of the Dilmah Tea Inspiration for the 21st-Century Competition – treats tea as the main event, building flavour through spice, milk and careful pairings. Head to Hilltop Cafe in Koh Sirey for a daytime session centred on masala chai – black tea, milk and warm spices, served with polished precision – or return the following evening for an intimate omakase dinner at Sai Bistro, where Andaman views come as part of the deal. May 7. Free. Dilmah Tea Experience, Hilltop Cafe – Sinae Phuket. 2pm-6.30pm

Heads up, house heads. Armania lines up a B2B set this Friday with Asal (Salvatore Angelucci) and The Element, bringing a slice of Ibiza to Phuket. Asal may be the newer name, but he blends melodic techno, afro and deep house with a restless, evolving style, shaped by sets at parties like Cadenza at Vagabundos Cafe. Alongside him, The Element brings decades of experience, including residencies at Sankeys Ibiza, known for its dark, warehouse edge. Together, they strike a balance between fresh energy and seasoned control, building a set that moves steadily and keeps the floor locked in. May 1. B3,000. Armania Phuket. 10pm-4am

Dinner that turns into a dancefloor – that’s the rhythm here. Little Roma’s Ciao Bella evenings start slow, with wood-fired pizzas and homemade pasta, before a live sax player threads melody through house beats as the room shifts gear. It’s polished without feeling stiff, and the timing’s deliberate: Prosecco flows 7pm-9pm, Aperol Spritz takes over after, just as the DJ pushes things further. Come early if you want a table, stay late if you’re in the mood to move.  May 2 (weekly). From B499. Little Roma Phuket. 7-11pm

If your week’s caught up with you, this is where you hit pause. Dopa’s three-hour sunset session moves you from heat to cold and back again – saunas, onsens and ice baths, all guided so you’re not just guessing your way through it. Immersiv’s team leads breathwork and meditation, while a banya ritual adds a more intense, steam-heavy reset. It’s structured but not rigid, and the wind-down matters: tea, quiet conversation and a proper landing before you head back out into the noise. May 1. B2,000 (B1,500 for members). Dopa Sauna & Wellness Club Phuket. 5-8pm. DM on Instagram

After something smart, kid-friendly and with a bit of heart? Head to Junkyard Theatre this Saturday for The See-Saw Tree. Written by UK children’s dramatist David Wood, the play follows a centuries-old oak tree home to rabbits, cats and pitch-black crows – and the tension that builds as development moves in. It’s playful and dry in tone, but grounded in environmental themes that don’t feel heavy-handed. The irony lands well, too: a see-saw playground planned right where the ecosystem already exists. Expect a few laughs, a few pointed moments and a gentle nudge to look around on your way home.Apr 30. B650 (B500 for students; free for kids aged three or under). Junkyard Theatre Phuket. 6.30-8.30pm

If you like your house music with a bit of edge, Westend is worth showing up for. The New York DJ-producer – aka Tyler Morris – pulls from ’00s bloghouse and Brooklyn club culture, but doesn’t stick to any one lane. His sets move fast, layering playful, sometimes irreverent sounds over driving tech-house rhythms. It’s less about knowing the tracks and more about letting the momentum carry you. Expect a packed floor and a crowd that’s there to dance first, think later. May 1. B500. Illuzion Phuket. 9pm-4am

Yes, the name might make you think of Bloc Party – and at first glance it looks like a straightforward street food setup. It isn’t. This annual Courtyard by Marriott event brings together food trucks from across the island’s Marriott hotels, alongside craft stalls, painters and a playful game zone. There are pop-up gin bars, ice cream trucks and a beer garden made for lingering, condensation sliding down the towers. Live indie acts and DJs keep things moving, while the food leans global – from currywurst and chippies to taquerías, pizza, smash burgers and, of course, Thai noodle stations. Best part? No one minds the excited yips of your four-legged tagalong. Apr 25. Free entry. Marriott Bonvoy on Wheels BLOC Party, Backyard, Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town. 5pm-11pm

Dreading Monday? Take one more orbit first. Destino, Maya Beach Club’s signature Sunday sessions, leans into stars, planets and all things cosmic. It starts gently with sunset over Bangtao Beach – white sand, calm water, that almost unreal aquamarine glow – before easing into a dinner show with dancers already in full swing. From there, it builds into a beachside electronic set, with local DJ Pong spinning hypnotic house as zodiac visuals and shifting light pull the whole thing into orbit. Apr 26 (weekly). Free entry (table bookings from B1,500). Maya Beach Club. 7pm-2am