The lion share of people who go to Phuket, Thailand can be categorized pretty easily. You have lots of dirty old men heading to Patong Beach to get raucous with pros, Russians who plan to bake in Speedos on Karon or Kata beach, and backpackers who are there to spend one night before or after visiting one of the islands.
I have been to Phuket three times now and have explored pretty extensively. It’s actually an island, but is connected to the main land by a bridge. I seem to find myself there more often than not because they have a very accessible international airport that makes it too easy for me to never make it anywhere else because I’m in fact the laziest travel blogger in the world. I hate long overland (or sea) travel…don’t judge me.
But, while the beaches and nightlife are the biggest allure to Phuket, Phuket Town is actually a pretty pleasant place to spend a night. Located centrally and on the eastern side of the island, Phuket Town is not over run by tourists and you can catch a semi-authentic feel while still having all the amenities you‘ll probably be interested in, like decent hotels/hostels/guests houses with AC, solid Wi-Fi and countless coffee shops that almost seem too hip to be where they are. If you plan to go on to any of the islands like Koh Phi Phi, you’ll probably be leaving from Phuket Town anyways.
Thailand was never colonized, so you'll find very few areas with historic architecture influenced by western nations, unlike Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, etc. Phuket Town is very unique in Thailand.
