No, I am not using the word “Queen” in a derogatory sense. The Simon Cabaret in Phuket is generally considered one of the Top Ten activities in Phuket, at least for older visitors (not recommended for children), and the costumes worn by the kathoeys are quite spectacular.
The Simon Cabaret itself, while located in Patong, is a little ways out from the main drag around Soi Bang La. If you’re going to catch the show, your hotel can arrange for pickup and transfer to/from the show; you can also catch a taxi or tuk-tuk to get to the show that you will have to negotiate a price with the driver. Depending on location, a tuk-tuk will probably cost at least 150 baht up, whereas a taxi driver will probably be at least 300 baht (taxis are not cheap in Phuket, and you can pretty much forget about any of them using the meter).
I would consider catching the first showing at Simon Cabaret, which will give you time to get back to Soi Bang La for a night of partying. You will also see most of the performers from the show later in the night dancing around Soi Kathoey.
Damon Billian has spent a fair amount of time traveling through Thailand, where he has a wife and home on the lovely island of Phuket. In addition to spending a fair amount of time in Southeast Asia over the past five years, Damon has worked as a Community Evangelist for companies like PayPal, SimplyHired, Mint, Tokbox and CloudFlare. Damon’s primary hobby, when he isn’t working 60 hours a week, is cultural and animal photography.
