Mosques and prayer in Phuket
Where to pray in every area you are likely to stay
Phuket has a large Muslim population and mosques in every district, so you are rarely more than a few minutes from somewhere to pray. That is unusual for a beach destination and it is the single practical reason Phuket is easier than most.
Below is the mosque nearest each of the areas visitors actually stay in, with the halal eating that sits around it. Prayer times shift through the year — ask at the mosque or use a prayer app rather than trusting a printed timetable in a hotel lobby.
The mosque nearest you
Old Town and Phuket Town: Masjid Al-Abrar, centrally placed and walkable from Raya, One Chun and the Old Town cafés.
Patong: Masjid Patong on Nanai Road, roughly five minutes back from the beach. There is also a smaller musalla near the Jungceylon mall.
Bang Tao and Cherng Talay: Masjid Mukaram, the main mosque for Bang Tao's Muslim community, in the village centre and surrounded by halal restaurants. This is the closest option to the Laguna resorts.
Rawai and Chalong: Masjid Rawai, in the heart of the fishing village, walking distance from the seafood market.
Kata and Karon: Masjid Karon, slightly inland from both beaches.
Kamala: Masjid Kamala, in the village behind the beach.
Practical notes
Most hotels used to Gulf visitors will provide a prayer mat and the qibla direction on request. Ask at check-in rather than assuming it is in the room.
If Ramadan or Eid falls during your trip, the villages are where you will find iftar rather than the resort strips. Bang Tao, Rawai and Kamala all cook for their own communities.
Dress expectations on the beaches are relaxed, but the villages behind them are residential and Muslim. Cover up walking through them and nobody will think about it twice.
6 places
Listed in the order we would work through them.
6 places
01Bang Tao Village
The Muslim village behind the beach clubs. Cheap, local, almost no tourists.
The Muslim village inland from the Bang Tao beach clubs, centred on Masjid Mukaram. Morning market from roughly 6 to 10am, neighbourhood restaurants, local prices and almost no tourists — five minutes from the Laguna gates.
Bang Tao฿ CheapHalalFamily- Best time
- Morning market, 6-10am
- Entry
- Free to walk
- Getting there
- Easy — inland from the beach
02Rawai Muslim Village
A working fishing village. Pick your seafood at the market, they cook it there.
A working fishing community on the southern tip, with the seafood market on the waterfront. Buy your fish from the ice and hand it to one of the cooking stalls behind. Late afternoon is when the boats land and the selection is best.
Rawai฿ CheapHalalFamily- Best time
- Late afternoon when the boats land
- Entry
- Free to walk
- Getting there
- Easy — flat waterfront
03Phuket Old Town
Sino-Portuguese shophouses, coffee shops and the island's best street food.
The Sino-Portuguese quarter around Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi Roads: shophouses, coffee shops, street art and the island's best cheap eating. Thalang Road closes to traffic on Sunday evening and becomes a food market. Flat and genuinely walkable, unlike most of Phuket.
Phuket Town฿ CheapHalal: askFamily- Best time
- Late afternoon, Sunday for the market
- Entry
- Free to walk
- Getting there
- Easy — flat and walkable
- 04
Bang Tao Morning Market
Where the village eats breakfast. Rice noodles and curry, no tourists.
Where the village eats breakfast, near Masjid Mukaram, roughly 6 to 10am. Kanom jeen — fresh rice noodles under a ladle of curry — plus khao yam, roti and strong coffee. You will not see other tourists.
Bang Tao฿ CheapHalalFamily- Halal
- In the Muslim village by the mosque
- Booking
- Walk-in, 6-10am
- Order this
- Kanom jeen with fish curry
05Khun Bi Restaurant
Bang Tao's everyday Thai Muslim kitchen. Menu in Thai, point and eat.
A neighbourhood Thai Muslim kitchen in Cherng Talay, five minutes from Laguna and a world away in price. The menu is in Thai only — pointing at what the next table is eating works perfectly, and the staff are used to it.
Bang Tao฿ CheapHalalFamily- Halal
- Thai Muslim kitchen
- Booking
- Walk-in
- Order this
- Massaman curry with beef
06Ko Ang Seafood
Muslim-owned, in the fishing village. Pick your fish, salt-crust grilled.
Muslim-owned, in the Rawai fishing village, with the boats visible from the tables. Pick your fish from the display and have it grilled in a salt crust. Open-air and rustic — plastic chairs, not tablecloths.
Rawai฿฿ Mid-rangeHalalFamily- Halal
- Muslim-owned in a Muslim village
- Booking
- Walk-in
- Order this
- Salt-crusted grilled fish
Photography on this page is free-licence stock, credited to Jom on Pexels. It shows Thailand, not the specific venues listed.