Many people around the world consider Phuket to be a desirable holiday destination and yours truly is not excluded. However, for Muslims, traveling always poses a challenge as far as getting halal food is concerned. Many non-Muslims usually think that halal is the absence of pork or pork related products but in reality, there is quite a bit more to it before food can be considered halal or a restaurant can be considered a halal eating place.
Having spent almost two weeks in Phuket, I decided to create this blog as a guide for all Muslims looking to holiday in Phuket and not have to rely on canned food or instant noodles all the time. The advantage Phuket has over other places in Thailand e.g. Bangkok is the higher percentage of Muslim population. It is not uncommon to see headscarf-clad girls working in the shops and supermarkets. So, halal food is definitely available in Phuket if one knows where to look.
Most people holidaying in Phuket would inevitably end up in Patong Beach and the surrounding area. The majority of restaurants serving halal food in Patong Beach are either Middle Eastern, Pakistani or Indian establishments. But a trip to Thailand would not be complete if one did not partake in the local cuisine. This is where the challenge is: locating restaurants/eating places that serve halal authentic Thai cuisine. The Middle Eastern/Pakistani/Indian joints I mentioned do also offer Thai food but, trust me, people who have tasted real Thai food in their home countries or elsewhere in Thailand or the world for that matter are bound to be disappointed.
Since I have spent almost a fortnight in Patong, let me walk you through some of the establishments that I have had the pleasure/displeasure of patronising.
Read on. I hope the information will be useful. Have a happy holiday in Phuket!
hi,
ReplyDeletei went to phuket on feb this year. yes like what u did mentioned i only found the halal restaurants with authentic thai dishes only at the mosque area. but i still not satisfied with the taste of what i ate (my expectation too high i guess). however, grateful there is eating place for me during my stay there even i had to walk quite far from my hotel (i stayed at bangla road area). i went there only for lunch. at night i just had burger nearby my hotel and it really taste good and quite a big size. enough portion for dinner. sadly for breakfast i hardly find any halal meal. i just went to 7-eleven and bought milk..banana from fruit stall. of course there are arabic, indian/pakistan restaurant nearby but not for me. i plan to go again this coming may and i hope my halal thai food hunting this time will be a success.
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