PATONG bar proprietors are hoping to boost the appeal of Phuket's best-known nightlife destination with the Patong Bar Hopping discount card.

The card's release in early April comes at a time when Patong is in the process of sweeping growth, with new resorts and bars opening and the prospect of its key attraction, Soi Bangla, changing for good.

Much of the talk among regulars in the bars is of the likelihood of Phuket's most famous street becoming a 24-hour walking street, or of many bars closing to make way for a large resort.

Rising prices and the arrival of franchises such as Starbucks and McDonald's in Soi Bangla have some convinced that Patong's reputation for wickedness after dark is about to be made over to a blander, more suburban model.

The concern is accompanied by the increasing spread of beer bars from Patong and Karon to other parts of the island, sometimes meeting resistance from other businesses and local residents. Even in Patong, the bars continue to spread as new developments rise up.

''The idea of the Patong Bar Hopping card is to create a community of bars,'' said promoted Richard Valentine, who hopes to have 15 or more bars signed to the deal before the launch.

The card, he said, was the idea of Graham Francis of the Nanai Sports Bar and it now has the support of a growing number of bars and nightclubs, including Taipan Disco, Dirty Nellies, Cheap Charlies, Sharkys Bar and the Irish Rover Bar.

Touts in Soi Bangla usually offer deals for drinkers in individual bars, but the Patong Bar Hopping card has a broader pitch.

''Buy one get one free'' applies to the first drink, with discounts at other venues such as tailors, restaurants, accommodation, and motorbike hire, Mr Valentine said.

Each card, costing 380 baht, has no time limit but can only be used in each venue once.

''People who visit six of the bars and go to Taipan Disco between 10pm and 12.30am can get a free drink,'' Mr Valentine said.

''Visit 10 of the bars then go to Taipan and you collect a free t-shirt. We expect individuals will buy a card but it's also ideal for a bunch of lads who could buy a new one to share every day,'' Mr Valentine said.

He notes that drinking habits in Patong are changing, with more bars now opening for a lunchtime crowd.

''There are plenty of new guesthouses, too, and businesses gain commission on the cards,'' Mr Valentine said.

He can be contacted on 0840 60 80 30.
e: richard@patongbarhopping.com