my partner and i are in our late 20s and staying in phuket for 3 months, planning to spend about a year in thailand.. i am a full time uni student (by distance) and he is doing the thai boxing thing (this is his 3rd year training in thailand, of 10+ yrs of training / fighting) and we are wondering about some fun things to do outside of the usual touristy stuff (especially on rainy days like today).

eating ourselves stupid has been great, shopping and bars aren't really our thing unless its to spend time with friends.. going to see a thai movie tonight.

any longer terms have some good suggestions on how else we can fill our free time?

Read Thaivisa.com... LOL! If you 're up by Patong, I used to go bowling or play pool. Go to the beach if it's not rainy, play frisbee, badminton, bolls (pettong sp) kind of like bocci ball, snorkeling or floating around on an air mattress. Going for motorbike rides, watching the sunsets... Read a book, watch TV. Take a nap. Take a boat trip to one of the small islands off the south end of the island, weather permitting.

What did you do in Australia to pass the time?

Surfing this time of year is fun.

You can rent boards and get a lesson down at Kata Beach. If it looks a bit treacherous head all the way down the beach by the rocks where it's a little more protected.

Picnic or lunch out at Cape Panwa and then check out the aquarium.

Take a day the opposite way and go to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Center.

Get up early and head to the Phuket Town bus station and catch a bus to Khao Lak for the day.

Hmmmm...........that's all I can come up with now.

Cheers, GOM

Also go to Juncelong and find the shooting cafe! You can shoot some guns

Bowling alleys in Patong and at Big C, Go karts in Kathu, Quad and Off road bikes in the south of the island,

shooting ranges, one on top the hill between Patong and Kathu another on Patak road in Chalong, horse

riding, the aquarium, if you haven't been to Fantasea well worth going, weekend market near Phuket town

starts about 5PM Saturday and Sunday a lot of the stalls have prices on there goods and there is plenty

of eating places there.

where's the weekend market? i've heard about it but not exactly sure where it is!

pretty much a beach bum back home.. but my partner doesn't like the beach so much. horse riding would be awesome, will def check that out.

surfing freaks me out because of all the muppets in the water who swim near the surfers, i'd feel real bad if i broke someone's nose or cut them with a fin! that said i haven't surfed in years so recon it should be a lot of fun!!

thanks heaps for the suggestions people, if you think of anything else please do lettuce know =))

where's the weekend market? i've heard about it but not exactly sure where it is!

pretty much a beach bum back home.. but my partner doesn't like the beach so much. horse riding would be awesome, will def check that out.

surfing freaks me out because of all the muppets in the water who swim near the surfers, i'd feel real bad if i broke someone's nose or cut them with a fin! that said i haven't surfed in years so recon it should be a lot of fun!!

thanks heaps for the suggestions people, if you think of anything else please do lettuce know =))

Coming from Patong turn right at the traffic lights at Central Festival chopping complex, you are heading towards Chalong/ Rawai.

at the next set of traffic lights turn left the markets are about 500 meteres up on the right hand side you cannot miss them.

Have a good look around before you buy anything the price can very a lot for the same item.