Hollywood Discotheque, Nightclub In Patong Beach, Phuket Thailand

Hollywood Discotheque
The Hollywood Discotheque burst onto the Patong Beach Nightlife scene in 2008. The Italian owners named the club after the infamous Hollywood Discotheque in Milan, Italy. The club is located in the former location of The Dragon Go Go Bar, on Bangla Road in the center of Patong's entertainment district. Hollywood is the newest club as of 2011, and they enjoyed immediate success as soon as they opened. Since the closure of The Shark Club in 2002, Patong's nightlife scene has been struggling, and people are starved for a newer and more exiting club. When Seduction Discotheque opened in 2006, they also enjoyed immediate success, however neither club is anywhere near as popular as The Shark Club once was. Hollywood is probably the most popular nightclub in Patong Beach these days. I have read that "Hollywood has two large rooms both pumping two distinctly different sound systems yet both full of energy and beautiful people." I would have to say that I find this choice of description less than accurate, and far too generous.

The People
The Italian owners have created an atmosphere that is popular with European tourists, you will see a lot of Italians, French and other Europeans in Hollywood. I would say that for the most part North Americans as well as Brits and Australians tend to favor the other nightclubs in Patong, such as Tiger and Seduction. There is no dress code at Hollywood, and overall the atmosphere is more relaxed than it is at Seduction. I would say that the most attractive women in Patong Beach would be more likely to go to Hollywood than any of the other clubs in town. On any given night there could be as many as 500 to 1000 freelance bar girls dancing in Hollywood, looking for customers.


My Experience
Just after Hollywood opened in 2008, I went into the club with a few of my friends from Sweden. We had been playing a poker tournament and it just so happened the tournament ended a little earlier than we had expected. We had not intended to be going clubbing that night, and none of us were dressed up to go out. I was wearing a New York Yankees baseball shirt, and this seemed to be very unpopular with the French people inside the club. I had one very large and arrogant Frenchman tell me right away how much he hates Americans, and I politely informed him that I am indeed Canadian. He did not seem to think this was relevant at all, and he continued to verbally abuse me.

I attempted to explain to this neanderthal that my shirt was not a political statement, simply just a baseball shirt that I had been wearing because it was comfortable. As he become more aggressive I began to prepare myself for this situation to escalate, and while I did not intend to get in a fight, I wanted to show him that I would not be afraid of a physical confrontation. Before I realized what was happening, I was surrounded by bouncers, and then grabbed from behind, choked, and dragged away. The bouncers were punching and kicking me as they dragged me to the back door.

They took me into a dark room behind the club, and I must say that I began to fear for my life. Finally they told me to "get the hell out and never come back". They pushed my down a set of stairs and I landed on my feet at the bottom of the stairs at the back of the club. I was not injured, with no cuts or bruises, only slightly shaken and traumatized. I briefly thought of executing revenge on the arrogant Frenchman, then I realized I would be better off going home and calling it a night. So the moral of the story may be to never wear a Yankees jersey to Hollywood, or perhaps don't bother to go at all.