Just three days from now – on July 17 – Phuket will be the battleground for two major events in the world of cool-and-sexy-see-and-be-seen, as two leading names in the world of deejay night clubs, Bangkok’s Bed Supper Club and Ibiza’s Hed Kandi, go, er, Bed-to-Hed.

Tata Young has apparently already checked out the new Sound nightclub in Jungceylon. Photo copyright © Alasdair Forbes.

Bed Supper Club, possibly the capital’s coolest nightclub, is the place to go to gawk at stars. In fact, if you haven’t been been photographed in Bed with someone sexy, then you’re probably not a star or even a starlet. Now Bed is about to officially open the very sexy Sound, at Jungceylon in Patong.

Meanwhile, down at Surin Beach, Stereo Lab – which is not as sexy but is right on the beach – will be the venue for the first appearance in Phuket of Hed Kandi (a subsidiary of Ministry of Sound) which has organised deejay parties all over the world as part of its World Series Tour, whichhas already included Tokyo, Seoul, Dhaka, Macau, Jakarta, KL and Phuket.

Now we don’t know whether there’s been a pledge of cooperation between the two, but consider this: on opening night, Sound will initially be open only to invited guests (ie, stars, starlets and other people with beautiful faces, bodies or wallets), who will mostly be flown down from Bangkok. They will have the place all to themselves from 9pm until midnight, when the doors will be opened to the hoi polloi – you and me – for another couple of hours.

But the Hed Kandi gig will be open to all, starting at 9pm. So it’s going to be a busy night, heading for Surin Beach first for the Hed Kandi gig featuring deejay Dean Rigg and percussionist Dean Oram until sometime before midnight, then hopping in the car – no, better make that a taxi after all those cocktails – for the dash to Jungceylon where the line-up will include now fewer that eight deejays from Bed – Fred Jungo, Octo, Duke O’Phive, Em, Ome, Josh and The Bangkok Invaders.

Sound soft-opened a few weeks ago and report that they’ve already received visits from from Thai glitterati Tata Young, Navinta, Dome (Pakorn Lum), Matthew Dean, Helen Pratumrat and Mark Kingpayom, presumably all down in Phuket for Fashion Week.

Manager Dave says that Sound will have different themes on different nights: Monday is Retroactiv – Old Skool dance hits from the 70′s onwards; Tuesday is Kinky Beats – sexy chilled out house; Wednesday is Jet-set – Hip-hop, R&B (also Ladies’ night); Thursday is Samba Loca – Latin Dance music; Friday is Ultra-sound – hardcore house for serious clubbers; Saturday is ‘this is SOUND’ – with international guest DJs; and Sunday is Bootlegs Inc -Mash-ups and remixes.

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The event was given its press launch in Bangkok, complete with fashion show. Photo by Thaicatwalk.com

Phuket’s film festival may be dead, but fashion is very much alive, with more than 150 models and celebrities heading for the island for Phuket International Fashion Week, from June 24 to 30. There will be 21 fashion shows during the week, with the promise of  concerts by 20 or more top artists every night – no names announced so far, although there is a strong rumour going round the Korean all-girl band Wonder Girls will be performing at some stage.

Proceeds from the event, which is being organised by the Phoenix modeling and media production agency and graphics house Matchfame, will go to the Thai Red Cross and the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation.

I wonder... will the Wonder Girls really come? Photo by True World.

The brands of clothing on display have yet to be announced, but for those who know their models and celebrities, the people on the catwalk will include Patcharpa Chaicheau, Wanarot Sonthichai, Nattawut Sakitjai, Nina L, Napatcha P, Irina L and many others with single-letter family names.

For us provincial hicks of Phuket, this promises to be a jaw-dropping festival as faces and bodies we’ve seen only on TV and in glossy magazines strut the latest fashions – live! – in front of the Jungceylon fountains.

The organisers expect to make this an annual event, “a regular event on the world fashion calendar”. We certainly hope so. We also hope it doesn’t rain…

Update: Complete Phuket Fashion Week photo report can be found here.

Photo by Joachim Köhler

Organised every year to coincide with Songkran is Phuket Bike Week, which runs from April 9 to 12. This year is the 15^th Bike Week, and hundreds of bikers with their machines are expected to descend on Phuket from all over Asia and further afield.

Formal events will include a bike exhibition at Jungceylon in Patong, which will feature some truly amazing custom machines, and a formal dinner for bikers (black leather tie, no doubt) on April 11 at Tainaan restaurant opposite Central Festival.

Other events on the calendar:

April 10: Beach party and music festival at Loma Park in Patong, headlined by top Thai bands Carabao and Job2Do.

April 11: Ride for Peace, with bikers going for a rumble along the coast from Loma Park to Laem Phrom Thep; beach party in Patong with music by Tom Dundee and Mu Pongthep, along with (according to the website) a “cowboy / Indian / rake show”. Rake show? Maybe if you’re a biker you’ll know what that means.

April 12: Tattoo competition and Miss Phuket Bike Week contest at Jungceylon; Beach party and rock concert at Loma Park featuring Pong & Pe & Jeap.

Expect a really friendly atmosphere with lots of guys in leather and girls in very tight denim shorts. Even if you’re not a biker yourself, it doesn’t matter. Anyone is welcome.