If you find yourself wanting a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of working life in Phuket and you work in Phuket Town, Chalong or nearest and you don’t want the extra 10min drive to access Rawai or Nai Harn then Soi Taed in Chalong can be a solution.

Soi Taed connects Chaofa West to Chaofa East Road and is home to all thing’s fitness from Martial Arts to Body Conditioning. As a result, this area attracts a fair amount of tourists who either travel through backpacking or have committed to a programme for a month or two. You also get competing martial artists especially in Muay Thai boxing who arrive and train in advance of bigfights.

In need of a break at the weekend and in search of my weekly protein shake I stumbled upon the ‘Filling Station Restaurant’ which is also ‘Cannabis CBD Station’ found sandwiched between Ali’s BBQ and the Vietnamese Nem Nuong BBQ. As menus for the Nem Nuong BBQ are available in the Cannabis Station (see photo’s) they could have one in the same owners.

“the Cannabis connection”?

James Alexander

Don’t be alarmed, you’re not going to see people smoking crazy cigarettes here with bearded and bandanaed Cheech & Chong type characters laughing themselves into another dimension. Rather, a relaxed and dare I say it almost Mediterranean atmosphere with hints of the Balearics. From memory, the music was Chillout and people including staff were just taking it easy (including the resident cat’s and dogs). The tables and chairs here are really comfortable and you can’t help but sit back and watch the world go by.

What’s “the Cannabis Connection?” I hear you ask. Well, that comes in the form of healthy Cannabis CBD oil that is put into a selection of teas that they sell appropriately or inappropriately (you decide) promoted by a cute looking Panda bear mascot. CBD stands for Cannabidiol which according to wbemb.com comes from a Cannabis sativa plant and has been approved as a drug by the U.S for seizures. I just ordered a shake with a scoop of protein and was pleasantly surprised when they put a glass and a half on the table. I thought this was good of them.

I visited just before lunchtime, however, at night the place does come alive with attractive neon lights on the walls and in the ceiling. The Cannabis Station also bounces of the atmoshpere created by Ali’s BBQ opposite in the evenings and you could find yourself going from to the other for drinks and then dinner.

I’d like to thank Ramida, Khim Ywae and Yadanar Lin for making me feel welcome.

James Alexander