No deaths or injuries were reported from the fire, though many people evacuated from the scene were treated for smoke inhalation, The Phuket News was told,
The fire broke out just after 8pm after an electrical transformer blew out, showering a souvenir shop with sparks and setting the building on fire, reported Patong Police Chief Col Anotai Jindamanee.
The fire quickly spread due to the souvenir goods, many of them leather items, housed on the second floor.
Six teams of firefighters arrived fought the flames from multiple sides to contain the blaze, but found their efforts hampered by the breeze and the flammable materials in the buildings, firefighters said.
In total, nine shophouse units gutted or heavily damaged from the fire and the thick black smoke it created.
Among the units affected by the fire were shops, restaurants and small hotels where tourists were staying.
Investigators swept through the charred remains of the buildings today to continue their investigation into the fire.