Pescator Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Hi SinSin2 Well, we all have different experiences. I first came to Phuket in 92 and stayed at - surprise surprise - Patong Beach. Nothing thai about this place, I felt like on Ibiza. But I`ve visited regularly and at one time spent 6 months here. Liked it a lot. There is more to Phuket than Patong as I am sure you will agree on. Phuket is a rather large island. The further you go to the NW on the island the fewer people you will meet. For instance the Hat Mai Khao leading to the Sarisin Bridge is totally deserted. I found the general price level in Phuket town to be competitive to just about any other place in this region. And if you compare say the beaches to those of another popular beach resort Pattaya, there is no comparison imo. I am sure that Culturecyper/cyperculture? could add a few comments as I believe he lives there. My parents have been to Phuket several times and love it. Wouldn`t hesitate for a minute to go back. And several of my german friends (married couples) come back year after year. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 The further you go to the NW on the island the fewer people you will meet. For instance the Hat Mai Khao leading to the Sarisin Bridge is totally deserted. ------------------------------------------------ Seems like the whole Island may become like that again. Cool! :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardinalblue Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 I just got back from a week in phuket and PP. While the area is quite nice, it is no hawaii or tahiti. I took a non-BG there so we did the resort thing and some of the day tours available. What I find is everything is completely overpriced for what you receive (food, transportation, tours, etc). The only thing that i felt reasonanably priced was the hotels themselves. But i will tell you that they have a long way to go in what customer service is. The hotels have all these dumb regulations and rules of shall not to this or that and the cost of each violation (i.e., lost key equates to 5,000B, turn your beach towel in after 6pm is 400B or if you are not out by check-out, any fraction of time over is 1/2 day cost). I should not have to pay $3 a prawn when it is a local food. 100B just to move 10 feet in a tuk tuk. The pricing alone is such a turn-off and with no tourits around and i mean no tourists around, the vendors and sellers harass you to death and trying to physically grabbing you to drag you into their store. It was a big turn-off. My friend just couldn't believe how expensive it is to the point is that it is not market based at all. The botton line is Phuket would be a bad investment. It is not even close to good value in what you receive for products and services. The whole island and area need an education in what customer service is..... The air was good and the water was nice.... Cardinalblue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brink15 Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 I totally agree with you. I lived for 1 1/2 years on Phuket and had a very different experience than what everyone but you described. For tourism or sanuk it may not be the best place from a strictly price standpoint but there is far more to Phuket than just Patong/Karon/Kata. As an expat it is a great place to live if you have a job in that area, i.e. diving industry, restaurant, etc. As a retirement spot it's even better. You just have to know where to go. Rawai is a great place with some really good cheap food. Phuket Town can be a lot of fun and there is some really good food if you stay away from the tourist oriented places. Even Kata can be great if you again stay away from the tourist places. But hey that's just me. I stay away from tourist oriented places anywhere I go. But I'm really glad all these guys don't like it. Maybe property prices will drop a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Stayed on Phuket island once, in 1991 Choose Karon beach, was a quite place then (family sitting in chairs next to us at 100 meters), but they were building a huge 20 story hotel, how stupid can you be??? They had some nice 4 star low-rise hotel/resorts along the beach, and a few cheap fish restaurants. Rented a motorbike to explore the island, visited nice quite beaches and villages but ho, Patong beach was what I thought it to be then, a shithole. Nowadays I avoid any Torremolinos alike place (no Ko Thao, Ko Samui or similar, although not far from where I live) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Got to agree with Sinsin......Patong is a victim of greed and excess. Hopefully its not an indication of the way the whole country is headed. And hopefully all the recent travel problems are temporay ....new people will find their way to LOS and enjoy themselves without comparing it to the way it used to be. Trying not to be jaded........cheers Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 I live in Phangnga , an hour north but once a week or so do the 'shopping' in Phuket . As it was , yesterday , I drove through Patong and Karon on my way to Kata .... everywhere deserted ! I don't think I saw more than a dozen farangs ... and this was about midday too ! Forget about terrorism , wars and SARS ... it's overdevelopment along with excessive overpricing for tourists that is doing nothing except damage the area as a touist destination . For example .. where I live it costs B200 for a Phangnga Bay trip . The same trip , originating in Phuket + a temple visit (B10) + meal (B50) is B2,700 !! :: It seems to me that , the days of Thailand , as a 'budget' tourist destination are all but over . Phuket has outpriced itself and the more knowledgeable travelers are now going to better value destinations . Can't say I blame them . Funny thing is that the Thai bigknobs , in charge of tourism are having all kinds of meetings to try and find a solution to the crisis . All they have to do is ask a farang holidaying/living there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Hi Mr. Ma...... :: Fair enough. But you agree with SinSin while referring to Patong only. And he was referring to the entire island of Phuket calling it "a shithole" and I don`t mean to sound condescending but I doubt that he has much knowledge of Phuket outside of Patong. As I and Brink said there is a whole world outside of Patong on Phuket. Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pescator Posted June 1, 2003 Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 Hi Brink15 But I'm really glad all these guys don't like it. Maybe property prices will drop a little. Yeah, sure. In our dreams! :: Oh, why didn`t I invest some 20 years ago? Cheers Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legover Posted June 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2003 property bubbles burst same all other bubbles. starting in the uk, us will go & phuket may well follow. high prices need huge support to keep them there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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