Is Phuket really that bad?

[Sailing into trouble]

The first thing you have to do is to avoid your average Touroid like Harry!
So visit in the off season.

So already you have lost 80%of the problem
Then Stay away from the Shit hole Fuck little girl and boy streets
Dont be a cheap dick and try and hire a tuck tuck for $3
Don't hire a seado from a thug1

Follow these simple rules and you should have a great experience in one of the worls=ds special places. Anyone who I can offer an advice to on the noce places please PM me.

Edit time for bed. Too much rum.

[sabang]

It's for other people to decide what makes them happy, and pursue it accordingly.

Phuket was spoiled for me as a tourist a long time ago (yep, rip offs and tuktuk scum). Not to say that you can't be a resident there and know your way around, of course. I used to lived in Pattaya, and whilst I didn't bother going into the centre much, you can have a fun night out and a good meal, just like Patong. Unfortunately in Patong, there are many more rip offs- but heck, you can get ripped off in Patt's too. Plenty do.
Mass tourism destinations just don't do much for me- the upmarkets joints are plastic, the downmarket are sleazy.
Then again, there are many foreign tourists that go to those sort of places year in, year out. They get ripped off, complain about it- but usually just keep going back to the same place or some other 'same same but different' tourist ghetto. It's their money, up to them.

The best places in Thailand are Thai, but it's good that most people don't go to these sort of places, because of course they would then just be ruined too. International tourism venues attract scum in any nation, sad but true. Not unique to Thailand of course, but it does strike me as quite institutionalised in Phuket. Then again the place is well known to be pretty much sewn up by a few SinoThai families, whereas Pattaya is more of an anarchy.

[harrybarracuda]

Kata's being overbuilt to fuck, tuk tuks to Karon are a minimum Bt200 (and that's only if you negotiate in Thai), and they had the most amazing pile of shit "DJ concert" (whatever the fuck that is) defacing Karon beach and fucking up the traffic (who gave permission for that?), looked like it pulled in hundreds.

Almost everyone I spoke to said numbers are badly down, whether that's because we're getting the message across or ignorant twats cancelled because of the floods, I'm not sure. I'm sure the Thais will blame the latter anyway.

There are tons of empty shops and bars, yet they're still building.

Still, nice to catch up with a few old mates.

Be glad to get out of the shithole though, back to Bangers for some real fun.

[Sailing into trouble]

Originally Posted by sabang

The best places in Thailand are Thai, but it's good that most people don't go to these sort of places, because of course they would then just be ruined too.

Ya you have it. I was staggered when I visited Phuket Island the first time 2 years ago. The ribbon development and the shameful condition of many of the tourist spots.

It was only when I stayed in Thai parts and went to their hangouts did I feel lke I was in some place special.

[harrybarracuda]

Originally Posted by Sailing into trouble

Ya you have it. I was staggered when I visited Phuket Island the first time 2 years ago. The ribbon development and the shameful condition of many of the tourist spots.

It was only when I stayed in Thai parts and went to their hangouts did I feel lke I was in some place special.

Yep and I bet they thought you were "special" too...

:-}

[dspenc]

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The word you are looking for is "shithole".

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[dspenc]

Originally Posted by ltnt

Good post Harry. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

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[ltnt]

Originally Posted by dspenc

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Meaning: Hard headed.

[petercallen]

Plenty of nice places to live in Phuket if you are not into bars and bar ladies

[billy the kid]

oh yea. define nice places.

[Phuketrichard]

Nice? good beach, grocery stores, (Big C and Lotus), a few bars and restaurants, ( both local and western) Banks. no hassles with Police, plenty of homes for rent, small community

Kamala is one and in the low season even nicer. :-)

[Bettyboo]

Phuket is a scam ridden shithole.

I stayed in Kata for 6 months about 12 years ago; it was very nice indeed. I went back about 4 years ago and it had been ruined. Overdevelopment, institutionalized crime and scams, all the dregs of Thailand go there to scam people...

I know a few folks (Thais) from Phuket who own restaurants, etc, and they are very nice people, but the place has been well and truly fuked up. If you have your own car, stay away from all the tourist areas and Thai scammers, and are lucky enough not to fall foul of random policemen/taxi/tuktuk scumbags (often the very same people) then I suppose you can have a nice time. But, why not just go to Krabi instead...

[tamsin]

Originally Posted by petercallen

Plenty of nice places to live in Phuket if you are not into bars and bar ladies

Always takes my breath away when Thai whores are called 'ladies'. Would you call a streetwalker in King's Cross a 'lady'?

Dey H.O.'s! Anyone lies down for money is a P.O.S.T.I.T.U.T.E. Only here y'all get befuddled by the sweet smiles and the vast cultural chasm.

PS Apologies to the 'Disillusioned'

PPS MONEY IS G.O.D. here. You ain't got - stay away.

[Koojo]

Originally Posted by tamsin

Anyone lies down for money is a P.O.S.T.I.T.U.T.E.

PPS MONEY IS G.O.D. here. You ain't got - stay away.

No they're not.

[Sailing into trouble]

Betty post 112

I have to agree, when we move back I hope to set up in Krabbi. Much better run province. Sad about Phuket the remaining nice places will be ruined unless there is a major change in the set policing.

[harrybarracuda]

Originally Posted by Sailing into trouble

Betty post 112

I have to agree, when we move back I hope to set up in Krabbi. Much better run province. Sad about Phuket the remaining nice places will be ruined unless there is a major change in the set policing.

Which there won't be. They will milk the fucker to death and then move on find another nice part of Thailand to trash.

[Sailing into trouble]

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Which there won't be. They will milk the fucker to death and then move on find another nice part of Thailand to trash.

Ya you are right. The first time I went to Phuket I was shocked at the development. I can imagine what it must be like for someone who has seen it being destroyed over 25 years. A paradise turned into a third rate sleaze palace.

[Phuketrichard]

Lets see, I first visited here in 1982 and moved from Pattaya in 1984.
Yea there have been changes, some for the worse and some for the better.

But it still is a great place to live and retire if that is ones wish.

Said it once and will say i again. Come in the low season and see why we that remain here still do so.

Krabi is worse and more expensive

[Mr Earl]

Phuket has some of the nicest beaches in the world.
Even Patong Beach with all its hustle and bustle has one of the cleanest beaches.
Especially after the tsunami when they put in a brand new sewage treatment plant.
Consider that some of those places in Bali and elsewhere simply pump the raw sewage into the ocean and that's what you be swimming in! Disgusting, I say.

[Sailing into trouble]

Originally Posted by Phuketrichard

Lets see, I first visited here in 1982 and moved from Pattaya in 1984.
Yea there have been changes, some for the worse and some for the better.

But it still is a great place to live and retire if that is ones wish.

Said it once and will say i again. Come in the low season and see why we that remain here still do so.

Krabi is worse and more expensive

I have been in the low season which was great, don't think I can handle the crowds in the high. Being with a local was great. My concern is the lack of control or order over just about everything. In the spirit of understanding why do you say Krabbi is worse?

[Phuketrichard]

way overdeveloped in a smaller space and more expensive than anywhere (except Patong beach) in Phuket, Its the bay so the water is not nearly as clean and at times unswimable. Even 7/11 prices are higher than here in Phuket. Great for rock climbing but after 2 days there its boring.
If u want somewhere nicer in the season head to Ko Phayam KOH PHAYAM ISLAND, RANONG, THAILAND off of Ranong.

Even Ko lanta would be nicer than Krabi

If ur in PHuket in the high stay off the main beaches, Out around the airport and north of there during the week are empty as is the beach north of Laguna beach

[stubzi]

Since when did Ranong become part of Phuket province?....

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

If there are any nice bits left in Phuket Province it's only because the developers haven't fucked them up yet - they will.

And trust me I know Phuket from Rawaii to Ranong, and gradually it's all going down the toilet, I've watched the whole place deteriorate over a period of nearly a quarter of a century.

Even that bits wiped clean by the tsunami have been built back up so that they're mostly worse than before.