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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    Where would you choose to live in Phuket?

    I know this has been done to death, but im doing it anyway. Things change.

    Im currently renting in Kamala Beach with about 5 months left on the lease.

    I want to pull the trigger purchasing a house, taking advantage of the covid apocalypse happening on the island, but I can not for the life of me decide which area.

    Im really leaning towards Rawai, but being centrally located between Yanui, Nai Harn, and Rawai Beaches. I want to be less than 1500 meters from the beach and dont want to have to get on any main roads to get there so I can take the kiddo to the beach everyday safely via sidecar (dont want to get my truck all sandy and fucked up, plus she loves it) and not alot of tourists. Expat area. Etc. Rawai seems to fit the bill rather well.

    But at the same time, that area is pretty far south and away from the better private schools. In that regard, Chalong, or even Kamala makes more sense, but those areas dont really do it for me.

    Any phuket residents have any thoughts? Even if you dont have kids, where would you put down roots in 2021.

  2. #2
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    I think the key question is how long do you plan to live in Phuket? In my case, 14 years ago whilst still working on a rotational basis, it was the plan to retire here. I rented a duplex condo on the outskirts of Kata, and after six months started to look seriously for a place to buy. No way did I want to be near any tourist resort town, with their constantly changing population and grief with parking.

    What was important to me was ease of living and access to facilities. Rawai, whilst not unattractive still had too much of a tourist feel about it, and too remote from decent shopping etc. Eventually I found a place that ticked all the boxes in Chalong, and I've not regretted it in the 13 years I've been here.

    If your daughter isn't yet of school age, I'm guessing that she will soon be, which will possibly limit the daily visits to the beach to weekends. Re schools, British International is something of a nightmare to get to from nearly everywhere on the island. Where I am in Chalong, it's just over 10 minutes to Headstart, and 5 minutes to BCIS. I'm 10 minutes from Home Pro Village/Villa Mart, and in the other direction Central Festival. Chalong has a good range of housing types to suit any preference and budget, from small places for a couple of million baht, to large villas for a couple of million dollars/pounds.

    Reflecting on my past 13 years here, the only other area that I would possibly consider is Cape Panwa (part of Wichit). Smaller expat community, but a couple of good beaches and low density tourists at any time. Has a few restaurants and convenience stores (7/11, Famly Mart, Supercheap etc). Very quiet roads, and quick and good access into Phuket Town.

    It might be worth your while renting a place again in what you think would be the most suitable area before you commit to buying. These price reductions are not going to end any time soon.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    At the moment, I have property in the USA and Isaan, and now looking to buy in Phuket and plan to live there for the majority of the time while I bank away for retirement. Im still rotational, so I would be gone at least half the year. Once in retirement, I should have 3 housing options, but thats still (hopefully) 30 years in the future. Im choosing Phuket because I like it there, but mostly because its the best compromise between Thailand and the USA. Good international schools, international airport, beaches, western stuff, while still being cheaper than the the states.

    Kiddo is only 18 months but I plan to have her in nursery at 2 years old at least for 3 half days a week to start. My idea thus far was rawai, then put her in ABC nursery, then Palm House, then... I dunno. What pulls me away from Rawai is Headstart school looks like the place Id want her to be in, overall.

    Do you have any experience with Palm House School? Heard anything? Looks ok based on my internet research.

    How long do you think it would realistically take to drive from say the Nai Harn area to Headstart on an average day? Google Maps says about 20-25 minutes?

    I keep looking at Chalong because they have great housing options, but every time I go there and look at some properties, it just feels like any other place in Thailand. Doesn't have a beach vibe to it. Ive gotta be near a good walking/swimming beach not just for the kid, but for me and the wife and our dog as well.

    Cape Panwa is a good idea, and I will look into that. Youre probably right about renting for a while in the area im thinking about living because I rented in Kamala and realized I didn't like it all that much - always found myself going south looking for places to stay.

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat
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    Google Maps is about right re Nai Harn/Headstart, i.e. 20/25 minutes, depending on time of day of course. I'd be allowing 30 minutes for that journey. School start/finish times are of course the main 'rush hour' traffic periods.

    Negative experience of schools, though have friends who'se children go to Headstart, and I know the owner through their participation in the annual Poppy Appeal for the Royal British Legion which I organise here in Phuket. Ao Yon on Cape Panwa is good dog walking territory, used to walk my two Golden Retreivers there every day, and swimming is OK depending on tide times.

  5. #5
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    it does not take very long to drive from south rawai or nia harn to chalong circle,not much traffic in the south end of phuket
    we live close to the rawai beach front and it only takes between 5 and 8 minutes to drive to the chalong circle underpass

  6. #6
    Member Wakey's Avatar
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    Bangtao should suit.

  7. #7
    Member Wakey's Avatar
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    I'll be Phuket-bound soon and I'll choose Phuket Town.

  8. #8
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    Smeg likes Phuket town as well. Back a while he was googling up tons of Phuket town information trying to impress his audience. My guess is, he has never been there.

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wakey View Post
    I'll be Phuket-bound soon and I'll choose Phuket Town.
    Where are you now?

  10. #10
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    Smeg likes Phuket town as well. Back a while he was googling up tons of Phuket town information trying to impress his audience.
    And back passage copy pasted it onto this forum, passing it off as his own.

  11. #11
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    depends what your requirements are,booze and bar girls phuket town or patong,quite country style life but not much else the north of phuket, plenty of night life but not full on kata/karon and chalong
    less traffic and easy to get around with decent width roads, plenty of bars and restaurants for expats still open, good beaches, shopping super cheap, tesco lotus, big c, makro,7/11 all have shops in the area, big selection of different priced housing rawai and nai harn areas was our choice after looking around the whole island
    long way from the airport if you use it regularly in tourist peak season which does not count at present or for myself at any time

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wakey View Post
    I'll be Phuket-bound soon and I'll choose Phuket Town.
    Smeg is that you ?

    Anyway Smeg has a spot that it claims is the greatest in all of SE Asia. I'll see if I remember where it is

    Syb said
    Really ? I never said it wasn't mine. I just posted it for the info. Someone asked. I presented the info. That's it

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat Backspin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    And back passage copy pasted it onto this forum, passing it off as his own.
    came to re-read this thread. Phuket seems expensive



  14. #14
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    'Ugh, not again' in response to a quote you've dug up from February?

    Is that not directed at yourself, you posing dickhead?


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