Is Phuket really that bad?

[jizzybloke]

I don't think i'll be going back anytime soon!

Oh and before I forget, Travelmate is a wanker!

[Bettyboo]

^ both are solid points (especially the second).

[sabaii sabaii]

Is that what a Travelmate is ?

Some guy who jumps into your cab at Phuket Airport and pulls you off ?

Ahh, that'll explain the 500 baht

[Bettyboo]

^ that's not the kind of Travelmate anybody wants...

[Simon43]

Simon is a battler, you can say that for him. Deluded - yes. Stupid and irrational - well, I wouldn't say yes, but some signs are there... A loser, a giver-in, a runner-away - certainly not! He keeps bouncing back, and with the same folk

Thank-you for the compliments - (I think they were compliments?)

The fact is that places like Patong/Karon are certainly crowded and full of rip-off merchants. I would not want to live there or to do business there - but you can have a great time as a tourist if you're streetwise.

I like Ao Nang (except the air is rather humid), and I certainly like the Nai Yang area, which is still a relatively peaceful location.

Business is good, so I cannot complain.

Simon

[Jesus Jones]

It is the first trip to Phuket for my wife and likewise i have no experience with the place. My question was based on internet forums i have read and my friend who lived there for 20 years and still maintains his properties there. I've also a couple of works colleagues (couples) who weren't overjoyed for whatever reason.

Other than the incident - which bothered me more than it did my wife, she has commented on how beautiful she thinks it is and suggested we both return there in December sometime.

Incidentally, for those who are familiar with the place, where would you suggest? We prefer quiet places. As an example, i prefer Ao Manow to Hua Hin.

[FarangRed]

Nai Harn beach is nice this time of the year, depending on how much you want spend on a hotel the best one is right on the beach

Puravarna Hotels & Resorts - Luxury Hotel and Spa Phuket Thailand - 5 Star Beach Resort : Puravarna

[Jesus Jones]

^That does look nice.

[Travelmate]

Don;t get your knickers in a twist - we're talking about the shitty areas like Patong and Walking St.

Interesting, so the rest of Pattaya is really pristine like Phuket? Clean beaches, clean water, etc.

[Ancient Future]

Trust me, you now it makes sense

I believe the word you are trying to use is "know." Now, are you Russian?

You're quite correct, fixed now thanks. Misquoting Delboy just wont do!

[Looper]

^That does look nice.

Baan Krating at the far end of the road at Nai Harn has its own beach and is very secluded and peaceful if you want a quiet time.

Baan Krating Resorts - Three Cosy Boutique Resorts with Picturesque Setting

[Marmite the Dog]

Same as lower Sukhumvit then?

Pretty much.

[taxexile]

phuket is for people who want an asian experience but without the asia.

or who want the blackpool experience with some palm trees and sunshine.

shitholes they most certainly are, their resorts pander to slobs and tourists who have no real interest in their destination, so long as the sun shines, the beer flows and the food is watered down to suit their insipid palates. a surfeit of readily available gonorrhreal whores is just the rancid pickle on the greasy burger that is phuket.

the scenery is abysmal, any beauty or picturesqueness has been overdeveloped, probably illegally, by the leech like greedy self serving inhabitants and carpet bagging incomers. those that deal with tourists, the police, the taxi drivers, the market stall owners etc. the ambassadors for thailand if you will, are pond life scrapings without any redeeming qualities.

the scams, the corruption, and the shakedowns and the perpetrators thereof are all par for the course of a third world country mostly lacking in morals, ethics and justice, but overflowing with greed, egotistical pride, and a pathological hatred of foreigners.

phuket, beneath the neon and stainless steel surface, has probably reached the social development of 15th century europe.

the island is thailands sodom, why the thai government in bangkok allow this festering sore to exist in its present state is beyond me.

[Jesus Jones]

^Thanks for that!

[Jesus Jones]

^That does look nice.

Baan Krating at the far end of the road at Nai Harn has its own beach and is very secluded and peaceful if you want a quiet time.

Baan Krating Resorts - Three Cosy Boutique Resorts with Picturesque Setting

That looks quite nice too. Prices seem reasonable also.

[Bettyboo]

she has commented on how beautiful she thinks it is

It is beautiful when you get away from the over-developed areas.

But why bother? You can equally as easily get to Krabi which is equally beautiful, and without the scammers and troubles. It just doesn't make any sense to holiday in Phuket anymore.

[Mid]

No-one tries to rip me off,

short memory Simon .......

[harrybarracuda]

Like I said, Phuket is a shithole.

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

I base my opinion on watching the decline of Phuket over more than two decades. Why should I change it?

[Simon43]

short memory Simon .......

Ah yes, point taken! I was referring to the normal, everyday Thai folk in my locality, not that mad-as-a-bat ex of mine

Simon

[Bettyboo]

I was referring to the normal, everyday Thai folk

They're ALL mad, Simon.

[FlyFree]

Like I said, Phuket is a shithole.

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

I base my opinion on watching the decline of Phuket over more than two decades. Why should I change it?

To show you're not a grumpy old git?

[Simon43]

They're ALL mad, Simon.

There is 'mad', and there is 'stark-staring fcuking bonkers'. My ex fitted neatly into the latter category.

Seriously though - the Nai Yang/Airport area is very nice. I wandered up to Mai Khao beach yesterday about 3pm. I stood on the beach and looked south and looked north - about 3km in total distance. Not a single person to be seen on the golden sands....

Simon

[Bettyboo]

The views coming onto the airport are lovely - I've flown into Phuket 5 or 6 times, and it's one of my favourite views coming in to land; 2nd to Vancouver? So, it makes sense that there are some nice places close to the airport.

All Thais are mad and have the capability to go fuking insane at any second...

[jizzybloke]

Don't forget what a wanker Travelmate is!

[phomsanuk]

Yawn - same old crap about Phuket from people who haven't got a clue...

To summarise the truth:

If you're a fat, drunken, ignorant expat or tourist, then some areas of Patong can be a shithole

If you're a normal, easy-going person, then Patong is fine

If you're an easy-going person, then anywhere outside of Patong/Kata/Karon is great

If you're an exceptionally nice person, jaidee, mai jai rawn ==> me - then Phuket is perfect

I live in Nai Yang/Airport region, and I also live in Ao Nang (own hotels/guesthouses in both areas). I never have a problem in either location. No-one tries to rip me off, and no-one tries to sell me some tacky suit and no-one tries to mug me. Every Thai is friendly to me

The secret to my success? I look poor!!

Simon

The

Your last sentence says it all...