Colonel_Mustard

I know a good builder in Phuket but think he's pretty fully occupied with a hotel construction at present. Maybe you could PM me the details (location, scale of job, time scale etc) and I'll see if he's interested.

So Mr Walen returns yet doesn't answer any of the legitimate questions about the Chiang Rai school that have been asked since his last visit, just replies to a 'hater' and a fanboy? Strange!

Fair point.

The North of Thailand is nice and with cooler weather. I bought some land in Chiang Rai and feel tempted to head that way when my kids finish at school here but the air quality there is a bit off putting.

I didn't think much of Hua Hin, Chumpon or any of that coast to be honest. Alright for a short holiday but wouldn't fancy living there. Same with Bali and most of the the rest of SE Asia.

I guess for me it would either be Phuket, Bangkok or back to Europe (though I wouldn't mind Singapore if there were better visa options for me).

At the end of the day, it all depends on your personal circumstances. For me it's still hard to beat Phuket at the present time.

i just came back from cha am, i do not know what words to describle it but definitely not quiet. if you went to the beach in early morning, the whole place is filled with thrashs, looks like tornado aftermath scene. maybe its the high season, its very crowded with lots of locals and tourist are behaving like barbarians.

Well Hua Hin is quiet. Honestly, if you found Cha Am too action packed, I dare say what you would describe Phuket as.

Look, I know I am a keener on the Hua Hin area, but that being said, it is cleaner, quieter, more civilized, more affordable and downright much better than Phuket or Koh Samui. I have yet to see any riff raff. My worst experience was in the local Burger King where I popped in to purchase an imitation milk shake last friday, and there were some well dressed Indian males engaged in a conversation, which entailed screaming at each other.

Plenty of quieter areas in Phuket and Samui. The OP also seems interested in the beaches and sea and frankly Hua Hin cannot compete with either on this front.

Hu a Hin is fine for what it is (and it is more affordable) but there are reasons that the majority of expats and holidaymakers choose other locations.

Not a flight I'd want to take having read about all the problems with the 787 Dreamliner.

There's very poor public transport, the traffic is unbelievable and the cost of living is ridiculous.

Agree on public transport but that's not too much of an issue if you have your own vehicle. I don't find the traffic that bad at all (even around the roadworks at Central) but there again I don't head down to the south of the island too often, maybe it's worse there.

Regarding cost of living, (real estate aside) you can pretty much live as cheaply or as expensively as you want. I'm often amazed by what some people I know claim to live on at both ends of the spectrum.

Anyway as JetsetBkk said

and enjoy your time here.

I bought a couple of rai on Santiburi golf course with the view to moving up there when the kids are done with school.

It's a good move if you've been here and enjoy it.

At the present time Phuket still remains the best place to live in Thailand for me but each to his own.

I have friends living in the Panwa area and they enjoy it but personally I prefer the north of the island. If you're not 100% sure about where to stay, it would maybe be best just to stay in a hotel a week or so and have a good look around before committing to a long-term rent.

Not sure. Anyway Fortuners are like the Mercs in the western world, own 1 own the road

That's about the only reason a Fortuner could ever be compared with a Mercedes.

Generally I'd take Western and Japanese quality over Thai price and Thai price over Australian quality (an oxymoron if there ever was one ).

Only murder I have hear of was the Thai speedboat driver a day or 2 ago. I'm sure if there had been more, then 1 of Phuket's many news sources would have reported them.

Anyway as this is a thread about road deaths, why even bring up the subject?

There does seem to be a fascination with trying to demonise Phuket and be negative about everything here at the moment. Take the topic of this thread for example. How many threads have we had on road deaths in Phuket over the holiday period? Now look at the Chiang Mai news forum and you won't find a single thread on the same topic despite there being a higher number of road deaths there.

It's a shame we don't express the positive a bit more to counterbalance the negative.

Nai Yang and Nai Thon are also decent shouts.

Not sure about the nightlife in Kata in October, in Rawai its dead at that time.

Looking at the OP he doesn't seem that bothered about nightlife but is looking for more of a family holiday.

Send up a link to the last shooting on Koh Chang..... or Ko Samet, Koh Tao, even Samui, then you may have an argument.......stay away from Pattaya and Patong and Thailand is an amazingly safe place for a beach holiday considering the numbers of tourists they bring in.

Type Samui murder into Google and you might be surprised at what comes up.

Laguna/Layan area in the north or Kata in the South would probably be the best fits.

The year of Miracle Thailand.

Twice as many gun murders per year than the US and a population a quarter of the size.

is this true? i guess you're saying per head of population?just interested,have you got figures and source?

I think his facts are all up the <deleted>, but then who worries about accuracy anyway.....

See for yourself. http://www.nationmas...s-with-firearms They're not my facts, they're THE FACTS.

Let me know if you need to borrow a big bag of sand to stick your head in.

No. That data is incorrect as has been explained elsewhere in this thread.

I haven't visited Phuket since 2004, and would have to be dragged there in chains if I was to visit there nowadays.

Yet you continue to visit the Phuket forum despite not visiting/living here 8 years. Some sad types about really.

Please let us know about the paradise you have found since leaving.

Glad you came out of it OK mate.

You don't get any of that mallarcy over here.People are actually nice to you and even stop to let you cross the road

Best move I have made in years moving away from that ever increasing hole (Phuket).

Pity it used to be such a nice place.

Ah yes, the "Phuket is a hole" crowd piping in.

SR-where is "over here" you refer to?

To the OP, yes, riding a motorbike to the airport at 5AM, probably not the best move, but glad all went safely in the end.

Don't tell him, Rich!!

I may be joining you soon and don't want the place ruined by too many farangs using up all the locals' good will.

Don't worry mate keeping this place quiet It's not full of dick's.

Sounds like it will be soon

My point is, robbery isn't really an "isolated incident" on Phuket anymore, is it?

I doubt robbery is an isolated incident anywhere in Thailand these days.

In answer to your 2 questions:

1 I've no idea on what day she was born.

2 It doesn't matter.

Likewise.

Thanks for the suggestions, but i was looking for something a little more traditional, Turkey, ham etc

Indigo Pearl is traditional.

Just got here yesterday. Went out to new Tiger and a few of the other sois down Bangla.. honestly? I don't like it. Too busy, too many touts harassing me and too many beefed up drunks who I need to tip toe around unless I am looking for trouble. Unfortunatley my booking on agoda is non refundable else Id check out right away and head to Krabi. Drink prices are crazy in new Tiger as well. A chang for myself and 3 shots of tequila came to 1200.

Instead of going all the way to Krabi, you could continue at your current hotel and just venture a few minutes north or south of Patong and you will find quieter and cheaper nightlife.

Indigo Pearl IMHO. There was a thread on the same topic recently:

They seem angry the girl was aquited I hope someday they can stop being angry at inocent people being innocent and move on with their lives.

Feel sorry for the victim and family for whom there has been no justice.

Hopefully one day justice will be done.