ChasingTheSun

If you are planning to live in Phuket long-term and have school age kids, stay in Rawai because it is closer to most of the international schools. Thats really the only reason to choose Rawai.

If you don't need to send kids to an international school, then focus your attention on Kamala.

Kamala is much closer to Patong, and it offers everything you could want/need for an excellent island lifestyle. 

The best thing about Kamala is that it has one of the best beaches in Phuket, and almost everything is within walking distance to the beach, so you dont need to worry about having a car or driving/parking headaches. 

21 minutes ago, notasmartassknowitallfarag said:

I don't want to get involved in the local Phuket boundry wars. These were just my opinion from what I experienced. I ate in 3 places in Kamala and all were very poor. I ate in 2 very good places and one okay place in Rawai. The places in Kamala could have been down to my poor choice of establishment. 

I have no reason to be biased. I'm sure there are great places to eat there. I'll leave it at that for this debate. 

thanks for the feedback.

Sounds like you had a great time overall and thats all that matters.

for whatever reason, there are indeed a few folks on the forum who get very hot and bothered in regards to their place of residence, but they usually mean well.

Yes it can often be a roll of the dice in regards to restaurants anywhere. 
 

let us know the next time you are in Kamala/phuket and we can provide some local knowledge in regards to some of the better restaurants.

????

Get a repair/replacement quote first from the authorized Apple repair shop in Central Festival, then go around to a few of the IT shops in the adjacent IT hall to see whats the best price/quality they can offer.

Or try a google search. You will probably find a non-official china copy replacement of the watch face for self installation, but the quality would also be iffy.

7 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Ok I will bite. The member clearly stated "Rawai" was much better.  And I would agree with that.

 

He was throwing the Kamala supporters a bone. "I could imagine Kamala being much better pre covid. "

 

You just could not let it go .... sad

Lol!! Nice try Lik. ????

Thats was rather sad of you to try to throw a lifeline and answer a question that was posed directly to another member. 

Indeed you have also now brought your own reading comprehension skills into question with your odd  summations. You may want to cool down and re-read the posts above and give it a rethink..
 

For the sake of all the members, please try to let members answer a direct question on their own before barging in like a bull in a china shop next time.
 

Besides, don't you think KB

is capable of a reasonable response?

49 minutes ago, notasmartassknowitallfarag said:

So I made it to both Rawai and Kamala. I have to say Rawai was much better. 

 

Unfortuately the bar closure did not help! But I found Rawai to have better food, better beach (Nai Harn) more choices, more people where as Kamala seemed quite dead apart from a couple of beach side restaurants.  I could imagine Kamala being much better pre covid. 

 

Thanks for the advice on both locations. 

 

Yup, you are right. Kamala is indeed “much better” for most tourists most of the time.

Yes, Rawai would have more people, as it it is a much larger inland suburbia area with fewer tourists.

Why did you think the food was better in Rawai?

2 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Triggered...........so easy.

Agreed.

Too easy. ????

On 4/6/2021 at 7:56 PM, KarenBravo said:

Nah.........Rawai and Nai Harn much better than Kamala ????

No overbuilt, ugly head-lands, or noisy beach-clubs.

Uhm... when is the last time you actually went to Naiharn beach? If you went there within the last 30 years you would have noticed that there is also a giant older hotel on the northern headland which you would likely refer to as “ugly” as well.
 

That being said, the Op should know that Naiharn is still a beautiful  beach like Kamala Beach, but Naiharn beach is relatively small and lacks the amenities that most tourists desire.
 

In addition, you may want to mention to the OP that Rawai is a fairly large & sprawling suburbia as compared to compact Kamala, and access to the only good beach  in Rawai would normally and unfortunately/inconveniently require a car/taxi  ????

On 4/6/2021 at 11:40 PM, KarenBravo said:

.........or, even the ten lane highway that bisects the town and is fondly known as "the race-track" ????.

You should get out more and try crossing highway 4024 autobahn that runs the length of Rawai.
 

Never-mind the multiple other dangerous busy roads down there. Rawai roads are risky enough locals, but downright hellish for tourists who unfortunately usually need rental cars/bikes to get around. ????

8 hours ago, zzzzz said:

what you say Might be true, BUT one can not get around Rawai walking,  you need transport 

and as far as i recall
there are no beach side restaurants, ( yes there sea view seafood  restaurants that are very overpriced) clubs or various sea view accommodations, ( priced from 700 -10,000 baht/night).

 

BUT Please by all means stay in Rawai, those living in Kamala love it without tourists  ????

well said.

if someone feels a certain area is the best place to recommend they should say it....wether they live there or not. Their recommendation can be judged based on facts.

It is a fact that for most people on HOLIDAY in Phuket, there are few if any, reasons to stay outside the west coast beach towns, unless they like the hassle of taking taxis and renting cars to get everywhere.

Now with the covid, it is also a fact that Kamala is really the best choice for most because it is still mostly open and everything is walkable on/near the beach.

hope that helps to settle it. ???? 

7 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Only joking to highlight the Phuket taxi costs. 400 baht is a "bargain".

Yes, phuket taxi fares are a somewhat bitter pill to swallow compared to the super-cheap taxi fares in bangkok or elswhere in Thailand.

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

But the taxi costs 1000 baht

Nope.

grab taxi only about 300-400 baht one-way kamala to/from patong. 

5 hours ago, notasmartassknowitallfarag said:

I am going to Phuket solo this week and I'd like to stay in an area with some fun bars open at night. Not interested in clubs. 

Would Rawai, Kamala be best for that? I ususlly stay in Patong but have heard it's dead. 

Kamala is probably your best choice. A great beach with plenty of nice bars and good restaurants still open....and EVERYTHING is within convenient walking distance.

Only a 10 Minutes taxi to bangla road if you want to check it out.

HAVE FUN! ???? 

Plenty of “top hotels” and/or condos/villas with pool access across the island.

Checkout airbnb, agoda, and hotels.com.

If i had to guess, i would suggest that most rainfall tends to happen sometime between 630pm - noon.

On 3/29/2021 at 6:01 AM, jim1953 said:

For me , as an 18 tears expar, Kamala is the best place to stay! Kata-karon and Patong have to much closed business !

OP,

As Jimi and others have said, Kamala is indeed the best place overall to be in Phuket during covid times(or even after covid is in the history books).

Kamala is a living and breathing thai beach community that hasn't shutdown like the other west coast beach towns have.
 

Plenty of bars and restaurants are still open right on and around the beautiful Kamala beach. You have a choice of beach bars/restaurants ranging from cheap local thai, or swanky 5 star hotels, or the world famous Cafe del mar.
 

The best part about Kamala is that you can easily WALK to everything, and you’re only a 10 drive minute drive from Patong should you feel the need to checkout bangla. 
 

have fun!

36 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

never saw one on kamala beach and i am on the beach daily

 

Peeing applies to jelly fish an is ONLY a myth 

likewise.

I’ve never seen a sea urchin at Kamala beach.
 

As others have said, Kamala beach is an excellent choice.

Add Cape Sienna hotel to the list of places for you to consider. Its a great hotel with an awesome infinity pool overlooking the bay, plus  they have an amazing rooftop patio for sundowners called “Vanilla Sky.”

There is a stretch of shophouses, for about 500 meters, on the main road due south of the airport exit. 
 

if you walk around there and look around, or ask the locals on that road,  they should be able to recommend one or more rental places nearby. 
 

6 hours ago, Dermah said:

Really good advice, except that, the last time we were there, we did.

Drove down to Karon or Kata, can't remember which, and found nowhere to park. Seemed spaces were "controlled" by some thugs.

Drove back to Patong and spotted a parking space on the right side of the road in between the endless tuk tuks.

A gentleman came out of a shop and informed us in no uncertain terms we were not to park there, and if we did the car would be damaged on our return.

We went back to our hotel, returned the car early, finished our stay locally, and never came back to Phuket.

 

Have you tried using the Grab taxi app to arrange fixed price or taximeter Phuket?

it is easy to use, very reliable, and no haggling. 
 

38 minutes ago, beechbum said:

I've been living here since 96, you need to get out more.

I don't live in Rawai.

You are the epitome of why there's an ignore option.

Lol! You have obviously been triggered. 
 

Your comments on this thread have been ignorant at best, and purposely misleading at worst.

None of us can know your motives, but it would be helpful if you “ignore” all threads concerning Phuket, cause you haven’t helped the OP or anyone else in the community with your disgruntled blather.

3 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

 

I didn't say that. I said that they were like everyone else. Some good and some bad.

Most of the bad, impolite ones that I have come across were not from Phuket, though, many were OK (just like other people).

That is my final answer. Make of it what you will.

 

You think every Thai wears a halo?

 

I really have nothing more to add to this thread.

Ok.
 

Have a good nap KarenBravo.