Moving Samui To Phuket

[hecky]

i have lived in Samui for 8 years but i am finally fed up with the place now. it is one big building site you can nearly drive around the whole island on the coast raod and not see the ocean. the roads are awfull and airlink over priced. the place stinks of sewage and is pactically lawless. the traffic here resembles the jams i n the UK very rarly get out of 3rd gear in the car or bike. the island had been destroyed by the developers, i cannot beleive how bad the place is now.

i was thinking of moving to Phuket has anybody else done this recently and do they consider it a good move. i have been to Phuket quite a few times and the place does feel better than here but the grass is always geener. if nothing else cheap flights and not having to wait hours for a ferry appeal. they used to be worth the peanalty but no more this place has gone down hill big style.

any comments appreciated.

[Little Black Duck]

Hecky...Gotta say reminds me of the story of the person bashing their head against a brick wall.When ask why they did it the reply was "Feels great when I stop" !!! Glad you stopped, I left there 9 months ago best thing I ever did..Met a couple of other mates who left reciently and they say the same, got a friend still over there has sold his house finally settlement is end of this month, he cant wait..

Phuket has sooooooo much more and the roads are driveable no stinking sewage when it rains and no flooded sects for weeks after.. Much better beaches nice drives around the place..reasonable priced airfares and international flights..You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

[taxexile]

Gotta say reminds me of the story of the person bashing their head against a brick wall.When ask why they did it the reply was "Feels great when I stop" !!! Glad you stopped, I left there 9 months ago best thing I ever did..

encouraging then to know i wasnt the only one to escape from devils island.

i left 18 months ago , with earache from listening to 1000 decibel brits talking land whilst their smiley shiny girlfriends soothed their brows with one hand and filched their wallets with the other , with disgust at the thick putrid cloud of greed that had engulfed the island , and with an increasing sense of despondency as i realised that the supposed thai island in the middle of the gulf of siam that we had hoped to build a house on was becoming more and more like something between a lowrent spanish resort and a uk hick town centre at chucking out time.

i could go on , but youve heard it all before.

[OlRedEyes]

Been considering the same move for awhile. Though i thankfully don't own anything and could up 'n go, the wife is a Samui native so I'll have to dig out some roots first. Not totally convinced it's gonna be an improvement tho.

[OlRedEyes]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

[Little Black Duck]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

OlRedEyes..Why are yu so unkind to the LBD..

[Lite Beer]

Same here. But I am going to Khon Kaen.

As soon as my house is built (April) I will be off. As you say Hecky, one big building site. Every day All I got was drills , tile cutters, hammers, chain saws. It drove me nuts.

[Pilchard]

becoming more and more like something between a lowrent spanish resort and a uk hick town centre at chucking out time.

Sad but true

[LivinLOS]

As a person who lives on Phuket and has only been a visitor to Samui maybe I am not the best suited to advise.. However from the tone of your post your concerned about too much development and I see that myself here at an ever increasing rate.. However I personally like the bar and nightlife so take the rough with the smooth.. Assuming at some stage I will get bored of the boozing I would be looking more at the Krabi or more remote locations.. However for each bad effect the development has theres also some upside, shopping has everything you could want, internet while internationally laughable is better than many other 3rd world locations, sailing and golf, theres lots to like about the changes.

[OlRedEyes]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

OlRedEyes..Why are yu so unkind to the LBD..

Nothing personal LBD.

But I HATE BLACK DUCKS!!!

Apart from that? Personally I think you're ok

[hecky]

nearly made the move a couple of years ago just a few weeks after the tsunami, i had decided before the disaster to move so came for a look anyway. liked it a lot just as i remembered it as a tourist years ago. one thing that really bothered me was the fact that in the 3 days i was there i got stopped 2 times by the police and fined for no licence. i have a licience but never thought to take it. it was only 3 weeks after the tsunami and i thought the police would not be bothering about licences. i had helmet and light on and on Samui you would never get stopped for licence check. probably because i was one of the few tourist there to stop but i thought if this is the hassle you get everyday sod it i am back of to Samui. however business boomed here for the developers since then and things are much much worse. still one good thing slowly but surely these business's are going under Samui is having the worst season i have seen since i have been here. Alas the damage is done i have visited places like Accapulco, montego Bay Kuta in Bali and Waikiki beach Hawaii all remind me of samui now as paradise lost, lesson learnt for other parts in respective countries. Samui will be Thailands example of how they got it badly wrong.

from what i hear phuket is better than ever, i will be over in a few weeks to check it out again and maybe wait to low season so as more choice of house and make the move.

thanks all for your comments

[OlRedEyes]

Maybe we should get together an go explore Phuket. Take over the town

[seonai]

I think it very much depends on what sort of lifestyle you want to have Hecky. Phuket is great in some ways but bad in others. It's vastly overpopulated and much of the beauty has, and is still being, demolished. On the other hand some of the beaches are amazing and there are hundreds of things to do. I guess you should just try it and see how it goes. Will you have work there etc?

[seonai]

there's a really nice community feeling in the south of Phuket. Try Rawai and Naiharn - they are also good for finding houses for rent. Only trouble is that the main road to these has been churned up and is being expanded into four lanes I think - very ugly last time I saw it. I expect it is to cater to the VAST amount of tourist coaches that go to the southern tip to watch the sun set !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Blackandwhite]

Took a month in Phuket in Jan this year. I can only hope to live in a place like Phuket might be different, Total over pricing, if you read the Phuket local paper that talks of a 4% rise in living for the area.

I would not holiday there again nor would I dream of living there.

When we left Phuket I did discuss with my wife about how far detached Phuket is from the real side of Thailand I enjoy.

Ko Samui was great we stayed there for a few month, great people yes busy but clean and tidy in most of the places we went.

Maybe have some time there before you upsticks so to speak

[ollyrosee]

<br />i have lived in Samui for 8 years bi was thinking of moving to Phuket has anybody else done this recently and do they consider it a good move. i have been to Phuket quite a few times and the place does feel better than here but the grass is always geener. if nothing else cheap flights and not having to wait hours for a ferry appeal. they used to be worth the peanalty but no more this place has gone down hill big style.<br />any comments appreciated.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

you might like to read this first >>>

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Reader2007/reader3341.htm

[solo siam]

<br />i have lived in Samui for 8 years bi was thinking of moving to Phuket has anybody else done this recently and do they consider it a good move. i have been to Phuket quite a few times and the place does feel better than here but the grass is always geener. if nothing else cheap flights and not having to wait hours for a ferry appeal. they used to be worth the peanalty but no more this place has gone down hill big style.<br />any comments appreciated.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

you might like to read this first >>>

http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Reader2007/reader3341.htm

He had a bad holiday, 90% of what he said could have happened in patong 5 years ago.

Phuket is great, but it is getting very busy - I feel that it is nearly twice as busy as before the Tsunami, however it hasn't changed as much as I feel Samui has in the same time - maybe Phuket was bigger to begin with so the changes are less noticable but a recent trip to Samui left me rather underwhelmed. Poor roads, people trying to haggle in the burger king for a portion of french fries it all felt a little weird. Phuket is kind of like a grown up Samui, for the good and the bad, great restaurants, beaches, homes but roads are getting very busy and there are a lot more unsavoury types here nowadays. Up until 6 months ago I had never seen people fighting here, now I have seen two different fights involving farangs.

[hecky]

not going to working but i do want some where a bit more civilised. the stickman link as the previous post says can happen anywhere, girls waving bottles in my experience very rarley use them. never had a problem like that in 8 years here and numerous hols before then. make it clear fron the start stricktly business pay em and get rid. the one thing that really winds me up is the fact that practically all the beach is now built on you can drive mile after mile a few yards from the sea and never see it. access to the beaches is almost impossible unless you cut through a resort. the violence has risen dramatically in the last few years and the police do not bother to turn out to sort out the mayhem at closing time. i guess Samui and Phuket have changed a lot not for the better but i cannot imagine Phuket is as anywhere near as bad as samui now. the island is one big traffic jam.

5 weeks ago there were 5 go go bars now its down to 3, whilst that is not a reason to leave it is an example of how bad the low season is but the place is still building like mad. still bars have a great solution they are all putting up prices to make up for it, like yeah that will work. still beats coming up with using what grey matter they have and work on doing something differnt to get punters in. everybody can see price of beer heini is about 35 baht in supermarkets so how can basic bars justify 100 baht plus. still thats not the reason for the move just the state of the roads, to much constuction,over priced air fares and to much violence and crime.

shame all those islands of coast of Burma not being used, wouldnt it be great if they got a decent goverment and there was a realistic alternative to Thailand.

still as i said before grass is always greener, and one thing is for sure even Samui beats the UK.

[borracho]

Development in Phuket is proceeding at a breakneck pace.

It's stupefying.

Electric and water infrastructure doesn't keep up.

If you want to get away from traffic jams and unbridled development Phuket is not the place to come.

It still has a long way before it gets really ruined. It's like Los Angeles 40 years ago. If you're thinking of getting in the time is now.

The great climate, terrific beaches, and wide variety of entertainment venues far outweigh the negative aspects of the fast growth. It will be good here for another 20 years or so.

[samui bill]

Totally agree with you about samui,i have only been here 1 and half years and now i am going to move to phuket.The roads here are so dangerous,and its just not the roads its the drivers,im sure noone has a thai driving licience over here.They seem to be building all over the place and if you look at all the shop houses they have built they are all empty,i dont know whare they think all these people are to come from to rent them.phuket has so much more to offer and the roads are like silk compared to here.ONly problem i have here is if i can sell my house,really wish i had built it in phuket.Oh 1 more thing the amount of greedy people here is mad,im sure its just on this island,how are the people in phuket?

[LaoPo]

Samui or Phuket ?

Difficult for me.

Phuket came first for me, when Patong Beach was like a virgin beach... 2 beachchairs (built for Thai... ) every 50 meters apart

When it became a madhouse I went to Samui, just after the airport opened......Paradise -again-....

Now ?......I don't know anymore, but I'm extremely disappointed about the noise, thousands of shops, beerbars, girliebars, gogobars, continues building, dangerous roads...and extreme prices on both islands !

Virgin beaches...? I suppose it's time to move on.

Where ? I don't know yet but I'm working on it and if I find it -I'm close to it- I won't tell anyone

But, an Oceanfront villa with 1000M2 and a view like this....Aaaaaaah, for Euro 85,000.--/US$ 110,000.-- (or under 4M Baht) is appealing, isn't it?

" The villa is furnished, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Large living. Total space inside, 220 square meters. Freehold. Located on protected estate, together with 3 other villas. Land area 1000 square meters. Listings for future owners on 3 popular websites for rentals, if needed. (no commissions totally free). The villa has no pool, pool can be build starting at around 8000 EUR. "

LaoPo

Edited February 6, 2007 by LaoPo

[Little Black Duck]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

OlRedEyes..Why are yu so unkind to the LBD..

Nothing personal LBD.

But I HATE BLACK DUCKS!!!

Apart from that? Personally I think you're ok

But I Wuv You Ol Wed, in a Duckie sort of way..

[OlRedEyes]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

OlRedEyes..Why are yu so unkind to the LBD..

Nothing personal LBD.

But I HATE BLACK DUCKS!!!

Apart from that? Personally I think you're ok

But I Wuv You Ol Wed, in a Duckie sort of way..

I'll be coming to Phuket soon to have relations with everyone, so we can sort this out then.

[donna]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

OlRedEyes..Why are yu so unkind to the LBD..

Nothing personal LBD.

But I HATE BLACK DUCKS!!!

Apart from that? Personally I think you're ok

But I Wuv You Ol Wed, in a Duckie sort of way..

I'll be coming to Phuket soon to have relations with everyone, so we can sort this out then.

please refrain from personal insults. this is the NOICE forum. we are NOICE people. we dont LOIKE insults. lets keep it noice ok.

[Little Black Duck]

You'll have your sanity back in no time..LBD

That makes sense, but not coming from LBD

OlRedEyes..Why are yu so unkind to the LBD..

Nothing personal LBD.

But I HATE BLACK DUCKS!!!

Apart from that? Personally I think you're ok

But I Wuv You Ol Wed, in a Duckie sort of way..

I'll be coming to Phuket soon to have relations with everyone, so we can sort this out then.

please refrain from personal insults. this is the NOICE forum. we are NOICE people. we dont LOIKE insults. lets keep it noice ok.

Fank you Donna Dear that nasty Nasty Samuian was giving your favorite little Pet Duck a Hard time..

[taxin]

i have lived in Samui for 8 years but i am finally fed up with the place now. it is one big building site you can nearly drive around the whole island on the coast raod and not see the ocean. the roads are awfull and airlink over priced. the place stinks of sewage and is pactically lawless. the traffic here resembles the jams i n the UK very rarly get out of 3rd gear in the car or bike. the island had been destroyed by the developers, i cannot beleive how bad the place is now.

You mean it took you 8 years to find out that Samui is the ###### of Thailand ? Took me 9 months of living there to find out, and I thought that was a long time !

Been in Phuket for the past 3 years, best move I ever made !

[khall64au]

All I can say is: (in my 4+ years of living here) Phuket had a life long before Samui -economically speaking- and there are many superior opportunities on Phuket - whether you are here as a "retiree" or in a business capacity. This island is streets ahead of Samui in infrastructure and decent long-term living advantages. Not to mention the fact we are joined to the mainland....

In my experience, there is no comparison - Phuket RULES!

[Old Croc]

I suppose it's time to move on.

Where ? I don't know yet but I'm working on it and if I find it -I'm close to it- I won't tell anyone

But, an Oceanfront villa with 1000M2 and a view like this....Aaaaaaah, for Euro 85,000.--/US$ 110,000.-- (or under 4M Baht) is appealing, isn't it?

" The villa is furnished, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Large living. Total space inside, 220 square meters. Freehold. Located on protected estate, together with 3 other villas. Land area 1000 square meters. Listings for future owners on 3 popular websites for rentals, if needed. (no commissions totally free). The villa has no pool, pool can be build starting at around 8000 EUR. "

LaoPo[/color]

Come on LaoPo. Where is it? I won't tell anyone.

[simon43]

Can I just say one thing?

PATONG IS NOT PHUKET!!

Patong and it's environs is just one very small region of Phuket where the 'kiss me quick' tourists go. Phuket is a large island that many tourists fail to explore.

Where I live in Phuket, I can walk on a 8km golden sandy beach (much longer than Patong beach). It's rare to see another westerner on that beach.....

I can safely swim all year round at our local beach, even in the monsoon storms, (due to the offshore coral reef).

My hotel guests can hire motorbikes from the local shops at just 150 baht for 24 hours

We buy fresh fish from the beach - can't get fresher than that

I can walk from here to the airport - no ripoff taxis or tuk-tuks

If you think Patong is like the rest of Phuket, then you are not getting out and about enough!

Simon

[taxin]

Can I just say one thing?

PATONG IS NOT PHUKET!!

Patong and it's environs is just one very small region of Phuket where the 'kiss me quick' tourists go. Phuket is a large island that many tourists fail to explore.

Where I live in Phuket, I can walk on a 8km golden sandy beach (much longer than Patong beach). It's rare to see another westerner on that beach.....

I can safely swim all year round at our local beach, even in the monsoon storms, (due to the offshore coral reef).

My hotel guests can hire motorbikes from the local shops at just 150 baht for 24 hours

We buy fresh fish from the beach - can't get fresher than that

I can walk from here to the airport - no ripoff taxis or tuk-tuks

If you think Patong is like the rest of Phuket, then you are not getting out and about enough!

Simon

Simon, I totally agree with you but people will always see Patong as Phuket and this will never change ! In terms of land mass and how much sand is on the beach of course Patong is a tiny part however, at the end of the day to the tourist eye it comes down to "activity", and Patong is the activity centre of Phuket when it comes to tourism.

Ask all the guests in your hotel how many of them visited Patong, and then ask a load of hotel guests in Patong how many of them visited your beach. I think will know what the result will be.

I, like you work in the tourism industry and get frustrated just the same when people think that Phuket is in Patong ! Yes, believe it or not I have had people ask me this.

Im guessing what you actually meant in your post was "If you think the rest of Phuket is like Patong...". If so you will find as I have that people do not actually think this, if they did then they would be staying there. They just will not go there because the perception is there is nothing to do. We are still and always will be in a world wear "activity" holidays will always out-weigh peace and tranquility.

Fact is, Patong has been in the past marketed very well, whereas the other places havent. Lets face it, how easy is it to market a beach with no people on ?