Multiple bickering flaming arguing and general troll posts also replies have been removed, you can discuss without all the nastiness or face a posting suspension. 

10 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Of course not, you and other expats living for years on Phuket, don't have to fear being ripped off. Tourists on the other hand.....

Reports like this are most likely not meant for a bunch with middle aged grumpy men included myself who have made Phuket their home but to attract interest from potential future tourists ????

On 6/26/2019 at 10:37 AM, NCC1701A said:

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

Ever noticed how Thai girls endlessly selfie and photoshop  themselves to within an inch of their lives?

Practice makes perfect!

 

Oh yes and I can't wait to visit number 1 Paris.

19 hours ago, madmitch said:

I don't think the Phuket forum expats are cliquey, nor do all of us defend every aspect of the place. See my initial post for a start!

It's a reasonable place to live for many reasons but it has many, many faults. I won't go into any reasons or faults; anyone interested can read a few of the posts on the forum.

But this topic is really about places to visit, not to live. Would I choose Phuket for a holiday if I didn't live there and have friends there? Probably not. Is it one of the best places in the world to visit? Definitely not (IMHO but others may see things differently).

 

For the well informed it's not hard to work out why Phuket, as a resort Island, is listed near the top of most visited places. It's nothing to really get excited about unless you're in the industry.

The attached pie chart (for all of Thailand) should give a clue to why it is ranked so high:

 

It was once my favored place for a holiday, but if I was looking for a beach paradise to visit these days, I too would probably go elsewhere. Again that pie chart should give a clue as to why. For the purists, Phuket with it's unfettered development and greed, has gone backwards for most of this century.

However, as a resident here I avoid the tourist centers as much as possible and am happy with what the Province offers. I wouldn't want to live elsewhere in Thailand, despite the tourist driven traffic problems and some higher costs here. Ripoff taxis and tuk tuks are not a factor in my life. 

One of the downsides of living in Phuket is the underfunded, ignorant sadsacks who infest discussion forums here with their invective, and the need to blame the environment for their own shortcomings. Most have only visited the Island briefly for a short period, often years ago, yet feel the need to critic it with childish insulting language.

Every now and then I feel the need to call them out, and I apologize to  local expats who don't get any entertainment from the exchanges.

 

17 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

 

For the well informed it's not hard to work out why Phuket, as a resort Island, is listed near the top of most visited places. It's nothing to really get excited about unless you're in the industry.

The attached pie chart (for all of Thailand) should give a clue to why it is ranked so high:

 

It was once my favored place for a holiday, but if I was looking for a beach paradise to visit these days, I too would probably go elsewhere. Again that pie chart should give a clue as to why. For the purists, Phuket with it's unfettered development and greed, has gone backwards for most of this century.

However, as a resident here I avoid the tourist centers as much as possible and am happy with what the Province offers. I wouldn't want to live elsewhere in Thailand, despite the tourist driven traffic problems and some higher costs here. Ripoff taxis and tuk tuks are not a factor in my life. 

One of the downsides of living in Phuket is the underfunded, ignorant sadsacks who infest discussion forums here with their invective, and the need to blame the environment for their own shortcomings. Most have only visited the Island briefly for a short period, often years ago, yet feel the need to critic it with childish insulting language.

Every now and then I feel the need to call them out, and I apologize to  local expats who don't get any entertainment from the exchanges.

 

 

This thread is about visiting Phuket and not about living in Phuket, not everything revolves around you.

Try to stay on topic and stop trying to use this thread as your own personal shout box, you are ruining a perfectly good thread with your agenda.

 

7 hours ago, Old Croc said:

 

For the well informed it's not hard to work out why Phuket, as a resort Island, is listed near the top of most visited places. It's nothing to really get excited about unless you're in the industry.

The attached pie chart (for all of Thailand) should give a clue to why it is ranked so high:

 

It was once my favored place for a holiday, but if I was looking for a beach paradise to visit these days, I too would probably go elsewhere. Again that pie chart should give a clue as to why. For the purists, Phuket with it's unfettered development and greed, has gone backwards for most of this century.

However, as a resident here I avoid the tourist centers as much as possible and am happy with what the Province offers. I wouldn't want to live elsewhere in Thailand, despite the tourist driven traffic problems and some higher costs here. Ripoff taxis and tuk tuks are not a factor in my life. 

One of the downsides of living in Phuket is the underfunded, ignorant sadsacks who infest discussion forums here with their invective, and the need to blame the environment for their own shortcomings. Most have only visited the Island briefly for a short period, often years ago, yet feel the need to critic it with childish insulting language.

Every now and then I feel the need to call them out, and I apologize to  local expats who don't get any entertainment from the exchanges.

 

No need to apologize, I get plenty of entertainment from these exchanges.....