Questions about current situation

[Daniel55]

Hello,

 

Well, I stay in BKK and I have never been to Phuket, but next month when will be holidays, I would like to visit this beautiful place. However I have informatrion from several different sources that now, after covid-19 it is "a ghost island" (similar like Koh Samui). So I would like to ask people who stay there and have the best information about current situation:  

 

- how is about entertainment on Phuket now? (clubs, restaurants, bars etc.) 

 

- what's about foreign tourists ?

 

- how about prices in hotels, shops, reastaurants, on the beach?

 

- is it worth to go now in current, economic crisis situation?

 

 

I am wonder what are your opinions, I will be glad if you can reply. 

Thank you for your answers,

Have a nice day,

 

 

Daniel

[zzzzz]

Patong, Karon, kata, Bang Tao.... 90% CLOSED>
bangla road in Patong tries to keep a few bars open but....

Kamala main road 80% open, beach road 10% open, 4 restaurants /on the beach open ( they just opened cafe del mar) 
On long weekends plenty of thai's holidaires.  BUT no Western tourists.

those of us here, live here

Phuket town,  90% open.  Rawai has the restaurants on the beach road an some bars open,  

Chern talay 90% open

 

Hotels offer great deals, as much as 50% off

Restaurants same price as always, Local Thai restaurants 60-120 baht/dish...  

 

Its great here with no bus's, no traffic, no tourists.......

Come on down and enjoy

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Daniel55 said:

Well, I stay in BKK and I have never been to Phuket, but next month when will be holidays, I would like to visit this beautiful place.

I live in the north-east and Phuket was my favorite place for over a decade, but that changed before Covid.

 

That said, I remember staying there during the coupe in I think it was 2010 and I had the place literally to myself, thoroughly enjoyed it with hardly any tourists.

 

I would imagine it would be even more quieter, make sure you visit Nai Harn beach, it's a favorite of mine.

 

I usually stay at iBis hotel, it has everything you will need, it's about a 10 minute walk to the main Jungceylon shopping centre and Bangla road (main red light district) which I have read is dead, that said, there should be heaps of deals with hotels discounting heavily.

 

For me, I know enjoy Hua Hin it's closer and a little upmarket comparing it to Phuket.

[marin]

On 10/28/2020 at 9:04 AM, Daniel55 said:

what's about foreign tourists ?

 

Sorry but what foreign tourists? Thailand has had closed borders since Mid March. Its very quiet around the whole island. If you are into nature and simple food its fine. If you are looking for nightlife you wont find much.

[Somtamnication]

I went to Nai Harn beach on Tuesday, about 70 foreigners swimming, most Thai shops closed. Lifeguard on duty.

 

While I do not see the exorbitant pricing that existed right after the 2004 tsunami with hotel prices, etc, they did try to charge me 50b for a small bottle of water ( 7 baht at 711). They are still trying, God bless them. 

 

But I digress. I bought it to help the local seller.

 

There are more tourists than you think. Kata beach had about 20 Chinese during surfing lessons. Did not hear about them in the media and they were not part of the big hoopla arrival in BKK. How and when did they arrive? Rhetorical question.

 

 

[pookett]

Phuket is very nice right now. Yes the night spots are seriously thinned out but without tourists what do you expect.

Plenty still around for the reduced number of visitors. Good deals everywhere , hotels, eateries, clubs etc.

Phuket town is good, you can get around easily and go to all the places you avoided before because of weight of traffic and hordes of £¥€$.

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

<snip>

There are more tourists than you think. Kata beach had about 20 Chinese during surfing lessons. Did not hear about them in the media and they were not part of the big hoopla arrival in BKK. How and when did they arrive? Rhetorical question.

 

 

 

Yes, I noticed a big group looked like Chinese the other morning  coming out the just open Sugar Palm Hotel at Kata Beach. I wondered how they got here ???

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, LivinginKata said:

5 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

There are more tourists than you think. Kata beach had about 20 Chinese during surfing lessons. Did not hear about them in the media and they were not part of the big hoopla arrival in BKK. How and when did they arrive? Rhetorical question.

 

 

Yes, I noticed a big group looked like Chinese the other morning  coming out the just open Sugar Palm Hotel at Kata Beach. I wondered how they got here ???

 

Were they Chinese? or were they Thai’s of Chinese ancestry?

 

Loads of Bangkok Thai’s evacuated the capital this weekend (long weekend) - many are the ‘white skinned’ ChineseThai’s.

 

 

 

 

[jim1953]

Yes , Kamala is more alive than Kata-Karon and of course Patong , also if have some closed shops ! I have been on a very good place, name Jimmy house who could make good price for value trough some website like Airbnb....

[stevenl]

11 hours ago, jim1953 said:

Yes , Kamala is more alive than Kata-Karon and of course Patong , also if have some closed shops ! I have been on a very good place, name Jimmy house who could make good price for value trough some website like Airbnb....

Don't book via any of those sites at the moment. Book directly with the hotel to make sure they're open.

[elgenon]

19 hours ago, marin said:

Sorry but what foreign tourists? Thailand has had closed borders since Mid March. Its very quiet around the whole island. If you are into nature and simple food its fine. If you are looking for nightlife you wont find much.

Would he be a "foreign tourist"?

[elgenon]

16 hours ago, pookett said:

Phuket is very nice right now. Yes the night spots are seriously thinned out but without tourists what do you expect.

Plenty still around for the reduced number of visitors. Good deals everywhere , hotels, eateries, clubs etc.

Phuket town is good, you can get around easily and go to all the places you avoided before because of weight of traffic and hordes of £¥€$.

How are the beaches that are easily accessible from Phuket Town?

[LivinginKata]

14 minutes ago, elgenon said:

How are the beaches that are easily accessible from Phuket Town?

 

Regular bus service from center Town to most of the beach areas. 30 baht/ Only during daylight hours.

[steelepulse]

13 minutes ago, elgenon said:

How are the beaches that are easily accessible from Phuket Town?

Looking at windguru and also visiting west coast beaches, the sand is coming back and the arrival of the NE monsoon is coming quickly.  

 

"Easily accessible" from Phuket Town depends on your mode of transportation, but there are no nice beaches easily accessible unless you have time to ride the public transport, or if you have a vehicle/motorbike.

[elgenon]

2 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Regular bus service from center Town to most of the beach areas. 30 baht/ Only during daylight hours.

Are they good quality? beautiful?

[Olmate]

4 minutes ago, elgenon said:

Are they good quality? beautiful?

Beautiful buses! Yes

[Old Croc]

1 hour ago, elgenon said:

How are the beaches that are easily accessible from Phuket Town?

The main sandy, tourist beaches are on the western side of the island. 

Phuket City is on the Eastern side where there are few swimming beaches.

Buses do run from the city to the beaches on the west coast, but they are slow and not what I would consider ideal for easy beach accessibility.

If you want a beach side holiday don't stay in the city, book a hotel on the western side..

If you want nightlife, the dedicated tourist meccas are  all but deserted because, guess what, the country's borders have been shut for more than six months and tourists have disappeared!  

If you want beaches and nightlife your best bet would be to head to the south of the island where expats still dine and socialise. 

[LivinginKata]

5 hours ago, elgenon said:

Are they good quality? beautiful?

 

Are you trolling ??

[pookett]

You could also rent a car (or bike if you are experienced) now that the rates are much better than before. You then have the entire island within easy reach.

[Somtamnication]

21 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Were they Chinese? or were they Thai’s of Chinese ancestry?

 

Loads of Bangkok Thai’s evacuated the capital this weekend (long weekend) - many are the ‘white skinned’ ChineseThai’s.

 

 

 

 

Chinese. I questioned the surf instructor.

[hansgruber]

14 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Chinese. I questioned the surf instructor.

Great detective work. 

[khunphil]

On 10/30/2020 at 3:53 PM, pookett said:

You could also rent a car (or bike if you are experienced) now that the rates are much better than before. You then have the entire island within easy reach.

Patong : National Carrent in July, 500THB all included full insurance for just one day. Nissan Almera.

Just for information, I dont work there !

Phil.

[fiddlehead]

Now is a great time to come if you like un-crowded, clean beaches.  
I jogged Patong beach 2 days ago.    4 or 5 farangs,   a dozen or so lifeguards, 6 or 7 Thai fishermen and about 10 Thai people around that didn't fit the above categories.  
That's in a 2.8 km beach that's usually full of about 1,000 tourists a day.    
As for nightlife, Nai Harn, Rawai, Phuket town would be the popular places at the moment. 

Kata and Karon beaches very similar to the above numbers from Patong beach.     
I'd rent a car as there are now parking spaces abound and no tuk tuk mafia to tell you you can't park anywhere.      I've heard stories (1st hand) that normally 8,000 baht per night 5 star resorts are not offering deals of 2500 baht, including breakfast buffets and more.