Thinking to move to Phuket from Los Angeles :)

[Espanol]

20 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks

 

That's the challenge for people like me who live in the center of Bangkok. It's difficult to imagine what a town nearby could offer additionally to what we have. ; ) 

Beach.

Clean air.

Avoiding traffic jams.

Diving

Silence 

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Espanol

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Phuket?  Hmm, let's see what happened to me and my guesthouse business over the 10 years or so that I lived in Phuket:

 

- 2 of my staff shot dead - police didn't bother to investigate.

- My personal car stolen and crashed by a druggie - police not interested

- My $100,000 investment guesthouse 'invaded' by druggies and I physically ejected - police supported the druggies because they (the police) were the druggies' main customer

- Me threatened at gunpoint by druggies and warned never to return to the island - I didn't

 

Yep - I had a lovely time there NOT ????

 

Well you have had an interesting business life. Maybe the folks you mix with. I never had that experience and not one of the foreign business persons I know had that experience. Why you need scare folks with this unusual life.  Maybe your dodgy wife(s) that you have often moaned about here on Thaivisa over the years. 

[digibum]

47 minutes ago, rumak said:

But for sure,  not as easily as the "good old days"

True.  
 

But my point was that all of those books are set in a Thailand that doesn’t really exist anymore.  
 

You’re right that you should be more concerned about a gal bringing her phone on a date today than of the type of girl from Private Dancer.  
 

Thailand used to have a razor sharp edge to it.  Now, you go on Facebook groups and people are complaining that they cannot find their favorite brand of potato chips at Villa Market and think that’s what living in a third-world country means.  

 

Part of what made Private Dancer and other books such good reads is that they felt real.  
 

I don’t think those stories have the same ring of authenticity today as they did then.
 

Maybe to those of us old enough to remember those times, but if you just got off the plane in Bangkok yesterday, the settings are as fictional as reading a cowboys and indians novel.  

[connda]

LA has better weather, better food, better beaches, and better waves.  Oh, and you're not treated like a third-class citizen.  Honestly.  Do you have to report to the police every 90 days to give them the address you've been living at for a decade?  Only if you're on parole. 
Do yourself a favor.  Either stay in LA or go to Mexico.  Thailand is a waste of time and money.  If it's a money thing you're dollars will go further in Mexico and you're closer if you want to come back and visit the US.
Go to Phuket?  You'll find out exactly how much Thais detest foreigners.  Oh, and don't plan on relaxing, socializing, drinking a beer, or having fun.  It's all illegal.  And you'll be watched like a criminal parolee. 
You're choice.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 minute ago, connda said:

LA has better weather, better food, better beaches, and better waves.  Oh, and you're not treated like a third-class citizen.  Honestly.  Do you have to report to the police every 90 days to give them the address you've been living at for a decade?  Only if you're on parole. 
Do yourself a favor.  Either stay in LA or go to Mexico.  Thailand is a waste of time and money.  If it's a money thing you're dollars will go further in Mexico and you're closer if you want to come back and visit the US.
Go to Phuket?  You'll find out exactly how much Thais detest foreigners.  Oh, and don't plan on relaxing, socializing, drinking a beer, or having fun.  It's all illegal.  And you'll be watched like a criminal parolee. 
You're choice.

But LA is in America and there are so many Americans.

I though part of the attraction of Thailand is to be far away from America. 

 

[rumak]

1 minute ago, digibum said:

True.  
 

But my point was that all of those books are set in a Thailand that doesn’t really exist anymore.  
 

You’re right that you should be more concerned about a gal bringing her phone on a date today than of the type of girl from Private Dancer.  
 

Thailand used to have a razor sharp edge to it.  Now, you go on Facebook groups and people are complaining that they cannot find their favorite brand of potato chips at Villa Market and think that’s what living in a third-world country means.  

 

Part of what made Private Dancer and other books such good reads is that they felt real.  
 

I don’t think those stories have the same ring of authenticity today as they did then.
 

Maybe to those of us old enough to remember those times, but if you just got off the plane in Bangkok yesterday, the settings are as fictional as reading a cowboys and indians novel.  

Good points .      I guess i could be accused of "living in the past" ..... well,  i try to at least.  I used to

like all the adventure,  now pretty much live in my own world.   Still get the most pleasure going to the playground where local thais of various ages  walk, play soccer and basketball, even bocce,  and I get waied ,  joked with,  and generally just have a good time.

Then when i occasionally go to the "real world"  i just see people with heads stuck in their phone screens.       Globalization :   eat (a lot),  drink sugary things (a lot),  and live on social media. 

 

Oh well.......  I am still doing my best to live life my way  ????    

[khunPer]

8 hours ago, XtraFly said:

I like to live in a nice quite clean safe high end neighborhood by the beach or close to the beach, and when I need the nightlife and hustle and bustle I can go to Patong, etc.

 

1- Is Kamala Beach area a good, clean and safe area or no ?

2- Do you recommend areas in Phuket for me to consider based on my preferences ?

3- How's the mosquito situation there lol?

4- How's the Internet connectivity and wifi at homes with good fast plan ? reliable ?

5- Where do most Americans/ Europeans live in Phuket ? (families and older crowd 30+)

6- Can I find Italian, Indian, Persian, Arabic, greek food easily there or it's mainly Thai food ?

7- Do you lose water and power on regular basis there or it's reliable ? (asking since it's an island)

8- Do you get hot water for showers there easily and does it lasts during the shower ? (sorry I know my questions are interesting)

9- What made you guys move from America or Europe, etc. ?

10- Are you happy/happier there compared to where you moved from, or you have doubts or regrets?

Even by November, or January next year, the nightlife might still be a fraction of what you expect, if it's reopened, as number of business is linear equal to number of tourists, and other visitors, with interest in the nightlife.

 

1) Kamela Beach is Okay, and so is neighboring Karon Beach, but clean shall be considered after Thai standard.

 

2) Considering nightlife you might find only local bars in Kamela, and Karon, the "real" nightlife is in Patong, and to get there you shall consider some kind of transportation, for example motorbike or car.

 

3) The closer to the beach, the less mosquito; living beachfront (like me) there are almost none.

 

4) Fairly Okay, depending of expectations. Most places now have fiber with speed from 100 Mbit and up, but often with shared wi-fi and speed depending on routers and repeaters, but 100 Mbit can be expected many places. However, depending of where in the World the other end of your connection is, Internet can be little slow in periods, "little" relative to what speed you need.

 

5) Expats and long-stayers are spread in villa neighborhoods all over.

 

6) Normally, i.e. before the pandemic, a great variety of food and restaurants are available, but what happens after the pandemic is unknown at present. Predicting the future has always been a difficult art, so it can be anything from November 2021 till November 2024 before it could to be any kind of "normal" again, I'm leaning more against 23.

 

7) Occasional black outs happens all over Thailand, but are "relative" rare. Very short power cuts are normal, and also fluctuation of voltage. Most of us use a UPS for power stability, and protecting our electronics, and enough time for a safe close down in case of a black out. You can buy UPS locally for around 2,000 baht ($65). Make sure to store local copies during work, in case your connection is disrupted

 

8.) Depending of how little you wish to pay for accommodation, a typical cheap 2,000 baht to 3,000 baht per month "Thai-room" might not have hot water. Normally the water heater is a 3.5kW instant electric heater, that last as long as you have the water open (you might even have a choise of two taps, warm water and hot water). If you find a "green" place to live, it might be solar heater with warm water in the morning, and hot water from noon till late evening on sunny days (I have solar water heater, but an electric instant heater as supplement for shady times of the year).

 

9) I moved from bitterly cold in the winter time Northern Europe, so among other reasons were "all year sommer and barefoot Xmas"; in general half to one third of living costs; little, but all legal, tax benefits; smiling happy people around me; and not to forget the importace an alien in close encounter with locals (in my case preferably younger ladies)...????

 

10) After 15+ years residency it's still perfect, only regret is that I didn't do it 15 years before; however there were neither www nor wi-fi by that time.

 

11) If you are considering staying longer than 60 days (tourist visa) plus 30 days (extension), what visa type do you have in mind?

 

I'm not living on Phuket, but been the several times, so before you decide to settle for one specific area - you seem to not being familiar with amazing Thailand, based on the questions you ask - take a look around; i.e. try other destinations also, as there might be places of Thailand you haven't yet found.

 

Many digital nomads stay on the island Koh Phangan on the other side of the Malacca Peninsula, i.e. an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Phangan has more nature and has more relaxed atmosphere than Phuket, and a younger party life where you also meet many younger foreigners, but very few typical beer bars with ladies.

 

Also the larger sister island, Koh Samui, which is the second largest Thai island, holds a number of digital nomads and much more nightlife than Koh Phangan - it takes about 15-30 minutes to commute between the islands - but different from Phuket, as it's more clubs, beach parties and trendy cafés than typical beer bars with ladies.

 

If you don't need beach and sea, many likes to stay up in Chiang Mai. So do get a bit around, before you decide to settle...????

 

PS: I've been around numerous places in Land of Smiles, and I decided to live on Samui...????

[MrJ2U]

I think you'll find Koh Samui much nicer. 

 

I personally find Phuket nice for a visit but the traffic and constant ripoffs made me sour on living there permanently.  Wants COVID-19 is over it'll be packed with Chinese again.

[IraqRon]

If you are so rich and successful with your internet biz you should pay a professional firm to answer all your questions unbiased.  

[LivinginKata]

10 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

I think you'll find Koh Samui much nicer. 

 

I personally find Phuket nice for a visit but the traffic and constant ripoffs made me sour on living there permanently.  Wants COVID-19 is over it'll be packed with Chinese again.

 You make me laugh. Samui is also full of rip offs and traffic much same. Nothing like LA.  

[IraqRon]

4 hours ago, rumak said:

I lived in Austin , TX ....when you could ride a horse down into the middle of town.

               San Francisco,  when rents were 200 dollars a month.

               Chiangmai,   when past Gat Suan Gaow  were strawberry fields,  and Ruam Choke area was

               a cow pasture.  

 

        Time waits for no one ,  and "girlfriend experiences"  are certainly not found in the same places as

        20 years ago.  I do believe, however,  there are still a few sweet Thai maidens waiting to be 

         discovered .    But for sure,  not as easily as the "good old days" .    And one tip :  be sure you find    

         one that will agree not to take the phone along on your date !

 

 

 

Hi Rumak,  I didn't find Austin until 1968, did you hitch your horse up outside of the Hole iN The Wall while listening to great r&r and blues?  I can imagine you did. 

What a great city back then, still is a little bit...thanks for stimulating my memories of that city..

[MrJ2U]

2 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 You make me laugh. Samui is also full of rip offs and traffic much same. Nothing like LA.  

Personally i prefer Samui.

I wouldn't complain living in Phuket either.

There both beautiful island paradises.

[rumak]

2 hours ago, IraqRon said:

Hi Rumak,  I didn't find Austin until 1968, did you hitch your horse up of the Hole iN The Wall while listening to great r&r and blues?  I can imagine you did. 

What a great city back then, still is a little bit...thanks for stimulating my memories of that city..

Willie Nelson,  Jerry Jeff Walker,  Asleep at the Wheel ................... and skinny dipping at Lake Travis 

 

sometimes my past seems like a movie ........     I was there beginning 1971

[rumak]

6 hours ago, digibum said:

Thailand used to have a razor sharp edge to it.  Now, you go on Facebook groups and people are complaining that they cannot find their favorite brand of potato chips at Villa Market

hahahahah     good one !    Vat's dis woild coming to ??

[Captor]

14 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Went there in 2008 for first trip--planned on a month stay--was done in a week------never went back....settled up north in CNX...too many jaded thais down south

And how is the air pollution in CNX? I think that a clean air almost all year around in Phuket is better than dying 5 years earlier when living in CNX (which means Chiang Mai by the way but sounds less interesting).

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Captor

[Captor]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks

 

That's the challenge for people like me who live in the center of Bangkok. It's difficult to imagine what a town nearby could offer additionally to what we have. ; ) 

Clean air?

[rumak]

Good 38US AQI
Thursday, Jul 15	Good 20US AQI
Friday, Jul 16	Good 21US AQI
Today	Good 28US AQI		32°22°	3.6 km/h
Sunday, Jul 18	Good 25US AQI		32°22°	3.6 km/h
Monday, Jul 19	Good 26US AQI		31°22°	3.6 km/h
Tuesday, Jul 20	Good 25US AQI

I really thought I was going to move south,  and made a few extended trips there .   For me,  it is too hot and humid, and i was surprised that i still had some allergies even close to the sea.  

Now that the economy has been decimated,  driving around CM  ain't so bad .... and even the pollution levels are well within acceptable range.

Cool mornings and evenings , and the surrounding hills and non touristy feeling to the whole area (especially nowadays)  have kept me here .   A month or two down to the beach in feb and march solve the pollution story for me,  and a good excuse to get out for a change.

 

I do worry that the influx of BKK people as well as from other areas will continue to turn this once small town into another major metropolis.    well, when i'm 80  i'll either be confined to my little yard......... or move to a beachside condo    lol

[Captor]

55 minutes ago, rumak said:

Good 38US AQI
Thursday, Jul 15	Good 20US AQI
Friday, Jul 16	Good 21US AQI
Today	Good 28US AQI		32°22°	3.6 km/h
Sunday, Jul 18	Good 25US AQI		32°22°	3.6 km/h
Monday, Jul 19	Good 26US AQI		31°22°	3.6 km/h
Tuesday, Jul 20	Good 25US AQI

I really thought I was going to move south,  and made a few extended trips there .   For me,  it is too hot and humid, and i was surprised that i still had some allergies even close to the sea.  

Now that the economy has been decimated,  driving around CM  ain't so bad .... and even the pollution levels are well within acceptable range.

Cool mornings and evenings , and the surrounding hills and non touristy feeling to the whole area (especially nowadays)  have kept me here .   A month or two down to the beach in feb and march solve the pollution story for me,  and a good excuse to get out for a change.

 

I do worry that the influx of BKK people as well as from other areas will continue to turn this once small town into another major metropolis.    well, when i'm 80  i'll either be confined to my little yard......... or move to a beachside condo    lol

Not look about the air pollution now! Now it is OK everywhere is SE asia. You must look between December to April. When the farmers are burning the crop in Thailand and surroundings.... I would not like to live 4 month of the year with staying indoor with air cleaners and face masks (if they would help for PM 2.5..). It would shorten my life with several years. Google is your best friend... don´t rely on what I am saying. Easy to find information about how many people dying every year from air pollution.

[XtraFly]

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

Phuket?  Hmm, let's see what happened to me and my guesthouse business over the 10 years or so that I lived in Phuket:

 

- 2 of my staff shot dead - police didn't bother to investigate.

- My personal car stolen and crashed by a druggie - police not interested

- My $100,000 investment guesthouse 'invaded' by druggies and I physically ejected - police supported the druggies because they (the police) were the druggies' main customer

- Me threatened at gunpoint by druggies and warned never to return to the island - I didn't

 

Yep - I had a lovely time there NOT ????

1- What business did you have ?

2- Which part of town where they shot dead, and which part of town your guesthouse get invaded ?

I live in Los Angeles, so this is the norm here LOL

[XtraFly]

6 hours ago, khunPer said:

Even by November, or January next year, the nightlife might still be a fraction of what you expect, if it's reopened, as number of business is linear equal to number of tourists, and other visitors, with interest in the nightlife.

 

1) Kamela Beach is Okay, and so is neighboring Karon Beach, but clean shall be considered after Thai standard.

 

2) Considering nightlife you might find only local bars in Kamela, and Karon, the "real" nightlife is in Patong, and to get there you shall consider some kind of transportation, for example motorbike or car.

 

3) The closer to the beach, the less mosquito; living beachfront (like me) there are almost none.

 

4) Fairly Okay, depending of expectations. Most places now have fiber with speed from 100 Mbit and up, but often with shared wi-fi and speed depending on routers and repeaters, but 100 Mbit can be expected many places. However, depending of where in the World the other end of your connection is, Internet can be little slow in periods, "little" relative to what speed you need.

 

5) Expats and long-stayers are spread in villa neighborhoods all over.

 

6) Normally, i.e. before the pandemic, a great variety of food and restaurants are available, but what happens after the pandemic is unknown at present. Predicting the future has always been a difficult art, so it can be anything from November 2021 till November 2024 before it could to be any kind of "normal" again, I'm leaning more against 23.

 

7) Occasional black outs happens all over Thailand, but are "relative" rare. Very short power cuts are normal, and also fluctuation of voltage. Most of us use a UPS for power stability, and protecting our electronics, and enough time for a safe close down in case of a black out. You can buy UPS locally for around 2,000 baht ($65). Make sure to store local copies during work, in case your connection is disrupted

 

8.) Depending of how little you wish to pay for accommodation, a typical cheap 2,000 baht to 3,000 baht per month "Thai-room" might not have hot water. Normally the water heater is a 3.5kW instant electric heater, that last as long as you have the water open (you might even have a choise of two taps, warm water and hot water). If you find a "green" place to live, it might be solar heater with warm water in the morning, and hot water from noon till late evening on sunny days (I have solar water heater, but an electric instant heater as supplement for shady times of the year).

 

9) I moved from bitterly cold in the winter time Northern Europe, so among other reasons were "all year sommer and barefoot Xmas"; in general half to one third of living costs; little, but all legal, tax benefits; smiling happy people around me; and not to forget the importace an alien in close encounter with locals (in my case preferably younger ladies)...????

 

10) After 15+ years residency it's still perfect, only regret is that I didn't do it 15 years before; however there were neither www nor wi-fi by that time.

 

11) If you are considering staying longer than 60 days (tourist visa) plus 30 days (extension), what visa type do you have in mind?

 

I'm not living on Phuket, but been the several times, so before you decide to settle for one specific area - you seem to not being familiar with amazing Thailand, based on the questions you ask - take a look around; i.e. try other destinations also, as there might be places of Thailand you haven't yet found.

 

Many digital nomads stay on the island Koh Phangan on the other side of the Malacca Peninsula, i.e. an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Phangan has more nature and has more relaxed atmosphere than Phuket, and a younger party life where you also meet many younger foreigners, but very few typical beer bars with ladies.

 

Also the larger sister island, Koh Samui, which is the second largest Thai island, holds a number of digital nomads and much more nightlife than Koh Phangan - it takes about 15-30 minutes to commute between the islands - but different from Phuket, as it's more clubs, beach parties and trendy cafés than typical beer bars with ladies.

 

If you don't need beach and sea, many likes to stay up in Chiang Mai. So do get a bit around, before you decide to settle...????

 

PS: I've been around numerous places in Land of Smiles, and I decided to live on Samui...????

Hi There,

 

I read every single post, negative, useless and helpful, to me you are one of the few that really understand what I'm asking and looking for, I wanted to thank you for the detailed answers you provided and I'm very appreciative of the advices. I'm also considering Samui and Koh Pha Ngan.

[sallecc]

1 hour ago, XtraFly said:

Hi There,

 

I read every single post, negative, useless and helpful, to me you are one of the few that really understand what I'm asking and looking for, I wanted to thank you for the detailed answers you provided and I'm very appreciative of the advices. I'm also considering Samui and Koh Pha Ngan.

 

Too many negative and untrue posts...

 

The only way to make correct decision (and not to regret later) is to visit Phuket and to stay for a month or two in few different areas, and decide what is best for yourself (nice condo short-term deals are available and cheap). I visited all parts of Thailand and I like Phuket most, simply because I love tropical island and beaches, and Samui seemed too small and had less infrastructure, it was just my personal experience & opinion and I would choose the same now. You said you like the beaches, if I'm you I'd stay and check out 3 areas: South (Rawai, NaiHarn), SouthWest (Karon, Kata, KataNoi), West (Kamala, Surin, Patong), and visit Samui island too, done ????

 

One guy even posted that "closest thing to Italian he had in Phuket was Pizza Hut", that's just ridiculous... Even now during Covid when most of the places are closed, you definitely can find good authentic Italian food in Phuket, and Indian too... We had both this weekend ????

[Hanuman2547]

1 hour ago, sallecc said:

The only way to make correct decision (and not to regret later) is to visit Phuket and to stay for a month or two in few different areas, and decide what is best for yourself (nice condo short-term deals are available and cheap). I visited all parts of Thailand and I like Phuket most, simply because I love tropical island and beaches, and Samui seemed too small and had less infrastructure, it was just my personal experience & opinion and I would choose the same now. You said you like the beaches, if I'm you I'd stay and check out 3 areas: South (Rawai, NaiHarn), SouthWest (Karon, Kata, KataNoi), West (Kamala, Surin, Patong), and visit Samui island too, done ????

 

 

One guy even posted that "closest thing to Italian he had in Phuket was Pizza Hut", that's just ridiculous... Even now during Covid when most of the places are closed, you definitely can find good authentic Italian food in Phuket, and Indian too... We had both this weekend ????

Good advice here.  Rent a place for a month at a time in different locations to get a real feel for the area you are in.  Then you will know if that area is right for you.  There are lots of places that rent rooms by the day/week/month.  Obviously a one month rent will be a lot cheaper.  

[simon43]

5 hours ago, XtraFly said:

1- What business did you have ?

2- Which part of town where they shot dead, and which part of town your guesthouse get invaded ?

I live in Los Angeles, so this is the norm here LOL

AS I mentioned, a guesthouse.  This small business was by the airport, in a semi-rural location.

 

LiK, none of the negative events that I mentioned were down to my (now for many years), mad ex.  She just added more drama to a humdrum day ????

 

I can do without drama, threats and murders.  I subsequently found both Myanmar and Laos much nicer places to live ????

[XtraFly]

6 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

pass on both....not my scene...

What beach city or island you like then ? Why you still like living in Thailand when compared to your home country ?

[OneMoreFarang]

16 minutes ago, XtraFly said:

23 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

pass on both....not my scene...

What beach city or island you like then ? Why you still like living in Thailand when compared to your home country ?

That is not fair. 

Pattaya is tourist ripoff, and Patong is tourist ripoff on steroids.

There are still some lovely beaches in Thailand. But most people who know those places don't want write about them on the internet to be sure next time they visit it's not full of tourists.

[VocalNeal]

Thinking to move to Phuket from Los Angeles ????

 

Well at least you will used to the traffic 

[OneMoreFarang]

5 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

rather be chilling in the mountains than some beach...been there done that.......ive expd sand and salty water before --I grew up on east coast

There is a difference between salty water on the east coast and a nice beach in Thailand. Spot the difference:

[XtraFly]

1 hour ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

None of the beaches Im up north in Chiang mai---actually stuck in states(east coast) dying to get back.....left the state scene in 2008....explored all over thai for 3 months and started south(nope) and worked my way north--settled in CM....good mix of locals and tourists(when I want a decent convo) and tons of food choices and is dirt cheap compared to south...is a quick flight should I even want to go to beach(not) and $30 hour flight to BKK ot sleep on the night train (14 hrs)

 

3 reasons that still apply today for packing up and living in Thai   cheap housing--affordable healthcare and access to healthy mix of cheap fresh local food.

When my funds run low and Ive had enough of the massage gals clapping at me during my daily bike rides I head home(4 months CM -no visa) and jump back into

work and enjoy Xmas and seeing old friends and family.....when I get tired of racism-hate politics-trumpism-Q anon nuts--mass shootings i jump back to thailand

 

One foot here--one foot there..I travel only with a carry on for easy airport hopping--everything I own fits in my car when a friend holds it for me when I travel

Rinse lather repeat--simple life--live like a local...old honda dream 95 paid for and a workhorse--simple studio in Cm for $125..eat fresh tasty street food and may

enjoy a german beer or a bit of sangsom sugar cane rum on a friday and I flirt with ladyboys and tell the real girls I dont pay for love---living the dream-freedom

 

After over a decade of this Im becoming thai and see how awful the states are, when people wonder why I leave I ask give me one reason to stay....good riddance!

I feel I’m watching no reservations episode lol. But that’s what I’m thinking most of the happy people I observed they live between two countries and they are minimalists. That’s when the statement less is more sometimes! I’m on my way to decrease my footprint and own less and less so I can live free and enjoy more. Your message is very encouraging. My understanding you are not a fan of the south either cos it’s pricey or the beach life is not your style. Or both lol. I have to live and die by a beach preferably an island.

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post and a reply has been removed.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

Listen to OP. React only to his stated needs. nobody cares about your alt.life.

YES, OP states “ Cheap Housing” as primary benefit . Phuket Property (around 10-15% western equivalent) BUT cannot own land & near impossible Resale ( unless million dollar + Laguna Villa) . This factor  alone trumps ALL Negatives to Phuket Living, never mind the considerable benefits largely unavailable to regular folk in western countries. 

 

Key DONT Additions to my earlier comments:

Non- Professional GF without Property / Car / Income =AVOID

Physical Shop Business / Any Local “Partner”= AVOID

 

Boxing Adage Applies: “ Protect Yourself at all Times “.....