Thinking to move to Phuket from Los Angeles :)

[XtraFly]

5 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

OP has clearly selected Phuket and called for related advice.

I have generally addressed his specific points & added important others.

 

non- Phuket, anti- Phuket, anti- Beach, up country preference posts not relevant. OP has been compelled to dismiss such & repeat his needs.....

 

limited living up country is simply going native not being an expat.

expats stay internationally connected, enjoy modern high end facilities and western tropical lifestyle. cannot Sail or Scuba or Sea Fish much up country. few or no intl. schools / hospitals/ restaurants/ airports, etc. ....your choice not his......

 

Well said! And well done.

[Pracha Duang]

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Edited August 1, 2021 by Pracha Duang

[Pracha Duang]

The Beverly Hills of Phuket is Laguna. You will fit in there. All the crypto billionaires and wealthy American expats live there. Steve Jobs’ mentor lives in Laguna part-time. Many celebrities live / have homes here actually. Barak Obama has a place in Naithon Beach at Mailawana for example. 

[VocalNeal]

5 minutes ago, Pracha Duang said:

The Beverly Hills of Phuket is Laguna. You will fit in there. All the crypto billionaires and wealthy American expats live there.

Sounds positively ghastly. 

[spidermike007]

Come and stay for a month or two and see how you like life on Phuket. It is very hard to evaluate the islands right now, as most have been very hard hit by Covid. For some, that might be a good thing. For me, I find it sad, as you see the shells of former lives everywhere, so to speak. 

 

I lived on Samui for a decade. Loved it at first. As it got more and more developed, and fewer and fewer of the locals remained, I was dealing with mostly jaded Thais, who were sick of foreigners. All that may change. We are a novelty now. Far fewer of us around, and many things are cheaper than before, especially homes and villas. Some are stupid cheap right now. Have a friend on Samui renting a seaview villa, with a pool and 3 bedrooms for 20,000 baht a month. Many owners are desperate.

 

Doubt that will change soon. Even after Covid, I don't expect tourism to return for a very long time, for a dozen good reasons. 

[VocalNeal]

^ Spidermike. Have you changed your hair?

[VocalNeal]

On 7/18/2021 at 11:03 AM, VocalNeal said:

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

 

Well at least you will used to the traffic 

Two posters were confused by my response. I apologise. I was under the impression the traffic was bad in Los Angeles

[Eibot]

1- Is Kamala Beach area a good, clean and safe area or no ?
At the moment it's very quite. Normally it's a decent place but not with the best beaches.

 

2- Do you recommend areas in Phuket for me to consider based on my preferences ?
I would say look at Chalong/Rawai. Especially if you're looking a little younger crowd. 

 

3- How's the mosquito situation there lol?
I have found mosquito's to be not much. Ofcourse it depends where you stay (near tree's/still water/time of day). At my place (Chalong) they only come out when the sun goes down. I found the mosquito problems inland WAY worst.

 

4- How's the Internet connectivity and wifi at homes with good fast plan ? reliable ?
Very reliable. I use 3BB. I have about 330 MPS on avarage and never (fingers crossed) had an outage.

 

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

Chalong/Rawai. Atleast the younger people. This is due to a high concentration of good Muay Thai gyms in that area.

 

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

How crazy it might sound, I sometimes have trouble finding good Thai food here. Foreign food all over the place and you will have no problems with finding those dishes.

 

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

Have lost power once in the last 12 months (for about 10 min). It does happen here and there though, but mostly resolved quickly.

 

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

Lol, yeah. If you stay in a really cheap place, they might not have hot water, but other than that I have always encountered hot showers.

 

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

Freedom. I have (as you) my online business and I was working from home 4 years already. Mostly the climate, food and lifestyle brought me here. Also buying power increases.

 

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

I'm happy. Would I have been more happier if I stayed? Who knows. Most important thing is that you're happy with no regrets.

 

Also, don't mention that you're working online on this forum. All the pensioners that had to wait years and years before they could finally settle down in Thailand will become jelous and bite. In regards to visa/set-up, seek some legal advice when you're here. 

 

You won't regret it ????

[Eibot]

On 7/17/2021 at 11:13 AM, chalawaan said:

If I had a dollar for every falang that moved to Phuket, got handed their butt financially, then ended up in a far better part of Thailand, I'd be the CEO of TAT. ????

Haha, you mean broke alcoholics expats figuring out that Phuket is actually the most expensive part of Thailand. Personally, I don't mind. It keeps a certain expat community. Not so many toothless alcoholics drinking the cheapest beer and barely get by. Many families, couples with second home and expats who have some money to burn.

[Eibot]

On 7/17/2021 at 11:40 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Looks like you are the first to post THE relevant question?

36 year old, working "online".

What visa and permission to stay based on what?

Elite, Education, volounteer. If he finds a girl; Mariage and if he has kids; dependent. 

 

Seems pretty straight forwards.

[Eibot]

On 7/17/2021 at 1:58 PM, 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 ????

Never had any problems as long as you play by the rules. Ofcourse my business doesn't involve girls or is in Patong.

[Eibot]

On 7/20/2021 at 10:23 AM, Robin said:

Think about the language;  English, or American is not a widely spoke in Phuket as it is in LA.  Unless you are fluent in Thai you will need a 'trusted companion' to help you negotiate with locals.

I have a rule that anything I bring to Thailand will stay in Thailand.  That applies to any financial investments you make.

if you worry about constant hot water, then Thailand is probably not for you, as it is mostly a country here nothing works properly.

You will be absolutely fine is you don't speak a single word of Thai in Phuket. The rest of Thailand no so much. lol

[VocalNeal]

1 hour ago, Eibot said:

you mean broke alcoholics expats figuring out that Phuket is actually the most expensive part of Thailand.

Not all expats who don't live in Phuket are broke?

 

Just came back from the pub. Sorry.

Edited August 6, 2021 by VocalNeal

[simon43]

1 hour ago, Eibot said:

Never had any problems as long as you play by the rules. Ofcourse my business doesn't involve girls or is in Patong.

I played by the rules.  No dodgy business and I was in north Phuket, not Patong!

[Eibot]

3 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Not all expats who don't live in Phuket are broke?

 

Just came back from the pub. Sorry.

True, nor did I say that :). But most expats in Phuket are not broke.

[Eibot]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

I played by the rules.  No dodgy business and I was in north Phuket, not Patong!

Well you clearly <deleted> some people off big-time...

[XtraFly]

10 hours ago, Eibot said:

Elite, Education, volounteer. If he finds a girl; Mariage and if he has kids; dependent. 

 

Seems pretty straight forwards.

Daaaaamn Eibot, you are on fire LOL, I love just how straight forward and direct your answers are, sounds like a normal place to me now, some answers from other members made the place sound very sketchy and didn't align with a lot of the articles online of course Pre-COVID. appreciate all the advices, I took notes ????