Phuket Dead

[chinthee]

Was in Phuket last Saturday......everything is so bloody expensive and even the hotel rates have not come down yet. I really hope that they have a bad high season or some disaster takes place that will cause an overall change and people there become more realistic in their service and also in their prices.Actually in terms of businesses, it seems that they are more farang touts then those South Asians, these farang touts are not so obvious but they run businesses there and try to "make recommendations" about everything or try to get you to invest in things etc....most predominatly fellow British blokes, Germans and Swedish chaps.

Best to think before you type Vincent32. Let it be a warning for future posts...

What kind of insensitive creature wishes a natural disaster upon a community or province in order to get cheaper prices? Especially one that has gone through such pain and suffering so recently. I will remember the swim I took on 26 December 2004 if he ever posts again.

[Mid]

anybody stop to wonder why a prior customer has this mindset ??

granted the Tsunami reference is out of place .

[geoffphuket]

Was in Phuket last Saturday......everything is so bloody expensive and even the hotel rates have not come down yet. I really hope that they have a bad high season or some disaster takes place that will cause an overall change and people there become more realistic in their service and also in their prices.Actually in terms of businesses, it seems that they are more farang touts then those South Asians, these farang touts are not so obvious but they run businesses there and try to "make recommendations" about everything or try to get you to invest in things etc....most predominatly fellow British blokes, Germans and Swedish chaps.

Only because of a last minute change of plan was I and my wife saved from being on the beach at Patong on 26th December for the tsunami.

What a selfish statement to make. Thank goodness the Thai government are trying to eliminate 'Cheap Charlie' tourists like you.

[khall64au]

Prices in the south are rising. What is the reason? Fuel costs are higher, making up for lost profits from past 2 years? Service standards seem to be down many will agree. Phuket does need to reality-check with its competition. Patong in particular needs an "attitude" check.

We must remember that many tourism-related staff are seasonal workers from other parts of the country, who may not have even been here during the tsunami and many Thai workers involved in the tragedy left the region.

HOWEVER, there are people on this forum whose memories are still fresh from that day, just only 2 & a half yrs ago.

Please be sensitive when commenting on tsunami-related topics!

[borracho]

Pattyboy comes off like he's got a chip on his shoulder. For what reason is is anyones guess.

People like that often rub others the wrong way and have unfortunate experiences.

Phuket while catering to wide range of farang trade is still friendly and welcoming.

It about attitude. Having fun is about attitude.

Thai people are inherently about having fun.

Phuket isn't that different apart from the obvious scams which are easy to ignore and avoid.

Like all the loud and obnoxious farang tits in Pattaya, they are easy to ignore and avoid.

It you act like a tit you will get either ignored or treated like a tit.

Wherever you go there you are!

No borracho, I don't have a chip on my shoulder. I'm simply stating an observation. Like I said, I've lived in Thailand for over 7 years, and I have traveled here extensively, experiencing lots of happy times and great holidays around this country that I can use compare to that December trip to Phuket. I didn't leave Phuket feeling anger, and I tried to justify the unfriendliness to myself and my brother (who had never been to Thailand before) by speculating that perhaps the people are still feeling the effect of the tsunami. If anything, I felt sorry for these unfriendly people who appeared to be so obsessed with making money that it dominated their very essence. We went to Phuket full of optimism and in a typically good holiday mood, but encountered a string of sour souls who truly dampened our spirits. My brother easily noticed the difference in the attitudes of people once we started to travel around other areas of the country.

By the way, I would gently advise that making personal attacks ("has a chip on his shoulder...People like that often rub others the wrong way...all the loud and obnoxious farang tits in Pattaya") doesn't help your credibility. Perhaps a well worded and thoughtful rebuttal will carry more weight in the future. I noticed that other forum members also found your post to be an unfortunate one. Jai yen, my fellow forum user.

I made no personal "attack" on you!

I made some simple observations based on this venomous tirade:

After my last experience in Phuket, I'll never go back again, and I don't hesitate to tell people my poor impression of the place when asked. After all, word of mouth advertising is very powerful, and if too many people leave the island with the same bad memories, word will spread and Phuket's tourism industry is (deservedly) headed for a nasty fall.

Also choosing to go to a place like Phuket at Christmas time when you know the place will be packed shows questionable judgement especially for someone who has "lived" in Thailand for SEVEN YEARS!

You should know the good places to go during the busiest times of year.

I would never recommend Phuket during that time of year unless you wanted to deal with some serious hustle and bustle.

You've never run into the annoying metertaxi guys in BKK who won't use their meter for a Farang??? What do you do? Cry about it? Or do you simply move on to another one who uses his meter?

Attitude and choices, that's what it's about.

[borracho]

Also for those complaining about high prices haven't shopped around.

The Whitesands resorthotel in Patong is offering rooms for 500 baht. It's a nice new hotel.

You can buy rambutan at the markets for 5 baht a kilo. But if you buy from a street vendor they're 20 baht a kilo! BOOHOO!

If you're not smart enough to shop around don't complain!

Especially for those of us who have lived here "for 7 years"!

[Sir Burr]

If Phuket has a bad high season, for whatever reason, the prices will go up, not down.

The law of supply and demand doesn't work here.

If someone puts a shophouse up for rent at 10,000 Bt per month and nobody rents it, the rent will go up to 15,000 Bt per month the next year to try and make up the shortfall.

Actually, I like the fact that Phuket is the most expensive tourist destination in Thailand. We get a better class of tourist and avoid (for the most part) the "Benidorm crowd".

[Sir Burr]

Especially for those of us who have lived here "for 7 years"!

Ahhhhhhh........a newbie

[BKKDUDE]

Also for those complaining about high prices haven't shopped around.

The Whitesands resorthotel in Patong is offering rooms for 500 baht. It's a nice new hotel.

You can buy rambutan at the markets for 5 baht a kilo. But if you buy from a street vendor they're 20 baht a kilo! BOOHOO!

If you're not smart enough to shop around don't complain!

Especially for those of us who have lived here "for 7 years"!

I don't this guy major problem was price or frienliness in phuket. What i think is, the guy has attachement with city life and nothing in common with islands, beachs....

Remember i hated phuket when i came here ( that's why my nick is BKKDUDE) first time, nothing to do, except going to beach (couldn't even swim well) and bangla road chasing girls late evening.

After i learned riding bikes ....become a pro diver.....fresh air fresh food.....made friends here.....going around phuket town....shopping malls and hypermarkets .....i found enviroment big enough not to miss city life or get bored easily. Even i ejony BKK, but i think i have more reasons to be in phuket for now.

[Vincent32]

First and foremost....my sincere apologies to all about my insensitive reamrks made....guess i should really think before typing.....I was not hoping for any disaster to hurt any human being there physically just to hoping for something that will keep the tourists away till those business operators come down to reality.

Anyway, I also hope someday that the real Thais of this country will someday wake up and see that all this so called "Higher Class" expats are buying up their properties in Phuket and also businesses there and making it an expensive place for them to even holiday in their own land and finally do something about it.

[borracho]

I don't this guy major problem was price or frienliness in phuket. What i think is, the guy has attachement with city life and nothing in common with islands, beachs....

Remember i hated phuket when i came here ( that's why my nick is BKKDUDE) first time, nothing to do, except going to beach (couldn't even swim well) and bangla road chasing girls late evening.

After i learned riding bikes ....become a pro diver.....fresh air fresh food.....made friends here.....going around phuket town....shopping malls and hypermarkets .....i found enviroment big enough not to miss city life or get bored easily. Even i ejony BKK, but i think i have more reasons to be in phuket for now.

I live in Patong and find people generally very friendly. Notable exceptions being rare unpleasant encounters with tuktuk drivers, motorbike taxi drivers or over caffeinated

minibus drivers. And the minibus scam at the airport. (in the 4 years I've lived here I can only count such encounters on one hand)

But as a rule I find people here no less friendly than other parts of the country.

Now from personal experience I do know how the time around Christmas can wind people up a bit with the heavy traffic and crowded streets.

I can see how a demanding farang might receive curt treatment.

[Sir Burr]

Anyway, I also hope someday that the real Thais of this country will someday wake up and see that all this so called "Higher Class" expats are buying up their properties in Phuket and also businesses there and making it an expensive place for them to even holiday in their own land and finally do something about it.

And just who is selling all this land and properties to foreigners.......?

Haven't you noticed that when you get to Phuket, most of the cars on the road are new, or, just a few years old, not like the majority of Thailand.

Most Phuket natives have grown very rich from tourists, do you really think they want to turn the clock back?

If property prices ever came down (in your dreams) do you think more Thais would start buying, or, more foreigners?

[chinthee]

First and foremost....my sincere apologies to all about my insensitive reamrks made....guess i should really think before typing.....I was not hoping for any disaster to hurt any human being there physically just to hoping for something that will keep the tourists away till those business operators come down to reality.

Anyway, I also hope someday that the real Thais of this country will someday wake up and see that all this so called "Higher Class" expats are buying up their properties in Phuket and also businesses there and making it an expensive place for them to even holiday in their own land and finally do something about it.

Vincent, thank you for your statement of contrition. I accept that and of course you are welcome back to Phuket. I personally took that hard because my wife, family and I were almost killed in that trajedy; our businesses and buildings were flattened, and our house and cars were destroyed. Further, we knew a number of people who were killed, and we witnessed a lot of suffering first hand. We, and others, had to rebuild from scratch.

Regarding your points, yes you do have legitimate points. It has become unreasonably expensive in many respects, the level of rudeness (I think mostly in Patong?) has become unbearable for many people (abuse by Tuk Tuks, tailors, touts, etc.). But the quieter beach resorts and communities are still as friendly as ever IMO. I try to stay out of Patong for that reason. And, as it's been stated here, for some reason, during low season, some operators raise their prices in some type of stupid defiance of the laws of supply and demand. It seems like nonsense but is a Thai thing. We have never done that, and most I think don't.

But, as others have pointed out, it's still possible to have a thrifty holiday in Phuket. One point to keep in mind is that those Thais and farangs who are not millionaire ocean-front owners or who make less money do have a harder time now with higher prices of everything. I think a number of them will move out to cheaper locales.

We live in Bangkok too, and my wife compares the prices of just about everything when she is in Bangkok. Just about everything you can touch is more expensive in Phuket.

[pattyboy]

Pattyboy comes off like he's got a chip on his shoulder. For what reason is is anyones guess.

People like that often rub others the wrong way and have unfortunate experiences.

Phuket while catering to wide range of farang trade is still friendly and welcoming.

It about attitude. Having fun is about attitude.

Thai people are inherently about having fun.

Phuket isn't that different apart from the obvious scams which are easy to ignore and avoid.

Like all the loud and obnoxious farang tits in Pattaya, they are easy to ignore and avoid.

It you act like a tit you will get either ignored or treated like a tit.

Wherever you go there you are!

No borracho, I don't have a chip on my shoulder. I'm simply stating an observation. Like I said, I've lived in Thailand for over 7 years, and I have traveled here extensively, experiencing lots of happy times and great holidays around this country that I can use compare to that December trip to Phuket. I didn't leave Phuket feeling anger, and I tried to justify the unfriendliness to myself and my brother (who had never been to Thailand before) by speculating that perhaps the people are still feeling the effect of the tsunami. If anything, I felt sorry for these unfriendly people who appeared to be so obsessed with making money that it dominated their very essence. We went to Phuket full of optimism and in a typically good holiday mood, but encountered a string of sour souls who truly dampened our spirits. My brother easily noticed the difference in the attitudes of people once we started to travel around other areas of the country.

By the way, I would gently advise that making personal attacks ("has a chip on his shoulder...People like that often rub others the wrong way...all the loud and obnoxious farang tits in Pattaya") doesn't help your credibility. Perhaps a well worded and thoughtful rebuttal will carry more weight in the future. I noticed that other forum members also found your post to be an unfortunate one. Jai yen, my fellow forum user.

I made no personal "attack" on you!

I made some simple observations based on this venomous tirade:

After my last experience in Phuket, I'll never go back again, and I don't hesitate to tell people my poor impression of the place when asked. After all, word of mouth advertising is very powerful, and if too many people leave the island with the same bad memories, word will spread and Phuket's tourism industry is (deservedly) headed for a nasty fall.

Also choosing to go to a place like Phuket at Christmas time when you know the place will be packed shows questionable judgement especially for someone who has "lived" in Thailand for SEVEN YEARS!

You should know the good places to go during the busiest times of year.

I would never recommend Phuket during that time of year unless you wanted to deal with some serious hustle and bustle.

You've never run into the annoying metertaxi guys in BKK who won't use their meter for a Farang??? What do you do? Cry about it? Or do you simply move on to another one who uses his meter?

Attitude and choices, that's what it's about.

This is getting really strange!

Where did I say anything about a problem with crowds (which weren't there, incidentally)?

How do meter taxis fit into this discussion?

Finally, when you accuse someone of having a chip on their shoulder and imply that they rub people the wrong way, that's a personal attack, duh.

As it seems you have nothing valid to add to this discussion, I won't bother checking back on this thread.

Adios and try to chill a little, borracho.

[borracho]

This is getting really strange!

Where did I say anything about a problem with crowds (which weren't there, incidentally)?

How do meter taxis fit into this discussion?

Finally, when you accuse someone of having a chip on their shoulder and imply that they rub people the wrong way, that's a personal attack, duh.

As it seems you have nothing valid to add to this discussion, I won't bother checking back on this thread.

Adios and try to chill a little, borracho.

Thanks Pattyboy

Yes you did a good job making my point through misinterpreting my posts.

BTW seven is a lucky number? Do you know why?

[geriatrickid]

The monks teach us that sometimes things happen for a reason and we just may not understand at the time. Even in bad things there is hope and there can be good. My friend who lost his favourite uncle thinks like that and it's a healthy approach.

I needed to say something positive rather than the angry comment I was coming to make about the insensitive observation.

[Ling Kae]

This is the OP returning to my post. I would like to sum up my holiday to Phuket. The day times was great, hired motorcycles and went all around the island. Saw almost every area we could, really enjoyed that part. We were lucky and the rain held off during the bike rides.

The evenings were wet most nights but not enough to keep us inside the room. The bar situations in Patong were not so good and I must say Pattaya is a leader when it comes to enterntainment.

Accommodation starts at 500 baht a night (yes you can find that in Patong) up to as much as you would like to pay so in all fairness if you want a cheap room you can find it.

Eating out, well all the cheap places like the 2 open air restaurants opposite SP Hotel were full all day and night. All top end restaurants were pretty much empty.

Phuket is a beautiful island, I would go back again in the future. The tourist industry is well established, the locals were quite friendly and eager to help. The only downfall I found was the very expensive bars and the attitude of the some of the staff that work in them. If you are looking for high octane entertainment venues then Pattaya beats Phuket easy.

I was in Phuket about 6 years ago so I saw it pre tsunami and post tsunami. I can not really notice any real difference between the 2 times. (not more than you see in other areas of Thailand anyway) Phuket looks good, well done to to everybody who has participated in the rebuilding of the tourist industry.

I noticed on Pattaya Mail TV last night that there are several operators now building vilas/hotels/apartments specifically for farang occupation. They seem to know the law well and the quility of these developments seem good. They are trying to attract retirees, good idea I think. I wonder what Phuket will look like in another 6 years time.

[jdinasia]

hmmm drinks probably ARE more expensive on Bangla than in Pattaya. Different market!!! (thankfully!)

[Ping]

hmmm drinks probably ARE more expensive on Bangla than in Pattaya. Different market!!! (thankfully!)

My sentiments entirely. (Let Pattaya remain the leader in 'entertainment'.)

[jdinasia]

I ENJOY Pattaya for a day or 3 ... but after that? ick .... I just have to get away! I am just finishing up a year on Phuket (NOT in Patong) and if I moved the car down here from BKK I could pretty well stay here indefinitly ... however ... I do enjoy being in BKK with a real non-commercial gay scene .. so for the next few months at least I am heading up there!