Escape from Nai Harn ?

[federicoP]

Almost twenty years ago I bought a small villa in Nai Harn, it was a quiet place, with a small, semi-deserted beach but not far from Phuket Town and its services and restaurant.
By now things have changed a lot, the beach has remained the same, but the single-family houses have multiplied and in this period they are almost all occupied by Russian families, they also have built huge condominiums that are just awaiting the reopening of the Chinese borders and the arrival of the next thousand Chinese tourists.
The small beach is now too crowded, and the traffic unpleasant.

I would therefore like to move, but I would like to find a quiet place (I am over seventy years old), with a decent beach, without high rise buildings, not far from services such as hospitals and shopping centers and good restaurants, especially Thai ones.
I thought about Koh Lanta, Chumpon, Hua In, but all were rejected fore some reason.

Now my question is:

In your opinion which is (if it still exists) the area of Phuket that can best offer what I'm looking for and that gives hope, for a few years, of not being overwhelmed by an invasion of foreign tourists like those that we have seen in recent years?

 

I do not think it still exists, but I would appreciate to hear some other opinion........
 

federico

[Tom H]

Just visited Nai Harn again. Paradise lost.

Only Russians and traffic. Forget Phuket.

 

Dead by arrival of the Chinese for sure.

 

You need to find a place with a supermarket and a hospital nearby.

 

Probably Krabi area but not the main beach area. 

 

We should investigate together:). Feel the same.

 

Greetings from Bkk

Edited November 28, 2022 by Tom H

[CANSIAM]

I think the Ruskies ( crowds ) will play with extensions and or education visas for prolonged stays or until Putin surrenders......it was lovely here during the Covid panic era..........

[schlog]

Maikhaw. Bought 1997 there. Still in Maikhaw in most parts it's like in the 90'.

[damen]

Mai Khao area still sort of un-touch. Rent your villa out, you may generate maybe 30k-100k per month of extra income.  

[pagallim]

Perhaps consider Phang Nga, some decent beaches there and still relatively easy access to the facilities of Phuket.   Parts of Krabi province also.   Songkhla has some decent beaches, and Hat Yai  has all of the major facilities in terms of shopping/restaurants etc.   

[soi3eddie]

12 minutes ago, pagallim said:

Perhaps consider Phang Nga, some decent beaches there and still relatively easy access to the facilities of Phuket.   Parts of Krabi province also.   Songkhla has some decent beaches, and Hat Yai  has all of the major facilities in terms of shopping/restaurants etc.   

I think Phang Nga is often overlooked and definitely worth a visit to see. Very few tourist ever go north off Phuket. Songkhla is nice too and I spent a lot of time there. Can get a bit busy with Thai and Malaysian tourists at times. South of there is lots of deserted beaches to the east of Hat Yai - maybe a bit too local and rural for the OP but more like Thailand of old.

 

[London Lowf]

When I first came to Phuket I used to stay in Patong but after three visits grew tired of the constant traffic, crowding and noise. I discovered Kamala.........

 

A decent beach, although I prefer to ride to Layan or Nai Yang for days out, and there are high-rise developments at each end of town but the centre still has a village feel. Yes, it is a bit touristy during high season, but there are also many expats who have settled here.

 

I rent a small apartment right at the back of town at the edge of the foothills (attached is the view from my balcony) and I am the only farang in the soi. It's a generally conservative Muslim area but there are plenty of bars and restaurants for an evening out and Patong is just over the hill for some better shopping.

 

Worth a look if you want to stay on Phuket?

[MarcelV]

Places like Pak Phanang, Ranod and Saiburi, all on the Gulf coast, may be what you're looking for.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

Khao Lak is supposed to be very beautiful on the Andaman Coast just above you/Phuket and far less touristy than the suggested by others Phang Nga?

Edited November 28, 2022 by Phnom Penh Trader
Mistook Cha Am for Khao Lak!

[Phnom Penh Trader]

If you’re willing to go further afield I’ve heard that Trang is one of Thailand’s few remaining unspoilt paradises left,obviously avoiding Thailand’s answer to Sicily/Napoli the infamous Nakhon Si Thammarrat!

[Hummin]

Check this one out. Passing this village now and then, and it seems like a nice quiet place. Good infrastructure, a small hospital with english spoken staff. No russians

 

https://thailandbo.se/en/huay-yang-eng/

[pagallim]

29 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Khao Lak is supposed to be very beautiful on the Andaman Coast just above you/Phuket and far less touristy than the suggested by others Phang Nga?

Problem with Khao Lak, fine for a hotel/resort holiday, but there really isn't any private accommodation available.   The area is just one long strip, and whilst the beach is OK, living there (in my opinion) would be a nightmare.   The shops and restaurants are very much tourist orientated, again, not great for a resident expat unless running a business there.   There are better places and options further south, say between Khok Kloi and Thai Muang.   Not many expats but some, and there are more than a few good restaurants, with the advantage of being within striking distance of Sarasin Bridge and the facilities of Phuket.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

1 minute ago, pagallim said:

Problem with Khao Lak, fine for a hotel/resort holiday, but there really isn't any private accommodation available.   The area is just one long strip, and whilst the beach is OK, living there (in my opinion) would be a nightmare.   The shops and restaurants are very much tourist orientated, again, not great for a resident expat unless running a business there.   There are better places and options further south, say between Khok Kloi and Thai Muang.   Not many expats but some, and there are more than a few good restaurants, with the advantage of being within striking distance of Sarasin Bridge and the facilities of Phuket.

Really when I said Khao Lak I was meaning the whole of that Andaman coast above Phuket,I did just look it up on Google maps and it was much higher up than I thought so thanks for filling in the blanks with the correct resort names for that area.

[pagallim]

Reading again the original post, and taking into account all of the posters requirements, I think I would go towards Cape Panwa.   There is still reasonably priced properties there, both for sale and rent, a few good quality restaurants with Thai rather than tourist prices, a couple of uncrowded pleasant beaches, and even closer to the main shopping and facilities of Phuket Town than Rawai/Nai Harn.

[soi3eddie]

2 hours ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

If you’re willing to go further afield I’ve heard that Trang is one of Thailand’s few remaining unspoilt paradises left,obviously avoiding Thailand’s answer to Sicily/Napoli the infamous Nakhon Si Thammarrat!

Trang is nice, however to get good beaches one has to go offshore to the islands. Pak Meng on the mainland is OK but not exactly pristine white sand - my first, of many visits, was 22 years ago. 

Edited November 28, 2022 by soi3eddie

[Phnom Penh Trader]

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/feb/08/10-of-thailand-best-hidden-beaches-trang-islands

[ujayujay]

Sorry to say: Forget Phuket. This former beauty reached the Point of overcrowding and horrible traffic. This was my words 10 years ago. So avoid!

[Makoshark]

I live in Rawai, always quiet and beautiful beaches.  Nai Harn is great ! ! !

[nobodysfriend]

Koh Kho Khao , just 130km north of Phuket , but still off the tourist radar ... Land prices are still cheap , but rising , because a bridge to the island will be built soon ...

[Tropposurfer]

Naithon is beautiful and there are very quiet places all around there. Surin is a busier beach but there are lots of nice quiet places to buy or rent near there between Surin and BangTao at reasonable prices. Bang Tao is too busy I think.

The market is glutted and people are desperate for sales and renting so great offers are aplenty to be had.

I have a home at Layan, not far from the beach on the east side of the coast road (about 4-5 minutes to Niathon).

It's as quiet and green as can be with NO smoke pollution, no noisy karaoke, no loud motocy or traffic.

Yes it cost more to live there to buy or rent but it is a beautiful part of the island with gorgeous beaches and every shop you can need is close by and accessible via the quieter beach road labyrinth in Bang Tao/ Boat Harbour. The airport is an easy gentle drive along the coast through Haithon to the airport too.

If you're not short of a dollar and the above sounds good to you I suggest you go speak with Sandra at Ocean Worldwide Real Estate (+66 89 867 7154) and see what she can do for you.

 

[zzzzz]

Come check out Kamala>
rent out ur villa and rent here and SAVE lots of Baht!!
2 bedroom homes from 10,000 - 200,000/month
view out my front door 
1 km or less to beach, shopping, restaurants.  

i moved over here in 96 from Patong, (except for the last 17 months when i was in Kep Cambodia) ....yea , its changed, but get off the main road, its still basically a village

now that the patong hill is 2 ways, traffic has died down a bit


 

Edited December 3, 2022 by zzzzz

[Old Croc]

14 hours ago, ujayujay said:

Sorry to say: Forget Phuket. This former beauty reached the Point of overcrowding and horrible traffic. This was my words 10 years ago. So avoid!

Read the OP, he has been owner/resident in Phuket for 20 years. He has stated his part of the island is being overcrowded, particularly by a certain nationality who don't necessarily make good neighbors (!).  I would suggest he is much more aware of his home surroundings than someone who once visited the province.

He is looking for input from others with knowledge of some of the quieter areas of the island not from one of the haters.

 

[Ro54]

Visited Karon beach every year(diving), & rented a bungalow in Nai Harm 2 years(x6 months). Moved to Hua Hin were I'm now on my 5th season(live half year in Thailand). Hua Hin is a more social place, easier to get friends, beaches, shops & bars and live music (if you want..) Never regret the move.... I'm 68, and, one of the few who brought my wife with me from home...

[cyril sneer]

On 11/28/2022 at 10:05 AM, CANSIAM said:

I think the Ruskies ( crowds ) will play with extensions and or education visas for prolonged stays or until Putin surrenders......it was lovely here during the Covid panic era..........

A lot of them seem to have found a way to work here

 

Went to the labor office the other day and it was full of them 

[CANSIAM]

16 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

A lot of them seem to have found a way to work here

 

Went to the labor office the other day and it was full of them 

Many want to learn Thai language as well (education visa) and pigs fly......

[ThailandRyan]

On 12/3/2022 at 10:27 AM, Ro54 said:

Visited Karon beach every year(diving), & rented a bungalow in Nai Harm 2 years(x6 months). Moved to Hua Hin were I'm now on my 5th season(live half year in Thailand). Hua Hin is a more social place, easier to get friends, beaches, shops & bars and live music (if you want..) Never regret the move.... I'm 68, and, one of the few who brought my wife with me from home...

We moved to the Southern Hua Hin Khao Tao Lake Area.  Good restaurants and nit far from BKK Hospital or The Military hospital in Pranburi if needed.  Quiet and serene, beach close by as well.

[beechbum]

Thinking the same, way to many Russians and Muay Thai jerks here now.

Riding your max or whatever bike as fast as you can around Rawai without your shirt on actually makes you look like a DH, not cool in the least.

[grumpyoldman]

I'm with the OP, first times coming to Phuket were early and mid 90's, Rawai quiet, '95 or so surfed Nai Harn on a good swell BY MYSELF. Lived in Rawai off Soi Nanachart for 11 years 2005-2016.

 

I'm sure this high season is a nightmare crowd-wise as we come out of the whole Covid restriction time, probably a lot of pent-up Thailand visit desires out there.

 

I like earlier poster's suggestion of Koh Kho Khao, just a bit far from some of OP's requirements. Gulf coast is also a great suggestion, Prachuap and Chumpon.

 

Not beachy but in my Thai travels really enjoyed Kanchanaburi. House on the river, fishing. OP, maybe rent your place out during high season, go to the Philippines or just elsewhere in Thailand, come back in June when it chills out a bit.

[LosLobo]

There is a little expat community near Chumphon at Thung Wua Laen Beach.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1333712086758165/?ref=share

Also just north of Nakon Si Thamaratt there are a few resort areas like at Sichon, Khanom and Black Elephant Mountain where expats are living.

 

Edited December 16, 2022 by LosLobo