And so the exodus of quality expats begins. This time it's personal

[Galong]

Six of my very good friends have had enough of Phuket and all six are leaving because of traffic. Another friend and his family of four just bought a house a relocated here from the UK. After just a few months, they are already looking for ways to leave. 

How many of you have lost friends due to the 'progress' going on in Phuket?

[Olmate]

20 minutes ago, Galong said:

Six of my very good friends have had enough of Phuket and all six are leaving because of traffic. Another friend and his family of four just bought a house a relocated here from the UK. After just a few months, they are already looking for ways to leave. 

How many of you have lost friends due to the 'progress' going on in Phuket?

Lifes not a 'beach' apparently! 

[xylophone]

12 minutes ago, Galong said:

Six of my very good friends have had enough of Phuket and all six are leaving because of traffic. Another friend and his family of four just bought a house a relocated here from the UK. After just a few months, they are already looking for ways to leave. 

How many of you have lost friends due to the 'progress' going on in Phuket?

Sadly, a good friend of mine who has lived here most of the time for years has now decided to call it quits and has moved back to the UK. I am in contact with him and he says although the weather is disgusting, he is glad to be free of the traffic, Russians, invading Chinese and poor roads here in Patong/Phuket – – he owned a Triumph Bonneville and loved riding it around, but not safe to do that now, so sold it and he has gone.

 

Another friend is considering going back to Canada because he is fed up/bored with Patong and has been financially shafted by one Thai girlfriend, thereby losing his business, and his latest Thai girlfriend has decided to dump him! Not a happy chappy, so I expect him to leave very shortly.

 

As I have posted previously, this is not the place I remember it to be, but I'm tied here by friends and a daughter, so I will have to put on a happy face and carry on!

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

I am amazed how many people still go to Phuket, for holiday or to live there.

I was there the first time 30 years ago and at that time it was an obvious rip-off. Did it improve over the years? Obviously not.

I wonder if anybody who decided to live there do any research? 

[Lacessit]

It would take a hell of a lot to pry me loose from Chiang Rai, although I suppose Chiang Rai is not high on the riff-raff bucket list of places they can spoil for others.

[OneMoreFarang]

Just now, Lacessit said:

It would take a hell of a lot to pry me loose from Chiang Rai, although I suppose Chiang Rai is not high on the riff-raff bucket list of places they can spoil for others.

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

[mfd101]

I have never been to Phuket and probably will never visit there. In any case, it is not Thailand ...

[Galong]

I've lived in Patong in 1993 for a year, then Ao Nang for three years, and Phuket Town for the rest of my 31 years in Thailand. I'm kind of stuck here due to business. Phuket also has great doctors and dentists here. I have a serious health problem and my doctor is awesome.  I'm sure there are good doctors in other parts of the country, but I'm reluctant to start searching.

Phuket has improved in food options, but not much else. It's only going to get worse. The next time Mother Nature doesn't supply us with enough water, this will be a major disaster... and almost everything being built is a POOL VILLA. Guess what pools use?

Anyway, I guess I'll just keep riding my motorbike instead of my nice truck so I can actually get around. 

[xylophone]

5 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It would take a hell of a lot to pry me loose from Chiang Rai, although I suppose Chiang Rai is not high on the riff-raff bucket list of places they can spoil for others.

I spent a little time in Chiang Rai, along with my girlfriend at the time and our daughter, and I thought it was a lovely place, and even looked at houses to buy, but eventually came back to Patong to live and have been here ever since!

 

Just occasionally I get the urge to go back to Chiang Rai to have a look at it, but my Thai daughter wants to live in Phuket, so I suppose I'm pretty well stuck here, unless I can persuade her that Chiang Rai also has other teaching opportunities for her.

 

Time will tell.

[Galong]

9 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I wonder if anybody who decided to live there do any research? 

I wonder how many people will buy the new houses/villas being built all over the island.  Chern Talay is one of the worst traffic areas on the island. And, it's bad at any time of the day. Surely, a potential buyer would visit first.  If they do, they WILL get stuck in traffic. I believe a lot of these new places won't be sold.

[Lacessit]

12 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

If you have never been there, you won't know what attractions it has. If you have, given your attitude, you would probably miss most of them.

Having been in Pattaya a few times, I would sooner chew razor blades than be a resident there. Phuket sounds like Pattaya squared.

Edited February 9 by Lacessit

[AlexRich]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

 

I spent some time there and thought it was a great place for anyone that wants a peaceful life. Nice coffee shops and food places, a night market that is not too big, and a pretty sizeable shopping mall on the edge of town. People really friendly.

 

The main downside is pollution, so the place is not really habitable all year round. 

[impulse]

Though I get what the OP is saying, it seems to me there's a middle ground between Phuket and Back Home in the freezing cold. 

 

Like 100 other places in Thailand.

 

[Galong]

13 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

I have never been to Phuket and probably will never visit there. In any case, it is not Thailand ...

Or it is TOO MUCH Thailand? 🤔

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I spent a little time in Chiang Rai, along with my girlfriend at the time and our daughter, and I thought it was a lovely place, and even looked at houses to buy, but eventually came back to Patong to live and have been here ever since!

 

Just occasionally I get the urge to go back to Chiang Rai to have a look at it, but my Thai daughter wants to live in Phuket, so I suppose I'm pretty well stuck here, unless I can persuade her that Chiang Rai also has other teaching opportunities for her.

 

Time will tell.

IMO Chiang Rai probably has one of the lowest costs of living in Thailand. Property prices and rents simply don't seem to move.

Chiang Rai has three private hospitals, an army hospital, and two government hospitals. It's not as if it is short on infrastructure.

[sirineou]

15 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

I have never been to Phuket and probably will never visit there. In any case, it is not Thailand ...

Almost 20 years coming and living in Thailand and I have never been there also.

[KannikaP]

Just now, Lacessit said:

IMO Chiang Rai probably has one of the lowest costs of living in Thailand. Property prices and rents simply don't seem to move.

Chiang Rai has three private hospitals, an army hospital, and two government hospitals. It's not as if it is short on infrastructure.

Yeh but how many girlie bars, Cannabis shops, Mom & Pop stores?

[impulse]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

Yeh but how many girlie bars, Cannabis shops, Mom & Pop stores?

 

Those are a given.  What I wanna know is, how's the kayaking and bicycling and hiking?   Without those, I'd probably weigh 300 lb.

 

[Ralf001]

The exodus from Pattaya similar. 5 friend's have gone home in a coffin since December.

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Yeh but how many girlie bars, Cannabis shops, Mom & Pop stores?

There's a small bar presence in Jetyod Road. The massage shops in the sois radiating off Jetyod usually have extras, quite frequently offered before asking. Some nice looking women there.

I wouldn't know about cannabis, it does nothing for me.

Mom and Pop shops everywhere, although my definition of them may vary from yours.

 

[CANSIAM]

The Russians are queuing much better now in 7/11's, it's all good !! 

[uttradit]

Phuket is a holiday destination that appeals to some. Not a great place to live.  Lamphun surprised me in the north, better than expected.

[KannikaP]

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

There's a small bar presence in Jetyod Road. The massage shops in the sois radiating off Jetyod usually have extras, quite frequently offered before asking. Some nice looking women there.

I wouldn't know about cannabis, it does nothing for me.

Mom and Pop shops everywhere, although my definition of them may vary from yours.

 

M&P shops where you can buy beer between 2 & 5 and after midnight, let it all hang out!

[Galong]

9 minutes ago, uttradit said:

Phuket is a holiday destination that appeals to some. Not a great place to live.  Lamphun surprised me in the north, better than expected.

I go cycling all over the country. The last few years have focused on Isan.  I loved Lamphun for cycling. It's such a lovely area. The people were very friendly and, of course, there was plenty of great food. I just don't think I could live in such a quiet place. I like the idea of if, but I'm not sure if I could actually do it. 

[petermik]

14 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

The exodus from Pattaya similar. 5 friend's have gone home in a coffin since December.

Not all in the same one I hope........

[NoDisplayName]

34 minutes ago, Galong said:

I wonder how many people will buy the new houses/villas being built all over the island.  Chern Talay is one of the worst traffic areas on the island. And, it's bad at any time of the day. Surely, a potential buyer would visit first.  If they do, they WILL get stuck in traffic. I believe a lot of these new places won't be sold.

 

I wouldn't worry about luxury villas sitting empty.

 

Quote

Beijing is now home to more billionaires than any other city in the world, according to the latest Forbes' annual rich list.

 

According to Credit Suisse estimates, the number of dollar-millionaires residing in China totaled 6.2 million individuals, ranking second after the United States in the world.

 

306,000 Beijing millionaires might want to escape the traffic congestion and cold winters.

 

They like shrimp.

[Lacessit]

8 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

M&P shops where you can buy beer between 2 & 5 and after midnight, let it all hang out!

Again, I would not know. I'm usually tucked up in bed by 10.30 pm, and I haven't touched alcohol for a year. Even when I was imbibing, I didn't need to be out at 1 am for it.

[stoner]

phuket all day. 

[mikebike]

1 hour ago, Galong said:

Six of my very good friends have had enough of Phuket and all six are leaving because of traffic. Another friend and his family of four just bought a house a relocated here from the UK. After just a few months, they are already looking for ways to leave. 

How many of you have lost friends due to the 'progress' going on in Phuket?

😅😅 Dude we left Phuket in 2009 for the same reason. For a better part of Thailand. Most peeps can only live in a tourist ghetto for so long before getting over it. For us it was 3 yrs. 

[4MyEgo]

46 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I am amazed how many people still go to Phuket, for holiday or to live there.

 

I was there last year for a week, Patong that is, been going there with the family for years, but since the last trip, I reckon it's been a good 3 years.

 

We prefer driving around further south at other destinations during our road trips, like Hua Hin, Krabi, etc, cleaner and less touristy compared to Patong.

 

If your like me, you stay just out of Patong, e.g. within a 10 minute walk of Bangla Road, and travel to places like Nai Harn Beach, Kata Noi Beach and even Karon Beach for the day. There isn't really that much to do there, hence the reason we mostly enjoy the comforts of the hotel and it's facilities, after all  it's a holiday for relaxing isn't it.

 

But with the amount of money Patong brings in, they could do with wider pedestrian sidewalks and rainwater spill off into the gutters, because one downpour and it's game over, instant flooding. Less money lining their pockets, more into infrastructure and less development.