Why Many Farang Chose To Live In Rawai/Chalong Area

[maichai40]

Four years i live in Phuket and i always been thinking about this...

This is not a provocative post, i don't want to say that where i live is better than your area but i really don't understand why many chose to live in Chalong/Rawai.

My point is that there are no beautiful beaches, really the worst in the island for me (unless you drive to Nai harn), no services (big shopping centers, hospitals), traffic (specially in chalong), it is the most dangerous place for the crime (seems that everithing bad happens there), is far away from airport, and so on and on.

I write about this because i think i am missing something, there must be a reason to live there (with many other nice place to stay in this island)!

Remember i am talking about expats, not tourists (if any in that area).

[Boater]

Because it is cheaper then patong, kamala, surin ect for renting property

[yellow1red1]

is it cheap rent?

[Somtamnication]

Because they like to get ripped off, love their dogs to be poisoned and enjoy the listening to 5 prayers daily.

[stevenl]

The diveboats depart from Chalong and my divecenter is in Kata. So living in this area makes a lot of sense to me.

[Gerryasia]

Because they like to get ripped off, love their dogs to be poisoned and enjoy the listening to 5 prayers daily.

Many people, many reasons, stupid questions, let them go.

Lord Buddha

[steelepulse]

Nai Han is 5 minutes from Rawai, and it's much nicer than most beaches in Phuket. I don't hear mosques, Villa Market is 7 minutes away, lots of good restaurants, and the hospitals ( since you brought it up) are probably closer time wise then a lot of areas in Phuket. Combine all of that with less noise, less traffic, less tourists than the rest of Phuket and you'll start to get an idea.

Where do you live OP and why do you think it's better than Rawai/Chalong?

As another benefit, Rawai gets a lot less rain then any other part of Phuket. Many times I look towards Chalong and Phuket Town and see a lot of rain, while we remain dry in Rawai.

[amyb]

Because they like to get ripped off, love their dogs to be poisoned and enjoy the listening to 5 prayers daily.

there is no need for a comment like this...especially one that refers to the morning prayers...people choose to live on this island where they like...and for me, living in the local community in rawai sure beats living in an overpriced house in a villa community where usually there is no room for a garden or for the dogs to run. and that whole part about getting ripped off--it happens everywhere, not just rawai/nai harn, phuket or thailand...

Edited August 14, 2010 by amyb

[Jimi007]

Because they like to get ripped off, love their dogs to be poisoned and enjoy the listening to 5 prayers daily.

Oh my!

Where I live in Rawai is very quiet and peaceful. Nai Harn Beach is about a 5 minute ride. My neighbors are mostly all Buddhist Thais, many are Phuket natives, other than a couple of Germans that have been here over 30 years. There are other nice beaches here off the beaten path, which I'm not going to talk about. I don't need to live near a shopping center. Villa Market isn't far away and there are many small markets that have many items I buy. I don't use the airport very often. My doctor and dentist are in Chalong, which is a bit over 10 minutes away... My dog likes it here, and I've never been ripped off! Also there aren't a ton of tourists here!

[FarangBuddha]

Fewer disgusting sex-tourists and sexpats wandering around and living in the area. Of course, housing is cheaper as well and some good restos and coffee houses as well. Easy access to Cape Panwa area, with again a couple nice restos and views. Phuket City and Central Mall for shopping, services, and eating is only 10-15 minute drive up the road (as opposed to a 30 minute trip up and down a mountain if living on west coast). Also, most people who actually live in Thailand rarely go to the beach so easy access to one is not a priority (especially ones with high fecal-matter bacteria counts like those found on on the west coast).

[jkzero]

i like rawai, i know a number of the locals now, it's pretty quiet and there's 1 good beach in walking distance from me plus nai harn is a short ride.. you dont like it, you dont gotta live here =)

[F1fanatic]

Fewer disgusting sex-tourists and sexpats wandering around and living in the area. Of course, housing is cheaper as well and some good restos and coffee houses as well. Easy access to Cape Panwa area, with again a couple nice restos and views. Phuket City and Central Mall for shopping, services, and eating is only 10-15 minute drive up the road (as opposed to a 30 minute trip up and down a mountain if living on west coast). Also, most people who actually live in Thailand rarely go to the beach so easy access to one is not a priority (especially ones with high fecal-matter bacteria counts like those found on on the west coast).

Absolute rubbish - Rawai/Chalong/Naihairn are sex pat areas. Tourists frequent more northern areas.

Rawai/Chalong/Nai Hairn are popular for the sex pats 'cos that's where most of the other sexpats live....

Its only v recently that a Tesco/Villa Market has appeared. They finally realised that one hel_l of a lot of ex-pats live in the area.

Edited August 14, 2010 by F1fanatic

[jkzero]

i'm a 28yo female in a long term relationship.. do you consider me a sexpat?!

[LivinLOS]

i'm a 28yo female in a long term relationship.. do you consider me a sexpat?!

No but I dont consider you the average resident either.

[Old Croc]

Where do the mad, bitter old posters who discharge their bile all over TV, including on tribute threads to the deceased, live?

Back in blighty would be a good idea.

[jkzero]

ok, who are the average residents? the 24yo female i know who's been in chalong for 6 months? my 22yo male friend who has been here 4 month and been faithful to his pregnant girlfriend back on oz? my neighbour who is a 40something businessman who is running the phuket branch of his bangkok company?

i think you're seeing what you want to see...

sex pats are ALL OVER asia. i spent a month travelling around the philippines a couple of years back and i can count on one hand how many western women i met and on the other hand how many men under the age of 50 i met. i did not meet a single women under the age of 40 in my entire trip. i dont think there's anything wrong with the falang population of rawai / chalong.

Edited August 14, 2010 by jkzero

[steelepulse]

Fewer disgusting sex-tourists and sexpats wandering around and living in the area. Of course, housing is cheaper as well and some good restos and coffee houses as well. Easy access to Cape Panwa area, with again a couple nice restos and views. Phuket City and Central Mall for shopping, services, and eating is only 10-15 minute drive up the road (as opposed to a 30 minute trip up and down a mountain if living on west coast). Also, most people who actually live in Thailand rarely go to the beach so easy access to one is not a priority (especially ones with high fecal-matter bacteria counts like those found on on the west coast).

Absolute rubbish - Rawai/Chalong/Naihairn are sex pat areas. Tourists frequent more northern areas.

Rawai/Chalong/Nai Hairn are popular for the sex pats 'cos that's where most of the other sexpats live....

Its only v recently that a Tesco/Villa Market has appeared. They finally realised that one hel_l of a lot of ex-pats live in the area.

Poster is just stirring up the pot and has nothing to contribute. Don't worry about the fanatic (as per his member name).

[HDRIDER]

Hi

I think its a bad area, so please go away, not many tourist and nothing to do, why would you live here, so adios amigo.

[ScubaBuddha]

Rawai/Chalong/Nai Hairn are popular for the sex pats 'cos that's where most of the other sexpats live....

Excellent bit of circular logic there. lol

Funny post this one. I have always wondered why any one would choose to live anywhere on the island other than the Chalong/Rawaii/Naiharn area and I'll add Kata Beach on the list since I am sort of at a crossroads. I love it for the reasons already mentioned.

Patong? Ick. I avoid as best I can, but Jungcyclon is 10 minutes if I want to catch a movie. Phuket Town? Why? Surin, Kamala? Ok better than Patong. North of there and there is nothing. (Although Toto's at Laguna is the best Italian Restaurant in Phuket by a long shot)

Also, there is a new multi-level shopping center being built in Kata south of the temple.

[napalm]

Rubbish , yes, OP belongs in Patong where he/she probably arrived last Tuesday,......

[Benjie]

ok, who are the average residents? the 24yo female i know who's been in chalong for 6 months? my 22yo male friend who has been here 4 month and been faithful to his pregnant girlfriend back on oz? my neighbour who is a 40something businessman who is running the phuket branch of his bangkok company?

i think you're seeing what you want to see...

sex pats are ALL OVER asia. i spent a month travelling around the philippines a couple of years back and i can count on one hand how many western women i met and on the other hand how many men under the age of 50 i met. i did not meet a single women under the age of 40 in my entire trip. i dont think there's anything wrong with the falang population of rawai / chalong.

Why on Earth is someone over here for 4 months whilst his pregnant girlfriend is back in Oz. Doesn't sound very normal to me.

[petercallen]

Because we live here and do not pretend to live here like some posters on this forum.

I would say most of us do not go to Patong very often and when we do its not for Bangla road.

Everuwhere i want to go in Phuket including Patong is no more than 25 minutes away except for the airport.

[Old Croc]

Poster is just stirring up the pot and has nothing to contribute. Don't worry about the fanatic (as per his member name).

The poster is female. In her own posts on this forum, she relates coming to Phuket with her husband for retirement and he subsequently left her for a bar girl.

While she has every reason to hate her prick of an ex, she has decided it's her business to attack all males living in Thailand and their wives and girlfriends. She paints all with her sexpat and whore brush.

[grumpyoldman]

I agree with Ol Croc and Steelpulses' "stirring the pot" assessment.

I'm calling TROLL !

P.S. maybe we can get the OP to start a thread "Bitter older Farang women whose husbands left them for bargirls" and see how that goes.

Edited August 15, 2010 by grumpyoldman

[Atmos]

We moved to Chalong for a year from Karon/Kata, and when we return to Phuket end of this year will either go back there, but are also considering north Nai Yang area near the airport.

As we both cycle Chalong was more attractive than K/K sealed in by hills and too much traffic for safe riding; it was 11km to Nai Harn from home an easy ride on scooter or bicycle.

We don't go to bars/nightclubs regularly so that wasn't something we'd miss when moving over the hill.

15 minutes to Central Festival and multiplex movie theatres; some decent cafes.

The down-sides? Living 1km up an un-lit soi got scary a few times with 1. dogs and 2. ya-ba-ed youths trying to stop us at night; crime - our area was subject to ongoing small thefts, whether it be clothes off the line at night, a helmet left on the bike, and we were burgled losing laptop, all electronic gear, watches, jewellery etc. Next time we'll chose somewhere more secure.

We made some lasting friendships there - that counts too!

[FarangBuddha]

Fewer disgusting sex-tourists and sexpats wandering around and living in the area...

Read the post meathead...and check the definition of "fewer" as opposed to "no."

Absolute rubbish - Rawai/Chalong/Naihairn are sex pat areas. Tourists frequent more northern areas.

Rawai/Chalong/Nai Hairn are popular for the sex pats 'cos that's where most of the other sexpats live....

Its only v recently that a Tesco/Villa Market has appeared. They finally realised that one hel_l of a lot of ex-pats live in the area.

Read the post...and check the dictionary definitions of "fewer" and "no."

[jkzero]

re: the bloke with the pregnant girlfriend, he's here cause he's a sponsored professional fighter and it's impossible to train full time in australia - kickboxing / muay thai gym's just dont operate like that and the thai trainers here have 1000% more knowledge than the aussie trainers.. this trip was arranged before his girl got pregnant and he'll be home before the baby comes.

[olsen]

I lived with my wife and son 4 years in Chalong, and we loved it.....easy access to dining and shopping and no go-go bars and sleezy night life :-)

[KarenBravo]

.............and no go-go bars and sleezy night life :-)

You obviously didn't get around enough when you were here.

[F1fanatic]

Poster is just stirring up the pot and has nothing to contribute. Don't worry about the fanatic (as per his member name).

The poster is female. In her own posts on this forum, she relates coming to Phuket with her husband for retirement and he subsequently left her for a bar girl.

While she has every reason to hate her prick of an ex, she has decided it's her business to attack all males living in Thailand and their wives and girlfriends. She paints all with her sexpat and whore brush.

Bitter? To a certain extent obviously - like the farangs that have been ripped off by their local wives/g/fs.

But, funnily enough, I always blamed the gf more than my ex.

After being married so long, he thought (briefly), there was something better, more exciting out there. He learned his lesson the hard way when he pretty quickly realised that his gf was incredibly thick, and they couldn't communicate on any meaningful level. He then tried to get close to me again..... but it was too late for me.

Getting back to the topic, Rawai is a nice place to live, as long as you are aware of the 'dangerous' situations - e.g. its not wise to be on a motorbike late at night in certain areas, bars are worth avoiding but some attract less trouble than others..... etc. etc.

Rawai is peaceful (apart from the odd bar that is 'known' to be trouble), quiet and there aren't many tourists around. Everything one needs is local and, with so many expats around, its easy to make friends with similar people.