Phuket In High Season..

[jkzero]

so we've only been in phuket a couple of months but i'm already feeling a bit nervous about high season.. i live in rawai, it's nice and relaxed and i have a handful of good thai mates and a few farang mates. but i'm worried that in high season everything will get expensive, busy, the bars will fill up and it'll be noisy.. am i worrying too much? will rawai stay much the same or should we think about relocating?

if so.. where's a cheaper nicer place to live with beaches for few months of the high season?! i'm a full time student (via distance / internet) and my partner is a muay thai fighter, so as long as there's a gym, internet and a beach, we're happy.. we dont really need tourist comforts.

[ScubaBuddha]

No need to worry. It's not that big of a difference out where you are. It's the main west coast beach areas get a noticeable increase in traffic and tourists.

Edited August 23, 2010 by ScubaBuddha

[Jimi007]

There's a bit more traffic and a few tourists, but nothing like Kata and points north of there. It's always quiet where I live in Rawai, but I don't live too close to the beach road and the bars, but not too far away either. The last couple of "high" seasons haven't been very busy anyway. I've been here in the same house for over 4 years and haven't really thought about moving. I haven't noticed the price of things really changing, other than the Baht being so strong!

PS: It's a good time to find a good deal on a house here now, as they may go up in the next few months depending on demand. My place hasn't increased in over 4 years and probably won't as long as I live here. They always told me they would never sell the place, but now I've been asked if I'm interested in buying it as we are now treated as family. If they would reduce the price, I might consider it. But as my GF said we could build several nicer houses and buy new cars if we build on her land out in Sa Kaew, for the same money. So I'm in no hurry to do anything! Especially in this economy...

Edited August 23, 2010 by Jimi007

[jkzero]

went to kata once, it freaked us out so much we haven't been to patong.. only one night for a friend's muay thai fight and it was straight in and out of the stadium.

[ScubaBuddha]

went to kata once, it freaked us out so much we haven't been to patong.. only one night for a friend's muay thai fight and it was straight in and out of the stadium.

What "freaked you out" about Kata? You must be bit agoraphobic? I would say definitely don't go to Patong.

[jkzero]

it was tongue in cheek..

i just dont enjoy getting hassled every few mins for taxis / restaurants / tailors / massages etc, plus all the poser tourists walking around half naked in their boardies / bikinis - off the beach.

and before everyone jumps on me, yes i've spent time in places where you get hassled ALOT more.. but i've lived in a lot places know what i like, and that isn't it.

maybe i do enjoy the quiet life here too much, i found myself actually shocked when confronted by a falang going to the bank (a teller, not a machine) in nothing but muay thai shorts and thongs.

[Thules]

JK. I suspect you might be happier long term by staying in Kho Lak. It meets your needs of gym, internet, beach etc, while being significantly quieter, cheaper, and more laid back than practically anywhere on Phuket. Of course Kho Lak has its high season tourists, but they are easily avoided if desired. Ten minutes out of Kho Lak, you can find the quietest of seclusions if you so wish.

[grumpyoldman]

JK. I suspect you might be happier long term by staying in Kho Lak. It meets your needs of gym, internet, beach etc, while being significantly quieter, cheaper, and more laid back than practically anywhere on Phuket. Of course Kho Lak has its high season tourists, but they are easily avoided if desired. Ten minutes out of Kho Lak, you can find the quietest of seclusions if you so wish.

Good suggestion Thules, I was going to suggest Khao Lak too. Quiet up there.

The other place I would recommend is Koh Lanta, December you see lots of Swedes, but after that most of the high season pretty quiet, some really nice beaches there, and a relatively new Muay Thai gym.

[Chainsaw]

Here's a radical suggestion.

Why not stay in Rawai with your Thai and farang mates and see what it's like in high season? Also you could ask people who've lived in Rawai what it's like.

I've lived here for 8+ years and I've never been hassled by tailors or tuk tuk touts.

Hang around and check it out, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[katabeachbum]

JK. I suspect you might be happier long term by staying in Kho Lak. It meets your needs of gym, internet, beach etc, while being significantly quieter, cheaper, and more laid back than practically anywhere on Phuket. Of course Kho Lak has its high season tourists, but they are easily avoided if desired. Ten minutes out of Kho Lak, you can find the quietest of seclusions if you so wish.

Good suggestion Thules, I was going to suggest Khao Lak too. Quiet up there.

The other place I would recommend is Koh Lanta, December you see lots of Swedes, but after that most of the high season pretty quiet, some really nice beaches there, and a relatively new Muay Thai gym.

Khao Lak is as crowded in high season as Kata is in low season, with plenty of tailors, tuk tuks and opticals, so Im afraid thats gonna freak out OP.

Kho Lanta has a lot of visitors each year.

I d suggest the stretch between Nakorn Sri Tamarat and Chumporn. Beaches, Muay Thai boxing, no tailors and very quiet tuk tuk drivers:)

Copacabana Beach in Chumporn is nice, and a few thousand farang visits every year. Popular among kite surfers

Edited August 24, 2010 by katabeachbum

[jkzero]

done some reading, chumphorn sounds real nice.. was thinkin about khanom too, but always wanted to give kiteboarding a go so could be chumphorn area could be perfect in a couple of months..

really regret not getting to koh lanta when i first came to thailand back in 2003, a mate talked it's beauty up so much i was determined to get there (but obviously not enough, as i didn't) but now it sounds a bit too much like another tourist island..

loy krathrong in chiang mai and then i guess i wont be leaving the mainland for awhile. =)

chers kbb.

[ScubaBuddha]

There are kiteboard schools in Phuket too, but getting the right consistent wind is harder here than in Chumpon and Hua Hin.

http://www.kiteboardingasia.com/

http://www.kitesurfingphuket.com/

[jkzero]

thanks SB, still recovering from a back injury so need a couple more months before i jump on a board.. have def checked out the sites in phuket tho =)

[petercallen]

Good suggestion Thules, I was going to suggest Khao Lak too. Quiet up there.

The other place I would recommend is Koh Lanta, December you see lots of Swedes, but after that most of the high season pretty quiet, some really nice beaches there, and a relatively new Muay Thai gym.

We went to Ko lanta last month while touring southern Thailand;

We spent about 5 hours on the island, i saw 3 farangs in that period,

You could have shot a shotgun up the main street without hitting anyone,

If you want peace and quiet that's the place to be.

[katabeachbum]

Good suggestion Thules, I was going to suggest Khao Lak too. Quiet up there.

The other place I would recommend is Koh Lanta, December you see lots of Swedes, but after that most of the high season pretty quiet, some really nice beaches there, and a relatively new Muay Thai gym.

We went to Ko lanta last month while touring southern Thailand;

We spent about 5 hours on the island, i saw 3 farangs in that period,

You could have shot a shotgun up the main street without hitting anyone,

If you want peace and quiet that's the place to be.

its low season:rolleyes:

the farang restaurants in Kho Lanta does not make a living on the localsB)