Where To Live In Phuket?

[travelgirl30]

My finace and I are moving to Phuket from Canada Nov 15th 2010 and we could use some advice on where to find a place! We are expecting a baby in April so we are not looking for a crazy party area, We would like a town near the beach.. somewhere that still has good shopping, restaurants, gym but just not too crazy at night! I need my sleep :-) we were hoping to pay not much more than 9000 baht for either an apartment / condo or small house! Any suggestions on what area of phuket this may sound like would be of much help!!!!

P.S. Preferably not too far from Phuket International Hospital

Thanks from Canada :-)

[LivinLOS]

I would say you could look at Rawai / Nai Harn at one end of the island, or if more peace was sought Nai Yang at the other end. Both have ups and down but fit the general desire for less busy.

[stevenl]

Agree with LOS. It is about a 20 minute drive to Phuket International Hospital though from Rawai/Nai Harn, but it really sounds exactly what you're looking for.

[grumpyoldman]

I would say you could look at Rawai / Nai Harn at one end of the island, or if more peace was sought Nai Yang at the other end. Both have ups and down but fit the general desire for less busy.

I'd say Nai Yang is a bit far from the hospital, no?

OP, 9,000thb going into high season is going to get you a hovel, 12,000-15,000 per month is a little more realistic for a comfortable pad.

There are some nice bungalows at Yannui beach, which is part of Nai Harn/Rawai as recommended by LIL. I agree, this is the area that would probably suit you best, but start locking down something now as prices will only climb as we head into high season. Comb the classifieds at our friendly sponsor here, The Phuket Gazette.

Also, go through some past threads on this forum, the same topic comes up regularly.

Cheers, GOM

[LivinLOS]

I'd say Nai Yang is a bit far from the hospital, no?

Yes it is.. But then you would hope to not need to be doing that drive too often.

Its all balance no matter where you are on the island, ease of access to shops, desire to be catered to in food options, desire and or ability to ride a bike, the ever changing bars v natural surround.

With kids the quieter areas would be high on my list, but everyone has different weighting to the list.

[BangTaoBoy]

I'd say Nai Yang is a bit far from the hospital, no?

Yes it is.. But then you would hope to not need to be doing that drive too often.

Nai Yang to Phuket international, several times a month, heavily pregnant?? Im sure his wife will love you for that sugestion.

I'm not sure Rawai is the place that fits your requirements the best either. You asked for a town near a beach with plenty of shops gyms etc that isn't too lively. A place just like that doesn't exist, so as LivinLOS said, it's all about getting the balance as close as you can. The first thing I would ask is, will you have a car? and do you require having any of the beach, resteraunts, and shops within walking distance, or are you happy to drive to them all? Because with your need to be near the hospital and all those things, yet still have peace and quiet at night, I would say Kathu or even Phuket town would be better, especially given your budget.

Good luck with your search and your new baby.

Edited September 3, 2010 by BangTaoBoy

[Jimi007]

The OP was a bit vague, in some ways. I first have to wonder why you would what to move to Phuket with a pregnant wife? 9,000 a month is pretty low for a nice area for an okay house, not including utilities. You will need a car! April is very hot here. Have you been to Phuket before? If so, what area did you like? I live in Rawai as some of the other posters that have responded here. I found a place after I knew where I wanted to live and it took me about a year to figure out where that was. Are you going to work here? If so what area? The Baht is at a very high exchange rate right now as well. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but a bit more information would be helpful in trying to suggest what area may suit your needs.

Best wishes, Jimi

[LivinLOS]

Nai Yang to Phuket international, several times a month, heavily pregnant?? Im sure his wife will love you for that sugestion.

Totally missed that.. Thought it was with young child not expecting young child.

Agreed then.. Its a hike !!

Edited September 4, 2010 by LivinLOS

[grumpyoldman]

I'd say Nai Yang is a bit far from the hospital, no?

Yes it is.. But then you would hope to not need to be doing that drive too often.

Nai Yang to Phuket international, several times a month, heavily pregnant?? Im sure his wife will love you for that sugestion.

I'm not sure Rawai is the place that fits your requirements the best either. You asked for a town near a beach with plenty of shops gyms etc that isn't too lively. A place just like that doesn't exist, so as LivinLOS said, it's all about getting the balance as close as you can. The first thing I would ask is, will you have a car? and do you require having any of the beach, resteraunts, and shops within walking distance, or are you happy to drive to them all? Because with your need to be near the hospital and all those things, yet still have peace and quiet at night, I would say Kathu or even Phuket town would be better, especially given your budget.

Good luck with your search and your new baby.

She asks for a town near a beach and you suggest Kathu and Phuket Town? How are those places better, because you have Makro and Robinsons?

Nai Harn/Rawai has the beaches, lots of good restaurants, 20 minutes away from both Central shopping mall and Robinsons Phuket Town.

Yeah, that beach at the Saphan Hin incinerator.................

[LivinLOS]

As the opinions show.. Theres no right answer.. Only what balance suits you now and going forward.

Strongly suggest spending some time to make your own judgement call.

9000 isnt generous for an ok place to live for wife and child IMO.

[grumpyoldman]

As the opinions show.. Theres no right answer.. Only what balance suits you now and going forward.

Strongly suggest spending some time to make your own judgement call.

9000 isnt generous for an ok place to live for wife and child IMO.

That's a good post LIL, exactly right,different strokes for different folks and the only way the OP is going to get the answer is to get here and look around.

OP have you been to Phuket before?

[LivinLOS]

To help with a shortlist.

Rawai / Nai harn.. Good for beaches.. Good for relaxed bars and many restaurants.. OK priced rents.. Fair way to hospital, same for supermarkets (villa there but can be a bit costly). Downsides are its getting to be quite busy in some parts, but thats a judgement call, one persons busy is anothers 'good social life'..

Kathu / Central.. On the hospital / supermarkets doorstep.. Cheap rents.. drive to beaches tho, and sort of close to everything but right next to nothing. Not much in the way of restaurants or bars but Patong has loads but comes with its own big set of baggage. Suits the kind of person who likes a night on the town, but not to be in town.

Kamala.. Good beach.. Middling to hospital.. enough bars and restaurants.. Possible middle ground.. One thing is if not in an apartment setup I would have security concerns in the village section and you need to choose a house with a mind to the mosque speakers. With the budget thats an issue. Otherwise its a very good all rounder for your needs IMO.

Nai yang is to be fair.. Bloody miles from the hospital.. But has great family appeal if driving to shops isnt a big problem.

Panwa ?? Ao Yon ?? Quiet area.. Lovely beach at yon, not busy.. Not close to anything really.. I kinda like it but then I am starting to see the appeal of being a recluse !!

Bang Tao ?? Beach etc.. Never really saw its appeal much myself.

Without more info from you thats as good as we can do I think.. Will you have a car ?? Will you need to be close to anything specific for work ?? Do you need airport access ?? How important is any one of the variables.

Edited September 4, 2010 by LivinLOS

[KarenBravo]

Quick note about Kamala.

It is a pain in the arse to go anywhere as you must either go through Patong, or Surin and Cherng Talay.

[ilyelol]

if you're on a budget, please for the love of god. STAY IN CANADA

Having a child here isnt free, if there's complication you'll be broke and once again there will be a story in the gazette and you'll be begging for $.

Move here when you are financially stable.. This isnt your life anymore, you are living your child's life. What you want in life is now out of reach untill he/she is 18 unless you find a way to make more money.

[keeniau96]

Kathu is almost perfect area for you. International Hospital is about 5 minutes away, all shopping right there. Many very acceptable houses are currently available right by the Kathu Wat/Post office area. Prince of Songkla University right there, the list goes on ...

[BangTaoBoy]

She asks for a town near a beach and you suggest Kathu and Phuket Town? How are those places better, because you have Makro and Robinsons?

Nai Harn/Rawai has the beaches, lots of good restaurants, 20 minutes away from both Central shopping mall and Robinsons Phuket Town.

Yeah, that beach at the Saphan Hin incinerator.................

When was the last time you went for a swim at Rawai? If you live in Rawai you still have a short drive to the beach. If you live in Kathu you have a slightly longer drive to a decent beach but you have a much shorter drive to Central, Jungceylon, all the hospitals, Tesco Lotus, probably 50% of all the restaurants and bars on the island in Patong and Phuket Town. The truth of the matter is, if you take away Nai Harn beach, and a handful of bars and restaurants, Rawai is near very little! Think of a mother with a 2 month old baby. Is she going to want to go for a swim at Nai harn most days or a bit of lunch at Central?

Kathu / Central.. close to everything but right next to nothing. .

Very well put. Which is why for some it would be a perfect location.

if you're on a budget, please for the love of god. STAY IN CANADA

Having a child here isnt free, if there's complication you'll be broke and once again there will be a story in the gazette and you'll be begging for $.

Move here when you are financially stable.. This isnt your life anymore, you are living your child's life. What you want in life is now out of reach untill he/she is 18 unless you find a way to make more money.

You don't have anywhere near enough information about these people to make a sweeping judgment like that. There's a lot more to a good upbringing than a large bank account!

[Jimi007]

The OP was a bit vague, in some ways. I first have to wonder why you would what to move to Phuket with a pregnant wife? 9,000 a month is pretty low for a nice area for an okay house, not including utilities. You will need a car! April is very hot here. Have you been to Phuket before? If so, what area did you like? I live in Rawai as some of the other posters that have responded here. I found a place after I knew where I wanted to live and it took me about a year to figure out where that was. Are you going to work here? If so what area? The Baht is at a very high exchange rate right now as well. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but a bit more information would be helpful in trying to suggest what area may suit your needs.

Best wishes, Jimi

I'm starting to think this thread is a windup. I posted to it 24 hours ago asking a few simple questions and no response.

if you're on a budget, please for the love of god. STAY IN CANADA

Having a child here isnt free, if there's complication you'll be broke and once again there will be a story in the gazette and you'll be begging for $.

Move here when you are financially stable.. This isnt your life anymore, you are living your child's life. What you want in life is now out of reach untill he/she is 18 unless you find a way to make more money.

I would have to agree at his point with ilyelol. Stay in Canada!

[BangTaoBoy]

I'm starting to think this thread is a windup. I posted to it 24 hours ago asking a few simple questions and no response.

She lives in Canada, and probably has better things to do than check a forum daily. I think 24 hours is a bit too short a time to assume she was not a genuine poster. Time will tell I guess.

[LivinLOS]

You don't have anywhere near enough information about these people to make a sweeping judgment like that. There's a lot more to a good upbringing than a large bank account!

No but 9k housing budget implies some things.

Unlikely to be a future BIS student..

[BangTaoBoy]

You don't have anywhere near enough information about these people to make a sweeping judgment like that. There's a lot more to a good upbringing than a large bank account!

No but 9k housing budget implies some things.

Unlikely to be a future BIS student..

True, but if I was the richest man on Phuket I wouldn't send my children to the BIS. Over priced, pretentious, rip off as far as I'm concerned.

9K budget for a family of 4 with two teenagers would maybe highlight issues. For a couple with a new born, I don't think it's a problem. If they're happy in a small apartment, then the baby won't no any difference will it.

[ilyelol]

No but 9k housing budget implies some things.

Unlikely to be a future BIS student..

True, but if I was the richest man on Phuket I wouldn't send my children to the BIS. Over priced, pretentious, rip off as far as I'm concerned.

9K budget for a family of 4 with two teenagers would maybe highlight issues. For a couple with a new born, I don't think it's a problem. If they're happy in a small apartment, then the baby won't no any difference will it.

as a parent myself, a 9k accommodation to me is child abuse.

this is phuket.. even in bangkok's suburb 9k would be pretty close to child abuse.

Also being broke here means sending your kids to thai school, which IS child abuse for a first world person.

Also eating thai street food or the 30-60baht thai meals IS child abuse, there's no nutriment in those foods, they use cheap meat and cheap vegetables full of pesticide. So whenever their kid would turn 6month and start eating a decent lot of solids, they'd be starting the massive abuse.

Drives me crazy when poor people expect they can just move here and ruin a child's life.. it's like those 60-70yo guys who get their ***girl pregnant just to keep them around.. hello you will be dead in 10-15years most likely.. <deleted> is your kid going to do? and you really want to put a teenager through the death of a parent at such young age?

[BangTaoBoy]

I guess that's answered the question of weather the OP will be back again then!

[BangTaoBoy]

as a parent myself, a 9k accommodation to me is child abuse.

this is phuket.. even in bangkok's suburb 9k would be pretty close to child abuse.

Also being broke here means sending your kids to thai school, which IS child abuse for a first world person.

Also eating thai street food or the 30-60baht thai meals IS child abuse, there's no nutriment in those foods, they use cheap meat and cheap vegetables full of pesticide. So whenever their kid would turn 6month and start eating a decent lot of solids, they'd be starting the massive abuse.

Drives me crazy when poor people expect they can just move here and ruin a child's life.. it's like those 60-70yo guys who get their ***girl pregnant just to keep them around.. hello you will be dead in 10-15years most likely.. <deleted> is your kid going to do? and you really want to put a teenager through the death of a parent at such young age?

Living in a one bedroom apartment eating meals that cost 30-60 baht is child abuse?? (30 -60 baht gets you a decent healthy meal in a thai restaurant no need to eat from street vendors)

Their child isn't even born! I don't think they need to worry about school just yet. How long are they planning on staying in Thailand anyway? I assume you must know the answer to that, to have the opinions you do?

As for the old codgers having kids, I completely agree, but I don't see how that is comparable to the OP's situation.

[kenny999]

as a parent myself, a 9k accommodation to me is child abuse.

this is phuket.. even in bangkok's suburb 9k would be pretty close to child abuse.

Also being broke here means sending your kids to thai school, which IS child abuse for a first world person.

Also eating thai street food or the 30-60baht thai meals IS child abuse, there's no nutriment in those foods, they use cheap meat and cheap vegetables full of pesticide. So whenever their kid would turn 6month and start eating a decent lot of solids, they'd be starting the massive abuse.

Drives me crazy when poor people expect they can just move here and ruin a child's life.. it's like those 60-70yo guys who get their ***girl pregnant just to keep them around.. hello you will be dead in 10-15years most likely.. <deleted> is your kid going to do? and you really want to put a teenager through the death of a parent at such young age?

Child abuse what on earth are you on about? so the majority of parents in Thailand are quilty of child abuse, my god..just don't know what to say to your riddiculous post..

[BangTaoBoy]

Child abuse what on earth are you on about? so the majority of parents in Thailand are quilty of child abuse, my god..just don't know what to say to your riddiculous post..

I think he got this and the 'snootiness of people in Phuket' thread mixed up.

[ilyelol]

as a parent myself, a 9k accommodation to me is child abuse.

this is phuket.. even in bangkok's suburb 9k would be pretty close to child abuse.

Also being broke here means sending your kids to thai school, which IS child abuse for a first world person.

Also eating thai street food or the 30-60baht thai meals IS child abuse, there's no nutriment in those foods, they use cheap meat and cheap vegetables full of pesticide. So whenever their kid would turn 6month and start eating a decent lot of solids, they'd be starting the massive abuse.

Drives me crazy when poor people expect they can just move here and ruin a child's life.. it's like those 60-70yo guys who get their ***girl pregnant just to keep them around.. hello you will be dead in 10-15years most likely.. <deleted> is your kid going to do? and you really want to put a teenager through the death of a parent at such young age?

Child abuse what on earth are you on about? so the majority of parents in Thailand are quilty of child abuse, my god..just don't know what to say to your riddiculous post..

Having no gate to protect your pool is child abuse.

Dont believe me? tell that to the geniuses in my moobaan who didnt build a fence and now had a child drown.

They're such good parents, they still have not built a fence and they have other kids.

cheap Thai food is full of MSG and pesticide. It's fine for a grown adult who knows what hes doing but yes, all thai parents who feed their children that food are abusers. Unfortunately, they dont know it and they dont want to know anything about it. But then again this is a third world country.. i cant blame the parents for not knowing any better. It's not like they have documentaries about tesco and big c's meat having turned bad 1min after you've bought it or MSG being terrible for you.

Edited September 5, 2010 by ilyelol

[kenny999]

Having no gate to protect your pool is child abuse.

Dont believe me? tell that to the geniuses in my moobaan who didnt build a fence and now had a child drown.

They're such good parents, they still have not built a fence and they have other kids.

cheap Thai food is full of MSG and pesticide. It's fine for a grown adult who knows what hes doing but yes, all thai parents who feed their children that food are abusers. Unfortunately, they dont know it and they dont want to know anything about it. But then again this is a third world country.. i cant blame the parents for not knowing any better. It's not like they have documentaries about tesco and big c's meat having turned bad 1min after you've bought it or MSG being terrible for you.

Thai people absolutely love there children but they are uneducated by there own goverment you have only to stand by the roadside and watch the people drive by with very young children on motorbikes not wearing crash helmets but the parents are!!! etc this country is backward and it will never never change and could never be changed it is how it is, we from the western world are very fortunate to have been brought up in a mostly law abiding society we know right from wrong, I am still utterly amazed at what goes on here. I have accepted everything that goes on here you have to, otherwise you have no life here. it's not child abuse as you keep saying it's ignorence, child abuse is deliberate ignorence is not. and the later is just so sad.

[ilyelol]

Thai people absolutely love there children but they are uneducated by there own goverment you have only to stand by the roadside and watch the people drive by with very young children on motorbikes not wearing crash helmets but the parents are!!! etc this country is backward and it will never never change and could never be changed it is how it is, we from the western world are very fortunate to have been brought up in a mostly law abiding society we know right from wrong, I am still utterly amazed at what goes on here. I have accepted everything that goes on here you have to, otherwise you have no life here. it's not child abuse as you keep saying it's ignorence, child abuse is deliberate ignorence is not. and the later is just so sad.

Yes its ignorance, but those farangs coming here with no money = abuse.

Like trailerpark trash having kids = abuse

Like parents feeding KFC to their kids every single day starting at 6months old = abuse.

Leaving canada where everything will be free for their baby to come here on on microscopic salary = abuse

[LivinLOS]

Thai people absolutely love ethre children but they are uneducated by there own goverment you have only to stand by the roadside and watch the people drive by with very young children on motorbikes not wearing crash helmets but the parents are!!! etc this country is backward and it will never never change and could never be changed it is how it is, we from the western world are very fortunate to have been brought up in a mostly law abiding society we know right from wrong, I am still utterly amazed at what goes on here. I have accepted everything that goes on here you have to, otherwise you have no life here. it's not child abuse as you keep saying it's ignorence, child abuse is deliberate ignorence is not. and the later is just so sad.

I have just seen too many stories to agree with that whole heartedly.. My first wife was abandoned as a child by her mother.. Another woman I know used to be chased by a horny uncle in a high stakes family game of hide and seek.. A friend of the wife was sold to a brothel as a child.. My own wife has scars where her mother went at her with a knife because "I made her angry"..

These are not one or two isolated incidences, but just a huge breadth of crazyness.. Sure its the 3rd world, sure things are tough, sure theres education and a whole load of other issues.. But its enough to blow my mind.

[kenny999]

I would say you could look at Rawai / Nai Harn at one end of the island, or if more peace was sought Nai Yang at the other end. Both have ups and down but fit the general desire for less busy.

ilyelol you are assuming far to much about people you have little information about, you keep mentioning abuse and maybe you have an issue with that. enough said for me. cup of tea is calling.