General Phuket Expat Life Questions

[on-on]

Yeah, yeah, it's too broad a topic and there can't be any specific answers - I'm not interested in what you don't know or can't answer, just what you can.

I've lived in Bangkok for a number of years. I like it, it's a nice city as cities go and I can't complain. I've got a potential offer in Phuket, but while I've been there several times on vacation we all know that's not the same as living somewhere. Every Thai city craps on Bangkok and Bangkok craps on every city, but I'm not interested in that provincial squabbling - what I care about is the reality of daily life. I really just am interested in hearing about Phuket. So, I have some questions if some of you denizens would be kind enough to answer honestly.

• How Does One Get Around - Is A Car Or Motorcycle Required, Or Are There Bus/Sangtaew Options?
  
• What Is The Cost Of A Typical 60sqm Condo (Not On The Beach)? If You
  
• Are The Scams & Touts Actually As Bad As They Say? Keep In Mind I Live In Bangkok, I'm Not A Tourist, And I Speak Thai - But The Stories Of "Don't Park Here!" And Beating Old People Are Appalling.
  
• How Speedy Is International Internet - Specifically Any Of You Who Do A Lot Of Data Transfer & Voice Overseas?
  
• How Is True 3G Coverage?
  
• Any Thoughts on Patong vs. Chalong vs. Karon? Obviously Patong Would Be The Touristy-est And Most Ridiculous I Assume.
  

It's a short list, but I don't want to ask too many questions. I don't really have an opinion on Phuket. I found people nice when I've been there and I enjoyed the more common natural beauty, but it's also a much more touristy place and I found that because there's such a penetration of tourism there that there's also a much higher percentage of jaded people - both local and international. What's the vibe like? How're things? I genuinely appreciate any help anyone can provide

And, yes, I searched old threads for about an hour and read plenty.

[LivinginKata]

I'll try to tackle some of your questions. ..

1) Public bus service very limited and we don't have Baht Buses. Unless you plan to live n central Patong and want to walk about then you will need your own transport.

2) I'm assuming you plan to rent that 60 sqm apartment. Price very variable depending on the standard you are expecting. Long term rental of a simple Thai style place (one bedroom) as low as 6,000 baht/month, newer condo with all facilities (swim pool) more like 25,000 baht/month. You would need to tell us a bit more about what facilities you expect/demand.

3) The touts only hang out along the beach road areas and I guess you won't be hanging out in those heavily populated tourist areas. Should not be a problem for you if you just speak to them in Thai and tell them you live here. Never been a problem for me. Parking can be a problem and you should not challenge anyone who tells you not to park there else you will most likely come back and find your vehicle damaged/flat tires. Once you get to know the place you will learn where it's easier to park. Much easier to park a bike, with a car then expect to have to walk a few 100m from parking spot to your destination. If I park my car in front of someone's shop or stall I always politely ask if I can park there and tell there and when I'll be back, then I know they will keep an eye on my car. Basic manners usually work wonders.

4) Phuket Internet speeds well discussed on Thaivisa. Look here

Woody is the resident expert and he has a speed reporting web site that you find in that topic.

5) 3 G - no idea. Again Woody would be the one that really knows.

6) Karon/Kata vs Patong. Really depends on your lifestyle. Patong has everything on your doorstep, within walking distance if you choose your apartment carefully. Karon & Kata much more laid back compared with Patong. And much nicer/cleaner beaches.

Best of luck.

[Valentine]

I would definitely recommend you have your own vehicle as public transport does give fairly good coverage it is slow, restricted & does not run at night.

True 3G only covers a narrow strip along the west coast of the island although they have promised to extend it.

You should be able to find an internet provider which will give you the speeds you require. 3BB seems to be the better choice at present but the situation changes. I use TOT & have no problems with their service plus you can get fibre optic with them.

Traffic is very busy during peak hours so living near your place of work would be best. I personally find Chalong to be quite fine as shopping, eating out, & bars are all in abundance. Bars are not a deal breaker for me as I very rarely go to them these days but it is relatively simple to get from Chalong to elsewhere on the island.

Edited February 27, 2011 by Valentine

[grumpyoldman]

O.K., I'm just hanging around at breakfast time, so will give this a shot:

Prefer motorbike, drivers here suck.

Get a house (12,000-20,000 gets you a lot), condos where you can hear your neighbor farting.............no thanks.

Touts and scams mainly Patong, stay away from there unless you like HIV LB's.

Check for Woody Leonard's posts for the internet stuff, he's regularly running tests and posting

I prefer Chalong Nai Harn, some here like the northern part of the island, I'd say get yourself a crib on the hillside in Kata Or Karon with an ocean view and you'll be fine.

reason for edit: tried C&P with his questions and it came out like scheit

Edited February 27, 2011 by grumpyoldman

[phuketrichard]

•How Does One Get Around - Is A Car Or Motorcycle Required, Or Are There Bus/Sangtaew Options?

If u can afford it get a car. note when it rains, riding a motorcycle is no fun nor is shopping via one

bus's pain in tbhe ass. note to travel by bus from kamala to Patong by bus (8 km) one must travel to phuket town (22 kms) then Phuket town to Patong (18 kms) or take a tuk tuk for the outreageous porce of 400 baht!!!

•What Is The Cost Of A Typical 60sqm Condo (Not On The Beach)?

anywhere from 8,000 baht up. Note there are many houses also availbe at the same prices. Here in kamala u can get a decent half furnished 2 bedroom house for 12,000-18,000. Patong has many cheap two bedroom places back off Na Nai road

•Are The Scams & Touts Actually As Bad As They Say? Keep In Mind I Live In Bangkok, I'm Not A Tourist, And I Speak Thai - But The Stories Of "Don't Park Here!" And Beating Old People Are Appalling.

ONLY in Patong. the rest of the island they are not around ( cant speak for karon/kata as i never go there). touts are non existant in kamala,

•How Speedy Is International Internet - Specifically Any Of You Who Do A Lot Of Data Transfer & Voice Overseas?

Is use the cat card and am able to skype with video to friends in the states and Oz with no porblem and the cat is not the fastest availbe on the island.

•How Is True 3G Coverage?

•Any Thoughts on Patong vs. Chalong vs. Karon? Obviously Patong Would Be The Touristy-est And Most Ridiculous I Assume.

Patong is great for night life and shopping (Junk ceylon (carrfour soon tro be Big C) and soi Bangla) Karon/kata are big wide beaches that says nothing that that your in thailand. Before the toursits arrived they were not there. Rawaii/Nai harn,Chalong smaller places but growing, (note we now have a villa market in Chalong) Many small farang run establishments and villas.

Kamala, where i have lived for over 15 years, is one of the few beach areas that has more than 80% of its residents being born here. very nice area to live although it is about the farthest u can get from Phuket town ( still only 30 min to Central)

bang tao, laguana up market and nore expensive. and then u have the whole middle of the island and phuket town but why live in town when ur on an island

[Chainsaw]

As an ex Bangkok resident who moved down to Phuket 9 years ago, I think I can advise you on some of the differences here.

Forget taxis and/or buses! It's not the same as BKK. Get yourself a motorbike to get around the island.

I would definitely recommend the south of the island to live. Rawai/Nai Harn has many good restaurants and a permanent multinational ex-pat community, live music abounds and there are some quieter beaches far from the madding crowd. You can rent a decent house for 8,000 upwards (possibly cheaper for long term).

I've never regretted moving to Phuket, if you avoid the 'touristy' places it's a great place to live. GOOD LUCK!

[BangTaoBoy]

O.K., I'm just hanging around at breakfast time, so will give this a shot:

Prefer motorbike, drivers here suck.

I know finances has a lot to do with it for a lot of people, but it's because the driving sucks, that I would always say, stay of a motorbike.

My advice normally is, if you have a bike license in your own country, then fair enough. If you will be new to riding a bike and can afford it, get a car.

I know guys that have ridden bikes in BKK for years but wouldn't dream of getting on one when they come to Phuket.

Where will you be working? Important when deciding where to live.

On your own or with family?

Depending on where you are working, I would always reccomend the north of the island, Surin up. But I'm extremely Bias.

[barney42bb]

Take loads of Money...I'ts Bl*ody Expensive down there...thats why they are losing Tourist a plenty.

3G Hit N Miss at times.

No decent Bus Service......No Baht Buses(Song Tails)

Parking and Traffic... Dire......Phuket has the most motor vehicles use per sq' mile than anywhere in Thailand...including Bangkok.

Very few Taxi Meters...as Tuk Tuk Mafia been calling the shots for years on "How we want it"

Yes touts and scams bad...But a few choice Thai words ..sees them off (No need to be abusive)

Same applies to the parking...Do not get involved in disputes.

Crime up ...Horrendous building at an alarming rate...Pa tong trashed...and they doing their best with other once beautiful spots.

I had year upon year of happy times there 1999 to 2008...Now i cannot find a good word for it....Oh yes I can...it's far enough away from me.

[BangTaoBoy]

Take loads of Money...I'ts Bl*ody Expensive down there...thats why they are losing Tourist a plenty.

3G Hit N Miss at times.

No decent Bus Service......No Baht Buses(Song Tails)

Parking and Traffic... Dire......Phuket has the most motor vehicles use per sq' mile than anywhere in Thailand...including Bangkok.

Very few Taxi Meters...as Tuk Tuk Mafia been calling the shots for years on "How we want it"

Yes touts and scams bad...But a few choice Thai words ..sees them off (No need to be abusive)

Same applies to the parking...Do not get involved in disputes.

Crime up ...Horrendous building at an alarming rate...Pa tong trashed...and they doing their best with other once beautiful spots.

I had year upon year of happy times there 1999 to 2008...Now i cannot find a good word for it....Oh yes I can...it's far enough away from me.

For every person who feels like this there is 200 that don't, so you do the math.

Phuket isn't for everyone. People who struggle to adapt, have a lack of common sense when it comes to problem solving, and over sensitive people will not survive.

Perfect example is the cost. You would have to be pretty stupid, to not be able to find most things for the same price as elsewhere in Thailand. A lot of things slightly more expensive, but what do you expect when you're living in a fantastic place.

[on-on]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the replies. The link on the internet situation clears everything up on that. I'd heard it was pretty good, so that's good to see. My impression is that the only real personal stumbling block is going to be transport, since I don't want to own a car again and like at least one poster I don't think that I'd be the smartest guy on a motorbike since I haven't ridden back home. Doesn't sound like there are many options, though. You either drive yourself or you pay through the nose for some tuk tuk mafia guy to take you. That's pretty infuriating for such a massively populated area, but it is what it is and there's no point in bitching about it further I reckon. The housing prices and advice on house vs. condo was illuminating too. I'm used to living in Bangkok, so I hardly ever think about renting a house, heh. Thanks for that. Overall that answers most everything, yeah. The rest has got to be lived, I suppose.

Ah, yeah, in closing I guess I'd ask one more question: How are the Thai and farang communities respectively? Obviously that's a broad-brush stereotype, but I've lived here long enough to know that some of the stereotypes are broadly true (and that they're not universal, of course). Certain cities do have a much rougher farang community and certain cities do have a much more jaded Thai community. By the same token, other people would describe certain cities as having a much snootier farang community and a much less down to Earth Thai community. Some places just get the label "laid back." I have no opinion on Phuket as I've only known a few people who lived there long-term and they seem like nice people who could live, work and socialize anywhere in the world. It sounds a lot like it depends which community you live in (Kata, Patong, Kamala, Chalong, Rawaii, etc). Is one area demonstrably "nicer" in terms of people than any of the others? I'm sure if the logic of seaside tourist resort towns everywhere holds, then Patong is the worst in almost every category, so I'm not really considering it.

[BangTaoBoy]

Ah, yeah, in closing I guess I'd ask one more question: How are the Thai and farang communities respectively? Obviously that's a broad-brush stereotype,

I think that may be an impossible question to answer. In Phuket there seems to be a bit of everything, so it's a case of sticking to what you want and avoiding what you don't.

So many people come on here and talk about the Thais on Phuket as if they were money grabbing, immoral, monsters. Outside of Patong (even then if you're not a tourist I don't see the problem) I find the Thai people to be the same as anywhere else. Nice normal people, trying to earn a buck and support their family, and hugely tolerant of Farangs and our funny ways.

As for Farangs. You have all sorts, so whatever you fancy. You have people who can live in the same road for 10 years and never say hello, just keep themselves to themselves, or like today I went out for lunch and stopped and watched a cricket game. Now these people obviously have a large social network, know a lot of people in the community, get together regularly etc etc So if there was anything you were interested in, it wouldn't be too hard to hook up with other like minded people. Obviously working, you would get to meet people from day one anyway, so wouldn't be a problem.

Good luck and enjoy.

[phuketrichard]

All i can say after being here since the 80's is the area that has the nicest , most down to earth thais will be an area that the locals live.

Patong 80% of the farangs that love there either own a bar/GH/rest or are retired and cant be bothered travelling outside of the area.

as for the thais 80% are from essan except for the tuk tuk drivers/jet ski people who seem to come from nakon sri Thamanrat (home of the southern mafia)the remainder are from Nepal/Burma and or Indians

Kata/karon did not exist before the Arcadia and Thavorn Resorts and Marina cottages were buit.

Chalong/Rawaii were fishing communitioes with lots of sea gyspys before they were all run off.

Nai Harn did not exist before the Phuket Yacht club

Kamala, Bang Tao, fishing communities long before the roads were built

Surin had the oldest golf course in Thailand on the beach but thats long gone, ( you lost 1 ball if u hit a wandering water buffalo)

Laguana, abandoned tin mines before they filled them in and built the hotels and Million $$ homes on luxurious golf courses.

Thalang, locals

As for living here. started coming here in '82 and moved here in '85 and still love it,

yes its gotten worse as far as traffic/prices, etc but then again back then the bangkok post arrived the next day and if one wanted anything in the way of western food they had to travel to phuket town and shop at Sin & lee.

But the only traffic lights were in phuket town.

Still, come in the low season and its paradise. You have everything u need and can get to most countires outside of thailand and it is NOT more expensive than elsewhere. True if ur tastes run to sunset cocktails dressed in ur whites and steaks and lobster for dinner it will cost ya but then there are just as many places selling thai food for less than u can cook it at home!

Edited February 27, 2011 by phuketrichard

[LivinLOS]

Surin had the oldest golf course in Thailand on the beach but thats long gone, ( you lost 1 ball if u hit a wandering water buffalo)

Really ?? Gymkhana course founded in 1898..

[woodyleonhard]

Sorry I'm so slow getting to this thread. Things have been busy.

Valentine has the Internet nailed - True HSPA "3G" only available on a narrow band on the west coast. True 3G speeds are quite impressive.

Fastest wired connections are True and TOT Fiber (which is much more expensive), but TOT Fiber has stability problems, and True isn't widely available. 3BB is second choice.

Speeds in general are comparable to the US. Many of you will scoff, but the numbers are quite impressive. (Google "Phuket Internet Speed.")

I'm running a weekly update in the Phuket Gazette about computer-related stuff happening in Phuket. Watch for the "Live Wire" posts at phuketgazette.net. To keep up on the latest, follow me on Twitter, @PhuketPC, and/or drop by our free Sunday morning Computer Clinics, which are also sponsored by the Gazette. We talk about Internet speeds, and the vagaries of using computers in Phuket, all the time.

(As for where to live: I've lived in Patong for more than ten years, and I love it. Yes, there are problems, but it's a vibrant city with interesting things happening all the time. Reminds me of the way my Granddad used to describe New Orleans, 50 years ago.)

Edited March 2, 2011 by woodyleonhard

[taxin]

Everyone is different of course, but from my experience expats normally start off in Patong, and then go North (Kamala, Bangtao) or South (Chalong, Rawai).

The benefits of the South is close proximity to Phuket town, shopping centres, schools etc. The downside is having your house robbed every other week by your neighbours.

The North, the benefit is you feel safe that nobody is going to kick you off your bike on the way home and steal your money, the downside is you are a long way from the shopping centres, schools, government offices etc.

My advice is to try and limit your time in Patong as much as you can, or you may end up getting all too obsessed with stuff like sandwiches and the speed of the internet..