Best Area To Live

[Checker]

After living in Bangkok in 2008 / 2009 my wife (Thai) of 12 years and myself returned to Australia. We are now talking about returning to Thailand next year sometime (not Bangkok) and are looking seriously at Phuket. I have a friend who lives in Ao Nang and is wanting us to move there however my wife wishes to continue working (has Australian University diploma in Business Management) so I would have thought better chances for her in Phuket ? ? ?. I do not know the areas of Phuket so I am hoping for unbiased opinions without starting a "my area is the best" verbal war. We will be buying a house (up to 10 mill.) however do not wish to be isolated but at the same time not too close to downtown Phuket itself. Any sensible advise from those that have lived in Phuket for some time would be very much appreciated.

[PatongPete]

South Side.. if you have the money.. I like the South East Side as we have good shopping with the Lotus and Home Pro Centers....

A few good bars etc and plenty of returants.

Best place would be on the beach but that is tough to find!

[petercallen]

It would be best if you rent a house for a while and have a good look around

There are lots of houses for sale all over the island and if your wife wants to work that may be

an important consideration regarding traveling time

When you do decide where to want to live have a good look around, properties of equal value

very a large amount in price it depends if they are genuine sellers or just dreamers

It took us about 6 months to find a property we both liked and a genuine realistic seller

[coatesy]

I have been here in Phuket for the last 6 years and have based my self and my family in Kata / karon area .... payed 10.9 mi for house in a good quite area .... good beaches and plenty of places to eat ...

[Checker]

Many thanks guys, yes we would rent for 6 months to have a good look around plus we intend visiting before we move. How long to drive from Karon, Patong, Kamala to downtown Phuket ?

[dafyduck]

If you are ready to spend 300000 usd on a house cash in a presently buyers market 100% i strongly advise you to look around Florida USA,higher standards,zero polution in the sea and on the beaches ,same cost of living. or stay in Australia.Dont go down,go up.

[thaiIand]

South Side.. if you have the money.. I like the South East Side as we have good shopping with the Lotus and Home Pro Centers....

A few good bars etc and plenty of returants.

Best place would be on the beach but that is tough to find!

he has an educated wife.

Stay north.

Anywhere north is good. South is mostly about people who likes bars.The south is onnut. 90% of the population to be avoide. Lot's of good food and shopping and infrastructures up north when you can afford them.

Edited September 13, 2011 by thaiIand

[petercallen]

Many thanks guys, yes we would rent for 6 months to have a good look around plus we intend visiting before we move. How long to drive from Karon, Patong, Kamala to downtown Phuket ?

At a guess 25/35 minutes from most areas, Rawai to Phuket town about 25 minutes

With your wife's qualifications and speaking both Thai and English there is a good chance

she will find a job in one of the tourist areas

[petercallen]

South Side.. if you have the money.. I like the South East Side as we have good shopping with the Lotus and Home Pro Centers....

A few good bars etc and plenty of returants.

Best place would be on the beach but that is tough to find!

he has an educated wife.

Stay north.

Anywhere north is good. South is mostly about people who likes bars.The south is onnut. 90% of the population to be avoide. Lot's of good food and shopping and infrastructures up north when you can afford them.

What a load of codswallop, because a lot of people who post on this forum are into bars does not

mean the majority are

We rarely go to bars and all the people we know are the same and we all live in the south of the island

[katabeachbum]

South Side.. if you have the money.. I like the South East Side as we have good shopping with the Lotus and Home Pro Centers....

A few good bars etc and plenty of returants.

Best place would be on the beach but that is tough to find!

he has an educated wife.

Stay north.

Anywhere north is good. South is mostly about people who likes bars.The south is onnut. 90% of the population to be avoide. Lot's of good food and shopping and infrastructures up north when you can afford them.

What a load of codswallop, because a lot of people who post on this forum are into bars does not

mean the majority are

We rarely go to bars and all the people we know are the same and we all live in the south of the island

seconded

I live in Kata, walking distance to beach and bars, but do not go to Kata bars. I do enjoy several Kata restaurants tho

advice to OP, live close to work or close to what you enjoy (beach, restaurants, golf?). Phuket traffic is getting worse and worse in rush hours

If you want to live in town, there is a nice residential area close to Bangkok hospital, and I believe 10 mill could get you one of the houses, used to be overpriced at 20 mill

[falkan]

do you want to stay in tourist ghettos or outside?

Kathu or Chalong if you want to live little outside but still close..otherwise Thalang or Phuket town takes 30-45min to the tourist ghetto but if you're buying houses count on you to get a much bigger house there because the price is cheaper there..

[Checker]

Thanks all very much. I certainly do not wish to live in the tourist areas. A nice house in a nice area is foremost however thought has to be given to my wifes place of employment. (wherever that may be). If she has to drive 30 minutes so be it.

[katasyd]

South Side.. if you have the money.. I like the South East Side as we have good shopping with the Lotus and Home Pro Centers....

A few good bars etc and plenty of returants.

Best place would be on the beach but that is tough to find!

he has an educated wife.

Stay north.

Anywhere north is good. South is mostly about people who likes bars.The south is onnut. 90% of the population to be avoide. Lot's of good food and shopping and infrastructures up north when you can afford them.

The North has nothing but overpriced villa's and empty shop houses.

A few overpriced restaurants but infrastructure? Shopping? If you live right on Theppasattri Rd, ok but the infrastructure is laughable once you turn left or right at the monument.

I have friends who live in Kamala and they always seem to be hanging out in Kata/Karon/Chalong due to nothing to do up there.

Maybe if you leave your villa and venture out you might find the south has much more to offer.

[petercallen]

do you want to stay in tourist ghettos or outside?

Kathu or Chalong if you want to live little outside but still close..otherwise Thalang or Phuket town takes 30-45min to the tourist ghetto but if you're buying houses count on you to get a much bigger house there because the price is cheaper there..

I have lived in Kathu and chalong also Patong and Kata

We have bought a home and live in Rawai which is definitely not a tourist ghetto, its quite has all

the services, plenty of restaurants etc, i go to Patong about once every 10 days for business reasons

and it takes about 20/25 minutes in the morning when the roads are not busy

There are plenty of areas in Kata, Karon and Nai Harn which are away from the tourist areas (ghettos

as you call them) which are good areas to live in

I would not live in Chalong because of the traffic, we can drive there in 5 minutes from Rawai

Kathu is OK if you need to be close to Patong or Phuket town or want to buy a cheaper house,the

same applies to the North of the island if you want a cheaper house or rent although some people

prefer to live there for other reasons

[thaiIand]

South Side.. if you have the money.. I like the South East Side as we have good shopping with the Lotus and Home Pro Centers....

A few good bars etc and plenty of returants.

Best place would be on the beach but that is tough to find!

he has an educated wife.

Stay north.

Anywhere north is good. South is mostly about people who likes bars.The south is onnut. 90% of the population to be avoide. Lot's of good food and shopping and infrastructures up north when you can afford them.

The North has nothing but overpriced villa's and empty shop houses.

A few overpriced restaurants but infrastructure? Shopping? If you live right on Theppasattri Rd, ok but the infrastructure is laughable once you turn left or right at the monument.

I have friends who live in Kamala and they always seem to be hanging out in Kata/Karon/Chalong due to nothing to do up there.

Maybe if you leave your villa and venture out you might find the south has much more to offer.

Yes lots of low quality restaurant deemed good by non-connaisseur of food. Phuket town and the surin area has some top notch restaurants with really good international chefs in expensive and cheap restaurants. Also a lot of the great thai chefs on the island are keeping far away from the farang ghettos. Central is right there with good easy food and shopping. Homepro/works, all the north beach accessible by a fast highway and better internet reliability and LESS thieves.

South loses in any category unless you work there.

can add a few more:

Golf is better, more choice of quality spas and gyms. 2 marinas. Easy access to airport. Better and larger roads(still horrible but..) Tennis courts, soon a cabaret show for ladyboy lovers, supercheap and makros for supply of beer lao.

Edited September 13, 2011 by thaiIand

[stevenl]

It seems the OP's request "without starting a "my area is the best" verbal war" has fallen on deaf ears here.

[simon43]

I live in both Ao Nang and north Phuket, (Ao Nang at the weekends, Nai Yang during the week). Ao Nang is a pleasant place, but the high season is short, so the opportunity to work within the tourist sector is rather limited. Additionally, the air is very humid, due to the proximity of the hills/mountains.

I find north Phuket much nicer than the south of the island, but that may be because I have no interest in living in an area with many westerners. I travel almost daily to central/south of Phuket for shopping, but enjoy the relative peace of the airport area (yes peace and quiet!). Plus I can leave my doors and windows wide open at night without worrying about being raped in my bed

Simon

[katasyd]

Yes lots of low quality restaurant deemed good by non-connaisseur of food. Phuket town and the surin area has some top notch restaurants with really good international chefs in expensive and cheap restaurants. Also a lot of the great thai chefs on the island are keeping far away from the farang ghettos. Central is right there with good easy food and shopping. Homepro/works, all the north beach accessible by a fast highway and better internet reliability and LESS thieves.

South loses in any category unless you work there.

can add a few more:

Golf is better, more choice of quality spas and gyms. 2 marinas. Easy access to airport. Better and larger roads(still horrible but..) Tennis courts, soon a cabaret show for ladyboy lovers, supercheap and makros for supply of beer lao.

Let me guess.

You either sell real estate or have bought a home up there and defending your questionable purchase in a isolated backwash of rampant construction.

Your list of pluses are subjective depending on the lifestyle people chose to live, i play golf once a week and for a 25 min drive isn't bad. Tennis courts are everywhere in the south, i can think of 20 places to play.

Yes, lot's of low quality restaurants in the south but also some very good ones that will rival any i've tried up North. Aqua bleh, White box super bleh and the list can go on.

It sounds like you believe no low quality restaurants exist in the god blessed North where millionaires reside and the roads are paved with gold.

Bad restaurants never survive regardless of the location but you probably haunt the same establishments owned by 'friends and live in denial.

I hope you like living up there and i admire your valiant effort in convincing some random internet queries about the North when a majority of the forum have the same sentiments as me.

A little lonely up there? Need some of those empty villas and shophouses filled that litter the ghost towns from Surin onward so you might actually get a neighbor?

[Checker]

I am sure you all live in a particular area because that is what suits your lifestyle. We are all different otherwise we would all be cramped in the same area - most unpleasant . . . I am trying to get an idea of where you live and why you chose to live there. Someone will live in a particular area because of reasons that reflect what I am about and also what I want. Everyone seems to love where they live and that is fantastic however we cannot mirror what we want onto someone else. I am very much enjoying the posts and in the past eight hours have learnt so much about Phuket and the different areas... Thank you all very much and let's keep the posts informative.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Checker

[F1fanatic]

The North of Phuket is far quieter, but Southern Phuket has all the Western supermarkets etc.

It all depends on what you consider important.

Personally, I love living in Rawai as everything is close by - especially since Villa Market opened just the other side of Chalong Circle and a medium sized Tesco opened this side of Chalong Circle.

On the down side, its far busier than Northern areas, its full of 'girlie' bars and mostly built-up - and getting more built-up all the time.

[starkey_rich]

"Let me guess.

You either sell real estate or have bought a home up there and defending your questionable purchase in a isolated backwash of rampant construction"

I was thinking the same.

I lived in Bang Tao for 2 years.Or should I say Boring Bang Tao.

Some of us like bars that are not full of Estate agents and wannabe property developers which Bang Tao used to be when I lived there.

I now live in Rawai and there are a lot of educated people down here that are not full of BS like I experience when living North.

Makro and Supercheap North end of the Island.I would say center of the Island

[petercallen]

The North of Phuket is far quieter, but Southern Phuket has all the Western supermarkets etc.

It all depends on what you consider important.

Personally, I love living in Rawai as everything is close by - especially since Villa Market opened just the other side of Chalong Circle and a medium sized Tesco opened this side of Chalong Circle.

On the down side, its far busier than Northern areas, its full of 'girlie' bars and mostly built-up - and getting more built-up all the time.

Full of girlie bars, where are they, Do you mean a few bars at the end of Wiseat Road desperate for Business

Its not mostly built up there is plenty of land available as long as you are prepared to pay the price

You think its busy in Rawai, i do not and would be happy for it to stay the same forever

[Peterocket]

I have lived in BangTao and Surin for years and to me it is the best part of the island. I hate dealing with the traffic south of Central and generally find that the south seems to have a higher number of expat retirees along with large numbers of bars with 'ladies of the night'. Usually they aren't my scene however if I want some Suzy Wong action I can travel to Patong which is 20 mins away, for me its the perfect mix.

Anyhow I don't know why it would be classed as boring, there are so many bars and restaurants I couldn't even begin to list them from Laguna to Kamala.

The only other place I would live would be Phuket town, it's got a great atmosphere and lots of places to eat and drink. No beach though!

[F1fanatic]

The North of Phuket is far quieter, but Southern Phuket has all the Western supermarkets etc.

It all depends on what you consider important.

Personally, I love living in Rawai as everything is close by - especially since Villa Market opened just the other side of Chalong Circle and a medium sized Tesco opened this side of Chalong Circle.

On the down side, its far busier than Northern areas, its full of 'girlie' bars and mostly built-up - and getting more built-up all the time.

Full of girlie bars, where are they, Do you mean a few bars at the end of Wiseat Road desperate for Business

Its not mostly built up there is plenty of land available as long as you are prepared to pay the price

You think its busy in Rawai, i do not and would be happy for it to stay the same forever

Viset Road (as far as I can make out) covers the road from Chalong Circle to Nai Harn? i.e. one hell of a long road!

Assuming that is the case, all the bars from about 1 km before Rawai beach to about 0.5 km after Rawai beach are pretty much 'girlie bars'.

Some are more discreet than the 'out in the road' waving madly to attract custom variety, but they are only there for the 'farang' regardless.

I agree though that compared to Chalong, Rawai is not busy. But, its getting more built up all the time. I only need to go down Sai Yuan every couple of months, and am always shocked at how much its changed!

[thaiIand]

"Let me guess.

You either sell real estate or have bought a home up there and defending your questionable purchase in a isolated backwash of rampant construction"

I was thinking the same.

I lived in Bang Tao for 2 years.Or should I say Boring Bang Tao.

Some of us like bars that are not full of Estate agents and wannabe property developers which Bang Tao used to be when I lived there.

I now live in Rawai and there are a lot of educated people down here that are not full of BS like I experience when living North.

Makro and Supercheap North end of the Island.I would say center of the Island

i consider the center to be part of the north since its not part of the farang ghettos/retirement community

i prefer north but i live in the center like most thais on the island. Thats where you can find anything you need at proximity without seeing more than 4 or 5 farang in samlors a year.

[petercallen]

Viset Road (as far as I can make out) covers the road from Chalong Circle to Nai Harn? i.e. one hell of a long road!

Assuming that is the case, all the bars from about 1 km before Rawai beach to about 0.5 km after Rawai beach are pretty much 'girlie bars'.

Some are more discreet than the 'out in the road' waving madly to attract custom variety, but they are only there for the 'farang' regardless.

I agree though that compared to Chalong, Rawai is not busy. But, its getting more built up all the time. I only need to go down Sai Yuan every couple of months, and am always shocked at how much its changed!

When i said the end of Wiseat rd i meant the beach end not chalong end i suggest you reread my post i was talking about Rawai

AS far as Rawai beach goes in the afternoon there would be no more than 3 bars with ladies in when we have been there

I do not know about in the evening all sorts of things may come out then

[KarenBravo]

Viset Road (as far as I can make out) covers the road from Chalong Circle to Nai Harn? i.e. one hell of a long road!

Just a bit of trivia....

Viset road actually starts from Chalong Pier. What is commonly refered to as Chalong Pier road is actually the start of Viset road.

Yeah.....surprised me, too.

[Checker]

Please pardon me if this seems a dumb question . . . . . . How do you pronounce Rawai

[LivinginKata]

Please pardon me if this seems a dumb question . . . . . . How do you pronounce Rawai

Mmmm ... how about Ra - w - aai That's my best guess

[katasyd]

Ra- why