Best Area To Live

[katabeachbum]

Ra- why

Which used to be a quiet muslim village, now crowded by girlie bars. went for a bike ride rawai nai harn last night, didnt know how much it has changed

[LivinginKata]

Ra- why

Not quite correct. To me it must end with a clear i. Ends sounding like Hawaii

[steelepulse]

Ra- why

Which used to be a quiet muslim village, now crowded by girlie bars. went for a bike ride rawai nai harn last night, didnt know how much it has changed

I never knew the sea gypsys were Muslim.

I think raw-why would be a close approximation as most people know how to pronounce "raw" and "why".

[simon43]

From the Thai spelling (ราไวย์), it would be something like 'rarwy', with a shortish (but not too short!) 'wy' and the 'rar' a little more open than speaking the letter 'r'. The last letter is silent in that Thai spelling.

The Sea Gypsies are Muslim, originating from afar as India and also Persia. Interestingly, they can be referred to in Thai as 'New Thais', even though they lived in this area many centuries before the rest of the 'Thai' population

Simon

Edited September 14, 2011 by simon43

[jocko]

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

Same Same

[Peterocket]

Sometimes it's good to 'debate' is it not?

[jocko]

Sometimes it's good to 'debate' is it not?

Sometimes it is not easy to give advice as some people will never change there opinion. . It's not a easy question to answer as we all have different needs the best idea is to come and look , In any place you live and you want to move you go and look first then make your decision .

[peterdk]

If you are planning children or have some already - really living fairly close the school of choice is a life saver.

The 45-60 minutes wasted both ways in slow moving traffic during rush hours every day is not nice.

So in my opinion, Kathu, parts of Phuket Town would be ideal.

Not only in terms of schools location - but also very close to big shopping centers / good restaurants.

Not to mention enough distance away from the over priced west coast.

Kathu is one of the best places to get proper internet too.

I believe all available ISP's in Phuket cover the Kathu area. ( most of the area anyway )

Edit : Many nice places SE Phuket - however if you have / want children - add 20 minutes each way every day for Chalong circle as you would have to pass that to get your children to school / wife to work.

Edited September 15, 2011 by peterdk

[LivinginKata]

Sometimes it is not easy to give advice as some people will never change there opinion. . It's not a easy question to answer as we all have different needs the best idea is to come and look , In any place you live and you want to move you go and look first then make your decision .

Agreed. The OP has already stated that he will initially rent a place. Not sure anyone answered one of his questions about travel times from various places to Phuket Town. Kathu to Phuket Town about 10 minutes, Patong to Phuket Town about 20 minutes (depends on traffic), Kamala to Phuket Town 25/30 minutes (depends on traffic), Chalong to Phuket Town 15 minutes (traffic ??).

[Peterocket]

Sometimes it is not easy to give advice as some people will never change there opinion. . It's not a easy question to answer as we all have different needs the best idea is to come and look , In any place you live and you want to move you go and look first then make your decision .

Agreed. The OP has already stated that he will initially rent a place. Not sure anyone answered one of his questions about travel times from various places to Phuket Town. Kathu to Phuket Town about 10 minutes, Patong to Phuket Town about 20 minutes (depends on traffic), Kamala to Phuket Town 25/30 minutes (depends on traffic), Chalong to Phuket Town 15 minutes (traffic ??).

I think peoples opinions of whythe area they live is the best is helpful for people who are deciding to move. They can then look at different peoples opinions of what they think makes 'their' area the best and decide what suits their needs the best.

[Checker]

This response is fantastic and very much appreciated . . . No kids, just my wife and me . . . love my golf (more than it loves me) .. and good internet connection is also important . . . I will be over there in March and intend spending time driving around and having a good look. Thanks again . . .

[PatongPete]

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

In Thailand they pronouce Hawaii with 1 I as is Rawai the same same as Hawai

[petercallen]

Sometimes it is not easy to give advice as some people will never change there opinion. . It's not a easy question to answer as we all have different needs the best idea is to come and look , In any place you live and you want to move you go and look first then make your decision .

Agreed. The OP has already stated that he will initially rent a place. Not sure anyone answered one of his questions about travel times from various places to Phuket Town. Kathu to Phuket Town about 10 minutes, Patong to Phuket Town about 20 minutes (depends on traffic), Kamala to Phuket Town 25/30 minutes (depends on traffic), Chalong to Phuket Town 15 minutes (traffic ??).

Are you talking about the average time it takes, or the time it takes KBB and SB on there ninja 650s

Chalong circle to central shopping centre can take anything from 13 to 25 minutes in heavy traffic

What about immigration and robinsons in phuket town which would take longer

[phuketrichard]

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 ?

I have been in Phuket since 1984 except for a year back in the sates ('97) and a year in Cambodia ('08-09)

from '84-93 was in Patong back on Na Nai road, ( when it was dirt) then moved over to kamala which is an area i love. Dead quiet in low season but still plenty of restaurants, (local) and a few Farang) more than enough bars, a Mini Lotus. 15 min to Patong, 30 to Phuket town ( Central mall,midtown Phuket another 10 minutes. 10 min to Bangtao's, Lotus and MacDonald's

There is no BEST area and to each their own and each area has its plus and minus but IF u need to travel to Phuket town u don't want to be down in Nai Harn/Chalong as the commute in the morning/afternoon on Chao Fa road is same as traveling Suhkumvit road at 4 pm. If ur in Karon/Kata u need travel via Patong or Chalong on Chao Fa to Phuket town.

There are some nice gated communities around the golf course in Kathu and some very good choices for homes to buy BUT why live in the center when ur on an island?

Edited September 18, 2011 by phuketrichard

[PatongPete]

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 ...

Six years ago.. great change in property values and exchnage rates!

[verticalift]

I have lived in Phuket for the past 14 years, initially on the west coast, latter on my sailboat and finally in a house that I built inside a "gated" golf course community in the center of the island. For what it's worth, I've found that the west coast of the island is where the tourists or short time (2-3yr) expats live. The "educated" Thais and long term expat residents, live closer to the center of the island or the east coast. Where I live in Kathu, the "Hub-of-the-Wheel",it's 10 minutes to international shopping complexes, 10-15 minutes to two (2) international hospitals (Very Important), 15 minutes to D'town Phuket Town, 10 min to two (2) marinas, and if you have the need to go "walkabout".....Patong is a 10-15 minute drive over the hill. Look for a small "Gated" community with onsite security (Our security guards actually do patrol vs sleep). You'll have to get a dog, the bigger the better. Also, a good security system for your home (With cameras and motion sensors) 7-10MTB is certainly do'able in the current market. There are literally hundreds of properties that have been on the Phuket real estate market for "years". You will have a vehicle (SUV or Pick-up) so if you want to go to the beach and look at the tourists, then you can drive to any one of the many beaches that circle the island. Phuket violent crime is on the rise (Mostly Thais vs Thais). Phuket traffic is awful. Thai drivers are some of the worst and most dangerous in the world. There are Pros and Cons to living anywhere. Come here, RENT a house initially (1 yr) to see if you like it. If you do....look then at buying a place. If you don't......you can look elsewhere. Simple. Good luck.

Edited September 21, 2011 by verticalift

[Old Croc]

^ Good reply.

Five posts in seven years! Chatty Bugger.

[steelepulse]

I lived in Kathu and I'm sure the same applies to Kamala as well in that there is quite a bit more rain in these areas than in the southern part of the island. Quite often I'd drive away from Kathu and I would be out of the rain.

Now that I am in the South I can look towards Phuket Town and back towards Kathu and see the rain while coming down in buckets while staying dry just a few km's away. For whatever reason ( well the mountains really) Rawai and Nai Harn get a lot less rain then the rest of the island.

[fiddlehead]

These "Which is the best?" questions are not easy to answer correctly.

I used to hear that a "Mac" computer was the best. Until I got one and found out that you had to pay for anything you did relating to music and use Apple products exclusively.

So, learned my lesson there.

I used to think that the area where I came from was the "best"

Had to live in a few other places to compare and find out THAT was so wrong.

I've only lived in 4 different places in Phuket. Presently in Rawai. (I prounounce it Ra-WHY by the way)

Comparing them all, I'd have to say my 4 years in Nai Harn, not far from the lagoon there was the best. Mostly because I like to go to the beach and I was so close. And I do believe Nai Harn used to be the best beach on the island. Now it often gets overcrowded and I've found some other gems I'll keep quiet about.

So, "the best" places also change.

Yes, there's a lot more "girlie bars" in the area now than there were 6 years ago (one or two then), but, maybe that's something the OP likes/wants. Who knows?

Your best bet sir, is to come here and see for yourself.

If you like tourists and abundance to food choices and don't care about high prices, perhaps Kata/Karon is for you.

If you like peace and quiet and don't need to socialize with other farangs, and like golf, try the northwest corner of the island, up around Mission golf course.

For loads of (over 50) expats living nearby, western food choices, access to boats to take you to islands, lots of bakeries, fresh fish markets, nice jogging track, beach with lifeguards that has decent surfing/kite sailing, as well as paragliding, etc. Try Nai Harn/Rawai/Chalong.

[katabeachbum]

I have lived in Phuket for the past 14 years, initially on the west coast, latter on my sailboat and finally in a house that I built inside a "gated" golf course community in the center of the island. For what it's worth, I've found that the west coast of the island is where the tourists or short time (2-3yr) expats live. The "educated" Thais and long term expat residents, live closer to the center of the island or the east coast. Where I live in Kathu, the "Hub-of-the-Wheel",it's 10 minutes to international shopping complexes, 10-15 minutes to two (2) international hospitals (Very Important), 15 minutes to D'town Phuket Town, 10 min to two (2) marinas, and if you have the need to go "walkabout".....Patong is a 10-15 minute drive over the hill. Look for a small "Gated" community with onsite security (Our security guards actually do patrol vs sleep). You'll have to get a dog, the bigger the better. Also, a good security system for your home (With cameras and motion sensors) 7-10MTB is certainly do'able in the current market. There are literally hundreds of properties that have been on the Phuket real estate market for "years". You will have a vehicle (SUV or Pick-up) so if you want to go to the beach and look at the tourists, then you can drive to any one of the many beaches that circle the island. Phuket violent crime is on the rise (Mostly Thais vs Thais). Phuket traffic is awful. Thai drivers are some of the worst and most dangerous in the world. There are Pros and Cons to living anywhere. Come here, RENT a house initially (1 yr) to see if you like it. If you do....look then at buying a place. If you don't......you can look elsewhere. Simple. Good luck.

hmm, as many of us I started in Patong when I moved here almost 9 years ago. Knew from day one this was not a place I wanted to live and raise children. Looking around, dropped Kathu due to the amount of "want to live in Patong but cant afford it population" and distance to beaches. and why does it always rain in kathu when its nice in Kata? Dropped Kamala and Surin due to the muslim influence. Dropped Nai Harn and Rawai due to distance to town/schools, and at that time not many good restaurants but a lot of buffalos around

Had two houses built in Kata within the first year. Got a bit tired of the tourists, so moved to town and few months later to Land&House, the largest gated community in Phuket. Boring and to far from the beach, and crowded with foreigners, total loss of feeling living i Thailand. Started building in Kata again, and moved back here in 2007. Simply love Kata, and learned to ignore the disadvantage of the tourists

[petercallen]

We decided on Rawai after looking all over the island

We found a house in a village where everyone is house proud and look after there houses a mixture of expats and Thais

Most people are very friendly and helpful

The streets are wide well made and clean and people keep there dogs in there own yards

We do not pay any fees to a developer and have all the essential services water, phone Internet, cable TV etc

Very peaceful especially at night, the air is not polluted most of the time, only when the local Myanmar camp burns rubbish

There is not much traffic here and its easy to get onto the main road even in busy periods

Being retired we go to other areas when the traffic is not heavy and can get to anywhere we normally travel to in 25 minutes

There are plenty of restaurants in the area in all price ranges and bars if you want them

[F1fanatic]

We decided on Rawai after looking all over the island

We found a house in a village where everyone is house proud and look after there houses a mixture of expats and Thais

Most people are very friendly and helpful

The streets are wide well made and clean and people keep there dogs in there own yards

We do not pay any fees to a developer and have all the essential services water, phone Internet, cable TV etc

Very peaceful especially at night, the air is not polluted most of the time, only when the local Myanmar camp burns rubbish

There is not much traffic here and its easy to get onto the main road even in busy periods

Being retired we go to other areas when the traffic is not heavy and can get to anywhere we normally travel to in 25 minutes

There are plenty of restaurants in the area in all price ranges and bars if you want them

That's a v good point. Unless you are wealthy enough for money to be of no concern, avoid buying a house that requires you to pay the developers for 'communal maintenance, water, elec etc. The developers make one hell of a profit from these services!

[Shot]

Dropped Kamala and Surin due to the muslim influence.

I'm curious why you would say that, and I am not disagreeing, I just want to compare notes. Anything specific as far as the "influence" is concerned? Again, I'm not looking for a debate, just your thoughts. I'm wondering if I have become desensitized.

[katabeachbum]

Dropped Kamala and Surin due to the muslim influence.

I'm curious why you would say that, and I am not disagreeing, I just want to compare notes. Anything specific as far as the "influence" is concerned? Again, I'm not looking for a debate, just your thoughts. I'm wondering if I have become desensitized.

Its not their religion. Its the way some Phuket residents treat other people.

No , second thought, I dont wanna go there, just deleted my thoughts, perhaps tonights redwine dinner made me sensible, sorry

[KarenBravo]

Funny......I prefer the Muslims. They seem to have a better sense of right and wrong.

Hey....but that's just me and my experiences..........

[pagallim]

Funny......I prefer the Muslims. They seem to have a better sense of right and wrong.

Hey....but that's just me and my experiences..........

Whilst not having a preference either way for Muslims, a couple of observations on my part.

Most Muslim communities seem to be 'original' Phuket communities, particularly on the East Coast where they are the primary fisherman/seafarers.

Within Muslim communities, whilst there isn't the same saturation of bars and nightlife, their villages tend to be more well kept and cleaner (possibly because they and their families actually live here rather than being economic immigrants from other provinces). For me, Cape Panwa and other areas of the east coast are examples of this (particularly around Ao Makham/Pa Klok).

[LivinginKata]

2 posts making derogatory comments about Muslims have been removed.

[PattayaPhom]

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.

Relevance to the OPs question???..............if you wish to talk about property rather than Phuket, start looking at property forums

[F1fanatic]

Dropped Kamala and Surin due to the muslim influence.

I'm curious why you would say that, and I am not disagreeing, I just want to compare notes. Anything specific as far as the "influence" is concerned? Again, I'm not looking for a debate, just your thoughts. I'm wondering if I have become desensitized.

I like the Moslems here. They have a moral code, are second-class citizens themselves and (in my experience) generally, v nice.

It could only (possibly) be a problem if you have dogs.... The only reason why I avoided Moslem 'areas' - otherwise I would be happy to live in those areas.

[phuketrichard]

Kamala is moslem and they are very nice over here. When one says Moslem one usually thinks Arabs and the Thai Moslems are not like tat at all. The ones i have meet over the past 16 years here are very kind and nice and as i said before they are the ones that have lived in phuket before the boom of essan people.