Alternatives To Phuket ?!?

[TS79]

I read with interest that many long term Phuket expats are moving / contemplating moving away from Phuket for many reasons already being discussed in detail on these forums. Myself, I have been coming here to Phuket since 1997 and been here full time since 2004 and have seen dramatic changes here during these times, some good, but most not so.

I must admit that I'm also getting kind of frustrated every day with things that I know shouldn't bother me which include all the usual. For those who have moved away or planning on doing so, what kind of places offer a good alternative?

Places I have thought of include, going round the Ao Nang side (Krabi) but doubt this is too far away (in terms of time) from being another Phuket in the making, probably the same goes for for Hua Hin. Even further south as far as Lanta / Trang might be an option. The other direction further north between BKK and Phuket in places like Bang Sapan / Bang Sapan Noi which apparently has a small expat community, Prachuap Kiri Khan. etc. One problem this would have for me would be decent schooling though, I would need access to some kind of International school or choose home schooling as an alternative.

I wouldn't want somewhere completely out in the sticks but somewhere with a small expat community. I have driven from Phuket to BKK on a few occasions and there seems to be some really nice looking places on the way but I just haven't had time to stop over and take a closer look around.

Would be interested in other members views. Please note, this is definitely not a troll topic that is bashing Phuket. I do still love it here most of the time, but it may just be time to lower the blood pressure a little and find somewhere else to relax.

[pagallim]

Surat Thani (not Ko Samui) could be an alternative, as could the Chumphon area as I believe that both have resident expats and a fairly reasonable level of goods and services availability. I too enjoy living in Phuket, though the traffic is starting to become more than a little tiresome. However, I'm still happy with the benefits, such as reasonable infrastructure, availability of a wide range of products, variety of health care, international airport, some stunning scenery and broad selection of food/entertainment. For the overwhelming majority of resident expats, tuk tuks and taxi issues, jet skis, being kicked off a motor bike at 2/3/4/5 in the morning, scams on just about any activity just doesn't impact on us. Key to living anywhere (at least for me) is having a choice. Phuket has it, few other places do.

[LivinginKata]

Yes, I agree with pagallim. Phuket offers so much infrastructure and most of us who live a quiet life never have any problems (well, not many), the traffic can be difficult, but not impossible compared with any big city anywhere in the world.

Your major problem will be international schooling. While there are some pockets of 'civilisation' on the Surat Thani to Cha-am corridor that I might consider if Phuket became unbearable, but I have no idea about schooling. Best of luck to you.

[Notstupid30]

@TS79 I feel the same as you that's why i'm moving out of Pattaya and moving to Phuket in the upcoming weeks with the new girlfriend plus i have already found some decent places to stay in Phuket also the rent not bad at 10,000THB for a two bedroom town house ... ?

By the way i'm paying that as it is for a condo here in Pattaya but it's full of Russians slamming doors in the early hours of the morning plus the shutting and music on top of this ..

I'm also nearly thirty one in may and have been living in Pattaya for around six years and four years in Bangkok but after six years in Pattaya it's time for a well needy change i also don't feel the same these days in Pattaya to when i first moved here six year ago .. ? I kind of hate it's the same old bs just a different day in all truth even my Thai girlfirend cant stand Pattaya and she twenty eight and come from a well respected family ..

[JetsetBkk]

@TS79 I feel the same as you that's why i'm moving out of Pattaya and moving to Phuket in the upcoming weeks with the new girlfriend plus i have already found some decent places to stay in Phuket also the rent not bad at 10,000THB for a two bedroom town house ... ?

By the way i'm paying that as it is for a condo here in Pattaya but it's full of Russians slamming doors in the early hours of the morning plus the shutting and music on top of this ..

I'm also nearly thirty one in may and have been living in Pattaya for around six years and four years in Bangkok but after six years in Pattaya it's time for a well needy change i also don't feel the same these days in Pattaya to when i first moved here six year ago .. ? I kind of hate it's the same old bs just a different day in all truth even my Thai girlfirend cant stand Pattaya and she twenty eight and come from a well respected family ..

You're going to miss those baht buses!

[Phronesis]

I am also doing some due dilligence on alternatives, not only to Phuket, but also to Thailand.

Problem for me is that it must have surf...otherwise I would already be in Cambodia.

The straw that is breaking the Camel's back for me in Thailand is the visa requirements.

I retired in my mid 40s and so am not eligible for the Thai retirement visa.

I have three potential options on my short list:

1. Move with my girl to Cambodia and pay circa $560 US each year for two 12 month multi entry business visas. We maintain the home we already have here in Phuket, get a second in say Kep or Kampot, and then I commute back to Thailand on tourist visas for surf trips.

2. Move to PI and pay $15K US for their smile multientry retirement visa. Unlike the myopic 50 year old requirement of the Thai retirment visa, the PI smile visa is available when one is just 35 years old.

3. Wait until a retirement visa option arises in Myanmar. To be honest I am holding off a little with my relocation in the hope that such a visa will become a reality shortly.

[jefftd77]

I lived in Phuket from 2001-2004 and go back almost every year... but last year I checked out the Philippines and it was great... However, I think I'll be back to Thailand again this year and spend some time in Chiang Mai... It's clean, quiet and still has decent nighlife/shopping/restaurants...

[Notstupid30]

@TS79 I feel the same as you that's why i'm moving out of Pattaya and moving to Phuket in the upcoming weeks with the new girlfriend plus i have already found some decent places to stay in Phuket also the rent not bad at 10,000THB for a two bedroom town house ... ?

By the way i'm paying that as it is for a condo here in Pattaya but it's full of Russians slamming doors in the early hours of the morning plus the shutting and music on top of this ..

I'm also nearly thirty one in may and have been living in Pattaya for around six years and four years in Bangkok but after six years in Pattaya it's time for a well needy change i also don't feel the same these days in Pattaya to when i first moved here six year ago .. ? I kind of hate it's the same old bs just a different day in all truth even my Thai girlfirend cant stand Pattaya and she twenty eight and come from a well respected family ..

You're going to miss those baht buses!

Have a pick-up we can borrow from the family or buy a bike plus i can't drive even so will be driven around a lot by her plus don't got out drink much more of a home type of person these days plus she not the going out sort of person too which is good ... I think ive found the right girl for us taken some time to find if i don't mind saying so just a shame i could not find her ten years ago when i first move to Thailand ..

[geriatrickid]

It is highly unlikely that Hua Hin will ever become another Phuket. The demographics and geography will not allow for it. Hua Hin is a relatively well off area to begin with and there is a very strong middle and professional class population. They just won't tolerate the kind of nonsense that goes on in the Kata to Surin strip. The streets are clean, the BiB do not stand on the corner looking for tea money and the local government does make at an effort at serving the people. Best of all, as long as Hua Hin serves as the place where Bangkok's wealthy and the Royal family go to relax, the likelihood of a Bangla Road every taking root is remote.

I do however admit to being biased as I spent most of my time on Phuket in the Patong zone. This is hardly the best place to be. Perhaps if I had stayed up in the genteel lauguna area I would have a different view. Here are what I see as the main advantages;

- Better type of people. I have yet to see anyone misbehaving.

- Reasonable access to taxis, moto taxis & tuk tuks. I am not making this up, but the drivers are a pleasure: polite and not one has tried to cheat me.

- Beaches free of jet skis & motorboats. The big thing is quiet board parasailing, and they stay in a specific area.

- Almost a tout free zone. It is a pleasure not being harassed by time share salesmen on scooters, aggressive tailor shop sales guys, hammock salesmen and the annoying massage ladies and hookers.

- Cost. I had a mild orgasm at the prices. Accomodation can cost less, as can some dining options. To be honest though, some restaurants especially the foreign ones are just as expensive as Phuket. However, over all, there is more bang for the buck.

- Hua Hin has several Tesco Lotuses, a Villa Market and the wonderful Market Village which I think is more welcoming and enjoyable than Jungceylon. The retail options are just as good as on Phuket and the night markets are better because of the ease of obtaining goods from suppliers in Bangkok.

- The golf course options must be heaven for some as they are plentiful. (I don't play golf though.)

- There are decent hospitals including a new Bangkok Hospital.

- The traffic which can get bad at rush hour is still better than on Phuket and the drivers are more polite and courteous than on Phuket.

- No beggars and no stray dogs in the main city.

- The general feeling of safety is high. My friends tell me that there are none of the drive by muggings that are a common occurrence on the Patong to Kata road.

- Although the beaches are more plentiful on Phuket, there are large sections of Hua Hin's beach that are relatively free of people.

- No annoying trucks blaring tonight, tonight, boxing at Bangla stadium. (How I hate that truck and the silly guys in shorts trying to look tough that ride it.)

- The air pollution is not as bad as on the main drags of Phuket. The electrical grid is reliable. The water pressure is good too. Mosquitos are not as much of a nuisance as they are on Phuket.

The biggest negative for me is the commute to Bangkok. Offpeak is 3 hours. On a bad day it can be 4+ hours, especially if one gets snagged in a Bangkok traffic jam. Yes, the foreign residents tend to the 65+ age group, but I'm okay with that. It just makes me more desirable

I'm a single guy and at a stage of my life where I don't need the bars. Amost all of my Thai aquaintances and friends have moved away from Phuket. They just didn't like the place. I was lucky when I went to Hua Hin as a friend came with me to make sure I was safe. After working in Phuket off and on for 5 years, he sees danger everywhere and does not trust the people in tourist towns. He thought Hua Hin was decent. My other friend does have one complaint: He says, he's never seen so many ugly bar girls and can't believe foreigners actually chase them. Our running joke was how much they would pay him to be allowed to sit near him. Then again, he also says I'm an old fart because I wear a suit. (Apparently, only "old" people wear a suit. I did not know this. ) Be warned though, that the English language skills are not as good as on Phuket. I suppose there is not much of a need as the majority of tourists are Thai. I suppose I will have to make an effort to improve my Thai language skills as the people I am geting to know, while educated, have limited knowledge of English, although some of them speak Chinese and German. Not much help to me though.

I'm sure, I'll find the negatives of Hua Hin soon enough, such as it becoming boring, but I think I found a place that is the Thailand I fell in love with a decade ago. Phuket doesn't care about people like me. It's all about short term profit. When people like me go, we are replaced by some free spending Russians or naive newbies from Australia or the EU. Fair enough, but I prefer to go where I am treated with some dignity and where I am not seen as a potential victim..

[stevehaigh]

if i was to leave here i would probably go to Chumphon or Bang Saphan for the reasons mentioned above.

its nice and green and lots of rain so it stays that way all year. beautiful beaches and clean air. some expat activity and i guess its possible to find some western food. relatively short drive to BKK (compared to here)

i don't like the strip between bkk and prachuap, too dry, its like a desert. not really interested in north of bkk, air is too dirty. and south or here is just too much driving. Phang Na seem very beautiful, if a little boring, but definitely worth a look i think.

[KarenBravo]

The only other place in Asia besides Phuket that I thought "I could live here", is Palawan in the Philippines and I'm not a fan of the Philippines, or, it's people.

[Old Croc]

It is highly unlikely that Hua Hin will ever become another Phuket. The demographics and geography will not allow for it. Hua Hin is a relatively well off area to begin with and there is a very strong middle and professional class population. They just won't tolerate the kind of nonsense that goes on in the Kata to Surin strip. The streets are clean, the BiB do not stand on the corner looking for tea money and the local government does make at an effort at serving the people. Best of all, as long as Hua Hin serves as the place where Bangkok's wealthy and the Royal family go to relax, the likelihood of a Bangla Road every taking root is remote.

I do however admit to being biased as I spent most of my time on Phuket in the Patong zone. This is hardly the best place to be. Perhaps if I had stayed up in the genteel lauguna area I would have a different view. Here are what I see as the main advantages;

- Better type of people. I have yet to see anyone misbehaving.

- Reasonable access to taxis, moto taxis & tuk tuks. I am not making this up, but the drivers are a pleasure: polite and not one has tried to cheat me.

- Beaches free of jet skis & motorboats. The big thing is quiet board parasailing, and they stay in a specific area.

- Almost a tout free zone. It is a pleasure not being harassed by time share salesmen on scooters, aggressive tailor shop sales guys, hammock salesmen and the annoying massage ladies and hookers.

- Cost. I had a mild orgasm at the prices. Accomodation can cost less, as can some dining options. To be honest though, some restaurants especially the foreign ones are just as expensive as Phuket. However, over all, there is more bang for the buck.

- Hua Hin has several Tesco Lotuses, a Villa Market and the wonderful Market Village which I think is more welcoming and enjoyable than Jungceylon. The retail options are just as good as on Phuket and the night markets are better because of the ease of obtaining goods from suppliers in Bangkok.

- The golf course options must be heaven for some as they are plentiful. (I don't play golf though.)

- There are decent hospitals including a new Bangkok Hospital.

- The traffic which can get bad at rush hour is still better than on Phuket and the drivers are more polite and courteous than on Phuket.

- No beggars and no stray dogs in the main city.

- The general feeling of safety is high. My friends tell me that there are none of the drive by muggings that are a common occurrence on the Patong to Kata road.

- Although the beaches are more plentiful on Phuket, there are large sections of Hua Hin's beach that are relatively free of people.

- No annoying trucks blaring tonight, tonight, boxing at Bangla stadium. (How I hate that truck and the silly guys in shorts trying to look tough that ride it.)

- The air pollution is not as bad as on the main drags of Phuket. The electrical grid is reliable. The water pressure is good too. Mosquitos are not as much of a nuisance as they are on Phuket.

The biggest negative for me is the commute to Bangkok. Offpeak is 3 hours. On a bad day it can be 4+ hours, especially if one gets snagged in a Bangkok traffic jam. Yes, the foreign residents tend to the 65+ age group, but I'm okay with that. It just makes me more desirable

I'm a single guy and at a stage of my life where I don't need the bars. Amost all of my Thai aquaintances and friends have moved away from Phuket. They just didn't like the place. I was lucky when I went to Hua Hin as a friend came with me to make sure I was safe. After working in Phuket off and on for 5 years, he sees danger everywhere and does not trust the people in tourist towns. He thought Hua Hin was decent. My other friend does have one complaint: He says, he's never seen so many ugly bar girls and can't believe foreigners actually chase them. Our running joke was how much they would pay him to be allowed to sit near him. Then again, he also says I'm an old fart because I wear a suit. (Apparently, only "old" people wear a suit. I did not know this. ) Be warned though, that the English language skills are not as good as on Phuket. I suppose there is not much of a need as the majority of tourists are Thai. I suppose I will have to make an effort to improve my Thai language skills as the people I am geting to know, while educated, have limited knowledge of English, although some of them speak Chinese and German. Not much help to me though.

I'm sure, I'll find the negatives of Hua Hin soon enough, such as it becoming boring, but I think I found a place that is the Thailand I fell in love with a decade ago. Phuket doesn't care about people like me. It's all about short term profit. When people like me go, we are replaced by some free spending Russians or naive newbies from Australia or the EU. Fair enough, but I prefer to go where I am treated with some dignity and where I am not seen as a potential victim..

You wear a suit?!

[manly100]

a chap was telling me how some expats become miserable after a while in phuket. he says he counts the days till the miserable blokes go... anywhere. he told me he finds out where they think is a better place and then proceeds to tell them how great that place will be for them and they should move there asap, even if they think muppetland is a good place. It seems to me phuket has an auto muppet purge. and it's wonderful. So he says the best alternative to phuket is ANYWHERE and take the rest of haters with you... forever.

[Old Croc]

a chap was telling me how some expats become miserable after a while in phuket. he says he counts the days till the miserable blokes go... anywhere. he told me he finds out where they think is a better place and then proceeds to tell them how great that place will be for them and they should move there asap, even if they think muppetland is a good place. It seems to me phuket has an auto muppet purge. and it's wonderful. So he says the best alternative to phuket is ANYWHERE and take the rest of haters with you... forever.

Does he wear a suit?

[xylophone]

Some interesting posts and as I have been thinking along the same lines as those others who are contemplating leaving Patong/Phuket it was good to hear about Hua Hin as that is a place I have been pondering over. The other place I would like to go to and explore again is Chang Rai as I found it a lot more relaxing (slower pace of life) and the people kind and gentle, and it does have some nice restaurants and cafes. Limited nightlife, but that is not too much of a problem for me.

I noticed that someone suggested Palawan in the Philippines and it is a place that I have heard good things about, so I may put that on my list of places to explore. Cambodia was also mentioned and I have spent a couple of weeks in Sihanoukville, which is a seaside resort however I am not sure if it is that suitable for surfing?? I found it a very pleasant place, and probably something like Patong was 20 years ago.

Even if I decide in the end to stay here (Patong) then at least a few exploratory visits to a few places will get me out of a rut and give me a little bit of adventure, so I think I will put a plan together over the next few days.

[stevehaigh]

Even if I decide in the end to stay here (Patong) then at least a few exploratory visits to a few places will get me out of a rut and give me a little bit of adventure, so I think I will put a plan together over the next few days.

first thing is get the hell out of Patong, worst spot in Phuket. Rawai/Nai Harn is great as i'm sure the far north of the island is.

Cha-Am is also a pretty good spot if you want cheap and close to BKK.

[Felt 35]

Trang would be my choice going South or if Northbound BangSaphan, Ban Krut.

[simon43]

I lived for a year in Ao Nang. Pleasant enough but extremely humid, (the rain clouds come from the west direction, pass over Phuket and then cannot climb over the hills near Ao Nang/Krabi).

3. Wait until a retirement visa option arises in Myanmar.

You may have to wait a long time. I now live and work in Myanmar which, although it is rapidly 'opening up', is a very conservative country. I do not think offering a visa for elderly foreigners is on their minds whatsoever

I still consider Phuket as my home, and I am lucky enough to live in the north of the island. So many of the problems which now exist, (traffic, tuk-tuks, jetskis etc), do not affect me. But I probably will not retire there. My favorite choice would be a teak house on the Lao side of the Mekong River, relaxing with a cold Beer Lao and watching the river meander past.

Simon

PS - I don't think there is much surfing to be had on the Mekong...

[Humbugged]

Bali....much better than that <deleted> hole phuket....how phuket is renowned as an international 5 star tourist destination is beyond me, biggest con by any tourism association in any country as far as i am concerned, second only to the land of smiles campaign.

Just got back from Bali...the list of differences is endless....and positive

[Colonel_Mustard]

The North of Thailand is nice and with cooler weather. I bought some land in Chiang Rai and feel tempted to head that way when my kids finish at school here but the air quality there is a bit off putting.

I didn't think much of Hua Hin, Chumpon or any of that coast to be honest. Alright for a short holiday but wouldn't fancy living there. Same with Bali and most of the the rest of SE Asia.

I guess for me it would either be Phuket, Bangkok or back to Europe (though I wouldn't mind Singapore if there were better visa options for me).

At the end of the day, it all depends on your personal circumstances. For me it's still hard to beat Phuket at the present time.

[Phronesis]

I lived for a year in Ao Nang. Pleasant enough but extremely humid, (the rain clouds come from the west direction, pass over Phuket and then cannot climb over the hills near Ao Nang/Krabi).

3. Wait until a retirement visa option arises in Myanmar.

You may have to wait a long time. I now live and work in Myanmar which, although it is rapidly 'opening up', is a very conservative country. I do not think offering a visa for elderly foreigners is on their minds whatsoever

I still consider Phuket as my home, and I am lucky enough to live in the north of the island. So many of the problems which now exist, (traffic, tuk-tuks, jetskis etc), do not affect me. But I probably will not retire there. My favorite choice would be a teak house on the Lao side of the Mekong River, relaxing with a cold Beer Lao and watching the river meander past.

Simon

PS - I don't think there is much surfing to be had on the Mekong...

Simon

Thanks for your earlier, post detailing your business ventures and your rating of the success of each.

I note that you had three hotels (with varying success) and also two bars (with varying success).

If you have time, I would be grateful if you could post, what factors, in hindsight where the most crucial in determining the success of business compared to the other.

For example, what factors made one hotel more success than the others. Ditto for your bars.

Thanks in advance...

[NamKangMan]

I am also doing some due dilligence on alternatives, not only to Phuket, but also to Thailand.

Problem for me is that it must have surf...otherwise I would already be in Cambodia.

The straw that is breaking the Camel's back for me in Thailand is the visa requirements.

I retired in my mid 40s and so am not eligible for the Thai retirement visa.

I have three potential options on my short list:

1. Move with my girl to Cambodia and pay circa $560 US each year for two 12 month multi entry business visas. We maintain the home we already have here in Phuket, get a second in say Kep or Kampot, and then I commute back to Thailand on tourist visas for surf trips.

2. Move to PI and pay $15K US for their smile multientry retirement visa. Unlike the myopic 50 year old requirement of the Thai retirment visa, the PI smile visa is available when one is just 35 years old.

3. Wait until a retirement visa option arises in Myanmar. To be honest I am holding off a little with my relocation in the hope that such a visa will become a reality shortly.

Have you considered Bali?

[Phronesis]

I am also doing some due dilligence on alternatives, not only to Phuket, but also to Thailand.

Problem for me is that it must have surf...otherwise I would already be in Cambodia.

The straw that is breaking the Camel's back for me in Thailand is the visa requirements.

I retired in my mid 40s and so am not eligible for the Thai retirement visa.

I have three potential options on my short list:

1. Move with my girl to Cambodia and pay circa $560 US each year for two 12 month multi entry business visas. We maintain the home we already have here in Phuket, get a second in say Kep or Kampot, and then I commute back to Thailand on tourist visas for surf trips.

2. Move to PI and pay $15K US for their smile multientry retirement visa. Unlike the myopic 50 year old requirement of the Thai retirment visa, the PI smile visa is available when one is just 35 years old.

3. Wait until a retirement visa option arises in Myanmar. To be honest I am holding off a little with my relocation in the hope that such a visa will become a reality shortly.

Have you considered Bali?

I have spent a great deal of time in Indonesia, including Bali, and I speak fluent Bahasa.

I was staying in a loseman behind the Sari club the evening before it was bombed.

By sheer luck if I hadn't flown out that evening, I may well have been killed.

I haven't been back to Indo since. Not because of any unwarranted fears of random terrorism. But because my business got very busy as it was closely linked to the commodities boom.

Yes there are some good spots to park up in Indo. But no I don't think that Bali is one of them. It is too full of drunken, bogan, 14 day millionaires from Australia. A problem that is also here in Phuket, but largely contained in Patong.

I actually prefer the many islamic islands in the Indo archipellago. I enjoy the discipline, absence of alcohol, and focus on family values that is so common place in rural Indonesian islamic villages. After travelling throughout Indonesia for more than two decades, I have never experienced any crime against myself. Not even the petty dual price scams so commonplace here in Thailand.

[NamKangMan]

I am also doing some due dilligence on alternatives, not only to Phuket, but also to Thailand.

Problem for me is that it must have surf...otherwise I would already be in Cambodia.

The straw that is breaking the Camel's back for me in Thailand is the visa requirements.

I retired in my mid 40s and so am not eligible for the Thai retirement visa.

I have three potential options on my short list:

1. Move with my girl to Cambodia and pay circa $560 US each year for two 12 month multi entry business visas. We maintain the home we already have here in Phuket, get a second in say Kep or Kampot, and then I commute back to Thailand on tourist visas for surf trips.

2. Move to PI and pay $15K US for their smile multientry retirement visa. Unlike the myopic 50 year old requirement of the Thai retirment visa, the PI smile visa is available when one is just 35 years old.

3. Wait until a retirement visa option arises in Myanmar. To be honest I am holding off a little with my relocation in the hope that such a visa will become a reality shortly.

Have you considered Bali?

I have spent a great deal of time in Indonesia, including Bali, and I speak fluent Bahasa.

I was staying in a loseman behind the Sari club the evening before it was bombed.

By sheer luck if I hadn't flown out that evening, I may well have been killed.

I haven't been back to Indo since. Not because of any unwarranted fears of random terrorism. But because my business got very busy as it was closely linked to the commodities boom.

Yes there are some good spots to park up in Indo. But no I don't think that Bali is one of them. It is too full of drunken, bogan, 14 day millionaires from Australia. A problem that is also here in Phuket, but largely contained in Patong.

I actually prefer the many islamic islands in the Indo archipellago. I enjoy the discipline, absence of alcohol, and focus on family values that is so common place in rural Indonesian islamic villages. After travelling throughout Indonesia for more than two decades, I have never experienced any crime against myself. Not even the petty dual price scams so commonplace here in Thailand.

I agree with your post, but Bali does have good infastructure for expats, International Schools, a well connected International Airport, good climate and, apparently, good sufing, hence, me putting it forward to the OP.

I would not suggest the OP reside on Kuta Beach, but on the outskirts, thus still being able to utilize all the things Bali provides, whilst being able to avoid the drunken tourists.

[pagallim]

I would not suggest the OP reside on Kuta Beach, but on the outskirts, thus still being able to utilize all the things Bali provides, whilst being able to avoid the drunken tourists.

Substitute Patong for Kuta Beach, and Phuket for Bali. Same same but different...........

[NamKangMan]

I would not suggest the OP reside on Kuta Beach, but on the outskirts, thus still being able to utilize all the things Bali provides, whilst being able to avoid the drunken tourists.

Substitute Patong for Kuta Beach, and Phuket for Bali. Same same but different...........

Very different. They have taxis in Bali. :) :)

[LivinginKata]

I would not suggest the OP reside on Kuta Beach, but on the outskirts, thus still being able to utilize all the things Bali provides, whilst being able to avoid the drunken tourists.

Substitute Patong for Kuta Beach, and Phuket for Bali. Same same but different...........

Not sure I would agree with that. I first visited Bali 20 years ago, 2nd time 12 years ago, last time was 2 years ago. Each time I stayed in Kuta beach area. What a vast change, Kuta has grown faster/quicker in the same time span compared with Phuket's Patong. It's my opinion the Kuta is now worse for touts, scams, prices than Patong. Even the taxis are charging rip-off prices (if they think they can get away with it). I won't be going back to Bali.

[pagallim]

^

That was my point. They both have their good and bad, variance only in their extremes. Thankfully, Phuket doesn't have the same potential as a terrorist target that Bali does, although we're not a million miles away from the daily atrocities that occur in the border provinces.

[simon43]

If you have time, I would be grateful if you could post, what factors, in hindsight where the most crucial in determining the success of business compared to the other.

For example, what factors made one hotel more success than the others. Ditto for your bars.

It's going off-topic, so I'll answer very briefly.

The most successful businesses (my current 2 hotels and the previous one) were all build from 'ground-up', in that I leased land for 20-30 years, built the hotel and paid a monthly rental on that land, allowing myself plenty of time to build up the new business and structure it exactly how I wanted it. No key-money, no deposit, no short lease.

The least successful businesses were those where I leased a building or existing business and had to pay key-money, extortionate and increasing rent, and was at the mercy of a 3-year lease contract.

[stevehaigh]

if we are talking outside Thailand, what about Burma? i know nothing about it but maybe a chance to get in on the ground floor before the influx starts. i guess you would have to be able to live without phone and internet which wouldn't work for me.