Hi-So Holidays Harder To Afford For Phuket Tourists

[eezergood]

Fully understand but I've never been a lover of resorts. I have lived in Mae Sariang in the Mae Hong Son district for a few years now but can understand the diminishing value for English tourists, as it also effects my monthly private pension payments. The Thai government should take time to think about the value of the Thai baht as they rely heavily on tourism from the west, which if they do nothing, will rapidly diminish.

They have thought heavily and it looks like they have responded as such. The THB was, I assume, artificially inflated, this was adversely the Thai export market hugely - think cars & rice season. Under pressure from within, we all know how much the they take into account the thoughts of toursits, they have reduced the value. As a side note, this has benfitted me greatly so the further down the better

[samuibruno]

ive found the same as well in phuket

Samui is much much cheaper

we eat for 50 thai baht a meal ,most days ,beer averagely 60- 80 baht

cheaper at the supermarket

would never live again in the UK simply because its bloody cold and miserable

bring on 30 degrees anyday and ice in the beer

[belg]

UK people have a better value for their pounds if they just stick to Spain : the sun, the pretty girls, the cheap beverages & food

right ?

why fly so far when everything else become as expensive as your home country + expensive & long flight, the scams, the ripp-offs that start when you leave the airport

Edited March 22, 2013 by belg

[taninthai]

Isn't England the place with never ending rain and grey skies? (At least it is in most movies :-)

Yes, and the smog - don't forget the smog. And Jack the Ripper. He's always walking around the smog filled streets.

In my bucket list: Pendine sands in S. Wales

- just like Phuket except, no tuk-tuks, no hassles, quiet, etc. Maybe like Phuket was 30 years ago.

.

sure does look nice in pictures ,but the reality is you get there its cold and theres a biting cold icy wind blowing in suddenly becomes not so nice .

[kevvy]

Aussie dollar still looking good , has only dropped 2 baht. from 32 to 30. six years ago it was only 25 baht .

[JetsetBkk]

sure does look nice in pictures ,but the reality is you get there its cold and theres a biting cold icy wind blowing in suddenly becomes not so nice .

I think it's OK for about 2 or 3 weeks in the year. You just have to be lucky...

[fiddlehead]

Aussie dollar still looking good , has only dropped 2 baht. from 32 to 30. six years ago it was only 25 baht .

That's what I was thinking when I was reading the article.

Obviously the author is upset because his country's currency has dropped.

Not all currencies are dropping vs the baht.

But yes, things are more expensive than they used to be. (it's called inflation)

[sandhurstmolonski]

Cant beat the Exchange Rate ..You win some you loose some . $AUD , is stronger than when I first came here ..much stronger .

I would suggest the UK friends Strike Phuket out ..and try some other parts of Thailand . I'm certain they will find some absolutely outstanding locations to visit ..Well away from the most expensive place in the whole of Thailand .

But , I still have a distant love for Phuket ..for it was the first location where I ever stayed in Thai for what was more than a holiday ..And although it certainly has its faults , it is also quite a big ilsland , avoid Patong ...and there is still some value out there . Naturally , wherever possible avoid Tuk - Tuks and Taxi's . There are plenty of alternatives to the type of Restaurants mentioned ..The key , always think in the Currency of which you are staying ..look for value for each Barht spent , and forget the exchange rate . Its really only fools who constantly convert ..Its pretty much irrelevant ..And who knows ?? At some point it may go the other way ..( But it will be a while ..dont hold your breath ).

[sandhurstmolonski]

Aussie dollar still looking good , has only dropped 2 baht. from 32 to 30. six years ago it was only 25 baht .

Plus ...we could well anticipate a Stronger AUD $$ to the Barht .

Bring on September , that will give us some certainity .

[sandhurstmolonski]

Isn't England the place with never ending rain and grey skies? (At least it is in most movies :-)

Yes, and the smog - don't forget the smog. And Jack the Ripper. He's always walking around the smog filled streets.

In my bucket list: Pendine sands in S. Wales

- just like Phuket except, no tuk-tuks, no hassles, quiet, etc. Maybe like Phuket was 30 years ago.

.

Its Actually a Bit Scarey when you read the Facts about Phuket 30 years ago ...WOW ! ..

Does make one wonder .... What do the next 30 years have in Store ? ..

If the changes maintained current pace ..Its pretty frightening .

[eezergood]

I truly hope not! I remit my salary home to Aus every month so the lower the better for me

[sandhurstmolonski]

I truly hope not! I remit my salary home to Aus every month so the lower the better for me

Well , I wish you well ...

But , Im certainly prepared to hedge the movement in the opposite direction . Particularly with the pretty much guaranteed demise of the Gillard government . The Barht is strong also however ..so we will have to wait an see , but uncertainty in Europe , and the removal of a poor Australian government with safe haven Status , Resource rich , higher interest rates ..

Difficult to see a fall ..Not good for exporters either ..tough on many fronts .

The " Remittance " needs to be in the other direction to hold good value . Which is my situation fortunately .

[eezergood]

I truly hope not! I remit my salary home to Aus every month so the lower the better for me

Well , I wish you well ...

But , Im certainly prepared to hedge the movement in the opposite direction . Particularly with the pretty much guaranteed demise of the Gillard government . The Barht is strong also however ..so we will have to wait an see , but uncertainty in Europe , and the removal of a poor Australian government with safe haven Status , Resource rich , higher interest rates ..

Difficult to see a fall ..Not good for exporters either ..tough on many fronts .

The " Remittance " needs to be in the other direction to hold good value . Which is my situation fortunately .

I agree with you totally, unfortunately, hence why I am living like a porper & sending every spare BAHT home now!

[eezergood]

Isn't England the place with never ending rain and grey skies? (At least it is in most movies :-)

Yes, and the smog - don't forget the smog. And Jack the Ripper. He's always walking around the smog filled streets.

In my bucket list: Pendine sands in S. Wales

- just like Phuket except, no tuk-tuks, no hassles, quiet, etc. Maybe like Phuket was 30 years ago.

.

sure does look nice in pictures ,but the reality is you get there its cold and theres a biting cold icy wind blowing in suddenly becomes not so nice .

AND you are STILL IN WALES!

[spidermike007]

Not sure why, but Phuket is fabulously overpriced. Most everything there costs more than anyplace in Thailand. Drinks, food, hotels, etc. I had to search for hours to find a reasonable room, on a recent trip. And it took days to find some restaurants that were reasonable. Same goes for Ao Nong Beach in Krabi. About the same prices for food, but hotels were a better deal. They may be pricing themselves out of the western market. Most of the tourists I saw there were Asian, or Russian. As they say in thailand, up to you. It is their choice if they want to kill their own market.

[eezergood]

Not sure why, but Phuket is fabulously overpriced. Most everything there costs more than anyplace in Thailand. Drinks, food, hotels, etc. I had to search for hours to find a reasonable room, on a recent trip. And it took days to find some restaurants that were reasonable. Same goes for Ao Nong Beach in Krabi. About the same prices for food, but hotels were a better deal. They may be pricing themselves out of the western market. Most of the tourists I saw there were Asian, or Russian. As they say in thailand, up to you. It is their choice if they want to kill their own market.

Agreed - but the cost of raw materials here is MUCH higher than anywhere else in Thailand also. Thai logic, when its busy gouge, when its price high to offset lack of volume

[candypants]

precisely why i avoid Phuket like a plague. In Bangkok I can have a world class meal for 300 baht, be treated no differently than any of the other middle class Thais sitting next to me, with genuinely great food. After dinner, I can jump into an air conditioned cab, pay 70 baht for a ride halfway across town, and maybe even get a smile at the end of it. If I want the beach, I can go down to Sam Roi Yod or Baan Krut, where nobody hassles me, quotes me farcical prices for a tuk tuk ride, nor any other aggravation. It's a pity such a nice place became one of the world's biggest eyesores.

Really now? I suspect you should review your understanding of the therm "world-class" or ease up on the hyperbole.

In a "world-class" eatery, it is unlikely you could get a beer for 300 Baht, let alone an entire meal.

Edited March 22, 2013 by candypants

[eezergood]

precisely why i avoid Phuket like a plague. In Bangkok I can have a world class meal for 300 baht, be treated no differently than any of the other middle class Thais sitting next to me, with genuinely great food. After dinner, I can jump into an air conditioned cab, pay 70 baht for a ride halfway across town, and maybe even get a smile at the end of it. If I want the beach, I can go down to Sam Roi Yod or Baan Krut, where nobody hassles me, quotes me farcical prices for a tuk tuk ride, nor any other aggravation. It's a pity such a nice place became one of the world's biggest eyesores.

Really now? I suspect you should review your understanding of the therm "world-class" or ease up on the hyperbole.

In a "world-class" eatery, it is unlikely you could get a beer for 300 Baht, let alone an entire meal.

I asked the very same question, still no responce........

This kind of thing irks me no end, and is in the same vein as people saying street food is the best.... followed swiftly by the complaints about being sick

[raybal5]

When travelling I always go for the local street food rather than over-priced and tourist oriented restaurants.

[eezergood]

When travelling I always go for the local street food rather than over-priced and tourist oriented restaurants.

I have/do also, but dont proclaim it to be world class

[Ace of Pop]

When travelling I always go for the local street food rather than over-priced and tourist oriented restaurants.

I have/do also, but dont proclaim it to be world class

I used to say that when i was 18 and pennyless.Along with Posh Cars are a waste of Money,

[KarenBravo]

The Thai government should take time to think about the value of the Thai baht as they rely heavily on tourism from the west, which if they do nothing, will rapidly diminish.

Tourism to Thailand accounts for between 5% to 6% of Thai GDP. If most tourists are now coming from Russia, China and Australia, then the percentage from Western tourists is probably less than 3% of GDP. Kind of makes your statement that the Thai government "relies" on it, rather silly.

The major benefit of a strong Baht is cheaper energy costs as oil is denominated in US dollars. If oil is cheap, the cost of most manufactured products also become cheaper due to either oil as a source for a raw material (i.e. plastics, fertilizers) and/or transportation costs go down. This leads to higher profits for Thai manufacturers.

[sandhurstmolonski]

I truly hope not! I remit my salary home to Aus every month so the lower the better for me

Well , I wish you well ...

But , Im certainly prepared to hedge the movement in the opposite direction . Particularly with the pretty much guaranteed demise of the Gillard government . The Barht is strong also however ..so we will have to wait an see , but uncertainty in Europe , and the removal of a poor Australian government with safe haven Status , Resource rich , higher interest rates ..

Difficult to see a fall ..Not good for exporters either ..tough on many fronts .

The " Remittance " needs to be in the other direction to hold good value . Which is my situation fortunately .

I agree with you totally, unfortunately, hence why I am living like a porper & sending every spare BAHT home now!

Well in that case ..Im very sorry about that ..It must be quite difficult sending back the other way . But , you are here ..Which is nice ...

No Carbon Tax

[eezergood]

When travelling I always go for the local street food rather than over-priced and tourist oriented restaurants.

I have/do also, but dont proclaim it to be world class

I used to say that when i was 18 and pennyless.Along with Posh Cars are a waste of Money,

I KNOW the difference between street fodder & world class and did 17 yrs ago when I was 18 & was already working in these places...... Although I am at a loss as to why you would think I am 18, pennyless & what that has to do with me stating street food is NOT world class?

[eezergood]

I truly hope not! I remit my salary home to Aus every month so the lower the better for me

Well , I wish you well ...

But , Im certainly prepared to hedge the movement in the opposite direction . Particularly with the pretty much guaranteed demise of the Gillard government . The Barht is strong also however ..so we will have to wait an see , but uncertainty in Europe , and the removal of a poor Australian government with safe haven Status , Resource rich , higher interest rates ..

Difficult to see a fall ..Not good for exporters either ..tough on many fronts .

The " Remittance " needs to be in the other direction to hold good value . Which is my situation fortunately .

I agree with you totally, unfortunately, hence why I am living like a porper & sending every spare BAHT home now!

Well in that case ..Im very sorry about that ..It must be quite difficult sending back the other way . But , you are here ..Which is nice ...

No Carbon Tax

NO TAX

[ozyjon]

The financial problems of Europe will repeat themselves in Thailand , just wait and see when mouldy Thai rice cannot be sold to the International market

Unfortunately those few words will reverberate throughout the world, i spend the rainy season in the Algarve in Portugal, years ago it was populated by so many Brits, they owned the Algarve, the bars the restaurants and many businesses, today they are virtually gone, businesses empty and very few Brits around, why, high costs in Portugal, after the introduction of the Euro it's not worth it to go there anymore, it's not cheap anymore, the conversion rate is to low so they stay away and so does their money, listen to this well Thailand, Cambodia is just next door.

[bkk_mike]

It always amazes me the people who knock the UK have either never been or have only visited London.

I lived in Cornwall for 30 years and it has some of the best coastline and beaches in the world then take a trip up to Scotland for it's magnificent ruggedness and beautiful it's Lochs.

Add the 1000's of years of history, not just a couple of hundred like a lot of countries and it knocks spots off most places.

it's the 14 page form you have to fill in in a foreign language (Form has to be filled in in English, regardless of whether you're a tourist from China, Thailand or Burkina Faso) to get a TOURIST visa.

How many countries would you go to as a tourist if the first thing you had to do was fill in a 14 page form in their language, then go and get fingerprinted, then pay a ridiculous amount of money to apply for the visa (with no guarantee that the visa will be granted...)

It's hardly surprising that the people entering the UK as a tourist don't want to leave. They simply don't want to have to go through all that hassle ever again...

[marcusd]

Phuket is now a high cost place to visit. It is not cheap. Price fluxuations,are normal. A shit hole hotel in London costs a small fortune. English people the world over are know for whinging and moaning and,want cheap. But their own country is,expensive.

If people dont want to.pay the prices ANYWHERE they will not go to that place and numbers will determine pricing.

Same in Phuket. I agree the place is getting expensive but that is more Patong. Other parts are better.

If too expensive to go... Stay home

[lavender19]

Suprise bloody surprise. The GBP had been punching well above it's weight for way too long. Little wonder reality had to set in at some time.

If 44 THB to the 1 GBP is't good enough anymore, there's other places around the world that are cheaper. Stop your ccomplaining though.

Why has the pound been doing that then.Please enlighten us.

[NamKangMan]

The financial problems of Europe will repeat themselves in Thailand , just wait and see when mouldy Thai rice cannot be sold to the International market

Unfortunately those few words will reverberate throughout the world, i spend the rainy season in the Algarve in Portugal, years ago it was populated by so many Brits, they owned the Algarve, the bars the restaurants and many businesses, today they are virtually gone, businesses empty and very few Brits around, why, high costs in Portugal, after the introduction of the Euro it's not worth it to go there anymore, it's not cheap anymore, the conversion rate is to low so they stay away and so does their money, listen to this well Thailand, Cambodia is just next door.

You have just described Phuket's, and Thailand's, tourism industry future quite well. It's exactly what will happen here.

Personally, I give it about 8 years. The aging expat community, with their shrinking pensions/superannuation, will not be able to hold the place up, and Phuket, as a holiday destination, will have well and truly lost it's shine.

It's really not about "Cheap Charlie." It's about quality of lifestyle, and the value for money for that quality of lifestyle.

Phuket is providing neither at the moment.

Gee, it's BIG local news that we MAY (probably not) be getting a bus service. How behind the times is that????

Edited March 22, 2013 by NamKangMan