Phuket struggling to battle taxi and nightclubs 'mafia'

[Larry001]

Question: With all the stuff I read here I am concerned about a trip to Phuket. Have lived in LOS for 3 years been to Pattaya. No issues gf the ladies away. She has one mean look lOL

Question is. Is it still worthwhile if you are not a starry eyed farang to go t Phuket. I was there in the late 90's and loved it.

No!!!! There are plenty of much nicer places in Thailand. Pattaya itself runs rings around Phuket. Its also big enough to avoid the most corrupted areas.

[kiwiinasia]

People people people, calm down, help is at hand..

The ‘Cooperation Centre To Prevent and Suppress Powerful People Threatening Phuket’s Tourism’ will get to the bottom of it and everything will be ok again soon.

[hawker9000]

"Whether reputation of Phuket as one of the kingdom′s leading tourist attractions has been permanently damaged is yet to be seen."

Yes it has.

No it hasn't. Expats and long term visitors that know about these stories are a negligible minority in the grand scheme of things, sure down the pub people will complain but ask average tourists at a hotel and they are completely oblivious. Jetski stories don't travel very far believe or not. If anything Phuket is a victim of it's own success, overcrowding, lower value for money, pollution, etc.

And you know all this concerning what the average tourist knows, how? Are you standing in hotel lobbies taking surveys or what?

[iSabai]

It is as safe as anywhere else, where there is people there is crime. If you have something inside your head then you will be safe, or as safe as you would anywhere else in the world.

Say's someone whose been here 5 minutes.

Serious question: Am I the only one wondering if 'lee b' is a real person, or just some kind of 'post-bot' thing? He (it) seems to add generic one-line comments to every thread without ever saying anything particularly meaningful, compelling, or controversial.

Sorry to 'lee b' if I'm off the mark here.

[mok199]

wow thats a shock...amd to think i was so blind....corruption at the high levels ....who knew.....come visit amazing ''romanic''thailand.....hehehe

[andreandre]

It is as safe as anywhere else, where there is people there is crime. If you have something inside your head then you will be safe, or as safe as you would anywhere else in the world.

Say's someone whose been here 5 minutes.

Serious question: Am I the only one wondering if 'lee b' is a real person, or just some kind of 'post-bot' thing? He (it) seems to add generic one-line comments to every thread without ever saying anything particularly meaningful, compelling, or controversial.

Sorry to 'lee b' if I'm off the mark here.

Been thinking the same, but couldn't find the right way of saying it as you did....well said..

[razer]

When the criminals are more powerful than the government, what can be done?

[hawker9000]

When the criminals are more powerful than the government, what can be done?

...or perhaps ARE the government! ('Course that's just a hypothetical. :-) )