Living in Phuket

[scubajunky]

HI,

I may be offered a job in Phuket at 130k per month plus 21k housing. I would be working in Phuket Town.

What is Phuket like to live in ? is it just a holiday bubble but poor place to live ?

I dont want to be lonely there and just viewed as a tourist constantly getting ripped off etc.

Is there a good expat community there ?

Is it easy to get away from the hustle and bustle and get some peace and quiet at the weekends etc ?

Any advice, help, tips much appreciated. I am a 38 year old single British guy.

Thanks in advance, quick replies much appreciated.

[N47HAN]

Theres going to be a mixed selection of replies to this.

But for me , go for it . Steady income it will go a long way here for normal living.

Pockets of expats all over , including Phuket Town.

You can lead the life you choose . Quiet , relaxed and if your ever in the mood a visit to party town is only 20 minutes away.

[NomadJoe]

Before I reply, 130k and 21k what. Baht?

Edited December 3, 2013 by NomadJoe

[stevenl]

Before I reply, 130k and 21k what. Baht?

Joe

Even if Baht, excellent salary for Phuket.

If your username gives any indication about the job though: not one divecompany will give a salary anywhere near that.

[LivinginKata]

Before I reply, 130k and 21k what. Baht?

What other currency would you think it was. You think it's 130 GBP per month. Come on Joe, you know the deal. 130k Baht/month and 21k Baht/month will give a good living style.

The OP need not worry, there are plenty of life styles available here, from the secluded to the party. I have no doubt that the OP can find whatever lifestyle suits him - no worries.

[steelepulse]

You should be OK with that, unless you're into fine dining on a nightly basis and stepping out often. With the budget you're working with, you can either save a few baht each month and live a pretty normal lifestyle or blow it all and live it up pretty well. There's a few good facebook groups regarding Phuket where you can get more info in regards to whatever your interests would be about if you lived here. There's something for everyone here, but of course there are downsides such as traffic, higher cost of living then other parts of Thailand etc.

[phuketrichard]

thats DAM great MOney. you'll live fine if u keep ur rent under 50,000/month which will be easy in Phuket town

Phuket is like living anywhere on earth

some good, some bad. Its all what you make out of it

[N47HAN]

Hehehe ,

Maybe read the figures wrong if it is in the dive buisiness 13,000.00k salary and 2,100.00 housing would be closer to the mark , hope hes not about to get a nasty surprise lol

[scubajunky]

It is Teaching in an International School. It is not a typo it is 130k bhat and 21k baht housing.

Is Phuket a nice place to live ? and is it pretty safe with a good expat community ? is it like living in a tourist bubble or is that aspect pretty easy to avoid and escape ?

[Felt 35]

It is Teaching in an International School. It is not a typo it is 130k bhat and 21k baht housing.

Is Phuket a nice place to live ? and is it pretty safe with a good expat community ? is it like living in a tourist bubble or is that aspect pretty easy to avoid and escape ?

Nice, its a place to make money for the Thais with a few retired grumpy foreigners in between.. A normal lifestyle is safe. Yes Phuket is a tourist bubble but Phuket town have a few soi`s left with some local Thai style living left but the local Government try hard to make all Phuket touristic. 45 min driving North and you are in a more local Thai surrounding. Your salary is plenty for living a good life anywhere in Phuket unless a month is 30 nights in Bangla.

[phuketjock]

It is Teaching in an International School. It is not a typo it is 130k bhat and 21k baht housing.

Is Phuket a nice place to live ? and is it pretty safe with a good expat community ? is it like living in a tourist bubble or is that aspect pretty easy to avoid and escape ?

It is not easy to answer your question " Is Phuket a nice place to live ? " It depends entirely what your idea of " Nice " is

It is as safe as any place to live assuming you behave rationally like most expats who live here. I live in the most popular

tourist beach on the island and if I wanted to live in a "tourist bubble " I could but I don't so it is not. Phuket is the same as

just about anywhere in the world to live it is largely what you make of it. You will find expats of all kinds here from just about

every country in the world and from right across the spectrum. You can mix with whom you wish and easily avoid those you

do not wish to mix with. Good luck and welcome to our island I hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,

phuketjock.

Edited December 3, 2013 by phuketjock

[stevenl]

It is Teaching in an International School. It is not a typo it is 130k bhat and 21k baht housing.

Is Phuket a nice place to live ?  and is it pretty safe with a good expat community ? is it like living in a tourist bubble or is that aspect pretty easy to avoid and escape ?

Extremely high salary for any kind of teaching. I don't trust this.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[KarenBravo]

If it's at an international school, wage is about par.

[robertthebruce]

Hi

I have been here for just over 3 years, moved from the South of France, which i ended up hating, (after 15 years), so i did take my time..

anyway, for me, Phuket suits me , my lifestyle (quiet as it is), but i like the nice weather, the nice beaches, the good variety of Restaurants...

No complaints, apart from the Mad Driving...

all the best and enjoy if you do decide to take the job offer..

I am a great believer life is what you make of it....

Cheers

[andreandre]

It is Teaching in an International School. It is not a typo it is 130k bhat and 21k baht housing.

Is Phuket a nice place to live ? and is it pretty safe with a good expat community ? is it like living in a tourist bubble or is that aspect pretty easy to avoid and escape ?

Extremely high salary for any kind of teaching. I don't trust this.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Extremely high salary for any kind of teaching. I don't trust this.

Rubbish! A teacher i know was getting 100K BAHT salary alone back in 2009 plus extras ,,by 2014 scubajunkys package is not at all ''extremely high"

Your 'trust meter' needs re calibrating...

[durianfan]

Which international school? The housing allowance seems low.

[danphuket]

I personally like it here. Yes, I can hear many complaints from those who stay for a while that it is getting crowded, but still it is a beautiful place.

My random thoughts about Phuket and Thailand in general:

1) Love their language culture. Unique Thai view of the world and your place in it. All these: sabai, mai pen rai, grengjai, sia naa, nam jai and so on. They also respect old people and value family, which is great from my point of view.

Beautiful language. I am kind of hooked on to the sounds. The way they speak is very soft and melodic

2) Yes, Thais do rip off foreigners, like in many other tourist destinations. On the other hand there are plenty of decent people here

3) Well mannered nation. Talk to most of them, even from the poorest neighborhoods and they will be still smiling and respectful

4) They accept that you are a foreigner and are tolerant to cultural mistakes that you will make occasionally

5) Plenty of good restaurants everywhere on the island

6) Decent amount of associations, social clubs for English speaking community

7) There are still good beaches here, especially in the norther part of the island

8) It is easy to get away to nearby islands on weekends. Considering your salary it won't be expensive. You can also easily fly from here to countries nearby

9) It can be a holiday bubble if you don't work here. There are things that I am missing sometimes, available at big cities. Exhibitions, large bookstores, clubs with shared interest in a hobby, like photography, language

10) I have been to many countries in Asia, Europe and Africa and in my opinion Thai girls are the most beautiful and charming. They are good wives as well. Might be an important factor for you since you are single (and even if you are not)

[pairadocks]

It is Teaching in an International School. It is not a typo it is 130k bhat and 21k baht housing.

Is Phuket a nice place to live ? and is it pretty safe with a good expat community ? is it like living in a tourist bubble or is that aspect pretty easy to avoid and escape ?

Extremely high salary for any kind of teaching. I don't trust this.

Sent from my D90W using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

He is spot on for either PIA or the British school. Had a great six years teaching at one of them in Phuket. Not sure why you have to live in phuket town. There are a number of nice communities to consider without having a nasty commute. Should you decide to take the plunge scubajunky, you will have a good time and surely save some money while you're at it.

[scubajunky]

Thanks so far to everyone who has responded. Sounds like a cool place to be.

My concerns about the island being a tourist bubble seem off the mark which is great. I just want a good time with no hassle in a great school.

Thanks

[Jasun]

Go for it. Its a great place to live, especially if you are single. Your salary will allow you to live comfortably anywhere, but don't stray too far from work so you don't have to deal with traffic. You'll have your weekends and school holidays for great days at the beach, night outs in town and exploring the region. It's easy enough to meet people, especially when you're working.

[phuketrichard]

if ur at PIA plenty of nice places around that area for under 50,000

BIS Cheun Chun Lagoon or even the boat lagoon for 50

Or even Laguna beach area.

You will NEED a car ( rainy season) so figure that into ur budget 200,000-......up.

I love Phuket, been here since 1984 an raised a daughter here (she was at Dulwich (now bis) and Qsi

As i said its same as everywhere, goood an bad, You will fit in somewhere BUT being single an teaching........Avoid Patong

[ozyjon]

Living in Phuket "Been there done that --left for good--

but i would go there for the money

[Suradit69]

Is there a good expat community there ?

I've lived in 4 different countries, aside from my "home" country, over the past 40 years and could never figure out why someone would choose to live/work "abroad" and then immediately want to isolate himself from his new environment by clinging to an exclusionary "community" of expats.

I understand that some help in acclimating to the local situation might be sought from people who have gone through the same experience, although if you're going to work wherever you settle that sort of support would usually be available at work. But this colonial-esque rush to avoid the "natives" and only associate with the (self styled) pukka sahib is a mystery. If one's intention is to pretend he's still back in England or America or wherever, why not stay there and save the bother?

Certainly if you've spent any time reading the threads on Thai Visa you'd have to be rather cautious about being sucked into the cabal of whining, moaning farang whose only social activity is complaining about how horrible everything is here and how wonderful it was back in the country from which they fled.

Edited December 4, 2013 by Suradit69

[stevenl]

Is there a good expat community there ?

I've lived in 4 different countries, aside from my "home" country, over the past 40 years and could never figure out why someone would choose to live/work "abroad" and then immediately want to isolate himself from his new environment by clinging to an exclusionary "community" of expats.

I understand that some help in acclimating to the local situation might be sought from people who have gone through the same experience, although if you're going to work wherever you settle that sort of support would usually be available at work. But this colonial-esque rush to avoid the "natives" and only associate with the (self styled) pukka sahib is a mystery. If one's intention is to pretend he's still back in England or America or wherever, why not stay there and save the bother?

Certainly if you've spent any time reading the threads on Thai Visa you'd have to be rather cautious about being sucked into the cabal of whining, moaning farang whose only social activity is complaining about how horrible everything is here and how wonderful it was back in the country from which they fled.

There is a big difference between wanting the occasional contact with foreigners and 'isolation from the new environment'.

[Anders W Ferslev]

yes, it s very nice to live here in Phuket.. im a Bakery & Pastry Chef here in Laguna phuket..

there is many expats living here, so i think you will be happy if you come.

the salary and housing they give you, it s ok for a nice life here.

[LivinginKata]

Posts removed - members trading insults.

[nedkellylives]

150K bat/$5000 a month you can live very well here and also save a lot of money

Live well in most countries with that amount of money to spend a month

Plenty of expats here who never go to the tourist areas to waste there money

[durianfan]

You will NEED a car ( rainy season) so figure that into ur budget 200,000-......up.

Absolutely. You will definitely need a car so start saving now. Unless you are married to a Thai bird you won't be able to buy one until you get your work permit (if you buy one new). Prices are about double that of the US when it comes to vehicles.

[stevenl]

You will NEED a car ( rainy season) so figure that into ur budget 200,000-......up.

Absolutely. You will definitely need a car so start saving now. Unless you are married to a Thai bird you won't be able to buy one until you get your work permit (if you buy one new). Prices are about double that of the US when it comes to vehicles.

Workpermit is not required to buy a car or put a car in one's name.

[vincent13]

What is Phuket like to live in ? is it just a holiday bubble but poor place to live ?

I lived in Patong for almost 3 years which is on the western or "tourist" side of the island. Phuket Town is on the eastern side and is not a "tourist" town. It would probably be OK to live there during the week but personally I wouldn't want to be there during my "recreation" time. Having said that, Patong and the other beaches on the western side are only 30 minutes (if that) or so away.

I dont want to be lonely there and just viewed as a tourist constantly getting ripped off etc.

Can't imagine anyone being lonely no matter where they lived in Phuket. You will quickly adjust to pricing and learn the fair value for goods and services.

Is there a good expat community there ?

I don't know about Phuket Town specifically but there are "good expat" communities all over the island.

Is it easy to get away from the hustle and bustle and get some peace and quiet at the weekends etc ?

Yes, either in Phuket or just to the north in Phang Nga or to the east in Krabi. Alternatively, the low cost carrier airlines have cheap flights from Phuket to many destination both inside and outside of Thailand.

Personally, I think you'd be mad not to avail yourself of this opportunity. Salary and rental allowance quoted are easily enough to live a very comfortable lifestyle in Phuket.

Good luck and go for it!