Advice for young single guy moving to Phuket

[Simmo1823]

Hi Guys

Maybe not the questions your expecting from a young single guy moving to Phuket this summer.

I work in the oil industry for half the year and will be spending 5 months in Phuket.

My reason for moving is so I can save most my income to fund a business. So my budget will be around 100,000 Bht a month. What kind of lifestyle can I lead with this? I've read something about prices but it would be nice to hear anyone who lives on similar.

I'm single but not really into go go bars. Is Patong the only place where you can find western holiday maker girls? Reading through these forums Karon and Kata sound quiet. Or is that just in comparison? I don't have total control but will be trying to spend as much as the quiet season away at work.

I actually spent some time in Karon with a gf 5 years ago but it was during the rainy season and was pretty dead to be fair. We had a night in Patong which was pretty mad as far as I remember. But like I said was with my gf of the time so wasn't really looking for what would interest me now.

I'll be training martial arts twice a day 6 days a week at a gym in Chalong but do not want to live there as it seems boring. From this gym I google maps says Patong is 30 mins away and Kata 20 mins. Not too bad if I hire a bike I guess to live somewhere fun.

Also I'll be looking for some bar work on the night times, don't really care about being payed, maybe a few free beers. I just enjoy it for the craic, meeting people and working in hospitality as my future business is included in this industry. Anybody know anybody wanting a good cheap barman in a busy bar let me know.

Plus this with the training at the gym will stop me partying most nights of the week. Don't get me wrong I can party with the best of the oil n gas guys and miners but it gets boring after a while.

Another thing I was thinking is I'll take an apartment on my own if i have to but I'd much rather share a place with some other young people if I could. I guess the fact I'll be renting on a one month basis at a time makes this extremely difficult but maybe there's people advertising in newspapers for spare rooms for rent? Any ideas on that would be great.

Please note I'm aware I could live in the North, Pattaya or a hundred other places that are cheaper that will allow me to save more but I like to have a life too and the beach life, martial arts and some partying is why I have chosen Phuket so any suggestions to move to Chiang Mai will be respectfully laughed at. I like shops, bars, beaches, sports and restaurants.

Also I love sailing, hiking, rock climbing, playing football, bit of golf and snorkelling. And of course eating out and partying. Any young guys/girls out there wanna meet up when I arrive give me a shout.

Thanks very much for any advice, I've gotten a lot of good info from this forum already so cheers

Dan

[iancnx]

My initial reaction was don't do it. But then I saw martial arts so presume you are a disciplined guy who can take care of yourself. Don't underestimated the scumbags in Phuket. Why not try Koh Tao .... Go take a look over there, you might even meet a good bunch of people who share you outdoor pursuits. For you budget you can live like a King. Will be interested to see how things pan out for you so will follow this with interest.

[Simmo1823]

Thanks Ian, I'll google Koh Tao.

[hansgruber]

My initial reaction was don't do it. But then I saw martial arts so presume you are a disciplined guy who can take care of yourself. Don't underestimated the scumbags in Phuket. Why not try Koh Tao .... Go take a look over there, you might even meet a good bunch of people who share you outdoor pursuits. For you budget you can live like a King. Will be interested to see how things pan out for you so will follow this with interest.

What a load of rubbish. Have you even been to Phuket?

To the Op, 100k a month is plenty for a single guy. I have friends that work offshore and live here half the year comfortable.

[Simmo1823]

Thanks aswell Hans, out of interest which part of the island would you live in as a young single guy looking for fun, tourist girls and have a good social life?

[iancnx]

My initial reaction was don't do it. But then I saw martial arts so presume you are a disciplined guy who can take care of yourself. Don't underestimated the scumbags in Phuket. Why not try Koh Tao .... Go take a look over there, you might even meet a good bunch of people who share you outdoor pursuits. For you budget you can live like a King. Will be interested to see how things pan out for you so will follow this with interest.

What a load of rubbish. Have you even been to Phuket?

To the Op, 100k a month is plenty for a single guy. I have friends that work offshore and live here half the year comfortable.

Yes I have thanks. 6 times in the past 8 years staying 4*. Not planning a return thanks very much, there are far better options in my opinion. But I do know (quite wealthy) people who own property and they love it in fairness. Just not for me. Edited February 2, 2014 by iancnx

[robertthebruce]

Hi

Reading your post, i think you would be more suited to ''Patong''.... It has all that you are looking for , , worth a try, if it does not work out, easy to uproot and move...

[cornishcarlos]

Stay away from Phuket....

I know you have a decent budget to live on but Phuket is over priced and full of scammers.

There are gyms all over Thailand, maybe not all English speaking but what do you need to say at a gym !! Train me... (learn how to say that)

Why not Koh Phangan or as someone else mentioned Koh Tao.. You'll find all you need on those islands and a much more chilled existence

[phuketsub]

You are in quite an enviable position.

I think having that much of a budget would lead to trouble for a lot of young people, but you seem pretty mature and reasonable in your expectations.

You can get by very well for about 50,000 baht/mo here as a single guy, so I would advise setting a monthly budget for yourself and socking away some cash for the future: I wish I had done a better job in that regard.

Kata/Karon will be more built up than you remember it, but it still gets quiet in the low season which is not far away. You'll get a great deal on an apartment anywhere on the island due to the oversupply situation...

Sharing a place with people you have never met before does not seem wise to me. You will meet plenty of people through your martial arts training and other social and recreational activities you enjoy.

[Blindside]

Agree with Hans. 100 000 is plenty if you don't go off the rails. Also the M arts will keep you busy and focused.

I would not recommend "bar work" you need a WP to do any type of work here and even if you are not getting paid it can be a problem. You will be visible and it is too much of a risk especially considering you will not need the money.

On the Western woman front, its a difficult one. There are lots of western girls to be sure, many are Russian (so language I assume will be a problem) - its a bit hard to say really - I think you will have to see when you get here.

If I were you I would stay in Patong (I personally hate the place - but reading what you are seeking it seems the right place.)

Just two pieces of advice - stay with the Martial Arits do not just party for 5 months - DO NOT drink and drive!

Come and enjoy your time.

[Simmo1823]

Good stuff guys. I kinda chose Phuket as it has a top class Brazilian ju jitsu school which is what I train mostly, Muay Thai for me is more fun and fitness so it's quite important which gym I go to. I know there's fantastic Muay Thai gyms everywhere but Sod's law Im moving to Thailand not to study it primarily lol.

Carlos, I did look into Koh Phanang a tiny bit but I thought it might get boring on such a small island? I'd be happily told otherwise buddy

Cheers.

[cornishcarlos]

Well if you are wanting to study Brazilian at a specific gym, then Phuket it is

You can always go for a cruise to visit other places if you feel the need.

I used to live closer to Phuket town, which I preferred to the more tourist locations. You can get to the beach if you need to or head into town and meet some 'normal' folk too.

Away from the beaches you can pick up a real nice furnished apartment for 20K, if you aren't partying every night then your budget allows for eating well and all monthly expenses.

Be careful on the roads and have a cracking time...

[Simmo1823]

Haha, gotta be honest I'm a bit nervous about the motorbike, I'm 6'3 18 stone and will look a right tit bumbling along on a small moped at 20 Mph but better safe than sorry.

Blindside: regarding the bar work, yeah the money's not important but I'd love to work in one, is there a way I can get a permit for that? Is it pretty hot with police checking people have the correct work permits? I backpacked a lot last year and not many places I went could I not have got a job in the hostel bar if I wanted without a WP.

That will be a shame if that is the case.

[iancnx]

Cannot work in a bar buddy or even volunteer. Work permits here are normally only issued to professions that mainstream Thais could not work in. There are voluntary WP possible, but suggest maybe not what you are looking for right now.

[steelepulse]

With your ample budget, I would rent a car for the daily commute to Chalong and skip the bike. I don't think it's much fun riding a motorbike an hour a day to and from Chalong quite often in the rain.

[Blindside]

Haha, gotta be honest I'm a bit nervous about the motorbike, I'm 6'3 18 stone and will look a right tit bumbling along on a small moped at 20 Mph but better safe than sorry.

Blindside: regarding the bar work, yeah the money's not important but I'd love to work in one, is there a way I can get a permit for that? Is it pretty hot with police checking people have the correct work permits? I backpacked a lot last year and not many places I went could I not have got a job in the hostel bar if I wanted without a WP.

That will be a shame if that is the case.

Simmo I must confess I am not in the know about WP's in the "entertainment" industry.

You do need a permit to work, even for volunteer work! That I know for sure.

I also know that many bars etc. in Patong pay bribes etc. to various "types" of people. It is alleged that this includes the police. This means that you are highly visible. If you look around the forums you will see that even many farang bar owners cannot work in their own bars.

Are WP's available for this? I think we might have to ask if any of the members in the industry know.

[sustento]

Keep your willie in your pants

Don't marry the first girl who smiles at you

Simples!!!

[Simmo1823]

I would prefer a car tbh, what would a good deal be to hire a car for one month?

[Naam]

Also I'll be looking for some bar work on the night times, don't really care about being payed, maybe a few free beers.

[Blindside]

Car would be between 12000 and 15000 p/month.

[jocko]

Keep your willie in your pants

Don't marry the first girl who smiles at you

Simples!!!

Simple for sure but not so easy to carry out.

You are surrounded by sweet young girls with weapons of mass destruction and they are very well trained.

A car is the safe bet for you the roads are busy on your intended route.

With a bit of care you will have a ball but don't forget health insurance in case of accident or illness as travel insurance will not cover you for that amount of time.

Good luck.

[Simmo1823]

Blindside, Jocko much appreciated.

[LeungKen]

Here's a few tips :-

More here :- http://www.roughguides.com/article/facts-about-thailand/

[stevenl]

With your ample budget, I would rent a car for the daily commute to Chalong and skip the bike. I don't think it's much fun riding a motorbike an hour a day to and from Chalong quite often in the rain.

He will be here mainly in high season. So with increased traffic and less rain I would always prefer a bike over a car.

[Somtamnication]

Beware of the strange alien creatures that have long black hair, dark skinned, tiny tits and always smile. Their grip of death is forever.

[CFC]

If you are going to be training twice a day in the same gym, you want to get your apartment close to the gym. You will soon get pissed off spending ages doing a lot of travelling each day and the less time you spend on thai roads the better, especially if you are on a bike. With 100k a month you can easily afford a car but you will waste a lot of time due to traffic.

Edited February 2, 2014 by CFC

[Simmo1823]

Thanks CFC.

Yeah the trainings split apart by many hours but thought most days I'd relax at the gym, go to kata beach 15 mins away or pay and go in a local hotel pool on the same street as the gym.

Actually the guys who mentioned about going somewhere different made me do some more research. Found a great gym on Koh Samui. What you fellas reckon on Phuket vs Koh Samui? I actually spent 3 days there and forgot how big the island was. Must have been thinking about Koh phanang. My memory is terrible!

[umbanda]

Young, with that budget, and into Capoeira?....Your place in Asia is not Phuket..it is in Bali.....Ubud, Sanur Beach, you name it....In Bali you also can live on the hills but few minutes from the best beaches, full of "healthy" young people..specially from Brazil and Australia.....I live in Thailand because I am retired=old.....I am Brazilian.....Believe me....Bali it is the place to be a young foreigner in Asia, and not getting into trouble.........if you cannot live in Rio de Janeiro or Salvador....Probably your next trip?

[Mrjlh]

Better check into which VISA you need.

[Simmo1823]

Haha, cheers Umbanda.

Capoeiras not really my sport. I was in Rio last week and now working by San Sebastián so I know all about Brazil.

Thailands for sure the place for me. Beautiful beaches, world class training and cheap cheap cheap. From what I've heard Bali is chock full of 'Stralians and I have enough of them living with 2 of them in Vancouver.