Phuket, Pearl of the Andaman, remains star attraction in southern Thailand

[webfact]

Phuket, Pearl of the Andaman, remains star attraction in southern Thailand
By Digital Content



PHUKET, April 16 – Tourism in Thailand’s southern region, particularly in the resort town of Phuket, widely known as the Pearl of the Andaman Sea, remains bright and positive, according to the Thai Hotels Association (THA).

Krisada Tansakul, president of the THA Southern Chapter, said the political crisis has not hindered tourism in Phuket which has enjoyed continued growth since early this year.

He said hotel occupancy will drop slightly after the Songkran festival but tourists from neighbouring countries including China, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia will continue coming, contributing to an overall positive trend for the entire year.

Hotel bookings this year have improved compared to last year and a survey by the THA Southern Chapter found a 60-70 occupancy rate for three- and four-star hotels, he said.

He said the association has cooperated with tourism-related businesses in penetrating overseas markets by organising road shows to Beijing, Shanghai and other Chinese cities late this month, and to Sapporo, Hokkaido of Japan in June.


There will be major events during the year-end high tourism season, he said, adding that many tourists fly directly to Phuket without making a stopover in Bangkok. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-04-16

[clockman]

Black Pearl!

[SeanPhuket]

Of course it is. Everywhere is better then polluted China and a very cold Russia!

[andre47]

Pearl of the Andaman ???

Overpriced pearl of mafia and rip off....

There are much more attractive places around the Andaman. It depends what people are looking for...

[Som wat]

Beautiful place with beautiful people.

Well done Paradise Phuket.

[eezergood]

Picture taken circa 1985

[fatdrunkandstupid]

Picture taken circa 1985

Yep. They really have to stop using photos that were taken in the 80's. It is so obvious and so very pathetic.

Look at those lovely big beachside trees. There used to be the same at Patong and Surin...now there is just concrete. The trees have long since been cut down, despite the fact they were in National Park.

[LivinginKata]

Troll post removed

[WoopyDoo]

Pearl of the Andaman?

rubbish, it is nothing compared to some of the islands.

[Som wat]

Pearl Necklace of the Andaman perhaps.

[DLP]

Good advert for Phuket

[Hugh Geen]

<link removed>

There is a problem with heavy traffic and garbage/trash/litter everywhere but Phuket is still very lovely. I swim in Patong Bay nearly every day and it is not half as dirty as people make out. Yes, most of the coral is dead but a sand shark swam round me last year. Patong and Surin beaches still have trees along their entire length and Laem Sing, Yanui and Nai Thon beaches are very beautiful. For 4 months every year the high season tourists do spoil things a bit I admit.

Edited April 16, 2014 by LivinginKata
Forum rule 26)

[xylophone]

Read an article the other day regarding the building of some new accommodation in Patong, and the blurb that went with this, went something along these lines, "Patong, with its beautiful beaches and world-class amenities, shopping and facilities.............". I'm sure you get the picture.

Don't really know what planet these people are on because within 50 m of the back of Jungceylon (world-class shopping facility?) There is a huge hole in the road full of rubbish and putrid smelling black water/sewerage run-off, next to that is an unfinished piece of dirt road, and another 50 yards down the road is yet another piece of unfinished dirt road.

Travel around the Jungceylon complex on a motorbike/scooter and risk a serious accident from the many potholes which have been there for some time, or indeed get knocked off by one of the many tuk tuk and vans, vying for spaces.

Experience the nightlife in Bangla Road, but don't go during the daytime because the place is full of rubbish and filth and drains which emit nauseating sewerage fumes, although they do that just about 24 hours a day.

Take a look a few metres above your head at the absolute tangle of wiring wrapped around power poles, ranging from telephone and TV lines to high-voltage lines and wonder at how safe they are – – well they are not.

There is absolutely no way on this planet that the &lt;deleted&gt;-hole called Patong is world-class in anything, and the problem is that it is getting worse.

I wonder when the last time the Governor was shown the sights I have mentioned above, or would it be too embarrassing to admit that the place is a mess, suffering from lack of planning, and corruption so bad that they are ruining a once promising resort, and the only folk who will continue to come to this place will be those who can buy a seat on an aeroplane for $200 and spend a week sitting at cheap bars starting at 10:30 a.m. in the morning.

[eezergood]

Read an article the other day regarding the building of some new accommodation in Patong, and the blurb that went with this, went something along these lines, "Patong, with its beautiful beaches and world-class amenities, shopping and facilities.............". I'm sure you get the picture.

Don't really know what planet these people are on because within 50 m of the back of Jungceylon (world-class shopping facility?) There is a huge hole in the road full of rubbish and putrid smelling black water/sewerage run-off, next to that is an unfinished piece of dirt road, and another 50 yards down the road is yet another piece of unfinished dirt road.

Travel around the Jungceylon complex on a motorbike/scooter and risk a serious accident from the many potholes which have been there for some time, or indeed get knocked off by one of the many tuk tuk and vans, vying for spaces.

Experience the nightlife in Bangla Road, but don't go during the daytime because the place is full of rubbish and filth and drains which emit nauseating sewerage fumes, although they do that just about 24 hours a day.

Take a look a few metres above your head at the absolute tangle of wiring wrapped around power poles, ranging from telephone and TV lines to high-voltage lines and wonder at how safe they are – – well they are not.

There is absolutely no way on this planet that the <deleted>-hole called Patong is world-class in anything, and the problem is that it is getting worse.

I wonder when the last time the Governor was shown the sights I have mentioned above, or would it be too embarrassing to admit that the place is a mess, suffering from lack of planning, and corruption so bad that they are ruining a once promising resort, and the only folk who will continue to come to this place will be those who can buy a seat on an aeroplane for $200 and spend a week sitting at cheap bars starting at 10:30 a.m. in the morning.

The fact that the G'vnr never comes to Patong, unanounced, without a ridiculous motorcade & a plethora of armed close protection personnel speaks volumes in itself!

[NamKangMan]

Read an article the other day regarding the building of some new accommodation in Patong, and the blurb that went with this, went something along these lines, "Patong, with its beautiful beaches and world-class amenities, shopping and facilities.............". I'm sure you get the picture.

Don't really know what planet these people are on because within 50 m of the back of Jungceylon (world-class shopping facility?) There is a huge hole in the road full of rubbish and putrid smelling black water/sewerage run-off, next to that is an unfinished piece of dirt road, and another 50 yards down the road is yet another piece of unfinished dirt road.

Travel around the Jungceylon complex on a motorbike/scooter and risk a serious accident from the many potholes which have been there for some time, or indeed get knocked off by one of the many tuk tuk and vans, vying for spaces.

Experience the nightlife in Bangla Road, but don't go during the daytime because the place is full of rubbish and filth and drains which emit nauseating sewerage fumes, although they do that just about 24 hours a day.

Take a look a few metres above your head at the absolute tangle of wiring wrapped around power poles, ranging from telephone and TV lines to high-voltage lines and wonder at how safe they are – – well they are not.

There is absolutely no way on this planet that the <deleted>-hole called Patong is world-class in anything, and the problem is that it is getting worse.

I wonder when the last time the Governor was shown the sights I have mentioned above, or would it be too embarrassing to admit that the place is a mess, suffering from lack of planning, and corruption so bad that they are ruining a once promising resort, and the only folk who will continue to come to this place will be those who can buy a seat on an aeroplane for $200 and spend a week sitting at cheap bars starting at 10:30 a.m. in the morning.

"Don't really know what planet these people are on" - Planet Phuket, of course.

Patong Beach and Bangla Road is Phuket's biggest tourist attraction, and it's everything you describe.

"the only folk who will continue to come to this place will be those who can buy a seat on an aeroplane for $200 and spend a week sitting at cheap bars starting at 10:30 a.m. in the morning." - yes, it is becoming like Pattaya, and it will not just be confined to Patong.

[starkey_rich]

Tourism in Thailand’s southern region, particularly in the resort town of Phuket.

Phuket Town a resort ????

[mayas73]

I have been thinking of moving to phuket soon and as i havent been there before i will visit a few times of course before i do.but i see on this forum(which is great by the way-very entertaining!) many stories of good and bad concerning phuket. i am an australian-not a drunken bogan and will be moving there with my malay gf-not a bargirl.i work mining fifo in australia and will fly back and forth biut my gf will stay there. what dangers will we face and will she be safe there by herself while i am away? we have been living in kl and it surely couldnt be worse than that rathole.any ideas and feedback would be very welcome. thank you.

[Hugh Geen]

I must admit I was shocked at the state of the water at the southern end of Kata beach when I went there yesterday. Grey colored sewage with floating trash best describes it but what was amazing was the number of Russians in deckchairs with their feet in it and people paddling to a tourist stall right in the middle of it against the cliff face there!

[Jubes]

I have been thinking of moving to phuket soon and as i havent been there before i will visit a few times of course before i do.but i see on this forum(which is great by the way-very entertaining!) many stories of good and bad concerning phuket. i am an australian-not a drunken bogan and will be moving there with my malay gf-not a bargirl.i work mining fifo in australia and will fly back and forth biut my gf will stay there. what dangers will we face and will she be safe there by herself while i am away? we have been living in kl and it surely couldnt be worse than that rathole.any ideas and feedback would be very welcome. thank you.

surely a step up from kl but only just, great parts to the island but far and few between anymore, maybe best to visit first before living permanently, As for being a safe place its just like any other place in the world that has crime and the like, if you don't know the saying TIT yet you have a lot to learn and you will get schooled. Good luck