Aloha From Maui: Phuket Vs. Samui For Disabled

[Maui John]

Aloha,

My name is John and I live on the island of Maui. In October we will be helping a wheelchair bound friend (legs paralyzed) move to Thailand. She lives on a fixed income and Maui has become too expensive. Here are some questions based upon what I've read in the forum archives:

1) Does Samui have a higher cost of living than Phuket? In researching hotels on both islands, Samui is more expensive with much smaller low season discounts. It also seems that on Samui foreigners pay higher prices than locals. Can someone very familar with both places give us a clear idea of how the cost of living compares?

2) She will be turning 50 before too long and once that occurs, may apply for the retirement visa. Until that time she will need to make visa runs. Traveling can be a challenge in a wheelchair. From which island is it easier to do visa runs? Am I right to say that it's easier from Phuket as she can fly directly to Penang or Ranong? Is it possible to do a visa run in one day from either island? On paper Samui seems more complex for visa runs, is that a correct conclusion?

3) She is fairly independent but will need to hire someone to help her with things like house cleaning, shopping, and some cooking. What is the average daily / monthly costs for such an employee? Are there companies that provide this service?

4) She only has perhaps 5 more years to live as people with spinal cord injuries do not live as long as normal people. She wants to live a quiet and peaceful life and doesn't mind living around locals. She is not interested in bar scenes, but wants to be near the ocean as she is a certified diver. Is it possible to live a peaceful life on either island or are both islands completely lost to the tourism hustle? Are there quiet pockets?

5) She has traveled to Thailand before thus she has some idea what it is like. Is she completely nuts to consider living in Thailand given her disability? Or have you encountered other disabled people who have made the move and are doing ok?

Thank you for any advice or insight you can offer, nothing beats local knowledge.

Aloha Nui Loa,

John

[pgrin]

Aloha,

My name is John and I live on the island of Maui. In October we will be helping a wheelchair bound friend (legs paralyzed) move to Thailand. She lives on a fixed income and Maui has become too expensive. Here are some questions based upon what I've read in the forum archives:

1) Does Samui have a higher cost of living than Phuket? In researching hotels on both islands, Samui is more expensive with much smaller low season discounts. It also seems that on Samui foreigners pay higher prices than locals. Can someone very familar with both places give us a clear idea of how the cost of living compares?

2) She will be turning 50 before too long and once that occurs, may apply for the retirement visa. Until that time she will need to make visa runs. Traveling can be a challenge in a wheelchair. From which island is it easier to do visa runs? Am I right to say that it's easier from Phuket as she can fly directly to Penang or Ranong? Is it possible to do a visa run in one day from either island? On paper Samui seems more complex for visa runs, is that a correct conclusion?

3) She is fairly independent but will need to hire someone to help her with things like house cleaning, shopping, and some cooking. What is the average daily / monthly costs for such an employee? Are there companies that provide this service?

4) She only has perhaps 5 more years to live as people with spinal cord injuries do not live as long as normal people. She wants to live a quiet and peaceful life and doesn't mind living around locals. She is not interested in bar scenes, but wants to be near the ocean as she is a certified diver. Is it possible to live a peaceful life on either island or are both islands completely lost to the tourism hustle? Are there quiet pockets?

5) She has traveled to Thailand before thus she has some idea what it is like. Is she completely nuts to consider living in Thailand given her disability? Or have you encountered other disabled people who have made the move and are doing ok?

Thank you for any advice or insight you can offer, nothing beats local knowledge.

Aloha Nui Loa,

John

To John,

The infratructure in Phuket is far better then Samui. I live in Kata and there is a farang here who uses an electric wheelchair here and he has the run of the area. I see him all over Kata karon and he seems to get on very well. I question your assumption about the life span of spinal cord

injury patients. Depending on the level of injury many live long lives. Her main concern will be access to healthcare. She will need insurance that will cover her in Thailand. As far as visa runs, she can obtain a 3 entry tourist visa just before arrival and will then get about 9 months here with just 2 visa runs. I usually take a cheap flight to Singapore as the "Burma Run" is long and uncomfortable including a boat trip which could be a problem for her.

P

[simon43]

John - I've PMed you. But also re visa runs. The easiest is either to fly to Singapore or to KL in Malaysia.

Simon

[Maui John]

Thanks for the replies. Honestly, I don't know much about spinal cord injuries. I was just going on what my friend in the wheelchair tells me. Of course, I hope she is entirely mistaken!

From what I've read in this as well as the Samui forum, it sounds like Phuket is much more suited to her needs.

Here is a more touchy subject. How do you view the terrorism situation in southern Thailand as it relates to Phuket. On the map the bombings are only a 200 - 300 miles away from Phuket. I've read that Phuket has a large Muslim population (we are Buddhist and have full respect for Islam).

As locals, do you feel Phuket is safe? It's hard to get an accurate understanding from news articles.

Thanks again,

John

PS: Simon, I got your PM but have to run, I'll reply in 5 hours or so....

[simon43]

Hi John, there are no concerns about the bombings here in Phuket. The muslim and buddhist communities get along fine together.

The situation in the southern provinces is more to do with history. The 3 southern provinces were at one time an independant muslim state, outside of Thailand. The terrorsts want to regain their past independance. Phuket has nothing to do with their claims for independance.

Simon

[Maui John]

Hi John, there are no concerns about the bombings here in Phuket. The muslim and buddhist communities get along fine together.

The situation in the southern provinces is more to do with history. The 3 southern provinces were at one time an independant muslim state, outside of Thailand. The terrorsts want to regain their past independance. Phuket has nothing to do with their claims for independance.

Simon

Aloha Simon,

I see, so it's not so much about wailing against westerners but "defending" their land from what they see as the "Thai occupation".