Patong is dead.

[NamKangMan]

As an independent traveller I will never again go to HKT. Because of the transport mafia only. Maybe if I have some specific reason however there are other locations in Thailand offering same or better without fleecing.

Nobody cares in Phuket of course as there are plenty of new Rams to fleece and pigeons to pluck daily. Up to you. -peace Arunsakda

Please be specific on what happened and how much you paid.

In your home country how much do you pay for a taxi.

Wondering if NKM has a second nic, eh?

No, not a nic.

I hear the same from tourists on a regular basis.

I also have several friends who no longer come back to Phuket because of the transport situation.

Their freedom of movement is effected to the point it becomes difficult to have a pleasant holiday.

Edited March 30, 2016 by NamKangMan

[NamKangMan]

Jeez.......tell us something we don't know (about the transport situation).

What we don't know, or can truly quantify, is the damage it has done to the tourism industry on Phuket.

In my opinion, the transport mafia, single handedly, have changed the demographics of tourists on Phuket.

Also, the huge increase in traffic, accidents, injury and death they have caused. How many of they accidents / deaths may have been prevented had the choice of proper public transport existed here?

[NamKangMan]

I guess it depends on the definition of "dead".

If it's the number of people out on the street, then it's not dead.

If it's the number of people actually spending money, then it is dead.

Lots of reports saying that the businesses actually on Bangla have trade, but, the bars and restaurants behind, or, in the side sois have very little trade.

Seems to me, Bangla has become a magnet for selfie takers.

A fair assessment.

Bangla Road is Phuekt's single biggest tourist attraction. It always attracted tourists with money to spend on a night out, and those just going to see it.

Now, it attracts more tourists just going to see it, and less tourists going there to spend money on a night out.

There is no point having big tourists numbers, if they do not hand over their baht.

[NamKangMan]

As an independent traveller I will never again go to HKT. Because of the transport mafia only. Maybe if I have some specific reason however there are other locations in Thailand offering same or better without fleecing.

Nobody cares in Phuket of course as there are plenty of new Rams to fleece and pigeons to pluck daily. Up to you. -peace Arunsakda

Please be specific on what happened and how much you paid.

In your home country how much do you pay for a taxi.

Wondering if NKM has a second nic, eh?

To be honest find it rather amusing people defending the so called transport system here, even more amusing those denying there is a cartel/mafia

Prices here are equivalent to non Black taxi Prices in London, one of the most expensive cites in the world with an average income that is multiple times greater (and a great public transport system)

Minimum wage here is 300 per day

Average taxi/tuktuk price is 200 Baht to get anywhere in Patong.

Bangkok, Starting prices are 35 baht for first kilometer and then 5.5 for each kilometer after

Average price taxi Patong to Airport: 800

If using Bangkok pricing system be under 300 for same distance. That's 166% increase

Virtually no public transport alternatives, why? Blocked either politically or forceably by the cartel time and time again. From blockading hotels who try to provide their own transport to customers, to blockading cruise ships for same thing, hell even blockading the US goddamn Navy .

Or remember back when a guy tried to set up a new bus route to run along the west coast tourist towns only to have his drivers stopped, dragged off their bus and threatened by armed men?

Here, you use the cartels transport at their prices, drive yourself or stay put.

It is also one of the main things holding back island as a whole and keeping tourism concentrated on a section of the west cost , so expensive to get anywhere, everyone wants to stay close to everything, which increases business property costs and thus prices of everything.

If you want to go out regularly, even if you pay up to 1000 per night more for a Patong Hotel than say one in Karon, you will still end up ahead. And thats before they start their little scams like, late night, agreeing a price, going half way, stopping in middle of nowhere and then demanding more or get out.

A good post Lashay.

It describes the disgraceful situation here very well.

[arunsakda]

As an independent traveller I will never again go to HKT. Because of the transport mafia only. Maybe if I have some specific reason however there are other locations in Thailand offering same or better without fleecing.

Nobody cares in Phuket of course as there are plenty of new Rams to fleece and pigeons to pluck daily. Up to you. -peace Arunsakda

Please be specific on what happened and how much you paid.

In your home country how much do you pay for a taxi.

Wondering if NKM has a second nic, eh?

So have the Phuket transport mafia been brought to heel? What is a taxi from the airport to Patong or Kata (not that I would ever go there again) going these days?

From what I read they are back to their old tricks.

Don't remember how much I was forced to pay . Have not been since 2004 (went to Khao Lak right before Tsunami).

Price of Taxis in my country is immaterial.

Point is in my country there are options, like busses and subways. Taxi drivers all use meters as a matter of course and are polite professionals. As there are options in Chiang Mai. One can take a Red Songthaew for 20 baht, Yellow one for less that go on fixed routes to nearby towns , a call taxi, a flat rate taxi, or a Tuk-Tuk (they negotiate), and supposedly GrabTaxi is starting up.

Shouldn't say I will never go to HKT again (Khao Lak was nice, Phang Nga too) but I could fly into Krabi. I have found most of the people who "love Phuket" have only been there, don't know T-land well, and have no idea how badly they are being fleeced. Even in the early 2000's I got the feeling that whilst simultaneously being jaded by tourists handing out 100 baht "tips" like they were $1 dollar bills in the US the locals also know how overrun they are and sick of it in a certain way that manifested in open hostility that I experienced, on a few occasions, as no where else ever in Thailand (except Bangkok taxi drivers starting the ride by shouting and demanding large fares). One example. I checked into a very nice place (Pathong, upscale bungalow style) with a Japanese woman. A night watchman saw us coming back at night obviously and wrote down somewhere that I "take lady". Upon checking out they tried to get me to pay some fee for this "you take lady" rubbish and would not back down. I could have handled it better but basically I made a guy at the counter lose face in front of his superior. The young man then came out to the carpark and told me in perfect English "If I wasn't working I would kill you". From "Thank you sir" to death threats in a matter of minutes.

So Phuket lovers can all can take your lovely island of greed and corruption for yourselves. Phuket has been doing fine for 13 years without arunsakda. Overrated and overpriced with plenty of new rams to fleece and pigeons to pluck daily. Sure you have your busloads of PRC tour groups like Chiang Mai as well

"Up to you" -peace, arunsakda

Edited March 30, 2016 by arunsakda

[grumpyoldman]

Sure, got fleeced the other day for a 100thb motorbike taxi from Chalong to my bike shop Phuket Town.

Hang as a tourist in Patong I guess you won't come back for 12 years, or you continue to come bank and do nothing but w*nk on a forum as opposed to leaving Patong.

My glass will always be half full, yours?

[arunsakda]

Don't think I have spent more than a few nights in Patong. Even my mates in the company who are pure "mongers" won't go there.

Karon, Kata, Nai Harn. Rawai, a nice place for pensioners to go die (of boredom).

First went to Phuket to visit Kata, older friend started hanging out there ages ago, overland trail from Europe with the hippies and all that tosh.

He admitted it was already far past it's time. He gave up when they wouldn't let him in ClubMed anymore to play basketball anymore.

A beautiful island, ruined by corruption (and greed), such a shame.

Edited March 30, 2016 by arunsakda

[jocko]

Karon, Kata, Nai Harn. Rawai, a nice place for pensioners to go die (of boredom).

It's great to be young.

Shame on you

[NamKangMan]

Sure, got fleeced the other day for a 100thb motorbike taxi from Chalong to my bike shop Phuket Town.

Hang as a tourist in Patong I guess you won't come back for 12 years, or you continue to come bank and do nothing but w*nk on a forum as opposed to leaving Patong.

My glass will always be half full, yours?

Seriously, I don't think your 100 baht motorbike taxi ride is indicative of the experience of the vast amount of tourists coming to Phuket when arranging transport here.

[Dub15]

I've been reading this thread and decided to sign up to add my thoughts (I meant to do it ages ago but I guess I needed a topic to get me going).

I posted the following on another (now sadly defunct) board almost exactly three years ago after I had visited in late January and early February of 2013 and, judging by the comments in this thread, it seems that most of what I posted is still relevent and the decline I spoke about has continued.....I'm thinking of making a return to Patong in a few months (for a few days at least) so it remains to be seen if my absence has made the heart grow any fonder.....anyway, here goes my 2013 view of Patong:

"I’ve recently returned to reality of a Northern European winter after my twelfth trip in eight years to Phuket and I’ve come to a few conclusions that, for what their worth, I thought I’d share.

First of all, the positives:

I still enjoy many aspects of visiting Thailand, from the excitement of Bangkok to the laid back tempo of beach life, the company of friends and the warm evenings.

I’ve made some good expat friends over the years that I always look forward to seeing and who make my trips all the more enjoyable.

I like ordering those Thai dishes that I just can’t get in my own country (unless I make them myself).

I love to walk Patong Beach in the afternoon with my headphones on, listening to my favourite music, enjoying the sun and the sights.

On a good night when everything falls into place it can be more fun than just about anywhere else.

Overall though I have to admit that the enjoyment I get from these trips has been slowly but steadily declining for the last few years. I’ve been trying to put my finger on what’s changed and of course it’s not just one reason but a combination of things. These are some of the things I’ve come up with:

The bar sois are a shadow of their former selves. During my recent stay in late January/early February there were very few tourists and little or no energy, enthusiasm or excitement in the bar sois (with the possible exception of the new Tiger complex).

Even in the normal beer bars on Bangla Road the demand from staff for drinks has gone through the roof. I like to buy some drinks on my own terms but within a few minutes of buying a drink or three for the staff, they are pressuring you to buy more and may pursue you until you have no choice but to leave the bar. It’s a very short sighted and ultimately self-defeating policy.

There is no remaining refuge on Bangla Road where you can just sit and enjoy a beer without being disturbed or pressured. Scruffy Murphys is the only exception but it too will soon be a thing of the past.

Personally I’m not much of a ‘Ladies man’ these days as I find that the vacuous interactions and lack of communication tends to outweigh the benefits (most of the time anyway). However, whenever I notice a Thai girl in the company of a western guy, she invariably looks bored and less than happy unless he’s buying her something. I know that these relationships are an illusion but there sure as hell ain’t much acting going on.

It seems to me that there are a lot of people working in the hospitality area who don’t appear to have got the memo about Thailand being the Land of Smiles. I’ve stayed in a number of hotels in Patong in recent years where I felt like apologising to the desk staff for disturbing them whenever I asked for my key (and not just when I stumble in at 5 in the morning).

There now appears to be a much larger proportion than ever of visitors to Patong who contribute very little to the sustainability of the area's nightlife. All these new visitors seem to do is clog up the footpaths and streets while sipping from their 7-eleven beers.

It seems to me that, as a result of the changing visitor demographic, there will be a tipping point soon where the Patong nightlife that many of us have come to know and love will no longer be commercially viable. I’m not suggesting that anyone in Thailand should care or that I and other like-minded visitors of old will be particularly missed but the reality is that visitors like myself are becoming increasingly marginalised and encouraged to look elsewhere for the things that brought us to Patong in the first place.

Of course there is also the possibility that I’m just getting grumpier as I get older".

[grumpyoldman]

Interesting post Dub 15, some takes I'm going to heartedly agree with:

Greed over all:

"Even in the normal beer bars on Bangla Road the demand from staff for drinks has gone through the roof. I like to buy some drinks on my own terms but within a few minutes of buying a drink or three for the staff, they are pressuring you to buy more and may pursue you until you have no choice but to leave the bar. It’s a very short sighted and ultimately self-defeating policy."

"It seems to me that there are a lot of people working in the hospitality area who don’t appear to have got the memo about Thailand being the Land of Smiles."

Get outside of Phuket and you'll see the smiles, but yes, this has gone downhill here bigtime.

"Of course there is also the possibility that I’m just getting grumpier as I get older". - leave that to me little brother good post. GOM

[KarenBravo]

You don't have to leave Phuket to see the smiles. Plenty in Phuket Town and the east coast.

[Dub15]

Get outside of Phuket and you'll see the smiles, but yes, this has gone downhill here bigtime.

"Of course there is also the possibility that I’m just getting grumpier as I get older". - leave that to me little brother good post. GOM

Cheers GOM....I'll try to keep the grump in me at bay

You don't have to leave Phuket to see the smiles. Plenty in Phuket Town and the east coast.

Yes KB, I guess there's more to Phuket than Patong...I may have to spread my wings

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Patong is not dead.

But there are too many hotels, not enough people going to the bars on Bangla and eating at the restaurants.

I think most people drink from 7/11 these days, and get food from Big C... a lot ... not all.

I use to drink all night on Bangla, now I don't. Too expensive....and don't want to be harassed by the usual barking Issan girl.

There still seems to be a lot of people to me...... and it is close to low season now

[simon43]

... and don't want to be harassed by the usual barking Issan girl.

Do you mean 'Barking' as in 'barking mad' ?

[Lokie]

I've been reading this thread and decided to sign up to add my thoughts (I meant to do it ages ago but I guess I needed a topic to get me going).

I posted the following on another (now sadly defunct) board almost exactly three years ago after I had visited in late January and early February of 2013 and, judging by the comments in this thread, it seems that most of what I posted is still relevent and the decline I spoke about has continued.....I'm thinking of making a return to Patong in a few months (for a few days at least) so it remains to be seen if my absence has made the heart grow any fonder.....anyway, here goes my 2013 view of Patong:

"I’ve recently returned to reality of a Northern European winter after my twelfth trip in eight years to Phuket and I’ve come to a few conclusions that, for what their worth, I thought I’d share.

First of all, the positives:

I still enjoy many aspects of visiting Thailand, from the excitement of Bangkok to the laid back tempo of beach life, the company of friends and the warm evenings.

I’ve made some good expat friends over the years that I always look forward to seeing and who make my trips all the more enjoyable.

I like ordering those Thai dishes that I just can’t get in my own country (unless I make them myself).

I love to walk Patong Beach in the afternoon with my headphones on, listening to my favourite music, enjoying the sun and the sights.

On a good night when everything falls into place it can be more fun than just about anywhere else.

Overall though I have to admit that the enjoyment I get from these trips has been slowly but steadily declining for the last few years. I’ve been trying to put my finger on what’s changed and of course it’s not just one reason but a combination of things. These are some of the things I’ve come up with:

The bar sois are a shadow of their former selves. During my recent stay in late January/early February there were very few tourists and little or no energy, enthusiasm or excitement in the bar sois (with the possible exception of the new Tiger complex).

Even in the normal beer bars on Bangla Road the demand from staff for drinks has gone through the roof. I like to buy some drinks on my own terms but within a few minutes of buying a drink or three for the staff, they are pressuring you to buy more and may pursue you until you have no choice but to leave the bar. It’s a very short sighted and ultimately self-defeating policy.

There is no remaining refuge on Bangla Road where you can just sit and enjoy a beer without being disturbed or pressured. Scruffy Murphys is the only exception but it too will soon be a thing of the past.

Personally I’m not much of a ‘Ladies man’ these days as I find that the vacuous interactions and lack of communication tends to outweigh the benefits (most of the time anyway). However, whenever I notice a Thai girl in the company of a western guy, she invariably looks bored and less than happy unless he’s buying her something. I know that these relationships are an illusion but there sure as hell ain’t much acting going on.

It seems to me that there are a lot of people working in the hospitality area who don’t appear to have got the memo about Thailand being the Land of Smiles. I’ve stayed in a number of hotels in Patong in recent years where I felt like apologising to the desk staff for disturbing them whenever I asked for my key (and not just when I stumble in at 5 in the morning).

There now appears to be a much larger proportion than ever of visitors to Patong who contribute very little to the sustainability of the area's nightlife. All these new visitors seem to do is clog up the footpaths and streets while sipping from their 7-eleven beers.

It seems to me that, as a result of the changing visitor demographic, there will be a tipping point soon where the Patong nightlife that many of us have come to know and love will no longer be commercially viable. I’m not suggesting that anyone in Thailand should care or that I and other like-minded visitors of old will be particularly missed but the reality is that visitors like myself are becoming increasingly marginalised and encouraged to look elsewhere for the things that brought us to Patong in the first place.

Of course there is also the possibility that I’m just getting grumpier as I get older".

Spot on!

every time I come a little bit of the magic seems to have gone... always a change and unfortunately over the years it seems not for the better... But I hope it will bottom out and gradually improve but is a bit like a quote from a film; The problem with Thailand is it is run by Thais. So while all the B S carries on and envelopes are passed around Patong is dying, me I will carry on for now but probably find somewhere else to spend my hard earned where I feel welcomed and not on guard 24/7 Did not mind putting up with the crazy traffic systems, daft one way routes and poor transport links as the advantages out weighed the negatives but the scales are now tipped and maybe it has now passed its best???

[xylophone]

Lots of comments here regarding "Patong is dead" with some saying that it is not dead, but it is struggling or in its death throes, whilst others say that it seems okay.

Many comments regarding Bangla Road and how busy it is or isn't, whilst other folk say that there is more to Patong than Bangla Road.

So let's imagine that you are able to get onto a map of Patong and cut out Bangla Road and its immediate environs, including the attached Sois and see what is left with regard to the "customer/tourist experience" and what Patong has to offer.

This in no particular order…………the smoke haze which has dogged Patong since late last year is still evident and some days more than others and occasionally the smell is very noticeable. Wear a white shirt out for the evening and see the dirt on the inside of the collar after just a few hours, so heaven knows what it is doing to the lungs.

The beach is still suffering from nobody quite knowing what they can or can't do on it and we have had a ban on loungers, umbrellas, food and just about everything else, to virgin areas and other strange decrees, whilst the jetskis continue their business and their rip-offs whenever possible.

At the southern end of the beach the estuary/whatever-it-is still flows into the sea with putrid green, faeces laden water, and a few long-term expats I know refuse to swim in the sea saying that despite all of the "official tests" they don't trust them. I believe there was another outlet of brackish water a little further up the beach near Kalim, but don't know what has happened to that.

So the tourist decides to rent a car and has to contend with the absurd one-way system and if they are unlucky enough to park along Beach Road, they may well find a flat tyre or two when they return to their car, courtesy of Tuk Tuk or taxi drivers.

Perhaps wanting to use the car to explore a little further they travel up to Surin beach where they stay into the early evening, and then have to contend with anything up to a two hour nose to tail traffic jam to get back into Patong, this in the high season. All because of the stupidity and lack of planning of those responsible for the traffic system in Patong.

All the while they have to be aware that traffic lights can be switched on, switched off or simply not working and the fact that there are many crazy drivers around, on motorbikes and in cars, who may or may not have passed anything like a driving test in order to be on the road.

So they decide that a car is not what they want so they walk, only to find out that the pedestrian crossings are a death-trap and the pedestrian crossing lights which were recently installed are again switched off, so are of no help to anyone.

Tuk Tuks seem the way to go then?.....however the prices are extortionate because they are controlled by a cartel whose main aim in life is to artificially inflate the prices in favour of the drivers and certainly not in favour of the customers.

Holidays are often a good time for a shopping experience and if you take Robinsons, Big C and Sportsworld out of Jungceylon, then you are not left with a lot which one could consider a "good shopping experience", however there are some nice restaurants in the alley alongside of Jungceylon which are worth a try, and a few others around the place.

The smell from the drains is testament to how well the infrastructure has been put together and one only has to be here in the rainy season to see the flooding and the mud and silt which flows down onto the likes of Nanai Road absolutely blocking it, as well as the continually flooded police station, to know that planners here haven't got a clue and that the infrastructure is over-burdened, yet still more building goes on.

So Patong seems to remain a fairly popular destination for what reason? Well you have to admit that Bangla attracts those people wanting to party, drink, chase girls, visit go-gos and so on and it is an experience whether it excites or insults the senses.

Therefore it could be said that Bangla does add to the "draw" that is Patong, but outside of that, Patong really doesn't have a lot going for it. And I venture to suggest that Patong/Phuket is living on its past reputation, when perhaps the smiles were real, beaches free, sea relatively unpolluted, traffic flowed and the place had a much nicer “feel” to it, not the “tension” I believe is out there now.

Irrespective of how many tourists TAT says come to Patong, just about everybody in business here will tell you that the spend is well down, whether they be bars, restaurants, small shops, small hotels/guesthouses etc and many are for sale and some have already closed.

So maybe it's not dead, but the type of tourists now coming here will ensure that many businesses continue to struggle and perhaps go bust, and until Patong decides to focus on the "customer experience" this will continue, and maybe it will be just a budget, low end type place for cheap tourists and bogans and will have been the architect of its own demise.

[NamKangMan]

Lots of comments here regarding "Patong is dead" with some saying that it is not dead, but it is struggling or in its death throes, whilst others say that it seems okay.

Many comments regarding Bangla Road and how busy it is or isn't, whilst other folk say that there is more to Patong than Bangla Road.

So let's imagine that you are able to get onto a map of Patong and cut out Bangla Road and its immediate environs, including the attached Sois and see what is left with regard to the "customer/tourist experience" and what Patong has to offer.

This in no particular order…………the smoke haze which has dogged Patong since late last year is still evident and some days more than others and occasionally the smell is very noticeable. Wear a white shirt out for the evening and see the dirt on the inside of the collar after just a few hours, so heaven knows what it is doing to the lungs.

The beach is still suffering from nobody quite knowing what they can or can't do on it and we have had a ban on loungers, umbrellas, food and just about everything else, to virgin areas and other strange decrees, whilst the jetskis continue their business and their rip-offs whenever possible.

At the southern end of the beach the estuary/whatever-it-is still flows into the sea with putrid green, faeces laden water, and a few long-term expats I know refuse to swim in the sea saying that despite all of the "official tests" they don't trust them. I believe there was another outlet of brackish water a little further up the beach near Kalim, but don't know what has happened to that.

So the tourist decides to rent a car and has to contend with the absurd one-way system and if they are unlucky enough to park along Beach Road, they may well find a flat tyre or two when they return to their car, courtesy of Tuk Tuk or taxi drivers.

Perhaps wanting to use the car to explore a little further they travel up to Surin beach where they stay into the early evening, and then have to contend with anything up to a two hour nose to tail traffic jam to get back into Patong, this in the high season. All because of the stupidity and lack of planning of those responsible for the traffic system in Patong.

All the while they have to be aware that traffic lights can be switched on, switched off or simply not working and the fact that there are many crazy drivers around, on motorbikes and in cars, who may or may not have passed anything like a driving test in order to be on the road.

So they decide that a car is not what they want so they walk, only to find out that the pedestrian crossings are a death-trap and the pedestrian crossing lights which were recently installed are again switched off, so are of no help to anyone.

Tuk Tuks seem the way to go then?.....however the prices are extortionate because they are controlled by a cartel whose main aim in life is to artificially inflate the prices in favour of the drivers and certainly not in favour of the customers.

Holidays are often a good time for a shopping experience and if you take Robinsons, Big C and Sportsworld out of Jungceylon, then you are not left with a lot which one could consider a "good shopping experience", however there are some nice restaurants in the alley alongside of Jungceylon which are worth a try, and a few others around the place.

The smell from the drains is testament to how well the infrastructure has been put together and one only has to be here in the rainy season to see the flooding and the mud and silt which flows down onto the likes of Nanai Road absolutely blocking it, as well as the continually flooded police station, to know that planners here haven't got a clue and that the infrastructure is over-burdened, yet still more building goes on.

So Patong seems to remain a fairly popular destination for what reason? Well you have to admit that Bangla attracts those people wanting to party, drink, chase girls, visit go-gos and so on and it is an experience whether it excites or insults the senses.

Therefore it could be said that Bangla does add to the "draw" that is Patong, but outside of that, Patong really doesn't have a lot going for it. And I venture to suggest that Patong/Phuket is living on its past reputation, when perhaps the smiles were real, beaches free, sea relatively unpolluted, traffic flowed and the place had a much nicer “feel” to it, not the “tension” I believe is out there now.

Irrespective of how many tourists TAT says come to Patong, just about everybody in business here will tell you that the spend is well down, whether they be bars, restaurants, small shops, small hotels/guesthouses etc and many are for sale and some have already closed.

So maybe it's not dead, but the type of tourists now coming here will ensure that many businesses continue to struggle and perhaps go bust, and until Patong decides to focus on the "customer experience" this will continue, and maybe it will be just a budget, low end type place for cheap tourists and bogans and will have been the architect of its own demise.

Good post XP.

I'll comment on a couple of things.

"Many comments regarding Bangla Road and how busy it is or isn't" - "just about everybody in business here will tell you that the spend is well down" - this is why counting the tourists is not a great way of assessing the local economy and the viability of small business.

Bangla Road, for example, may be packed with tourists, but unless they go and buy a drink, or 5, in a bar, or a meal in a restaurant, there's no money flowing from them.

So, whilst Chinese package tourists may be pushing the tourist arrival numbers up, it's of little benefit to business, because they do not spend, when compared to the large portion of the western tourist market that Phuket has lost.

"maybe it will be just a budget, low end type place for cheap tourists and bogans" - Phuket charges premium prices, when compared to other places in South East Asia. I can't see it attracting budget tourists, backpackers and bogans, well, not until Phuket crashes, but you are correct, it's heading towards its own demise.

[NamKangMan]

I've been reading this thread and decided to sign up to add my thoughts (I meant to do it ages ago but I guess I needed a topic to get me going).

I posted the following on another (now sadly defunct) board almost exactly three years ago after I had visited in late January and early February of 2013 and, judging by the comments in this thread, it seems that most of what I posted is still relevent and the decline I spoke about has continued.....I'm thinking of making a return to Patong in a few months (for a few days at least) so it remains to be seen if my absence has made the heart grow any fonder.....anyway, here goes my 2013 view of Patong:

"I’ve recently returned to reality of a Northern European winter after my twelfth trip in eight years to Phuket and I’ve come to a few conclusions that, for what their worth, I thought I’d share.

First of all, the positives:

I still enjoy many aspects of visiting Thailand, from the excitement of Bangkok to the laid back tempo of beach life, the company of friends and the warm evenings.

I’ve made some good expat friends over the years that I always look forward to seeing and who make my trips all the more enjoyable.

I like ordering those Thai dishes that I just can’t get in my own country (unless I make them myself).

I love to walk Patong Beach in the afternoon with my headphones on, listening to my favourite music, enjoying the sun and the sights.

On a good night when everything falls into place it can be more fun than just about anywhere else.

Overall though I have to admit that the enjoyment I get from these trips has been slowly but steadily declining for the last few years. I’ve been trying to put my finger on what’s changed and of course it’s not just one reason but a combination of things. These are some of the things I’ve come up with:

The bar sois are a shadow of their former selves. During my recent stay in late January/early February there were very few tourists and little or no energy, enthusiasm or excitement in the bar sois (with the possible exception of the new Tiger complex).

Even in the normal beer bars on Bangla Road the demand from staff for drinks has gone through the roof. I like to buy some drinks on my own terms but within a few minutes of buying a drink or three for the staff, they are pressuring you to buy more and may pursue you until you have no choice but to leave the bar. It’s a very short sighted and ultimately self-defeating policy.

There is no remaining refuge on Bangla Road where you can just sit and enjoy a beer without being disturbed or pressured. Scruffy Murphys is the only exception but it too will soon be a thing of the past.

Personally I’m not much of a ‘Ladies man’ these days as I find that the vacuous interactions and lack of communication tends to outweigh the benefits (most of the time anyway). However, whenever I notice a Thai girl in the company of a western guy, she invariably looks bored and less than happy unless he’s buying her something. I know that these relationships are an illusion but there sure as hell ain’t much acting going on.

It seems to me that there are a lot of people working in the hospitality area who don’t appear to have got the memo about Thailand being the Land of Smiles. I’ve stayed in a number of hotels in Patong in recent years where I felt like apologising to the desk staff for disturbing them whenever I asked for my key (and not just when I stumble in at 5 in the morning).

There now appears to be a much larger proportion than ever of visitors to Patong who contribute very little to the sustainability of the area's nightlife. All these new visitors seem to do is clog up the footpaths and streets while sipping from their 7-eleven beers.

It seems to me that, as a result of the changing visitor demographic, there will be a tipping point soon where the Patong nightlife that many of us have come to know and love will no longer be commercially viable. I’m not suggesting that anyone in Thailand should care or that I and other like-minded visitors of old will be particularly missed but the reality is that visitors like myself are becoming increasingly marginalised and encouraged to look elsewhere for the things that brought us to Patong in the first place.

Of course there is also the possibility that I’m just getting grumpier as I get older".

Spot on!

every time I come a little bit of the magic seems to have gone... always a change and unfortunately over the years it seems not for the better... But I hope it will bottom out and gradually improve but is a bit like a quote from a film; The problem with Thailand is it is run by Thais. So while all the B S carries on and envelopes are passed around Patong is dying, me I will carry on for now but probably find somewhere else to spend my hard earned where I feel welcomed and not on guard 24/7 Did not mind putting up with the crazy traffic systems, daft one way routes and poor transport links as the advantages out weighed the negatives but the scales are now tipped and maybe it has now passed its best???

"but the scales are now tipped and maybe it has now passed its best???" - everybody's "scales" are calibrated differently.

The things that have tipped your scales, may be no problem for others, and the things tipping the scales for others, may be no problem for you.

The question to everyone is, "Are the scales tipping downward for you?"

If the response from the majority is "Yes." Then, you have to look at what Phuket is doing wrong, or not doing at all.

[Shot]

Sorry guys, but this thread has turned in to a yawn fest. Who can string the most words together in a different fashion and say the same thing, over and over again?

[2fishin2]

Simple answer, yes it is dead.

[LivinginKata]

Simple answer, yes it is dead.

Simple answer would be .... it's dying .... but will struggle on for a very long time ...

[Lashay]

Phuket charges premium prices

That raises an interesting question, does it really, across the board, charge premium prices anymore? Or is that just a reputation from when it did before?

Take for example this article: http://www.thephuketnews.com/hotel-room-rates-slide-as-tourist-arrivals-surge-56637.php

With hotels in this example, people are spending more on average per night on all the other Islands except Koh Phangan (and less than 100 baht difference between it and Phuket). Many hotel owners i know here have not been able to raise their prices in years.

In low season now even some of the places on San Sabai are sub 500 per night (lowest i saw last low season was 300). And while definitely not high end, they are not backpacker doss houses either.

With drinks, sure you can spend 180 for a beer in some places in Bangla, but while still on Bangla even more places selling same beer for 60-100b in both normal bars and beer bars (and funny enough it will be the more expensive places that will be busier in general) and remember tax on alcohol has gone up quite a bit over last few years, but none of that has really been passed on to customer if they are selling at those prices. Are Pattaya walking street or Soi Coyboy that much cheaper? Fail to see how they could be because 60-70b is less than 100% markup which for a bar is basically "going to go bankrupt soon low"

Food, at thai places or market stalls, yep more expensive, but really how many westerner tourists notice difference between 20 to 40B for a meal? Western food, All you can eat BBQ 249, decent import steak under 500, so forth. Most tourists i take out for a meal to even more expensive places than those are shocked how cheap the prices are

Many prices have been frozen or decreasing for years.

Only things i have really noticed bucking that trend are

Taxis/Tuk Tuks

Lady Drinks

"Adult companionship" prices (but they are generally still under BKK)

Would love to see a "basket of goods" (one for tourists one for expats) comparison to see just how expensive Phuket really is these days

Edited April 1, 2016 by Lashay

[xylophone]

Simple answer, yes it is dead.

Simple answer would be .... it's dying .... but will struggle on for a very long time ...

Although things like the tourists being attacked with knives on Patong beach last night and the stabbing to death of the french tourist, as well as the occasional kicking/beating of tourists outside of nightclubs, will surely hasten its demise........

[grumpyoldman]

Simple answer, yes it is dead.

Simple answer would be .... it's dying .... but will struggle on for a very long time ...

Although things like the tourists being attacked with knives on Patong beach last night and the stabbing to death of the french tourist, as well as the occasional kicking/beating of tourists outside of nightclubs, will surely hasten its demise........

Yaa baa epidemic. Police really need to get a grip on this. Teenage kids with knives at 4:30AM.....................hopped up on meth. Frightening.

[AJBangkok]

What's killing patong (and phuket) is the stranglehold the taxi and Tuk Tuk operators have on the place. Nobody wants to spend their entire holiday locked in a radius of a comfortable walking distance. They get ripped of getting to and from the airport and the minute they want to get a little adventurous and go see something else outside walking distance they get ripped off again by the transportation cartel. Sure the beers and food within walking distance may be cheap but after a few days that becomes old and people want to enhance their travel experience. When they try they are ripped off. It doesn't make for a good holiday experience and foster repeat tourism.

[grumpyoldman]

There are alternatives AJBangkok, as poster Billythehat posted, his hotel gives him transport for free from the airport with a +4 nights stay.

It's not a per person charge in a tuk-tuk so you split a fare lets say to Karon from Patong it'll cost what 200thb per person? A whopping 5.50$US ?

Rent a car?

This transportation issue is but if people really looked at their options it's solved. But most just want to w*nk about it as opposed to acknowledging that there are options.

[KarenBravo]

Any tourist that worries about the cost of transportation, isn't the "quality" tourist that the TAT are seeking.

[NamKangMan]

There are alternatives AJBangkok, as poster Billythehat posted, his hotel gives him transport for free from the airport with a +4 nights stay.

It's not a per person charge in a tuk-tuk so you split a fare lets say to Karon from Patong it'll cost what 200thb per person? A whopping 5.50$US ?

Rent a car?

This transportation issue is but if people really looked at their options it's solved. But most just want to w*nk about it as opposed to acknowledging that there are options.

For many people I know, their "alternative" is Pattaya, and that's where they go now. Yes, Pattaya is a sh*thole, but it's taking customers away from Phuket - who would have thought.

Contrary to KB's views, these guys would spend up, but just couldn't justify ridiculous transport costs. Most preferred the pool to the beach, and were here for good times and the nightlife. Phuket repelled them, Pattaya picked them up. (no pun intended)

You mention the fare is split, how many people travel in groups?

You mention renting a car, but parking issues are well known here, and how do you get home after a night out, which for most tourists, is several nights of their holiday?

Yes, the transportation issue is flogging a dead horse. In my opinion, the Thai Army was Phuket's last chance for change, but not even the Army will touch this issue on Phuket.

The topic heading is "Patong is dead." You only have to look at the transport issue here to see why Patong / Phuket is dying.

One day the Thai's will look back and see how the transport mafia ruined the tourism industry on Phuket, and cost the local Phuket economy billions of baht.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

One day the Thai's will look back and see how the transport mafia ruined the tourism industry on Phuket, and cost the local Phuket economy billions of baht.

NKM you have been here long enough to well know that Thai's only think about today and just assume tomorrow will work out Ok.