Patong is dead.

[NamKangMan]

I would like to see some accurate statistics from tourists visiting Krabi, and surrounding islands, possibly even Samui, on the tourists who use Phuket Airport, but do not stay on Phuket for their holiday, or, only stay one night, in transit.

I have no stats, but can give you a general summary of the onward destinations of those who stay at my airport hotels. (About 50% are flying out early the next day, so I'm not sure where their last location in Thailand was).

But for the other 50%, I'd say that a growing number are not going onward to a destination in Phuket, such as Patong or Karon beach. Many are heading straight to Rassada port the next day go to Phi-Phi for a quick stopover, and then the ferry on to Lanta or Ao Nang.

A growing number are taking the ferry from Bang Rong pier to Koh Yao Noi and Yai.

Many take the bus from Meung Mai up to Khao Lak and others take the bus to Krabi/Ao Nang.

Eg - snapshot for today: 20% were flying out from the airport, 20% going up to Khao Lak, 20% going to Phi-Phi, 20% going to Koh Yao and 20% heading to Patong/Karon.

Wherever they are going, I am happy with my small business

So I definitely agree that although Phuket Airport is busy (and getting busier), the island of Phuket is not the main beneficiary of these travellers.

Now... why don't tourists want to visit Phuket anymore???

Your snapshot confirms what I have thought for sometime now - busier airport, but Phuket not busy.

I suppose you are one of a very few here who are profiting from Phuket's decline, and good luck to you. Do you offer a "Transit and Transfer Package?" If not, maybe you should consider it.

I am sure the TAT would be counting every foreigner who passes immigration at Phuket Airport as a tourist statisic for Phuket, but in reality, the Phuket economy doesn't see any baht from them.

[bubblegum]

have the tourists gone elsewhere,after we heard about the Beach Vendors,with their loungers,and umbrellas etc been taken off the beacH??

We have been coming to Thailand,since 1991,and are now in our 70's.Part of our enjoyment,was spending the days lounging on the deck chairs,under umbrellas,when we first arrieved.This saved us from burning,without some shade.Although we are from the Gold Coast,of Australia,and used to the heat,we dont lay out on our beaches,without some sort of shade.Does anyone have any idea if the vendors will be allowed back,or do we just look for a Resort,with the biggest pool?We were hoping to have another 3 weeks in May,but are re-thinking now.We love Thailand,and the Thais.Oh,well,maybe a cruise.J&B

Vendors are back, plenty of umbrellas to be purchased also, so no one needs to worry about getting burned in the sun.

When I'm in my 70's I would like a nice beach chair with my umbrella !

[simon43]

Do you offer a "Transit and Transfer Package?"

Bit off-topic, but yes. However, Phuket being Phuket, our licenced hotel taxi has to charge the same, expensive rates as the taxi services in Phuket. We could undercut those taxis, but the word would get around and then I would have to explain to a mob of violent drivers why I really like my kneecaps as they are now, and don't need any modification to them.

Back on-topic, many of my guests ask the very fundamental question 'What does Phuket have to offer?'

Well, IMHO, the answer is not much!

I suggest visiting the Big Buddha, Bangla Road, Simon's Cabaret, Phuket Fantasy. Apart from that.. hmmm.

To be very honest, (and I also speak with my TPV/Tourist Assistance hat on, not just as a hotel owner), there really is not a lot to recommend in Phuket

I should start to keep daily stats as to the onward destination of my inbound guests - it would be interesting to see a trend

[hansgruber]

Phuket is lacking anything world class.

No real waterpark, no fun parks, shopping is horrendous.

It's very hard to find something that makes it unique except for the Thainess which isn't up to international destination standard.

[stevenl]

Do you offer a "Transit and Transfer Package?"

Bit off-topic, but yes. However, Phuket being Phuket, our licenced hotel taxi has to charge the same, expensive rates as the taxi services in Phuket. We could undercut those taxis, but the word would get around and then I would have to explain to a mob of violent drivers why I really like my kneecaps as they are now, and don't need any modification to them.

Back on-topic, many of my guests ask the very fundamental question 'What does Phuket have to offer?'

Well, IMHO, the answer is not much!

I suggest visiting the Big Buddha, Bangla Road, Simon's Cabaret, Phuket Fantasy. Apart from that.. hmmm.

To be very honest, (and I also speak with my TPV/Tourist Assistance hat on, not just as a hotel owner), there really is not a lot to recommend in Phuket

I should start to keep daily stats as to the onward destination of my inbound guests - it would be interesting to see a trend

You're forgetting the natural beauty: beaches, diving. The very things that made Phuket famous and are still very, very good, despite the negative opinions that will no doubt follow this statement.

[madmitch]

As expats we do see Phuket differently from tourists. We are probably more concerned about crime, scams, pollution, transport, corruption etc than a typical 2 week holidaymaker. The number of repeat visitors always surprises me and the majority of tourists have a thoroughly enjoyable holiday.

Numbers are obviously down and I'm actually quite negative when it comes to the future of the island and Thai tourism in general expecting the tourism industry to be dominated by Chinese in the very near future. But it's not all bad!

Edited February 13, 2015 by madmitch

[schlog]

Correct stevenl Phuket has a lot to offer. More then 20 years ago. The problem is the majority of tourists coming to Phuket now has only a little to offer. This was totally different some years ago.

[Peterocket]

I suggest visiting the Big Buddha, Bangla Road, Simon's Cabaret, Phuket Fantasy. Apart from that.. hmmm.

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

[wellred]

It's definitely quieter. Some girls on Bangla are trying to make up for lost lady drink income by asking for 2 lady drinks in 2 go.

[simon43]

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

Some of your suggestions are definitely biased towards 'western' visitors and expats. Don't forget that the majority of tourists are Asian.

- Boat tours - OK

- Golf - The average tourist won't be interested, fees are too expensive

- Football golf, zorbing, flying - not a clue what football golf is, zorbing??, flying??? For the typical visitor to Phuket???

- Camping on the beach - Perhaps to avoid paying at a hotel? Chinese tourists?

- Sunday brunches - hardly top of the list for an Asian tourist

- Island hopping - OK

- Lawn bowls - please, you cannot be serious

- Fishing - Nice idea but the only thing I get asked about concerning the sea is how to get to the Boat Lagoon

- Cooking - I occasionally get asked about cooking classes from western tourists, never from Asians.

- Diving - No, people are moving onto Similian, Koh Tao for diving. Phuket (Thailand?) diving doesn't have a good reputation (and maybe due to the influx of coral-destroying, Asian tourists)

- Jet skis - Haven't you read the news?

- Parasailing - ditto above

- Phuket FC - You'll be suggesting the cricket next

A good effort at a list of suggestions for retired, western expats, but low marks for suggestions for the typical tourist ==> Asian, low-to-middle income.

Businesses in Phuket need to face up to the hard, unsavoury fact that apart from the top-end sector, the happy days of high numbers of free-spending, western tourists are over. Finished, finito, no more, the parrot is dead.

[stevenl]

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

Some of your suggestions are definitely biased towards 'western' visitors and expats. Don't forget that the majority of tourists are Asian.

- Boat tours - OK

- Golf - The average tourist won't be interested, fees are too expensive

- Football golf, zorbing, flying - not a clue what football golf is, zorbing??, flying??? For the typical visitor to Phuket???

- Camping on the beach - Perhaps to avoid paying at a hotel? Chinese tourists?

- Sunday brunches - hardly top of the list for an Asian tourist

- Island hopping - OK

- Lawn bowls - please, you cannot be serious

- Fishing - Nice idea but the only thing I get asked about concerning the sea is how to get to the Boat Lagoon

- Cooking - I occasionally get asked about cooking classes from western tourists, never from Asians.

- Diving - No, people are moving onto Similian, Koh Tao for diving. Phuket (Thailand?) diving doesn't have a good reputation (and maybe due to the influx of coral-destroying, Asian tourists)

- Jet skis - Haven't you read the news?

- Parasailing - ditto above

- Phuket FC - You'll be suggesting the cricket next

A good effort at a list of suggestions for retired, western expats, but low marks for suggestions for the typical tourist ==> Asian, low-to-middle income.

Businesses in Phuket need to face up to the hard, unsavoury fact that apart from the top-end sector, the happy days of high numbers of free-spending, western tourists are over. Finished, finito, no more, the parrot is dead.

Lots of good suggestions done, and you're way too easy shaking them off.

[hansgruber]

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

Some of your suggestions are definitely biased towards 'western' visitors and expats. Don't forget that the majority of tourists are Asian.

- Boat tours - OK

- Golf - The average tourist won't be interested, fees are too expensive

- Football golf, zorbing, flying - not a clue what football golf is, zorbing??, flying??? For the typical visitor to Phuket???

- Camping on the beach - Perhaps to avoid paying at a hotel? Chinese tourists?

- Sunday brunches - hardly top of the list for an Asian tourist

- Island hopping - OK

- Lawn bowls - please, you cannot be serious

- Fishing - Nice idea but the only thing I get asked about concerning the sea is how to get to the Boat Lagoon

- Cooking - I occasionally get asked about cooking classes from western tourists, never from Asians.

- Diving - No, people are moving onto Similian, Koh Tao for diving. Phuket (Thailand?) diving doesn't have a good reputation (and maybe due to the influx of coral-destroying, Asian tourists)

- Jet skis - Haven't you read the news?

- Parasailing - ditto above

- Phuket FC - You'll be suggesting the cricket next

A good effort at a list of suggestions for retired, western expats, but low marks for suggestions for the typical tourist ==> Asian, low-to-middle income.

Businesses in Phuket need to face up to the hard, unsavoury fact that apart from the top-end sector, the happy days of high numbers of free-spending, western tourists are over. Finished, finito, no more, the parrot is dead.

Lots of good suggestions done, and you're way too easy shaking them off.

If you look at the tourists coming to Phuket, I think he is pretty spot on.

That list would have been great 5-10 years ago but the Chinese influx rarely do any of those things. The tour buses just don't stop at these places and the tour dictates where they go based on the tour companies highest commission prospects.

[bubblegum]

Asian tourist do:

Spa massage run by non Thai

Latex factories run by non Thai

Island hopping run by Thai?

Eating out in massive Korean restaurants

Buying souvenirs run by non Thai

And of cause clogging the 7/11's

[Valentine]

The large tour buses I see parked are at the Latex shops (parking area was so full some were parked up the road by the concrete plant on the road from Honda to Kathu), jam packed on the shoulder of the bypass road outside a jewellery shop (a safety hazard when they stop to park & really should not be allowed to park there), the likes of the rip off seafood buffet on Chao Fa West. So this where the influx of the cheap travel package tourists are being taken to relieve them of whatever holiday budget they have to spend although the likes of the seafood buffet & others will be included in their package.

In conclusion much of the tourism money is now going to far fewer people whereas in the past it was much more evenly spread as there were so many more independent travelers. Soon there will be hardly a trace of the Russian market compared to the numbers of the previous few years so expect to see more Chinese than ever being shuffled on & off tour buses & yelling at each other in places like Big C & Central

[Valentine]

Asian tourist do:

Spa massage run by non Thai

Latex factories run by non Thai

Island hopping run by Thai?

Eating out in massive Korean restaurants

Buying souvenirs run by non Thai

And of cause clogging the 7/11's

I agree with what you say they do bit do not agree there is no Thai involvement in these scams selected establishments.

[bubblegum]

@Valentine, I know for a fact that in the Korean Spa's, restaurants and souvenir shops the only Thai that are involved are some front man (managers without a say on what's going on) and the different police departments for their monthly contributions.

[simon43]

...and you're way too easy shaking them off.

Nope, I'm a realist, (and always an optimist of course). I can see the future of Phuket is not with 'western' tourists, unless top-end hotels,spas, nautical etc. So I'm being (successfully) proactive in attracting that demographic of foreign tourist who still visits Phuket.

Believe me, I'd love my little hotels to still be full of free-spending Danes and Swedes. But it ain't happening any more and I'm not going to try to revive a dead parrot.

[LivinLOS]

Well if they hand out notices saying they intend to arrest tourists.. You do have to wonder how much they want them..

See "We Will Arrest Phuket Tourists Who Bring Their Own Chairs to Patong Beach from Tomorrow, Say Police" via google..

[KarenBravo]

Patong dead? Just wait until the news gets out that the police are going to start arresting all tourists that bring their own chair to the beach.

Evidence that the lunatics are running the asylum (which they always have).

[Peterocket]

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

Some of your suggestions are definitely biased towards 'western' visitors and expats. Don't forget that the majority of tourists are Asian.

- Boat tours - OK

- Golf - The average tourist won't be interested, fees are too expensive

- Football golf, zorbing, flying - not a clue what football golf is, zorbing??, flying??? For the typical visitor to Phuket???

- Camping on the beach - Perhaps to avoid paying at a hotel? Chinese tourists?

- Sunday brunches - hardly top of the list for an Asian tourist

- Island hopping - OK

- Lawn bowls - please, you cannot be serious

- Fishing - Nice idea but the only thing I get asked about concerning the sea is how to get to the Boat Lagoon

- Cooking - I occasionally get asked about cooking classes from western tourists, never from Asians.

- Diving - No, people are moving onto Similian, Koh Tao for diving. Phuket (Thailand?) diving doesn't have a good reputation (and maybe due to the influx of coral-destroying, Asian tourists)

- Jet skis - Haven't you read the news?

- Parasailing - ditto above

- Phuket FC - You'll be suggesting the cricket next

A good effort at a list of suggestions for retired, western expats, but low marks for suggestions for the typical tourist ==> Asian, low-to-middle income.

Businesses in Phuket need to face up to the hard, unsavoury fact that apart from the top-end sector, the happy days of high numbers of free-spending, western tourists are over. Finished, finito, no more, the parrot is dea

I deal with tourists everyday who play Golf, JetSki, Fish and Dive. In fact I see regular requests from people coming to Phuket specifically for those things. There are regular tourists taking scenic flights at the airpark. I'll be at sunday brunch tomorrow and I guarantee there will be lots of tourists there. Despite yours and mine opinion of JetSki's and Parasailing tourists will be using them 9 hrs per day every day. Only this morning on the radio they were suggesting how good a trip to Phuket FC is for a tourist.

This island has a huge amount to offer for all types of people. Why do tourists have to only do the obvious Simon Cabaret....

Mini Golf, Aquarium, Bicycle rental, Night Clubs, Beach Clubs, Bird Park, Botanic garden, Butterfly farm, Cinema, ATV's, Elephant riding, Walking tours, Hiking, Waterfalls, Baan Teelanka, Trick Eye Museum...I could make a good recommendation for any tourist of any age on any budget in Phuket.

Whilst a lot of people are now throwing in the towel because as they can't compete with the Pullmans, Marriots, Amanpuri's, etc the people that know how to market well and provide a good service are still getting the cream from the market. There are still huge numbers of Western tourists coming here even if numbers are down 5-10% from last year.

[Valentine]

@Valentine, I know for a fact that in the Korean Spa's, restaurants and souvenir shops the only Thai that are involved are some front man (managers without a say on what's going on) and the different police departments for their monthly contributions.

I did say involvement, not ownership. None of those places could exist without either some Thai ownership or payoffs.

[NamKangMan]

Asian tourist do:

Spa massage run by non Thai

Latex factories run by non Thai

Island hopping run by Thai?

Eating out in massive Korean restaurants

Buying souvenirs run by non Thai

And of cause clogging the 7/11's

"run by non Thai" - in general, a Thai owns the land the business is built on.

That Thai landlord is asking above market value for the lease. The cost is pushed onto the consumer, which makes Phuket less competitive than other destinations in Thailand.

Thus, turning away a segment of the market.

[NamKangMan]

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

Some of your suggestions are definitely biased towards 'western' visitors and expats. Don't forget that the majority of tourists are Asian.

- Boat tours - OK

- Golf - The average tourist won't be interested, fees are too expensive

- Football golf, zorbing, flying - not a clue what football golf is, zorbing??, flying??? For the typical visitor to Phuket???

- Camping on the beach - Perhaps to avoid paying at a hotel? Chinese tourists?

- Sunday brunches - hardly top of the list for an Asian tourist

- Island hopping - OK

- Lawn bowls - please, you cannot be serious

- Fishing - Nice idea but the only thing I get asked about concerning the sea is how to get to the Boat Lagoon

- Cooking - I occasionally get asked about cooking classes from western tourists, never from Asians.

- Diving - No, people are moving onto Similian, Koh Tao for diving. Phuket (Thailand?) diving doesn't have a good reputation (and maybe due to the influx of coral-destroying, Asian tourists)

- Jet skis - Haven't you read the news?

- Parasailing - ditto above

- Phuket FC - You'll be suggesting the cricket next

A good effort at a list of suggestions for retired, western expats, but low marks for suggestions for the typical tourist ==> Asian, low-to-middle income.

Businesses in Phuket need to face up to the hard, unsavoury fact that apart from the top-end sector, the happy days of high numbers of free-spending, western tourists are over. Finished, finito, no more, the parrot is dea

I deal with tourists everyday who play Golf, JetSki, Fish and Dive. In fact I see regular requests from people coming to Phuket specifically for those things. There are regular tourists taking scenic flights at the airpark. I'll be at sunday brunch tomorrow and I guarantee there will be lots of tourists there. Despite yours and mine opinion of JetSki's and Parasailing tourists will be using them 9 hrs per day every day. Only this morning on the radio they were suggesting how good a trip to Phuket FC is for a tourist.

This island has a huge amount to offer for all types of people. Why do tourists have to only do the obvious Simon Cabaret....

Mini Golf, Aquarium, Bicycle rental, Night Clubs, Beach Clubs, Bird Park, Botanic garden, Butterfly farm, Cinema, ATV's, Elephant riding, Walking tours, Hiking, Waterfalls, Baan Teelanka, Trick Eye Museum...I could make a good recommendation for any tourist of any age on any budget in Phuket.

Whilst a lot of people are now throwing in the towel because as they can't compete with the Pullmans, Marriots, Amanpuri's, etc the people that know how to market well and provide a good service are still getting the cream from the market. There are still huge numbers of Western tourists coming here even if numbers are down 5-10% from last year.

.

"I could make a good recommendation for any tourist of any age on any budget in Phuket." - and when that tourists discovers their "taxi" or tuk-tuk costs more in a return trip to the various activities you mention, they can be a little reluctant to use the transport services on Phuket for the rest of their holiday, and that's without being scammed, threatened or even assaulted.

"There are still huge numbers of Western tourists coming here even if numbers are down 5-10% from last year." - and if this year's "5-10%" is down "5-10%" on the year before, and the year before is down "5-10%" of the year before that - what does that tell you about the future of Phuket in relation to the western tourist market?

[Paulzz]

I avoid anything south of Monument unless i really have to traffic is always bad going to Patong and getting back is even worse. I live over on east coast.. very peaceful here so far...

if jungceylon is quiet.. where has all the traffic gone to?

only reason I would go to Patong is if i had visitors staying and wanted to see some crazy stuff!!

im a Brit and am not broke but the exchange rate changes means we are not as wealthy as we once were.. in the days of 70+ to the £.. and i have a decent pension every month but wont be spending it in the rip of places in Patong.

My gripe in Phuket is thier inability to be able to control any traffic properly and a lot of drivers have no idea how to drive!!

who knows when the monument is closed or the lights are going to flash or be used then the police attempt to control it and it makes it worse.. having lived in London all my Life the traffic is bad there.... but a lot more vehicles. but it moves better than Phuket....

[simon43]

This island has a huge amount to offer for all types of people.

Yep, I can just imagine the family discussion in Norwich about the summer holiday.

'Howabout going to Phuket? You know they have the Trickeye Museum?'

'That's right Dad. And don't forget the mini-golf and going to the cinema. It's been years since I played mini-golf!'

Right, that's settled. Phuket it is. Oh... wait a moment. What about those rip-off taxis, jet-skis, nasty timeshare and bar touts etc etc etc? Let's check out holiday destinations with a better, overall reputation. 'Fraid you'll all have to forgo the Trickeye Museum......'

[KarenBravo]

Boat tours, Golf, Go-karting, Football golf, Zorbing, Flying, Camping on the beach, Sunday brunches, Island hopping, Lawn Bowls, Fishing (deep sea and lake), Cooking classes, Diving, Jet Ski's, Parasailing, Phuket FC..........

Some of your suggestions are definitely biased towards 'western' visitors and expats. Don't forget that the majority of tourists are Asian.

- Boat tours - OK

- Golf - The average tourist won't be interested, fees are too expensive

- Football golf, zorbing, flying - not a clue what football golf is, zorbing??, flying??? For the typical visitor to Phuket???

- Camping on the beach - Perhaps to avoid paying at a hotel? Chinese tourists?

- Sunday brunches - hardly top of the list for an Asian tourist

- Island hopping - OK

- Lawn bowls - please, you cannot be serious

- Fishing - Nice idea but the only thing I get asked about concerning the sea is how to get to the Boat Lagoon

- Cooking - I occasionally get asked about cooking classes from western tourists, never from Asians.

- Diving - No, people are moving onto Similian, Koh Tao for diving. Phuket (Thailand?) diving doesn't have a good reputation (and maybe due to the influx of coral-destroying, Asian tourists)

- Jet skis - Haven't you read the news?

- Parasailing - ditto above

- Phuket FC - You'll be suggesting the cricket next

A good effort at a list of suggestions for retired, western expats, but low marks for suggestions for the typical tourist ==> Asian, low-to-middle income.

Businesses in Phuket need to face up to the hard, unsavoury fact that apart from the top-end sector, the happy days of high numbers of free-spending, western tourists are over. Finished, finito, no more, the parrot is dea

I deal with tourists everyday who play Golf, JetSki, Fish and Dive. In fact I see regular requests from people coming to Phuket specifically for those things. There are regular tourists taking scenic flights at the airpark. I'll be at sunday brunch tomorrow and I guarantee there will be lots of tourists there. Despite yours and mine opinion of JetSki's and Parasailing tourists will be using them 9 hrs per day every day. Only this morning on the radio they were suggesting how good a trip to Phuket FC is for a tourist.

This island has a huge amount to offer for all types of people. Why do tourists have to only do the obvious Simon Cabaret....

Mini Golf, Aquarium, Bicycle rental, Night Clubs, Beach Clubs, Bird Park, Botanic garden, Butterfly farm, Cinema, ATV's, Elephant riding, Walking tours, Hiking, Waterfalls, Baan Teelanka, Trick Eye Museum...I could make a good recommendation for any tourist of any age on any budget in Phuket.

Whilst a lot of people are now throwing in the towel because as they can't compete with the Pullmans, Marriots, Amanpuri's, etc the people that know how to market well and provide a good service are still getting the cream from the market. There are still huge numbers of Western tourists coming here even if numbers are down 5-10% from last year.

.

"I could make a good recommendation for any tourist of any age on any budget in Phuket." - and when that tourists discovers their "taxi" or tuk-tuk costs more in a return trip to the various activities you mention, they can be a little reluctant to use the transport services on Phuket for the rest of their holiday, and that's without being scammed, threatened or even assaulted.

"There are still huge numbers of Western tourists coming here even if numbers are down 5-10% from last year." - and if this year's "5-10%" is down "5-10%" on the year before, and the year before is down "5-10%" of the year before that - what does that tell you about the future of Phuket in relation to the western tourist market?

Do us a favour. Increase the size of the font you're using.

[grumpyoldman]

Was talking to a Polish lady yesterday who went on a daytrip fishing expedition, for 1500tb each they had a day of fishing, boat tour, she said a very nice lunch altogether a great day. Her daughter caught a fairly large fish that the crew cooked up for the lunch also.

She said the Asian tourists onboard were seasick 20 minutes in, stayed below barfing the whole time. On disembarking Singaporean Chinese lady mentioned to her "usually I am very smart but 1500tb for a day of being sick was not so smart".

Different strokes for different folks !

[keestha]

Often tourists tend to holiday in the same place year after year after year, even when they are also often complaining it ain't anymore how it used to be. The place where they go every year has become like a second home, they know people there. Oh well, maybe the same applies to expats who settled in Phuket during the nineties, would they still choose it now? Had to think of this the day before yesterday, when I was visited by a group of elderly Austrians who have been spending their holidays in Patong since I don't know when, going to Khao Lak for just one day probably mainly because they know me for a long time.

[Peterocket]

This island has a huge amount to offer for all types of people.

Yep, I can just imagine the family discussion in Norwich about the summer holiday.

'Howabout going to Phuket? You know they have the Trickeye Museum?'

'That's right Dad. And don't forget the mini-golf and going to the cinema. It's been years since I played mini-golf!'

Right, that's settled. Phuket it is. Oh... wait a moment. What about those rip-off taxis, jet-skis, nasty timeshare and bar touts etc etc etc? Let's check out holiday destinations with a better, overall reputation. 'Fraid you'll all have to forgo the Trickeye Museum......'

You keep doomsday preppin' and sending people to Simon Cabaret.

I'm off to pick some tourists up from the airport get them checked into their Surin beach penthouse and then head off for Sunday Brunch tomorrow before having a round of Bangtao Mini golf with some cold beers.. Might get them booked up for a sightseeing flight over Phang Nga bay as well...

[stevenl]

...and you're way too easy shaking them off.

Nope, I'm a realist, (and always an optimist of course). I can see the future of Phuket is not with 'western' tourists, unless top-end hotels,spas, nautical etc. So I'm being (successfully) proactive in attracting that demographic of foreign tourist who still visits Phuket.

Believe me, I'd love my little hotels to still be full of free-spending Danes and Swedes. But it ain't happening any more and I'm not going to try to revive a dead parrot.

Sorry Simon, you're not a realist here, far from it.

You're leaving out the beaches, do you realise how fast golf is growing in China? Many of the other things you're shaking off way, way too easy, and to pick out one: diving of course. Similans is this year not as good, all the local sites like Shark Point area have more to offer than Similans themselves. Plus Similans is only available 1/2 of the year anyway. And mentioning Koh Tao as a new destination is ludicrous: mediocre diving there at best, suitable for an open water course but for nothing else. And I presume you missed the news on Koh Tao, they're crying even harder about the lack of tourists than Phuket is.