Phuket as a full-time home

[1happykamper]

I might live on Phuket for a while.. 6 yo 12 months. I know it's one of the more expensive areas in Thailand.. And tourist restaurants are crazy expensive. I digress...

 

Of the 3 coasts.. My feelings are that the west is too crowded and the most expensive.. The east.. More Thai but flatter and no nice beaches... The southern coast might be to my liking... Rawai Beach area.. I have never been. Besides expensive and crowded.. Plus Mafia taxi prices.. What are the pros and cons if Phuket living? Cheers in advance.

 

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[tomwct]

Why would you want to live in Phuket? You love tourists? You love foreign expats? You love Thai ladies for sex? You love paying too much at tourist restaurants? I've lived in Thailand for 13 years and love Isan. Very few tourists! Very few expats Love low costs Thai Food! I love my Thai wife! No, I would never live in Phuket, in fact, I've never been to Phuket and never plan to. Move to Isan and enjoy Thailand and it's

people.

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, tomwct said:

Why would you want to live in Phuket? You love tourists? You love foreign expats? You love Thai ladies for sex? You love paying too much at tourist restaurants? I've lived in Thailand for 13 years and love Isan. Very few tourists! Very few expats Love low costs Thai Food! I love my Thai wife! No, I would never live in Phuket, in fact, I've never been to Phuket and never plan to. Move to Isan and enjoy Thailand and it's

people.

That sounds like you're a good source for advice on living on Phuket. Never lived there and never been there.

[NamKangMan]

36 minutes ago, tomwct said:

Why would you want to live in Phuket? You love tourists? You love foreign expats? You love Thai ladies for sex? You love paying too much at tourist restaurants? I've lived in Thailand for 13 years and love Isan. Very few tourists! Very few expats Love low costs Thai Food! I love my Thai wife! No, I would never live in Phuket, in fact, I've never been to Phuket and never plan to. Move to Isan and enjoy Thailand and it's

people.

 

"in fact, I've never been to Phuket and never plan to" - so how can you post on this topic?

 

Out of interest, where did you first meet your Thai wife?  

[madmax2]

Phuket is not expensive compared to Australia its cheap to live here

Plenty of Restaurants and bars in the Rawai area that cater to expats,and a lot live in the area

Beer in a bar from 60 baht and restaurant meals from 100 to 300 baht in lots of Restaurants

You can always eat at a roadside stall for 60 baht if that's to expensive for you

Phuket has everything including 4 private hospitals, movie theatres, bowling alleys, live shows, a international airport you name it

 

North East Thailand has none of these things but its a lot cheaper to live there, last time i took my father in law to the hospital in Buriram for a re booked appointment we waited for 5 hours, for something exciting to do you watch a buffalo eat grass, after a couple of days i cannot wait to get out of the place and back to Phuket

If you have no money Phuket is expensive not otherwise 

[LivinginKata]

Seems to be this myth that resturants in Phuket are 'crazy expensive' ... yes, some are is you want 4 star dining.  Most are not if you know where to go. It's all about local knowledge and that includes room rental prices. As for mafia taxi prices, rent a place in a neighbourhood with local shops and bars in walking distance. 

 

Rawai/Chalong areas are the pleces you should be looking if on a budget.

[timkeen08]

Phuket is not expensive compared to Australia its cheap to live here
Plenty of Restaurants and bars in the Rawai area that cater to expats,and a lot live in the area
Beer in a bar from 60 baht and restaurant meals from 100 to 300 baht in lots of Restaurants
You can always eat at a roadside stall for 60 baht if that's to expensive for you
Phuket has everything including 4 private hospitals, movie theatres, bowling alleys, live shows, a international airport you name it
 
North East Thailand has none of these things but its a lot cheaper to live there, last time i took my father in law to the hospital in Buriram for a re booked appointment we waited for 5 hours, for something exciting to do you watch a buffalo eat grass, after a couple of days i cannot wait to get out of the place and back to Phuket
If you have no money Phuket is expensive not otherwise[emoji2] 

Personally, I don't drink or go to bars so rural Isaan suits me just fine. Especially after dealing with the hustle and bustle in Atlanta. But you are correct as the people across the street does park their one buffalo in the field and we do have cows being herded down our road. And yes, chickens have free roaming priveleges.

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[fiddlehead]

I live in Rawai. 
Paid 50 baht for my lunch today. 

Was over in Kata last week, and paid 120 baht for basically the same thing. 
Probably because I don't know any more than the typical tourist when over there as far as where to eat good food at good prices. 

When you live somewhere, you learn where is good and where to stay away from. 

That goes for most places. 

 

I suggest to the OP that he come and live here for a few months. 
Then try somewhere else and compare. 
The biggest problem living here is Chalong circle. 
But if you don't need to go through it, life is pretty good. 

 

[beechbum]

1 hour ago, tomwct said:

Why would you want to live in Phuket? You love tourists? You love foreign expats? You love Thai ladies for sex? You love paying too much at tourist restaurants? I've lived in Thailand for 13 years and love Isan. Very few tourists! Very few expats Love low costs Thai Food! I love my Thai wife! No, I would never live in Phuket, in fact, I've never been to Phuket and never plan to. Move to Isan and enjoy Thailand and it's

people.

^^Coming on here with a stupid post like that makes 2 things obvious, you've got nothing to do and no friends to do it with...lol...yeah, great place you live.

 

To the OP, my preference is the Chalong and as stated, theres loads of restaurants that don't cost an arm and a leg.

Also like Rawai and Nai Harn but the circle a bit of a pain at the mo, not to bad if you're on a bike though.

Contrary to what some idiots will probably post there's a lot of happy people at all parts of the island, just gotta find your place.

 

[trd]

Why would you want to live in Phuket? You love tourists? You love foreign expats? You love Thai ladies for sex? You love paying too much at tourist restaurants? I've lived in Thailand for 13 years and love Isan. Very few tourists! Very few expats Love low costs Thai Food! I love my Thai wife! No, I would never live in Phuket, in fact, I've never been to Phuket and never plan to. Move to Isan and enjoy Thailand and it's

people.

I've lived in Phuket for 20 years and I also love my Thai wife.

 

[simon43]

What are the beaches like in Issan?  Do they allow deckchairs, beach towels, food and drink on the beach?

 

Any jetski touts?

[timkeen08]

What are the beaches like in Issan?  Do they allow deckchairs, beach towels, food and drink on the beach?
 
Any jetski touts?

Isaan is nowhere near the ocean. Northeast Thailand from the Mekong river inward. Up across from Laos.

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[oxo1947]

8 minutes ago, timkeen08 said:

Isaan is nowhere near the ocean. Northeast Thailand from the Mekong river inward. Up across from Laos.

I think it might have been tongue in cheek answer timkeen08....... I also live in Issan, my nearest beach is Hanoi --- which is why ---thanks to the Americans--all the airports here have runways long enough to take an international flight.

 

 I have lived around Thailand, & preferred Krabi to Phuket

[1happykamper]

Thanks very much for the replies.. The Chalong circle mentioned is bad.. Because of construction.. Or just bad all the time? As a side note I define "crazy expensive" as an regular Thai meal costing more than 200 baht.

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[timkeen08]

I think it might have been tongue in cheek answer timkeen08....... I also live in Issan, my nearest beach is Hanoi --- which is why ---thanks to the Americans--all the airports here have runways long enough to take an international flight.
 
 I have lived around Thailand, & preferred Krabi to Phuket

Your welcome.

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[oxo1947]

6 hours ago, Boiled Frog said:

I have lived in Phuket for more than a decade, and had a house in a rural part of Rawai.

Just curios Bioled Frog---- where have you found that is more suitable to your life style?

 

"sold my house at a loss of more than 2 million on what I paid for it."   That's quite a hit BF , hope you have better luck in your next destination.............

[beechbum]

3 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

Just curios Bioled Frog---- where have you found that is more suitable to your life style?

 

"sold my house at a loss of more than 2 million on what I paid for it."   That's quite a hit BF , hope you have better luck in your next destination.............

He has dual accounts on here, He'll probably say Chiang Mai or thereabouts.

[phuketrichard]

I hvae lived on Phuket island for 30 out of the past 32 years,

raised a child and sent her off to the states to uni//////love it here

first 12 years in Patong (before it got bad and crowded)

18 over here in Kamala (one of the few places on the island where 80% of the Local people that live here were born here...unlike kata,karon,Nai harn, Rawaii,chalong

 

It can be as cheap as u want (easy to eat in a local thai rest for 50-100 baht

or as expensive as you wish....great choice of shopping for food yet only 35 minutes to Central mall, 40 to the airport, 40 to an international hospital.

 

IF i didn't Need to be near the water ( :-)),,,, i'd be up in the north ( around Chiang Rai)

[1happykamper]

Crime in Thailand has never worried me.. I lived in Chiang Mai City for about 15 months and have travelled to many areas. I cane across several mentions that crime in Phuket is very high due to drug use etc etc. Outside of Patong area.. any truth to this? Or things are basically same same as the rest of Thailand ?

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[stevenl]

10 minutes ago, 1happykamper said:

Crime in Thailand has never worried me.. I lived in Chiang Mai City for about 15 months and have travelled to many areas. I cane across several mentions that crime in Phuket is very high due to drug use etc etc. Outside of Patong area.. any truth to this? Or things are basically same same as the rest of Thailand ?

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Crime, who said anything about crime? 

[fatdrunkandstupid]

19 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

Seems to be this myth that resturants in Phuket are 'crazy expensive'

Not a myth.

 

Even at the plastic chair restaurant level.

 

Problem is you don't notice the rip off because the amounts are still insignificant for you.

 

But for a Thai, or a farang on a Thai level budget the prices are outrageous.

 

Let's take khao phad Ghai Kai Dow as an example.

 

In the cheapest of restaurants in phuket 60-80 THB.  Any where near a tourist center more than 100 THB.

 

In most other provinces in Thailand the same meal can be had for 35-50 THB.

 

So yes, Phuket restaurants are crazy expensive.

 

Imagine if you went into a McDonalds in the USA and their price for a Big Mac was 100% percent (or more) than what you would pay in any other McDonalds in the country.  Would you say that that restaurant was "crazy expensive"?

 

The litmus test here is how Phuket is avoided by regular Thais like the plague.

 

I have lots of Thai friends and I have repeatedly invited them to come and visit me in Phuket (even going so far as to offer to pay for their air or bus tickets).  All of them decline...the reason...too expensive...and too dangerous.

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, fatdrunkandstupid said:

Not a myth.

 

Even at the plastic chair restaurant level.

 

Problem is you don't notice the rip off because the amounts are still insignificant for you.

 

But for a Thai, or a farang on a Thai level budget the prices are outrageos.

 

Let's take khao phad Ghai Kai Dow as an example.

 

In the cheapest of restaurants in phuket 60-80 THB.  Any where near a tourist center more than 100 THB.

 

In most other provinces in Thailand the same meal can be had for 35-50 THB.

 

So yes, Phuket restaurants are crazy expensie.

 

Imagine if you went into a McDonalds in the USA and their price for a Big Mac was 100% percent (or more) than what you would pay in any other McDonalds in the country.  Would you say that that restaurant was "crazy expensive".

 

The litmus test here is how Phuket is avoided by regular ties at all cost.

 

I have lots of Thai friends and I have repeatedly invited them to come and visit me in Phuket (even going so far as to offer to pay for their air or bus tickets).  All of them decline...the reason...too expensive...and too dangerous.

Yes, perception can be a bitch.

[fatdrunkandstupid]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Yes, perception can be a bitch.

It's not perception, it's relativity.

 

Sure a plate of fried rice with an egg on top may only be 100 -150 THB in Phuket, and that is peanuts to some foreigners.

 

However, the fact of the matter is that that price is 100% higher than the price you will pay in (all) other locations in Thailand.

 

Money is tight for most workaday Thais.  I hear them complaining if an egg costs more than 3 THB.  So they will certainly shy away from a 100 percent or more price gouge.

[fatdrunkandstupid]

On the other side of the coin however, I notice that the price of accommodation in Patong has collapsed entirely.

 

I just reviewed agoda and booking dot com and there are dozens of properties now offering rooms at less than 250 THB per night (and some include breakfast).

 

 

[schlog]

44 minutes ago, fatdrunkandstupid said:

Not a myth.

 

Even at the plastic chair restaurant level.

 

Problem is you don't notice the rip off because the amounts are still insignificant for you.

 

But for a Thai, or a farang on a Thai level budget the prices are outrageous.

 

Let's take khao phad Ghai Kai Dow as an example.

 

In the cheapest of restaurants in phuket 60-80 THB.  Any where near a tourist center more than 100 THB.

 

In most other provinces in Thailand the same meal can be had for 35-50 THB.

 

So yes, Phuket restaurants are crazy expensive.

 

Imagine if you went into a McDonalds in the USA and their price for a Big Mac was 100% percent (or more) than what you would pay in any other McDonalds in the country.  Would you say that that restaurant was "crazy expensive"?

 

The litmus test here is how Phuket is avoided by regular Thais like the plague.

 

I have lots of Thai friends and I have repeatedly invited them to come and visit me in Phuket (even going so far as to offer to pay for their air or bus tickets).  All of them decline...the reason...too expensive...and too dangerous.

Central food court 45THB.

How much in Central in Nakon Nowhere?

[oxo1947]

5 minutes ago, schlog said:

Central food court 45THB.

How much in Central in Nakon Nowhere?

Yer its about 35-40 in Udon....that's Bahn Nok enough......has crept up in the last few years, the street food is still quite low...didn't they put a ceiling on the prices last year (not that anyone seems to take notice) one thing that seems to keep its price in Thailand is Massage--Thai especially, many places still do Thai for 200 baht (2 hours) some 250.... I think that was the price about 25 years ago. There are so many massage places in Issan, their probably scared to be the odd one out.

[YaiJung]

In fact, I would say the street food prices in Phuket are more like 3-4X the price of elsewhere in Thailand.  This is due to the tiny portions served in Phuket.  A 35-40 baht Khao Mun Gai elsewhere is twice as big as a 65-75 baht Phuket version. 

 

Prices aside, one of the deal breakers for me on living in Phuket is the shear inconvenience and utter pain-in-the-ass getting around the island has become.  Everything is very spread out and I find myself driving for hours all over the place just to run simple errands.  Road rage is a real issue, together with the mountainous roads, make for a very dangerous combination.  When I am there, I find myself not wanting to leave the soi/apartment, which is no way to live life. 

 

The locals can be very surly and aggressive, but that is a whole other topic in itself...

 

On the plus side, as others have mentioned, accommodation can be reasonable these days compared to the past. 

[fatdrunkandstupid]

6 minutes ago, YaiJung said:

In fact, I would say the street food prices in Phuket are more like 3-4X the price of elsewhere in Thailand.  This is due to the tiny portions served in Phuket.  A 35-40 baht Khao Mun Gai elsewhere is twice as big as a 65-75 baht Phuket version. 

 

Prices aside, one of the deal breakers for me on living in Phuket is the shear inconvenience and utter pain-in-the-ass getting around the island has become.  Everything is very spread out and I find myself driving for hours all over the place just to run simple errands.  Road rage is a real issue, together with the mountainous roads, make for a very dangerous combination.  When I am there, I find myself not wanting to leave the soi/apartment, which is no way to live life. 

 

The locals can be very surly and aggressive, but that is a whole other topic in itself...

 

On the plus side, as others have mentioned, accommodation can be reasonable these days compared to the past. 

Yes good point.  The portions of meals in Phuket are tiny compared to what you receive in other provinces.

[madmax2]

3 hours ago, fatdrunkandstupid said:

Yes good point.  The portions of meals in Phuket are tiny compared to what you receive in other provinces.

I noticed in another thread you paid 180 baht for a beer

[beechbum]

6 hours ago, fatdrunkandstupid said:

 

I have lots of Thai friends and I have repeatedly invited them to come and visit me in Phuket (even going so far as to offer to pay for their air or bus tickets).  All of them decline...the reason...too expensive...and too dangerous.

Yeah, that's probably the reason....