Phuket, why I never go back

[Batfish]

Patong, Surin, and Phuket Town, to me they were like a mini bangkok

Don't get me started on Phuket.... check my blog below. Patong is indeed very crowded. Phuket Town (in parts) is a very busy city, but has many quieter areas too - for example.. have a look here:

Jamie's Phuket: The Phuket Photo Walk

Surin like a mini Bangkok? You sure?

And if you did as you yourself suggested and stayed at the Sheraton, you'd be on a very very quiet beach (Bang Tao). There's no Sofitel in Phuket, though.

 

[shoturtle]

Personally I would not stay on Phuket, I went north to Khao Lak and stay at the Le Meridien, and when I was on the other side in Krabi, I stayed at the Sofitel Krabi. Both are excellent and quite resorts. Not over Crowed.

If I wanted to stay at places like Patong beach, I would save myself the 17 hour or 10 hour flight to Thailand and go to Majorca instead. It is pretty much the same, very crowed and party all night.

But I think people from phuket and thailand from this board seem to trying to say that phuket is all great, which it is not. I enjoy my day trips to phuket from Khao Lak, but I really would not want to stay there. As I did drive around the whole Island of Phuket, yes there are some nice area, but not enough for my taste in vacations. The north end of the island did have some quite beaches, with nice white sands. There were not to many hotels up that way. Enjoyed my shopping trip to the central mall. And the shops in Phuket town. But lets face facts, there is tourist targeted crime in phuket. Tourism is a big industry for phuket, and it will attract the less friendly element.

I live in NYC also, tourism is big. I will tell you that there are tourist targeted crime here. And I would tell any women visiting NYC alone not to stay at any hotel that in not a big name that is under 150 dollar a night. But we get over 4 million visitors a year. NYC may be the safes big city in the US, but we do have crimes.

Lets face facts, Phuket is not the wonderful safe haven you want us to believe. That said, I did enjoy my trips there.

 

[shoturtle]

PS

On my last trip to thailand, I stay couple of days in bangkok. One of the days, a major headline was they found someones europeans head hanging off Rama 5 bridge on a rope. That they believe was organized crime related. Would that stop me form visiting bangkok again, no. But should I not have wits about me up because I am on vacation, no.

 

[Tigerman]

To be fair though, if they found a europeans head hanging under a bridge, related to organized crime it was probably not the average tourist?

Crime organizations whatever you want to call them (mafia, triads, cartels and so on) tend to know that tourists is good for buisness and not whack them off for no reason..

 

[shoturtle]

I know, but it is meant to point out that thailand is not that safe haven allot want to let tourist to believe. It is mostly a Buddhist country but it has it shear of crime. And anyone visiting there should be inform correctly that you should keep your guard up even on vacation. I never did find out what the final report on the head was, this happened at the end of feb of this year.

 

[Bowmouth]

Same thing happened to me. Except when i woke up, i was in a bath of ice water and missing both kidneys.

Welcome to the Twilight Zone....

 

[Bowmouth]

I think people from phuket and Thailand from this board seem to trying to say that phuket is all great, which it is not.
Lets face facts, there is tourist targeted crime in phuket. Tourism is a big industry for phuket, and it will attract the less friendly element.
Lets face facts, Phuket is not the wonderful safe haven you want us to believe.

Yes, there is some crime in Phuket and in Thailand. And yes, a part of that crime is targeted against foreigners and tourists.
I do not know exactly how small that part is; but I'm quite confident that it's very-very small.

I don't say that Phuket is "all great" but I can tell you that it's about the safest and nicest place I've ever lived, worked and/or traveled. I dare say it's safer and nicer than most European countries, it's safer and nicer than most other SEA countries and it's safer and nicer than the USA.

Thailand (including Phuket and other tourist destinations) is a wonderful place to visit and the fast majority of visitors will have a grand, safe and memorable time here.

 

[Bowmouth]

I never did find out what the final report on the head was, this happened at the end of feb of this year.

Your "crime" example is of poor choice. What happened was this:
An Italian man in poor health and without money committed suicide and jumped of the Rama VIII bridge with a sling attached to his neck (which cleanly severed his head from his body).

 

[TimA]

Its Phuket City now, not Phuket Town.

Considering how fast Phuket has grown in the last 25 years.....its faired well.
Must be something good about Phuket to have such an increase in population.

Its some of the westerners that go there for visits that concern me the most.

I feel pretty good about my 3 children being born there....wouldn't change a thing....would do it again....

 

[shoturtle]

Your "crime" example is of poor choice. What happened was this:
An Italian man in poor health and without money committed suicide and jumped of the Rama VIII bridge with a sling attached to his neck (which cleanly severed his head from his body).

OK, can you explain the cryptic note about see someone, that was report tied to the head? But on the other hand, if the papers report that it may be organized crime related from the first reports, that just tells me the thailand has similar issues as other cities. It does not make it a bad place.

And stop trying to put a complete happy land spin on Phuket, I got my walled pinch 3 trips ago. It did not deter me from visit thailand again, but it is what it is. But like I said, I did keep my guard up, had a travel wallet, with only about 500bht, and a cc in it. Not a major lost, did not hamper my vac as the cc was replaced in a day by express mail.