Phuket
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| Nai Thon beach – Far from the madding crowd |
Phuket, in southern Thailand, was our first R&R long-term destination, the long-term on this occasion being two months from early January to early March 2008. We’d been there before, over 20 years early, and although we knew it would have changed, we felt it would be a good place to start our roaming. Like Thailand generally, Phuket is inexpensive, though not as quite so much as it used to be. However, a bit of research showed that it would fit the budget.
The tourist blurb proclaims Phuket to be an island paradise. While that might be a bit exaggerated, it’s certainly a fabulous place with many beautiful sandy beaches, safe swimming in the dry season (Dec – Apr) and its infrastructure is in many ways first-world. So a first time R&Rer, with perhaps limited experience in far-flung places, would not find it too much of a culture shock. There are shopping malls, supermarkets, tons of restaurants representing a wide range of cuisines, and, very importantly for the R&Rer, a huge variety of accommodation. Added to all that, the Thai people are lovely, friendly and are well used to farangs – foreigners. English is widely spoken, although the level is very variable, which of course all adds to the fun of being there.
Whether it was to do with being back in SE Asia, or just the magnetism of Phuket I don’t know, but we very quickly fell for the place. So much so in fact it will be on our list for the foreseeable future as part of our annual travels.
Accommodation Priorities
Before heading off to Phuket, we undertook an extensive search of the internet for accommodation – and there’s a lot! Back in the 80s we’d stayed in Patong, which in those days was a sleepy place with a quiet beach. Since then, Patong has evolved into the bar & club capital of Phuket, the streets are busy and noisy both day and night, and its beach is packed. If that’s what you want, fine, but we didn’t and so we avoided it.
The main problem with searching the internet for accommodation is that you can easily be misled by glowing descriptions and well-taken photos, especially if the location is new to you. So what should the R&Rer be looking for in a tropical climate like Phuket? We’d hoped for a villa or apartment by the beach with a pool, on a budget of around €5-700 per month. Mmm – get real. The main thing you can cross out in that list is ‘by the beach’. However, we now know that being by the beach isn’t so important, so long as it’s not too far away. The single most important thing to have with your accommodation is a pool. If you think you can get by without a pool in the tropics, where the day and night temperatures are high, along with the humidity, then you’re crazy. Don’t even think about it! The second must-have is of course air-conditioning, although that’s pretty much a given in most places. Number three on the list is probably a good internet connection – preferably wifi.
Our accommodation of choice – Phuket Garden Home – is described in detail on the Places To Stay page. We have found others that are good, although frankly, we return have returned (2009) to PGH.
Driving
Firstly, in Thailand, cars drive on the left. So for anyone used to having the steering wheel on the left side of their car, this is the first challenge! The driving is somewhat wilder than in most northern European countries and the US – we live in Italy and are used to crazy driving so here it’s no problem for us! The huge numbers of motor bikes and mopeds weaving in and out of the traffic, overtaking you on the inside and generally getting in the way can be a little off-putting at first. As can turning out from a side road to a main road, especially turning right – the stream of bikes never seems to end. But you’ll soon learn the rules (e.g for turning right: pick a small hole in the traffic and go for the middle of the road. Then worry about what’s coming in the direction you want to go!) The main thing is that the driving is not aggressive, so if you relax and go with the flow, you’ll get the hang of it very quickly.
Many visitors rent motorbikes or scooters, and because of the lax checks, you can do this without a bike licence – very evident from the way some people drive them. Also evident is the number of people who come to grief – you see a lot of road rash around the place. People with road rash are the lucky ones: road deaths in Phuket number some 250 per year of which 90% involve people on motorbikes. So rent and drive one at your peril. If you’ve never driven a bike, don’t even think about it.
If you do rent a motorbike, wear a helmet, firstly because the law says the driver must wear one (the passenger can take pot luck!) and secondly it makes sense. That said, many Thai’s don’t and many foreigners copy them, thinking its cool. In addition to the obvious dangers of not wearing a helmet, as a foreigner without a helmet, you are more of a target for the police who will pull you over and fine you – they know you can afford it.
For getting around, personally I should say that renting a car is a good idea. You can get very good deals by looking around. Certainly do not take the prices on the internet seriously – it normally turns out cheaper. We’ve found a very good company near the airport who will meet your flight, take you to the office where you sort out the paperwork and payment, and off you go. They are the Phuket Car Rental and Travel Company at this link. What we’ve learned now is to book the cheapest available and bargain for an upgrade when you arrive. (Air con is essential, by the way). Bargaining may not even be necessary; if business is slack, they’ll probably have upgraded you anyway. When you leave Phuket, you drive to their office and they take you to the airport. Painless. They even seem to have a deal at the airport car park since when we’ve driven there to meet visitors, we’re waved in without being given a car park ticket and on leaving, when they see the company name on the windscreen, they let you out without paying.
In theory, you are supposed to have an international driving permit in addition to your licence to drive in Thailand. Nearly all the rental websites mention it. But when it comes down to it, nobody seems bothered. If you are stopped by the police and they think about it, they might fine you (a friend of ours driving moped was stopped and fined for not wearing a helmet. He not only had no international permit, he didn’t have a bike licence. However, this was completely overlooked by the policeman!). All in all, it’s probably worth getting an international permit. They don’t cost much and they are valid for a year, but you can ONLY get them in your country of origin, i.e. where your driving licence was issued.
Visas
The whole visa situation in Thailand is something of a minefield. It’s OK if you’re a tourist coming for 30 days or less from one of the many countries for which there is exemption from having to obtain a tourist visa in advance of arriving. The situation gets more complex when you want to stay longer. There are many websites that explain the situation and various options, some are more up-to-date than others and some cite recent problems encountered by travellers.
For a R&Rer wanting to stay for up to 90 days, the most expedient way is to obtain a single or multiple entry 60 tourist via from the Thai embassy or consulate in your home country before you leave. You can do this up to three months in advance. On arrival in Thailand, you will be given your alloted 60 days after which you must leave. If you want to come back, you can, and the best way to get the maximum of 30 days extension is to fly out to a neighbouring country and fly back. Confused? Check out the websites at the following links:
Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs
For more impressions of Phuket, together with comments on the cost of living, see the various posts under the ‘Phuket’ category. There is also an article under Places To Stay about our accommodation in Chalong, Phuket.