Going to Thailand

Heyall!

Well my Wife is asleep and I'm in an internet cafe in Phuket.

Here are my thoughts

1. The street is basically an open sewer with shops on top. It reallly stinks, but the hotel is really good.

2. [edit]

3. Do NOT ride the jet-skis... As previously mentioned and as seen on Youtube. We were Changing on the beach two days ago and I'd been watching the ski opertors for a few hours but nothing happened so I just lost interest. All of the sudden there was a couple with two kids PUNCHING ON with the operators! The entire beach of about 500 people were all watching, unfortunately the mans wife was KICKED in the head by one of the guys.. And the poor kids were hysterical. The husband was punched numerous times and things were extremely heated. Eventually the cops came, took them away and they returned about a half hour later. I haven't seen them since.. Truly shocking.. I could tell that th couple knew they did nothing wrong to deserve the penalty and were arguing to the death. A couple of umbrella rent guys came over to us and said 'no ride jet skis' because I was getting verbally angry and they wanted to cover up what was happening.

4. I've purchased about $2,500 AUD clothing for $500 here in Phuket, incudes about 12 surf shirts, 4 shorts and 2x pairs of shoes that are all GENUINE. I thought they'd be fakes but really impressed.

5. They make really good Thai food :D

6. Beers are aound 30-40 Baht which is like.. 85 cents AUD and are not taxed on alc percentage. You can drink anywhere you like on the street and walk in/out anywhere with beer.

7. There are basically no rules in Phuket, you do whatever you want except for ride a scooter without a helmet.

8. You can even make a living here by sitting outside a public toilet and not letting anyone use it by charging them a fee, there are no free toilets here and no-one actually owns them that I know of. EVERYTHING is up for grabs here and there seems to be an unspoken law between locals.

It's a cool place.
 
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From what some recent tourists to Phuket said the tuk tuk operators have managed to raise the fares such that they are able to charge about 200 Thai baht per person to travel a short distance (maybe 2-5 km). In Chiang Mai, the charge is 100-200 Thai baht per vehicle.
 
The lawless corrupt nature of Thailand may seem good at first - but is not really. Those tourists bashed up by the jetski operators will probaly be charged with assault and taken to the police station where they can be talked into spending time in prison while sorting this out or paying a hefty bribe to make it go away. They will also likely have to pay for pretend jetski damage (even though the damage was pre-existing).

You couldn't imagine it but prostitution is illegal in Thailand. When the police need some money they go out and grab a few prostitutes, particularly ladyboys, and extract bribes from them. Or, they just stand outside their police stations on the road and pull up people not wearing helmets or seatbelts - going rate is a $15/500B 'fine'.

Funny that on the most dangerous time of the year, Songkran/Thai new year April 13 - you will not be able to find any police anywhere as they will be all having drunken parties (with the monies extracted from the innocent driving victims in the days before when fines are more heavily handed out).
 
Read up

Thailand Tourist Deaths
Thailand Suicide Hanging an amazing amount of westerners apparently hang themselves:confused:
Thailand Suicide Balcony and jump off of balconies as well :confused:

The most recent case was this young guy who seemed to be enjoying himself before starting a new teaching job in Taipei but never arrived.
He was found a few days later in a sitting position with a rope around his neck and apparently his back was bruised.
The news suggest foul play.
Police say its a suicide:confused:
http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article12265.html
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/detail.asp?id=12126
http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article12277.html


There are some very suspect things happening up there http://www.andrew-drummond.com/
 
[edit]

investor2009 said:
So please, what IS good in Phuket?
Click to expand...

VERY cheap and good surgery in very luxurious hopsitals. Honestly, the surgeons there are some of the best boob surgeons in the world and you pay a fraction of the price you do here. I know 3 women who have had their boobs done over there and they rave about it. I've had botox done over there for a fraction of the cost here and it has lasted way longer than when I had it done here. Actually, I reckon a week in Patong plus the botox is cheaper than the cost of getting it done here in Perth.

As for vaccinations - I never had them for Thailand or Bali and never had a problem and I brushed my teeth in the shower plus got a tattoo etc etc.
 
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Wow.. Scary stuff indeed in regard to the myserious deaths in Thailand.. Yes it was really discusting seeing those tourists get beat up, It was on my mind for days.

Went out to the Rock club last nite and stayed all night.. Really tired now, and I went to the ATM 3 TIMES!! Think we're gonna' keep a low profile today and just slip away tomorrow moning, looking forward to getting home.
 
well i went to bangkok last year and had a brilliant time. apart from a couple of hours spent wandering through the red light district out of morbid curiosity i cant say i was surrounded by seedyness whatsoever. i wonder why people go to phuket and then are surprised it is a **** hole

i assume these are the same people who go to kuta and complain about the drunken yobbos. so much more to see out there
 
drink plenty of tropical fruit drinks and buko juice, the best natural prevention against sickness in the 3rd world countries.

* The above is not medical advice, please make an appointment with your local GP. :D
 
sanj said:
well i went to bangkok last year and had a brilliant time. apart from a couple of hours spent wandering through the red light district out of morbid curiosity i cant say i was surrounded by seedyness whatsoever. i wonder why people go to phuket and then are surprised it is a **** hole

i assume these are the same people who go to kuta and complain about the drunken yobbos. so much more to see out there
Click to expand...

the drunken yobbos I saw in Kuta were worth complaining about, they were disgraceful. It was bloody hard to miss and sometimes disturbing (wish I didn't see that sort of thing). Doesn't mean that I didn't notice anything else in Kuta, but that stood as well as other stuff.
 
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I was in Phuket a few weeks ago for a short holiday.

It wasn't quite as bad as I'd envisioned. I'd been to Pattaya and Koh Samui ten years ago so knew that there would be a lot of the riff raff.

If you go outside of Patpong and Bangla Road there's some ok beaches down south and some nice places to eat.

Cheers

Jamie
 
lmao, that was classic TerryW.
Good thing I have never been and don't plan on going to those 3rd world countries , including Bali etc.
I can stay here if all I want to see is a resort and a beach.
 
Hey, I am in Pattaya now. Its much better than my last trip. Heaps of good shopping and food and there is a music festival on now.

Any forumites in town?
 
Common sense is the most common thing tourists leave behind on the carousel...or in the overhead lockers....or in the taxi before leaving home even.

Think about what you are doing and if you would do the same in Oz...if not, dont do it.

As for shots....I have never had any shots for anywhere I have traveled.

I'll tell you a story....I lived in Vanuatu for a little while. A property I was looking at buying was established by 3 brothers and their respective wifes or girlfriends at the time, so 6 people.

When they first moved there to establish the place, 5 of the 6 took malaria shots, or tablets or variations on what was available at the time.

Of the 6...guess how many caught malaria and which one did not ??
 
I was in Pattaya for songkran, I left last week. I'm in no hurry to get back there.

What a dive.

Terry_w said:
Hey, I am in Pattaya now. Its much better than my last trip. Heaps of good shopping and food and there is a music festival on now.

Any forumites in town?
Click to expand...
 
We spent time in Phuket and Phi Phi last year. Absolutely loved Phi Phi but would not go back to Phuket. Koh Samui is next on our list later this year...
 
Give samui a miss...go to Koh Chang and then some of the other islands south of it for a couple of nights.....or preferably Krabi and its islands offshore.

Amazing Thailand has the prize of the greatest marketing phrase...2 actually...for its tourism business....Amazing in the fact that Phuket is considered an International world renowned destination with pristine beaches etc etc....it is a complete and utter s h i thole.
 
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