Help with Phuket

Hi guys

Can anyone give me some info on Phuket please? I have heard it is more expensive than Bangkok. Is this true?

Is it easy to get to the islands in Thaialnd(Ko Samui, Phuket). Is it expensive, and does anyone know a cost.

Thanks guys

Hi angel,
For the most part I have found Phuket to relatively cheap. But that also depends on the traveler, like Bangkok you can stay at a 5 star place and it could cost you hundred of $$ or eat at spendy restuarants.
You don't state what your budget is or what you would like to do.
Getting around from island to island is easy, like the rest of Thailand's infastructure, it is easy and pretty cheap, although depending on where you want to go it could take you a couple of hours to get there. My preference is to stay on the Andaman side and not go to Saumui, the Andaman coast is so much more relaxing and the waters are GREAT!
Anyway, you can easily get by on less than 100$ and many on less than 30-50 per day for accomodations, food, transpo, etc, very easily. Even better, get off Phuket and head north along the Andaman coast, there are lots of towns that have nice accomodations and great beaches for a fraction of what Phuket costs.
Have FUN!!

Nobody goes to Phuket! I learn that the HARD WAY!

Some people go to PATONG and is that KARON beach??? The thing you see in the postcards labelled as Phuket is not Phuket, but a beach 12,000 miles away from Phuket town. But these beaches are just CAB rides away from the town. My guide book advice me to stay in Phuket town, to save money. I ended up paying more money for the ride to the BEACH, than my BANGKOK TO PHUKET bus ticket.

So when people say, Phuket is so beautiful, they are not referring to this HUGE Chunk of LAND, but a stretch of BEIGE SAND, that has too many BEACH CHAIRS....

For those hate crowded beaches. You would love Phuket. Everyone is at the bars and clubs, I had the whole beach for myself. Unfortunately, I wanted my Phuket vacation to be as crowded as Khaosan Road.

Phuket can be great. Never actually been in Phuket town, except for the harbour.
However, prices varies imecely depending on which beach u go to. In Karon and Kata beach it seems like all the taxi drivers have a price cartel, impossible to bet a taxi for under 400 bath, even for only a short ride. In pathong it is easyer to negotiate price, standard fair for taxi is like 200 bath, but can get it down to 100.
And think I paid like 500 baht for a taxi ride to the airport from patong.

No problems going to Ko Samui....it has an airport, or u can take the buss from phuket. But bare in mind that all tourist destinations are "expensive", espessially those at which the majority of its visitors are from western countries. Kata beach is the most expensice place i have been to in Thailand, but it had a majority of scandinavian tourists. If u want a typical tourist place which is cheap, Pattaya is a good choise. Has lots of eastern europen, russian and arab tourist (but also many west european, british and scandinavian), hence lover prices. Phuket has a majority of scandinavian and australian tourist and therefore highter price.

But the best way to save money is to avoid typical tourist destinations, they are always trying to rip u. And when u go out drinking, don’t buy drinks. Much cheaper to buy an entire bottle....espeasially thai-spirit. REMEMBER: they are always trying to sell u the most expensice stuff!

[ Edit: Edited on 09-Jun-2009, at 03:48 by hanhans ]

I have just been to Phuket. It's very easy to get a room at the moment (low season). Most people stay in Patong beach and Karon beach. both beaches are very nice. But staying in Phuket town is much cheaper. from Phuket town you can take a bus to Patong or Karong beach. Depart every hour. Bus ticket Phuket-Patong: 25bth/way; Phuket town - Karon: 30bth. Eating in Phuket town is cheaper two.

I was pleasantly surprised by Phuket. I didn't like Patong at all, but we stayed in Hat Karon which was really nice. We stayed in a guesthouse called Diver's Inn which cost us 500 baht for a nice double room with balcony and en suite. We also hired a jeep for a day and drove out to Erawan falls - worth a visit.

You can get a cheap overnight bus from Bangkok to both Phuket and Ko Samui, taking about 12 hours.