Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cbeck13]

so i am headed to phuket in july and need some info. please hold off on the 'don't go to phuket' replies. i am going...tickets already purchased. anyway, what is it like in july and where should i go? i am mainly asking about the water condition. i am only there for 7 days and don't have a whole lot of time to move around. i've heard so many different things about currents on the west coast and storms on the east coast. i've tried to research as much as possible, but its hard to find agreeing information. anyone have any first hand experience in phuket in the middle of summer? should i stay away from the west coast? are the strong currents that bad that you can't go in the water? whats the best place on phuket? thanks for any info.

[demaratus]

Phuket is nice in certain areas, not so nice in others.

I would stay in kata beach. It is one of the best beach areas on the island, and it is a little more mellow than its neighbor Patong. Patong has nightlife, a decent beach too (still not even top 3) but the majority of people are tourists of the ahem, sex tourist variety and bangla road certainly caters more to them than regular travellers seeking a drink. Kamala is also nice but still shows some effects of the tsnuami, and even suri beach seemed nice for swimming and eating. Kata should be the #1 choice though, it is the nicest in my opinion.

Have fun.

[demaratus]

Go to Phi Phi island and enjoy your time in paradise! Also avoid the town unless you want to shop in a mall or catch a movie. It is boring.

[oxfordstu]

Yeah, Phi-Phi is great, although in July it might take about 3 hours to get there. Kata is good, Patong has a ton of great restaurants and markets, especially the night markets. Take some daytrips if the weather permits. Sadly, scuba or snorkeling isn't going to be great that time of year, but you could get lucky.

[chris_J2]

I stayed at Kamala Beach just north of Phuket last January. Recommended. It was easy to get to Bang Tao Beach to the north, or 300 baht each way to visit crowded Patong Beach to the south.

[Tony_Balony]

The rainy season is a time for the forests, the beach is best experienced during winter. The plants and animals are watered heavily. The beach water is brown from rain run-off but the clouds are surreal. I think you might miss out if you stay at Phuket-city.

There is a nat'l park near Krabi that has karsts and there are lodges for rent. The place looks like "The Lost World". The geography is wild enough but at twilight, all of the critters come out and scream and then the frogs happen and sound like a frieght train. You can rent a scooter at Krabi and be there in a 45 minutes and you can stay one night.

[chris_J2]

Ummm... Krabi, as nice as it is, is a good 4 hours drive south east of Phuket Island. Raelea Bay is worth a daytrip, but Phang Nga is much closer to Phuket. Also spelt as 'Railay'.

Krabi http://www.trekearth.com/members/ChrisJ/photos/Asia/Thailand/South/Krabi/ (Ko Phi Phi is in Krabi province but can also be done as a daytrip from Phuket)

PhangNga

http://www.trekearth.com/members/ChrisJ/photos/Asia/Thailand/South/Phangnga/

Phuket

http://www.trekearth.com/members/ChrisJ/photos/Asia/Thailand/South/Phuket/[/url]

[princess]

Expect to see every whitey and every Korean there, especially in July. EVERYBODY goes there. That's why I don't. You'd be beeter off going to Guam like I did one year, or Saipan.

[Zark]

Currents can be bad on the west side of the island - the more popular beaches (or really the only decent beaches). However, if the weather is mild and settled the currents tend not to be difficult.

Probably the only beach to avoid due to its rough water is Surin Beach.

Most other beaches will be fine - when the weather is settled. If the sea gets rough - get out.

I agree that Kamala Beach is a good choice.

Some good resources are:

www.PhuketDelight.com - all of Phuket
www.PhuketGoldCoast.com - Kamala, Surin, Bang Tao areas
www.PhuketNorth.com - everything north of Bang Tao

Or - head on up to Khao Lak for some of the very nicest beaches and lower prices than Phuket.

More on that at: www.KhaoLakLovers.com

[thepeel]

Phuket can be lovely. I would suggest you stay near Kata and Karong beach. I dislike the more sketchy areas of Thailand, and prefer more relaxed areas. So, if you dig that too, check out

www.diversinn.com Very nice place.

[TECO]

I agree.

Phuket can be super nice.

Get up to some of the beaches north of Phuket and you and literally have kilometers of beach to yourself.

I like Phuket a lot more than Samui.

[Zark]

[patongpanda]

I'm off to Kamala for a week and a half tomorrow!


Heard that tourists are getting drowned every day at the moment. Very rough seas.