Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tiger Beer]

Phuket or Pattaya?

[brachy]

I think the rentals may be a bit cheaper in Pattaya tiger beer. Try there, plus Phuket hooker bars are more like pubs, in comparison to the disco type things in pattaya.

[Mashimaro]

from what I've heard:
Phuket: overpriced, over commercialised, nice beaches, sleazy
Pattaya: over commercialized, average beaches, really sleazy

tough call.. I'd go anywhere but either of those places

[the_beaver]

Go to Pattaya and find out what happened.

[Tiger Beer]

Yeah, I think I've been just about everywhere I've wanted to go in Asia except for those two places. (Japan 5x, China 3x, Hong Kong 2x, Phil., Indonesia, HK 2x, vietnam 2x, cambodia, thailand 2x, taiwan, maalaysia, singapore 2x, nepal, etc., etc.. 49 U.S. States, 8 Can Provinces, throughout south america and throughout europe. I'm really running out of places to go that I have even remote interest in).

In all those times I've managed to completely skip and miss Pattaya and Phuket.. and wonder what all the hoopla is about sometimes. I just recently heard someone refer to Phuket as being like Hawaii.. so it really made me think I might be missing something in regards to Thai beaches. Who knows. Doesn't sound like it on this thread however. Maybe my first and long-time intuitions were right on the places?

[just because]

Pattaya is a stink hole....

Phuket is Ok but a little bit sleazy too...

[desultude]

I'm heading up to Chiang Mai in a couple of weeks. Being from Miami, I think I may be a bit beached out. I intended to go to Ko Phi Phi, but change my plans at the last minute.

But- I have heard that Phuket may be pretty good right now, with the crowds not quite returning after the tsunami the prices are down and it may be a bit more laid back.

[matthews_world]

Everytime I read a Tiger travel forum I laugh! Tiger, stay in one place, save some money. That's why you came back to Korea, to save the big bucks, right?

[Zark]

I checked out Pattaya before I moved to Phuket - wanted to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Really poor beaches - not so good sea views - limted at best. I made a good choice.

I don't know Pattaya well - so can't comment on the sleaze factor. But, I do have to say that people who visit Phuket - and visit and stay only in Patong/Kata/Karon - at best have a VERY limited understanding of the island. A bit like visiting Bangkok - staying only in Patpong - and saying BKK is sleazy - or visiting only selected parts of Seoul and Pusan - and calling them sleazy.

Many people who live on the island rarely even get into Patong - I get there only every couple weeks and then only to visit a friend who lives there - or to eat at one of the literally hundreds of great restaurants there. You don't, btw, HAVE to hang out on Soi Bangla.

Go to Mai Khao - you won't see any foreigners around - long long stretches of great beaches. Drive up to Khao Lak - I think some of the best beaches in the world. Just off the island - Natai Beach - just incredible. Nary a hooker to be found in those areas (just returning to the "sleaze" factor core of this discussion). Check out the beautiful north-eastern part of the island - where even most the local expats have never been. (stunning views of Phang-Nga Bay).

I live in a nice - very quiet area of the island. I guess - if I looked hard for it - I could find some sleaze in my area - but life is a bit of finding what you're looking for, isn't it?

To know Phuket - you'll have to get out of Patong and the heavily tourist areas. If you only visit Honolulu - can you say you know Hawaii? Or even Oahu?

Try Best Island Drives:
http://phuketdelight.com/Best%20Island%20Drives.htm

Try Best Beaches:
http://phuketdelight.com/Best%20Beaches.htm

Try Best Restaurants (sorry MY favorites!):
http://phuketdelight.com/Favorite%20Restaurants.htm

And, if you like it enough and want to stay and teach check my pages on teaching English in Thailand and specifically on Phuket:
http://phuketdelight.com/teach.htm

Some times we make judgements about places based on very limited bits of information from people who only passed through for a few days.

I guess to belabor the point I bit - I was always blown away by people who went to Taiwan (I lived there for two years) and came away saying, "Wow, dirty." Yes, it was dirty. But to come away with that as the number one impression was quite sad. Stunning east coast and southern beaches - fabulously beautiful countryside - fascinating culture: All these things missed.

Ya find what ya look for.

[TECO]

Zark,

Great post about Phuket!

I completely agree with what you're saying.

Phuket is great.

[stalinsdad]

Phuket yuk-Pattaya yuk but better than Phuket, I went horse riding there, you can escape the crap if you try.