Gay Phuket is dying quickly

[gra46]

I was in Thailand 4 weeks Dec/Jan i went to the north for a few weeks then I my way back i stayed at Phuket as my flight left there.
I was in Patong for 5 nights in Jan and all the bars were dead in this peak season, after talking to a few people and boys the bars are dying.
Most the boys I know that worked there have moved on to BKK / Pattaya or even Koh Samui.As I been Phuket 8 times i was shocked to see the streets were dead in Peak season, i seen them more packed in previous years in low season .
I believe now Phuket is for the tourists and not the gay scene, most of my friends that live in Phuket said it been like this for the last 7 months,
When I was in Chaing Mai I noticed 4 boys that use to work in Paradise and spoke with them, they said they had to go as they not making any money there, they said many friends went to BKK and Koh Samui

[giggsy]

Was it anything to do with the big trouble in tourist thailand series I wonder.Of course the more upmarket tourist don't bother with Phuket or Hua Hin.Its a few days in Bangkok followed by a relaxing few weeks in Pattaya.You only have to read firecats posts to realise that.

take a look at pattaya here....http://www.ustream.tv/channel/walking-street-pattaya

Hey Graham, good to hear from you again. I was wondering where you disappeared to.

My desire to visit Phuket has diminished significantly due to all the negative publicity and tourist trip reports from other forums. Now it's pretty much off my list. Koh Samui and Chang Mai are not at the top.

Thanks for the update.

Interesting ... about 3 hours ago I met a guy on gay romeo who had just arrived from Phuket. He'd been working in a bar there for the last 2 months and in that time had received only 3 offs.

[cdnmatt]

Interesting ... about 3 hours ago I met a guy on gay romeo who had just arrived from Phuket. He'd been working in a bar there for the last 2 months and in that time had received only 3 offs.

Sounds like a perfect place for a guy like Lain to go. I bet he could fuck the Thai boy's ass raw for 300 baht. Whoooo!

[krobbie]

... Of course the more upmarket tourist don't bother with Phuket or Hua Hin.Its a few days in Bangkok followed by a relaxing few weeks in Pattaya ...

I have a lots of words to describe Pattaya but "upmarket"would perhaps not be in the top 10. I know it can be intersting and all that but I don't really think upmarket is quite the word I would choose.

[firecat69]

Far as I am concerned I hope the whole island is suffering. The businesses there from baht buses to restaurants are all money grubbers. Expenses there are high way robbery in most cases. Let them get in line with other destinations in Thailand.

They do not have a lock on beautiful beaches etc. There are many other places to go in Thailand that welcome the visitor with smiles instead of cash registers.

Absolutely right. There's a negative vibe that hits you the second you walk out of the baggage claim. Touts for taxis waiting to rip you off. I just shake my head watching all the expensive airport limo taxis, charging triple what BKK ones do for the same distance, pulling over at 'tourist guide' traps for the driver to 'go to the bathroom' and then having his fares set upon by liars that tell them their hotel is closed or whatever so they can get a commission from a rival. It continues with the tuk tuk mafia, the jaded staff workers that don't much resemble the Thais in other markets (it is, after all, a purely tourist destination- almost all the workers come from other places).

The boys are either too ladyboy-like, straight-but-don't-understand-why-you-have-a-problem-with-them-saying-so!, or rough-tough. They've been there too long usually, as it really is a closed, inbred gay scene. There is not a sense of fresh guys percolating through. It's stale, stale, stale. Add to it the ridiculousness of having the largest hotel, filled with the classic tourist types, gawking as they walk through to get to Patong proper and you have the ingredients for a dying gay spot.

A LOT of people I know are meeting up via Gay Romeo now and bypassing the whole sorry scene.

[Smiles]

The trips to Patong which we really enjoyed ~ because of a sweet joi de vivre being readily apparent, and a 'critical mass' of visitors in gay central ~ were all in the early 2000's ... '01, '02, '03'.
Since then it's a-hard-to-describe 'feel' that all is not well in The Paradise ... the energy wasn't the same. Perhaps the tsunami forever changed the place, even though huge effort has been made to reinvigorate.
Now we go only every other year, and then only to visit friends who've we've been in contact with since 2000. Except for that, last year was rather dismal: the beaches was as nice as ever, as were our friends, and we drove around the island finding places we'd never stopped at before . . . but the gay scene in Patong seemed more than obviously struggling to maintain a former glory. And losing.
Unfortunately, no 'critical mass' left in Paradise.

(Admittedly, observations based on short snippets in time, and are generalizations. I can easily concede that a week later, things may well have seemed quite the opposite to a different observer, on a different night out.)

[Sen Yai]

(Admittedly, observations based on short snippets in time, and are generalizations. I can easily concede that a week later, things may well have seemed quite the opposite to a different observer, on a different night out.)

This is pretty much the only comment in this thread that I can agree with.

I was there recently - admittedly during the height of New Year peak season - but I found the gay scene to be as alive and vibrant as ever. There was a really friendly vibe (as usual) and all the bars seemed to be doing well. There have been some changes recently - most notable the closing of BB Boys (which has had several favourable reviews on this forum in the past) and has now been replaced by Chill - another open-fronted lounge/bar where you can just sit with a drink and friends ~chill~ and see and be seen. This activity seems to be more popular now than go-go bars with the folks sitting across the soi in Sundowners and Connect looking straight back at you.

My Way and Tangmo are still much the same. May Way was full at show times and Tangmo had a good crowd. The boys were greater in numbers (and looked healthier) than during my visits last year and (jinks take note) they still have male dancers in their cabaret. Passport is the same as it always is but DempseyтАЩs next door has now changed from a beer-bar to a go-go. They have about 10 boys dancing on a small stage in a very small, intimate, bar with a short show 3 times per night, including shower shows and (very) near-nudity, which has not been seen in Phuket for years.

However, for me, Kiss remains the epicentre of gay night life on the soi and remains crowded and buzzing until 4:00am - or possibly even later for all I know. Their terrace (and spilling out across the soi) is the place to be and they have a really great shows (at 11:45 and 01:55) with very well choreographed coyotes and innovative lip-synch katoeys. The Lady GaGa act was fantastic - no tired Tina Turners or sad farangs-in-drag here.

Elsewhere, Patong is crowded with tourists (although maybe not quite as busy as New Year 2009). I didn't see any empty hotels - maybe they are all on the long dusty road out towards Club 17.... The beach was full all along, including the 'gay beach' in front of Flora. The only business that is evidently suffering is the Jaet sa-ki boys'. THB1500 for 30 mins zooming around the bay does seem too much in these hard economic times and most of the jet skis remained on the beach.

Those that complain about the price of tuk-tuks should look at the spotlessly clean and well maintained condition of these little trucks before they assume that no money is being made by their owners apparently standing idle. If you want to ride alone, then they might seem expensive, but if you are in a group of 4 or more (as many families and other tourists are) then they appear better value.

The easy going pace of Phuket, the faboulous beaches and just enough night life to keep it new and interesing for a week's holiday suits me fine and will keep me comming back again later this year and next.

[gra46]

i said the gay scence is dying ,true the beaches were full i said that the tourist side of it is all Phuket is about,
Back to the bars were you wearing your glasses, MOST and i said most of the boys are on YABBA,i was shocked as none of the boys get tested for anything at these 2 bars i know off TANGMO and MY WAY ,the rest i dont know about but these 2 i do ,anyway i will all return to Phuket as i have many friends there and what i mean the boys there i dont need i go paradise only a little bit and i enjoy it when it quiet ,and i dont need a boy i have 1 .....And about the Hotels did you go in them all to see this as i talk to a lot of friends who live there and they say it dying in that side too,all the information i get about the gay bars is from the boys and some the owners .....

"OHHH KIETH (Krobbie)
KIA says hello"

[Chuai-Duai]

It's sad if the Gay life is going out of Phuket as I have good memories of trips there. It's where I first encountered the Go Go scene. It was before there was a central concentration of bars as they were all spread out in those days.

I've not been back since the tsunami and I think the hotel I stayed in at Patong Beach never reopened.

Actually my strongest memory is being in a small van which ended up on its side when we went off the road on the way to the airport. No one was hurt though and we waited until another van turned up and carried on leaving our previous driver still in the ditch. As we waited a lorry did exactly the same thing on the other side of the road.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I've not been back since the tsunami and I think the hotel I stayed in at Patong Beach never reopened.


Patong Beach Bungalows? It was wiped out by the tsunami and rebuilt only to be sold and wiped out again this time by bulldozers for a resort development.

I stayed there when they first opened, it was very nice and for the next 15 years they never upgraded, repaired or even re- painted the joint. There was a big white house near by that was vacant, I asked about it and they mistook my question for a real intent to buy and I was given a tour of what was latter bought by Club One Seven and then destroyed by the tsunami. I was told it was originally a single family home.

To get around the high prices of the transportation network/mafia, rent your own vehicle, that remains reasonable.

I guess just like video killed the radio star Gay Romeo killed the go-go bar.

[youtube:112oy9jz]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laZw3Y3JCJ8[/youtube:112oy9jz]

[Patexpat]

As someone who remembers the boat bar actually being in a boat in the paradise complex, I loved Phuket from the mid 80's to early 90's too. (Patong Beach Bungalows was my favourite place also - when I was still in UK I stayed ther several times a year. Ah happy days! But I digress.)

Now I only visit on business, and have found the Paradise Complex to be depressing, despite the post-Tsunami makeover, and I haven't seen it busy for well, I can't remember (tho I admit I haven't been at peak (Xmas/New Year) season for many years).

Last time I went tho drinks were much cheaper than Boystown in Pattaya tho .... B110 as opposed to B150 or so, which did surprise me.

Over priced Tuk Tuks to get about in are a major disincentive - cheaper to rent a car in many cases (or a boy with a motor cyc!)

Having said that, go ahead - hire a car ... explore the more remote beaches in the north, Still stunning, still empty!! Take a boy ....

Just my tuppence worth ...

[Beachlover]

Those that complain about the price of tuk-tuks should look at the spotlessly clean and well maintained condition of these little trucks before they assume that no money is being made by their owners apparently standing idle. If you want to ride alone, then they might seem expensive, but if you are in a group of 4 or more (as many families and other tourists are) then they appear better value.

Nobody (to my knowledge) ever said the tuk tuks weren't making money. We're just against the PRICE FIXING which is rife.

Price fixing is a serious offence in most Developed Economies. In Thailand... it is at least unethical (if not illegal).

[Beachlover]

Absolutely right. There's a negative vibe that hits you the second you walk out of the baggage claim. Touts for taxis waiting to rip you off. I just shake my head watching all the expensive airport limo taxis, charging triple what BKK ones do for the same distance, pulling over at 'tourist guide' traps for the driver to 'go to the bathroom' and then having his fares set upon by liars that tell them their hotel is closed or whatever so they can get a commission from a rival. It continues with the tuk tuk mafia, the jaded staff workers that don't much resemble the Thais in other markets (it is, after all, a purely tourist destination- almost all the workers come from other places).

I agree... but I still love the place and still visit. Certainly not the only beautiful beach but probably the only beautiful one backed by such developed facilities and at least some nightlife.

Last trip my taxi pulled into a travel agent's office on the way with some excuse. This smiling lady came out, leaned on the car window and asked if I was ok for tours. I firmly said I didn't want anything. I decided right there, for wasting my time, the driver wasn't getting my return trip to the airport (often get their mobile for this) or any tip.

Pattaya might be like this (rife with price fixing and rip offs) if it weren't for (1) the geography ensuring few limits on the number of competitors and (2) the large proportion of repeat [i.e. not clueless] visitors.

Absolutely right. There's a negative vibe that hits you the second you walk out of the baggage claim. Touts for taxis waiting to rip you off. I just shake my head watching all the expensive airport limo taxis, charging triple what BKK ones do for the same distance, pulling over at 'tourist guide' traps for the driver to 'go to the bathroom' and then having his fares set upon by liars that tell them their hotel is closed or whatever so they can get a commission from a rival. It continues with the tuk tuk mafia, the jaded staff workers that don't much resemble the Thais in other markets (it is, after all, a purely tourist destination- almost all the workers come from other places).

I agree... but I still love the place and still visit. Certainly not the only beautiful beach but probably the only beautiful one backed by such developed facilities and at least some nightlife.

Last trip my taxi pulled into a travel agent's office on the way with some excuse. This smiling lady came out, leaned on the car window and asked if I was ok for tours. I firmly said I didn't want anything. I decided right there, for wasting my time, the driver wasn't getting my return trip to the airport (often get their mobile for this) or any tip.

Pattaya might be like this (rife with price fixing and rip offs) if it weren't for (1) the geography ensuring few limits on the number of competitors and (2) the large proportion of repeat [i.e. not clueless] visitors.

Oh come on - you guys are familiar with Thailand, you can deal with this stuff:

1. There is considerably less hassle from taxi touts in HKT than in BKK. The price is within your control.
2. Don't use the Tuk Tuks - simple! It's not difficult to avoid them altogther.
3. Get your hotel to arrange the taxi from and to HKT - maybe a few baht more but a hell of a lot less hassle.
4. Stop moaning - just because you LOOK like Stadler and Waldorf from the Muppets doesn't mean you have to act like them!!

:sign5: :sign5: :sign5: :sign5: :sign5: :sign5: :sign5:

[Brad the Impala]

Absolutely right. There's a negative vibe that hits you the second you walk out of the baggage claim. Touts for taxis waiting to rip you off. I just shake my head watching all the expensive airport limo taxis, charging triple what BKK ones do for the same distance, pulling over at 'tourist guide' traps for the driver to 'go to the bathroom' and then having his fares set upon by liars that tell them their hotel is closed or whatever so they can get a commission from a rival. It continues with the tuk tuk mafia, the jaded staff workers that don't much resemble the Thais in other markets (it is, after all, a purely tourist destination- almost all the workers come from other places).

The boys are either too ladyboy-like, straight-but-don't-understand-why-you-have-a-problem-with-them-saying-so!, or rough-tough. They've been there too long usually, as it really is a closed, inbred gay scene. There is not a sense of fresh guys percolating through. It's stale, stale, stale. Add to it the ridiculousness of having the largest hotel, filled with the classic tourist types, gawking as they walk through to get to Patong proper and you have the ingredients for a dying gay spot.


A number of bizarre and inaccurate assertions.

1. "airport limos cost triple the price compared to Bangkok". I have taken airport limos at both and this is not true. Of course a mercedes limo costs more than a nissan taxi, in both places, but you pays your money and makes your choice. The limos are certainly not a ripoff in either place. After a long journey I just want to get where I am going in the quickest most convenient way, and I have never had the driver pull over at a "tourist guide" trap. Perhaps this is more likely to happen to those who pick up an unregulated taxi to save a couple of hundred Baht

2. Phuket "is a purely tourist destination- almost all the workers come from other places" As I recall Phuket is, or certainly was, the richest province in Thailand, from long before the arrival of significant numbers of tourists. The income at that time derived from tin and rubber. Over the years that has become tourists and rubber. A lot of the workers are local, though it may be true to say that most of the prostitutes are not, something to do with shitting in your own backyard perhaps.

3. The Royal Paradise Hotel created and controls the Paradise complex, so in what way they are suddenly now contributing to it's demise is unclear. I find the catcalls to passing straight couples quite entertaining, and a satisfactory reversal of the norm.

4. The guys are a cross section of camp to butch to straight that you would find in any gay area. It is certainly less anonymous than perhaps in Pattaya or Bangkok, because the gay bars cover a smaller area, and it consequently has a more villagey atmosphere, which perhaps appeals to some but not others. There seems to be a higher proportion of western gay couples than you see in Pattaya or Bangkok

[Beachlover]

I had a regulated metered taxi pull over at a tour agency... only took 5 minutes out of the journey but I didn't like the delay all the same.

Meter taxis are the quickest and cheapest away out of the airport. I've never had to wait and they are cheaper than limos and tuk tuks.

[Michael]

Surely this can't be the same place that I visited less than a month ago? The Paradise Complex gay scene is alive and well.

Take a seat at Connect, SunDowners (or whatever the new name for James Dean is), OR my favourite: the Orchid Lounge, and wait for the absolutely fantastic street show from the competing gay bars. First off is Tango Bar who drag out all their go-go bars for a rather tired claping routine - the boys are clearly bored out out their skulls. Next up is My Way Bar who have obviously splashed out all their budget on some truly amazing costumes (this seemed to be confirmed by a rather bizarre moment when I witnessed one of the shows at My Way which started with, Thai Men/lady boys dressed in Elaborate Edwardian English Costomes dancing to American 80s Disco Tunes.) Kiss Bar consistantly stole the show with a Flash Mob Style show on the street in front of their Bar, Modern Songs, Slick Routines, totally attention stealing.

My impression was that the Gay Scene in Patong was alive and kicking!

My Thai Boyfriend commented that the go-go boys were not boys, but were very much older (many 30+), especialy interesting when I observed that the Gay westeners visiting Patong appeared far younger than other Gay areas in Thailand.

[Smiles]

" ... I stayed there when they first opened, it was very nice and for the next 15 years they never upgraded, repaired or even re- painted the joint. There was a big white house near by that was vacant, I asked about it and they mistook my question for a real intent to buy and I was given a tour of what was latter bought by Club One Seven and then destroyed by the tsunami. You was told it was originally a single family home... "
(Small technical observation): I may be thinking of another place Trongpai. The original Club Seven was not close to Beach Bungalows, but quite a way south down towards the end of the beach road almost to the bridge which crosses a small river then heads up into the hills.
That's the place we were booked into in the first week in January, just missing the tsunami by that same week. We walked down the beach to see it the April after the deluge. Still a mess and abandoned then

[latintopxxx]

Was there mid Jan, stayed at the sheraton laguna (very nice, company paid:>), beaches very clean and almost no annoying hawkers; but it was a 30 minute drive to patong and no meter taxis to be found.
Cost 700baht one way to Patong, once in Patong again couldn't spot a meter taxi, all informal taxis again charged 700 one way back to the hotel.
Felt totally ripped off, especially as at the airport there are meter taxis and the 25 minute drive to the hotel was only 350.
Other than that had a good time, prices for goods, food, boys average compared to BKK or Pattaya.
Did find the gay area/paradise complex very quiet compared to BKK or Pattaya and would not bother returning to Phuket knowing Pattay/Jomtien are easier to get to from BKK.

[Beachlover]

Felt totally ripped off

That would be caused by the f*ckwit mafia's price fixing.

I wonder if review sites (for that hotel) warn about this 700 baht thing... the hotel should really have a free shuttle knowing that their guests will be ripped off otherwise. It's a deterrent to stay there.

[cdnmatt]

Phuket governor is considering metered tuk-tuks. Of course, probably with a 250 baht fee to sit inside one.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tuk-Tuks- ... 31886.html (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Tuk-Tuks-Fare-Meter-Coming-Soon-t331886.html)

Re: Gay Phuket is dying quickly
Author: Brad the Impala ┬╗ Thu 21 Jan, 2010 4:16 pm

A number of bizarre and inaccurate assertions.

1. "airport limos cost triple the price compared to Bangkok". I have taken airport limos at both and this is not true. Of course a mercedes limo costs more than a nissan taxi, in both places, but you pays your money and makes your choice. The limos are certainly not a ripoff in either place. After a long journey I just want to get where I am going in the quickest most convenient way, and I have never had the driver pull over at a "tourist guide" trap. Perhaps this is more likely to happen to those who pick up an unregulated taxi to save a couple of hundred Baht

2. Phuket "is a purely tourist destination- almost all the workers come from other places" As I recall Phuket is, or certainly was, the richest province in Thailand, from long before the arrival of significant numbers of tourists. The income at that time derived from tin and rubber. Over the years that has become tourists and rubber. A lot of the workers are local, though it may be true to say that most of the prostitutes are not, something to do with shitting in your own backyard perhaps.

3. The Royal Paradise Hotel created and controls the Paradise complex, so in what way they are suddenly now contributing to it's demise is unclear. I find the catcalls to passing straight couples quite entertaining, and a satisfactory reversal of the norm.

4. The guys are a cross section of camp to butch to straight that you would find in any gay area. It is certainly less anonymous than perhaps in Pattaya or Bangkok, because the gay bars cover a smaller area, and it consequently has a more villagey atmosphere, which perhaps appeals to some but not others. There seems to be a higher proportion of western gay couples than you see in Pattaya or Bangkok

Brad,

Having made Phuket my home off and on for almost all of the last 6 years, I have a 'resident's' perspective based on over 75 airport trips during that period. I also have lived all over the island, and am very familiar with the neighborhoods and what type of people comprise them. I have dozens and dozens of buddies who work in real estate and the hospitality industry here. I've listened to hundreds of conversations about all of the things I've written about. For more than four years straight, I was a regular at Connect and other spots in the Paradise complex, and have regularly checked back over time with how it goes there. In short, I'm far more familiar with Phuket than anyone who visits it regularly.

To your points:

1) The airport limo taxis charge more than double the Taxi Meter ones for the same trips just from this same airport! (Hint: when exiting baggage claim, veer RIGHT and walk to the end of the terminal. You can get a much better deal with Taxi Meters, set prices, no worries). The trip to Patong, which is only 35 kilometres, will easily set you back more than 700 baht using the touts selling AUTHORIZED limo services that most tourists use. Compare that to the same distance between BKK and the Silom area at less than half the price.

2) Phuket became the richest province because of the land values and tourism trade that brought five star hotels and mega-developments to the island. Tin long ago died out because declining prices and rubber, though it remains today is all owned by large corporations and families- it is not trickled down to the regular folk here.

The native population of Phuket longtimers is small, with over 90% of the hotel workers, laborers and seasonal workers coming from outside the province.

3) The Royal Paradise hotel does NOT control the paradise complex as you suggest. If it did, it would never have allowed the blight and the sex industry to sprawl right outside its front doors. Where did you ever hear that???

4) As for the boys, everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I think I've just seen the same ones over and over and over again over the years so maybe if you visit irregularly you'd think different.

[firecat69]

Oh come on - you guys are familiar with Thailand, you can deal with this stuff:

1. There is considerably less hassle from taxi touts in HKT than in BKK. The price is within your control.
2. Don't use the Tuk Tuks - simple! It's not difficult to avoid them altogther.
3. Get your hotel to arrange the taxi from and to HKT - maybe a few baht more but a hell of a lot less hassle.
4. Stop moaning - just because you LOOK like Stadler and Waldorf from the Muppets doesn't mean you have to act like them!!

Scottish Guy

Stating the facts is not moaning.

1. Having lived in Bangkok for the last 2 years , I have not even once had any taxi tout approach me and that is hundreds of taxi rides.

2. Most tourists have no choice but to use the tuk tuks. They can take a motor bike where thousands are injured every year. They can rent a car at exorbitant rates and no parking available. Or take tuk tuk at 20 times the price of Pattaya and at least 5 times the price of beautiful , new air conditioned taxis in Bangkok.

3. Even if you get Hotel to arrange it will cost you a minimum of 2x as much as a much longer ride in Bangkok.

4. Phuket rips you off at every turn and for those of us who travel all over Thailand, it is easily seen and why they will never get another one of my many baht spent in Thailand.

[Brad the Impala]

Having made Phuket my home off and on for almost all of the last 6 years,

Curious then that you previously wrote of your first visit to Phuket being in April 2005(the April after the tsunami). Not even 5 years yet.




1) The airport limo taxis charge more than double the Taxi Meter ones for the same trips just from this same airport! (Hint: when exiting baggage claim, veer RIGHT and walk to the end of the terminal. You can get a much better deal with Taxi Meters, set prices, no worries). The trip to Patong, which is only 35 kilometres, will easily set you back more than 700 baht using the touts selling AUTHORIZED limo services that most tourists use. Compare that to the same distance between BKK and the Silom area at less than half the price.

I think that 700 Baht for a "limo" for a 35 kilometre trip is a very reasonable price, and you certainly don't get a limo from Suvarnabhumi into town for a third of that price as you originally suggested!




2) Phuket became the richest province because of the land values and tourism trade that brought five star hotels and mega-developments to the island. Tin long ago died out because declining prices

I don't know about long ago, but when I first came to Phuket 25 years ago, tin dredgers were regularly visible off shore. It was already a rich province then, and I don't recall seeing many five star hotels yet!




3) The Royal Paradise hotel does NOT control the paradise complex as you suggest. If it did, it would never have allowed the blight and the sex industry to sprawl right outside its front doors. Where did you ever hear that???


From bar owners. The Paradise Complex and Royal Paradise Hotel were part of the same development. The complex may have not developed in the way that was originally intended, but the alternative was to leave it vacant.

[Sen Yai]

I'm far more familiar with Phuket than anyone who visits it regularly.

1) The airport limo taxis charge more than double the Taxi Meter ones for the same trips just from this same airport! (Hint: when exiting baggage claim, veer RIGHT and walk to the end of the terminal. You can get a much better deal with Taxi Meters, set prices, no worries). The trip to Patong, which is only 35 kilometres, will easily set you back more than 700 baht using the touts selling AUTHORIZED limo services that most tourists use. Compare that to the same distance between BKK and the Silom area at less than half the price.

But you are not comparing apples with apples. The limo fare from the airport to Patong is currently THB600 (plus THB50 surcharge at peak times). This is a fixed, published fare available from the desk. Maybe you could pay more than 700 to a tout. Don't use touts. The comparable fare for an airport limo (Camry) at Suvarnabhumi is THB1100 for a journey of 35km - not "less than half the price".

A Taxi Meter from Suvarnabhumi to Silom is about THB 225 (plus 50 surcharge and 80 for tolls), which is directly comparable to the approx THB350 for a Taxi Meter in Phuket.

[Sen Yai]

Smiles, and maybe some others, might be interested to see how the old Club17 looks today. Most of these old beach front houses - built in a vaguely European style - have now been demolished and rebuilt or 'renovated' beyond recognition. So the old green paint and red foof tiles are gone and now it has been modelled in the style of a Bangkok condo. They'll need to leave the aircon on all day to keep the heat radiating through all those full-height windows at bay.

Some might think that the pole-mounted transformer and HV cables detract from the sea view...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v291/SenYai/DSC00493-1.jpg

[firecat69]

Taxi Meter from Suvarnabhumi to Silom is about THB 225 (plus 50 surcharge and 80 for tolls), which is directly comparable to the approx THB350 for a Taxi Meter in Phuket.

No it is not comparable. First of all the taxi has no control over the toll. You want to go tollway you pay. But you don't have to.
Also there is no surcharge in the opposite direction so at most you can count 25 baht on to the average fare.

I regularly take a car from Bangkok Silom to Pattaya which is 1000 baht plus tolls. A distance at least 5 times the distance for which you think 350 baht is reasonable.

Phuket is a ripoff

I think the taxis at the Phuket airport are overpriced and many run scams on a regular basis. In my limited experience of only 3 visits they tried to run scams on me 2 times. I am not a novice so I told them in no uncertain terms what to do with their scam. The first time tourist does not have that knowledge.


But as bad as the airport taxis are , the baht buses are many times worse.. They will charge you 200 baht for a 5 minute ride. Ridiculous and thievery. The local government puts up with it and they are a joke for doing so.

[gra46]

I pay 600 Baht for a taxi from Airport to Patong it fixed up by my hotel a 35 km run,,600 Baht is $20 AUD "FUCK ME" Please you are going on a holiday why worry about 20 bucks to get to your room ,if you dont like it walk

I think the LAST people who should judge a holiday destination are those that actually live there. I almost regret even posting about it because day after day you just get used to it, and everything fades into the background, ESPECIALLY the parts that are romantic and are prized by the tourists that come from far away to enjoy it.

Check it out around here and you will find that transportation is issue number ONE here. I personally hate sauntering through the airport to my car without being able to pull aside harried tourists and telling them to 'GO RIGHT' to the taxi meter stand. It took me six months to discover it myself!

While I'd never locate to Phuket for the gay life, I would definitely consider it for the perfect holiday or retirement destination. After all, Pattaya and BKK are just a short hop away.

[yedo111]

The only reason for me to visit Phuket is the cheap flights coming from Europe, I only stay there 1 night and then take the next flight to BKK.

[rubymunro]

Ive lived in Phuket for nearly 3 yrs, Patong is still full of life, a beer in My Way is STILL 100bt, i live Kathu (10mins drive from Patong) many expats live away from Patong, Chalong, Rawai, Phuket Town etc, if tourists took the time to explore more, they could find some great surprises, even free sex !! but Paradise is cleaner, and still value for money, and above all, a wonderful night out.

[thrillbill]

...Maybe it is ones age bracket that makes Pattaya or Phuket appealing. My thai BF and I like to visit Phuket since it offers both: nice beach and a decent night life with Boat Bar and Kiss; where as Pattaya has a gay beach with dirty sea water and a night life that is basically go-go boy clubs. One thing my Isaan BF and I notice right away in Phuket is the "unfriendly" atmosphere the tuk-tuk touts and even some of the restaurant/bar workers create, but they seem to be from the South which (in general terms) have a more sour attitude and lack the Thai smile of friendliness.

Re: Gay Phuket is dying quickly
Author: thrillbill ┬╗ Thu 28 Jan, 2010 6:42 am

...Maybe it is ones age bracket that makes Pattaya or Phuket appealing. My thai BF and I like to visit Phuket since it offers both: nice beach and a decent night life with Boat Bar and Kiss; where as Pattaya has a gay beach with dirty sea water and a night life that is basically go-go boy clubs.

Which makes Phuket look pretty good, at first glance...


One thing my Isaan BF and I notice right away in Phuket is the "unfriendly" atmosphere the tuk-tuk touts and even some of the restaurant/bar workers create, but they seem to be from the South which (in general terms) have a more sour attitude and lack the Thai smile of friendliness.

A point that is even more obvious if you spend any time here. There's a definite mercenary feel to the place...just a 'boiling hate below the surface' aspect that sometimes has the Thais here rise up in violence, as they did in killing that poor German old guy.

It's a tourist island filled with mostly Thais from other Southern provinces that have a history of violence and ambivalence toward foreigners that constitute a huge source of their income. You'll never get that authentic Thai hospitality from a populace that doesn't really consider the island their true 'home'.

[Beachlover]

Hmmmm... that's an interesting perspective. I felt there was something different about Phuket from the rest of Thailand on my last trip. Couldn't put my finger on it. Much of the people you meet just aren't the same.

I know...it's quite sad...Not the same at all...

Tourist places, whether in Spain, Mexico, Florida, or Phuket are tough enough with regard to staff. Phuket suffers because it pulls from so many Muslim-influenced provinces that regard its very existence as a blight upon humanity. I say that personally believing that the Muslim community in Phuket is one of its strongest redeeming qualities. Buddhist Thais here are quick to lie and deceive, victims of the the passive aggressive behavior that is present in all 'smile all the time' cultures that have no outlet for the flip side of all that passivity. Muslims here seem, to me, to be pretty level headed and eager to accommodate. Not much drama from where I sit.

Park someplace you're 'not supposed to'? Flip off some teenage kids after 2am? Honk your horn at Thai-driven motorbikes at 3am for cutting you off? Any of these things will bring you in touch with far more of the socio-dynamic of Phuket Thais than you ever care to know.

The only reason for me to visit Phuket is the cheap flights coming from Europe, I only stay there 1 night and then take the next flight to BKK.


Can you elucidate please?

Where do these flights come into Phuket from?

The only carrier I can find from UK is Cathay Pacific - if there are European carriers flying direct to Phuket I would possibly be interested in using them.


:hello1: :hello1:

[Brad the Impala]

Phuket suffers because it pulls from so many Muslim-influenced provinces that regard its very existence as a blight upon humanity. I say that personally believing that the Muslim community in Phuket is one of its strongest redeeming qualities. Buddhist Thais here are quick to lie and deceive, victims of the the passive aggressive behavior that is present in all 'smile all the time' cultures that have no outlet for the flip side of all that passivity.


Well at least you've backed off from your previous assertion that neighbouring provinces are almost completely muslim, now the muslims just have an influence!

But you seem completely unaware of what you are trying to say. One the one hand

Phuket suffers because it pulls from so many Muslim-influenced provinces

yet on the other it's the buddhists being blamed

Buddhist Thais here are quick to lie and deceive

If everyone is so terrible why have you and your expat friends decided to make it your home, rather than all the other wonderful places in Thailand? Perhaps it's the Christians that you like?

[Sen Yai]

The only reason for me to visit Phuket is the cheap flights coming from Europe, I only stay there 1 night and then take the next flight to BKK.

Can you elucidate please?

Where do these flights come into Phuket from?

European airlines that I know have scheduled flights into Phuket inlcude:

SAS - Sandinavian
Air France
Finnair
Lufthansa
Berlin Air

Does anyone know any others?

Where do these flights come into Phuket from?
[X] Lufthansa non-stop flights to HKT from nowhere
[X] http://www.airberlin.com non-stop flights to HKT from MUC and TXL (Air Berlin = LTU)
[X] Odd: http://www2.airportthai.co.th/airportne ... sp?lang=en (http://www2.airportthai.co.th/airportnew/phuket/airlines.asp?lang=en)
[X] May I offer my sincere condolences in advance

Well at least you've backed off from your previous assertion that neighbouring provinces are almost completely muslim, now the muslims just have an influence!

But you seem completely unaware of what you are trying to say. One the one hand

Phuket suffers because it pulls from so many Muslim-influenced provinces

yet on the other it's the buddhists being blamed

Buddhist Thais here are quick to lie and deceive

If everyone is so terrible why have you and your expat friends decided to make it your home, rather than all the other wonderful places in Thailand? Perhaps it's the Christians that you like?


Fair points, Brad. Let me clarify, if I may...

I'm not sure that I've ever claimed that the neighboring provinces are completely Muslim, because I know much different having driven through almost all of them at one time or another. I do know that as I've approached Malaysia the number of shrouded women and mosques grow exponentially. I actually researched the supposed numbers of Muslims in the southern provinces and found that they shade from 25% upwards as you travel south from Surathani.

My meaning on 'Muslim-influenced' is that the TRANSIENTS that come to work in Phuket are less likely to actually accept the whole love-the-tourists mantra that you would expect elsewhere, like you might expect of Chiang Mai or Issan transients working in BKK or Pattaya.

The Muslim communities that make Phuket their home is what I meant when I was talking about my personal interactions with them.

The flip overgeneralization I made about Thai Buddhists lying and deception was inappropriate, just a gut reaction as there is almost daily a report of some ghastly late night attack grounded in some silly altercation. Just subscribe to the Phuket Gazette's online notification of the latest news and watch for yourself. Thais are passive aggressive as far as I'm concerned- but I'm no sociologist!

Phuket is beautiful, and the expat community is the best educated and most affluent of all of Southeast Asia's expat retirement destinations. It's a tourist island and the plusses and minuses of all that entails.

You're right, though. We should accept it or get the hell out, but I don't come to it for the gay life around Patong, which this thread, 'Gay Phuket is dying quickly' is titled and what we are discussing.

[TrongpaiExpat]

Phuket is beautiful, and the expat community is the best educated and most affluent of all of Southeast Asia's expat retirement destinations. It's a tourist island and the plusses and minuses of all that entails.



I'm no sociologist!

You can say that again. How could you possibly know that the Phuket expats are more educated than Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya or elsewhere? You might say in your personal experience you have met a lot of educated and affluent people in Phuket just as I can say I have met a lot of educated and affluent people in Bangkok. It might be true but unless you have conducted a survey with good controls and established techniques, you really can't say that.

Affluence and education are not necessarily directly correlated. In my personal experience I know two nearly broke American educated PhD's living in Bangkok.

Re: Gay Phuket is dying quickly
Author: TrongpaiExpat ┬╗ Sat 30 Jan, 2010 1:17 am

jacklipton wrote:
Phuket is beautiful, and the expat community is the best educated and most affluent of all of Southeast Asia's expat retirement destinations. It's a tourist island and the plusses and minuses of all that entails.


I'm no sociologist!


You can say that again. How could you possibly know that the Phuket expats are more educated than Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya or elsewhere? You might say in your personal experience you have met a lot of educated and affluent people in Phuket just as I can say I have met a lot of educated and affluent people in Bangkok. It might be true but unless you have conducted a survey with good controls and established techniques, you really can't say that.

Affluence and education are not necessarily directly correlated. In my personal experience I know two nearly broke American educated PhD's living in Bangkok.
E Dok Tong

TrongpaiExpat



Well, TrongpaiExat...I DID use the caveat that I'm no sociologist...

Phuket is fairly expensive by SEA standards and I don't think anyone would argue property prices are quite high in comparison to BKK and other spots here. I've been all over, and I can definitely say that if you were a 'Cheap Charlie' Phuket would be way down your list if you were looking to stretch pounds or dollars. The expat community here is centered mostly on the East, West and South areas of the island and any review of housing prices would definitely show that the island is a bit expensive.

My take is based on having lived in BKK, Pattaya and Phuket, with visits to CM. Rich people relocating to SEA will find Phuket very desirable due to the abundance of boating, golf and high end properties with sea views.

Can I at least take a stand that that is my humble opinion? Or do I need to hire a survey firm to confirm it before I post it on this board? (I thought the vetting rules were somewhat lax here at SGT...?)

BTW...it's debatable that Rich=Smart and Educated. Maybe the millionaires there are just lucky bastards!

[Beachlover]

Yeah... there are some amazing homes overlooking the sea in Phuket.

Really... it's a shame Pattaya or Hua Hin aren't as beautiful or picturesque as Phuket. Pattaya is a conveniently close beach getaway from Bangkok but it's terribly ugly.

Rich definitely doesn't equal educated.

Where do these flights come into Phuket from?
[X] Air France and SAS non-stop flights to HKT from nowhere
[X] http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news09/246-Finnair.shtml
[X] http://www.condor.com FRA-HKT (November to April)
[X] http://www.novair.net/en/

[goji]

I personally hate sauntering through the airport to my car without being able to pull aside harried tourists and telling them to 'GO RIGHT' to the taxi meter stand.

If the suckers don't do 5 minutes research on the internet beforehand, they almost deserve to be ripped off.

[gra46]

I personally hate sauntering through the airport to my car without being able to pull aside harried tourists and telling them to 'GO RIGHT' to the taxi meter stand.

If the suckers don't do 5 minutes research on the internet beforehand, they almost deserve to be ripped off.
so is a metered taxi to Patong cheaper than 650 baht ,you can get a mini bus for 150 but they go all over Patong and stop at there travel shop so this takes over an hour to get to your room,like i said 650 it just $20 AUD
And yes i still go Patong for few days even tho it dying

[Sen Yai]

Where do these flights come into Phuket from?
[X] Air France and SAS non-stop flights to HKT from nowhere
[X]..........

The question did not preclude indirect flights. So we can add:

Spanair
Austrian

But if you want some more direct flights to consider:

TUIfly Nordic - direct from Copenhagen & Helsinki & Stockholm
Condor Flugdienst - direct from Frankfurt
Thomson - direct from Copenhagen
MyTravel Airways - direct from Stockholm
Netjets Aviation - direct from Stockholm

Happy googling.....

Gay Phuket is dying quickly

so is a metered taxi to Patong cheaper than 650 baht ,you can get a mini bus for 150 but they go all over Patong and stop at there travel shop so this takes over an hour to get to your room,like i said 650 it just $20 AUD
And yes i still go Patong for few days even tho it dying

Oh, the mini busses are great if you're just one or two and don't mind the stops.

Taxi Meter is quite lower than the regular car service that touts descending upon the tourists represent. I remember, when I needed to get to the very southern tip of the island in Nai Harn that the Taxi Meters where a good 300 baht cheaper. I'll pick up the current fare list and post next time I'm there.

The main reason I don't volunteer the taxi meters to tourists in the airport is the fear that the touts will figure out what I'm doing and follow me out to my car, hassling me. Taking money out of their pockets is a dangerous thing in Phuket, as many of you know. The other reason is that if you try to help them (the tourists), they get confused and in the end they may find out that they have to wait for a Taxi Meter or still have a bad experience somehow and end up blaming me anyway! Murphy's Law, you know.

If the suckers don't do 5 minutes research on the internet beforehand, they almost deserve to be ripped off.

That's another reason why I don't go out of my way to tip them off. First thing I do is google all the various transport options in any place I'm going that's new. I would also think that if they have friends that have gone before them they should be warned, and the travel agents should always be aware of any problems that should be avoided as well.

I think Thailand's reputation for hospitality is so well known that people let their guard down a bit. That is what makes the behavior of the touts and tuk tuk mafia so damaging to Phuket's tourist image. It doesn't fit with what people see as the Thai's natural way. I never worry about being ripped off anywhere else on an everyday basis- aside from tour groups and high end luxury spots.

[Beachlover]

You should help out a few of the tourists on your way through if they look hassled. A nice Thai guy helped me out once.

First time I arrived in Phuket I stepped out of the airport knowing I should look for the taxi meter stand to the right of the entrance, but I couldn't see it because the area was jam packed with tourists and touts.

A Thai guy noticed I was ignoring all the touts and trying to find something I couldn't see so he grabbed my shoulder and said "meter taxi" and pointed far to the right... I walked a few metres more then saw the little sign.

BL, the key thing is that it was a Thai person helping you in this case. Also, you are asian and you've suggested that you've been mistaken for Thai in Sunee...so your danger might have been a bit mitigated by those circumstances. When I'm walking through the exit areas the ones I feel sorry for are the ones that have already been set upon by touts...looking all worried...honestly listening to what the touts have to say, often with kids in tow. The idea of stepping into the tout pitch and warning them off right there seems dangerous.

But you've prompted me to consider other ways to help... I think I will have a go at possibly identifying families in baggage claim and approaching them. After years of watching the goings on, I think I can peg the ones most at risk. If I can at least inform one family per trip it will be a job well done.

[Beachlover]

I think I was looking agitated and confused enough to be a tourist lol... and the guy spoke English to me so must've known.

Helping just one family/visitor each time you arrive is a great idea.

If everyone committed to helping one hassled tourist with these few words of advice, "official meter taxis over there are much cheaper and more comfortable" and a finger pointing to the Meter Taxi sign it would make Phuket a better place. That's all you need to do.

I can't imagine a tuk tuk driver launching himself at you in front of this crowd if you casually do this in a casual manner with a smile just once. They know there's plenty more tourists coming out.

Well, if this whole topic has one good return, it will be that I will be motivated to do what I can for these tourists...I rode back this evening on the road from the airport and spotted no less than three 'toilet stops' for drivers of the airport sanctioned limo services. These drivers are paid upward of double the Taxi Meter rate and still subject their fares to 'your hotel is CLOSED...we have a REPLACEMENT for it!' touts. It's sad, really. You see the innocents milling around...some of them arguing a bit with Thais and you know what's going on. I've been in their spot many times, years before moving here, and only because they pick spots on the bypass road where no other public conveyance is available I sit and stew and tell them "NO...I spoke to my hotel just YESTERDAY...they are OPEN and I've PREPAID so PLEASE take me to where I tell you to!"

And the hotel they tried to tell me was closed was Connect at Paradise...imagine the anxietyu normal tourists, using run of the mill hotels, would feel after being told their 'ACME' hotel was out of business or no good.

I think I will come up with a note I can slip arrivals discretely...Thais are horrible at reading english, even if they can get away with speaking it.

The only reason for me to visit Phuket is the cheap flights coming from Europe, I only stay there 1 night and then take the next flight to BKK.
Can you elucidate please?

Where do these flights come into Phuket from?

The only carrier I can find from UK is Cathay Pacific - if there are European carriers flying direct to Phuket I would possibly be interested in using them.

The question did not preclude indirect flights. So we can add:
Your last two posts in this thread show that you didn't read the preceding posts. Read more and post less nonsense, please. In any case it is pointless to list the names of well-known European airlines. Even the bar boys know them.

[Sen Yai]

Yes, you are right - I didn't read the preceeding posts carefully enough.

Still, at least you have shown that you are capable of communication without all the weird [X]'s. So I'll try to read more and post less nonsense if you drop the attention seeking pretentions, please.

[pong]

1.many of the airlines listed above do not fly into HKT by themselves-its simply code-share with a transit in BKK, either STAR-alliance on TG or the others with BKK-air (this may now even include EY=etihad). Direct flighs from Europe are limited to mainly weekly charters in the European winter and as listed further-from Scandinavia. These are by far not the cheapest, certainly not ex-GB=UK. There may also be ThomasCook air from BRU/Belgium.
2.for me the ultimate disgrace of the PHuket transport-mafia was just after the tsunami when they chargd 500/1000 THB for a tuktuk ride to bring people fleeing in the hills and lost their way back to their hotels (assuming these would still stand). That pales even the Pattaya baht-bus mafia.

Yes, you are right - I didn't read the preceeding posts carefully enough.

Still, at least you have shown that you are capable of communication without all the weird [X]'s. So I'll try to read more and post less nonsense if you drop the attention seeking pretentions, please
[Crossless] AT LEAST? This is fresh nonsense! TRYING to reduce the nonsense is not enough.
[Crossless] Dropping the valuable cross was a diplomatic move to enable your peace post.
[Crossless] You taught me how powerful my cross is. Very many thanks!
[Crossless] To meet you halfway I will sometimes try to use my cross in a more economical way.
[Crossless] Perhaps you prefer an informative signature instead? Lmtu shows what is possible.
[Crossless] My hungry boys told me that 498 of your 501 posts are full of wisdom. Seriously.
[Crossless] It's disgraceful to encircle an exemplary post with mischief. Please forgive us, Pong!

[sydneyboy]

I have never been to Phuket but I have been to Bangkok and Pattaya numerous times between 2000 and 2005 and have just returned after 3 weeks in Bangkok and Pattaya. Bangkok was "quieter" compared to my previous visits (but still plenty of fun to be had) but Pattaya was another story. As I posted while in Pattaya I could not believe how dead my old haunts were, I am thinking in particular of Boyz Town. Sunee was tragic. I met 2 Australian friends while in Thailand, one in Bangkok who has been there regularly over the years and another in Pattaya who has a Thai partner and has been visiting Pattaya frequently over many years and they totally concur with my observations. My point is that tourism to Thailand (including gay tourism) has not recovered from the airport blockades, military coups, rumours of further instability not to mention the world recession.

[Beachlover]

It's all had a cumulative effect. The GFC was out of their control but the rest was self-determined.

Continuing rumours and predictions of instability certainly don't help the cause.

I still can't believe how f*cked up the blockades were. What a way to rip billions of dollars from your fellow countymen's already-sparse wealth

Yes, you are right - I didn't read the preceeding posts carefully enough.

Still, at least you have shown that you are capable of communication without all the weird [X]'s. So I'll try to read more and post less nonsense if you drop the attention seeking pretentions, please
[Crossless] AT LEAST? This is fresh nonsense! TRYING to reduce the nonsense is not enough.
[Crossless] Dropping the valuable cross was a diplomatic move to enable your peace post.
[Crossless] You taught me how powerful my cross is. Very many thanks!
[Crossless] To meet you halfway I will sometimes try to use my cross in a more economical way.
[Crossless] Perhaps you prefer an informative signature instead? Lmtu shows what is possible.
[Crossless] My hungry boys told me that 498 of your 501 posts are full of wisdom. Seriously.
[Crossless] It's disgraceful to encircle an exemplary post with mischief. Please forgive us, Pong!


Why are you such a dick?

[gra46]

I have never been to Phuket but I have been to Bangkok and Pattaya numerous times between 2000 and 2005 and have just returned after 3 weeks in Bangkok and Pattaya. Bangkok was "quieter" compared to my previous visits (but still plenty of fun to be had) but Pattaya was another story. As I posted while in Pattaya I could not believe how dead my old haunts were, I am thinking in particular of Boyz Town. Sunee was tragic. I met 2 Australian friends while in Thailand, one in Bangkok who has been there regularly over the years and another in Pattaya who has a Thai partner and has been visiting Pattaya frequently over many years and they totally concur with my observations. My point is that tourism to Thailand (including gay tourism) has not recovered from the airport blockades, military coups, rumours of further instability not to mention the world recession.
OHH didnt say Phuket was dead ,"Gay Phuket is dying quickly"
Phuket was so busy just paradise was so quiet
Driving past the beach i couldnt see sand just people umbrellas and beach chairs
On the news here lately the Jet STar plane couldnt leave the airport and all them australians whinging (POMME) they were abandon for 2 days there ,
i would be the oppisite to them ,why,2 extra days and nights they were put up for them nights ,full refund and $600 in vouchers ,now i wish it happen to me .....

[Beachlover]

Not all the passengers on that were whinging... it's just that the media tend to focus on the more enthusiastic whingers.

Full refund for flights... $600 voucher (which almost pays for ANOTHER return flight to Phuket) and hotel/food for two nights... not a bad deal.