Phuket ranked amongst the World’s Best Places to Visit

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Phuket joins Best Places to Visit

By TTR WEEKLY

 

 

WASHINGTON DC, 26 June 2019: Paris topped the US News list that names the World’s Best Places to Visit, while Thailand’s Phuket joins the top 10 destinations in the eighth spot.

 

Released 25 June the annual rankings highlight the World’s Best Places to Visit, as well as region-specific and niche lists, including the Best Places to Visit in the USA, the Best Historical Cities to Visit in the USA, the Best Small Towns to Visit in the USA, the Best Places to Visit in Australia and The Pacific and the Best Places to Visit in Asia.

 

Unique to US News, the rankings combine editor, traveller and expert feedback to determine the most remarkable destinations around the world.

 

Paris, with its world-renowned attractions, excellent cuisine and charming atmosphere, gained the number one slot as the Best Place to Visit in the World.

 

It was followed by New Zealand’s South Island in second place, Rome in third, Tahiti fourth and London in fifth place.

 

All the top 10 destinations are gold badged by US News out of a list of 30 top destinations.

 

Notably, eighth-placed Phuket, the highest placed Asian destination, was ahead of Barcelona (11th) and New York City (12th). The top 30 featured just two Asian destinations; Phuket (8th) and Maldives (16th).

 

Full story: https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2019/06/phuket-joins-best-places-to-visit/

 

-- TTR WEEKLY

[Wiggy]

22 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Unique to US News, the rankings combine editor, traveller and expert feedback

Obviously they've never taken a tuk-tuk in Phuket.

[petermik]

When I was in Kata/Karon last december it felt like a suburb of Moscow not Thailand....

[madmitch]

The best place in Asia to visit? The "researchers" need to get out more!

[NCC1701A]

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

[les Dennis]

Shame no-one does

 

[canuckamuck]

All these, greatest place in the world rankings, Thailand gets from these random polls, make me think there aint much in the world to see.

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

The best place in Asia to visit? The "researchers" need to get out more!

Yes, Phuket is very good but Phangnga and Ranong is better.

[Bert got kinky]

 

Each to their own but IMHO Phuket was the worst place that I have ever been to in Thailand.

I hated every minute that I was there and would never go back.

 

Like I say, each to their own and I do understand that some people like the place enough to make it their home but the fourth best place in the world to visit, I really don't think so.

 

[Felt 35]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

That's perfect nowadays, out of bus for a selfie in again keep playing games on phone, then mass hysterical lunch on a previous gas station now named all you can eat buffet if anything left when you finally have fought your way to reach the table and your turn in the queue and then the highlight of the holiday, free 3 hour walking around in Central departments store .. dream holiday.

[csmith]

They have obviously not seen the documentary ....

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

Very old ones... yes !

[DrTuner]

9 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

Thais excel in photoshopping.

[Bert got kinky]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The article actually says it's the eighth best place.

You may not be the best observer to be making judgements of this kind, particularly considering the area of Thailand in which you choose to live.

Like I said, each to their own and at least we don't live in constant fear of being ripped off by the locals here.

 

[Old Croc]

3 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

Like I said, each to their own and at least we don't live in constant fear of being ripped off by the locals here.

 

So someone ripped you off In Phuket and you blame the Province rather than the thief, or yourself for being gullible.

[Bert got kinky]

45 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

So someone ripped you off In Phuket and you blame the Province rather than the thief, or yourself for being gullible.

 

Nobody ripped me off but when I visited Phuket many locals tried to rip me off, it is a tourist town, that is what happens in tourist towns.

 

Where I live I don’t have to worry about being ripped off by nearly every local vendor nor do I have to fret about the high crime rate, the Tuk-Tuk mafia, high cost of living, the droves of Chinese tourists wrecking the place, the openly corrupt police, etc.

You obviously do like Phuket so much that you are willing to overlook the faults that I could not.

At the same time you might not want to be living where I live and you will have your own reasons but whatever your reasons are they would not bother me and I like living here.

This is where the 'each to their own' statement proves true.

 

My views are an opinion, if you don’t like my views then tough luck, you cannot force me to enjoy certain things just because you do.

 

Old Croc, I have never posted on the same thread as you before, so to know where I live you must have scoured through my old posts.

When I made my first post on this thread I did quite clearly state that that my view of Phuket was IMHO and I then went on to say ‘each to their own’.

You really don’t need to get bent out of shape because somebody does not hold the same opinion as yourself, that just comes across as being obsessive.

 

If I pretend that Phuket was one of the best places in the world, will you promise not to get so obsessive and stalk me any more?

[stevenl]

4 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

Like I said, each to their own and at least we don't live in constant fear of being ripped off by the locals here.

 

"we don't live in constant fear of being ripped off by the locals here."

Neither do we.

[stevenl]

17 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Nobody ripped me off but when I visited Phuket many locals tried to rip me off, it is a tourist town, that is what happens in tourist towns.

 

Where I live I don’t have to worry about being ripped off by nearly every local vendor nor do I have to fret about the high crime rate, the Tuk-Tuk mafia, high cost of living, the droves of Chinese tourists wrecking the place, the openly corrupt police, etc.

You obviously do like Phuket so much that you are willing to overlook the faults that I could not.

At the same time you might not want to be living where I live and you will have your own reasons but whatever your reasons are they would not bother me and I like living here.

This is where the 'each to their own' statement proves true.

 

My views are an opinion, if you don’t like my views then tough luck, you cannot force me to enjoy certain things just because you do.

 

Old Croc, I have never posted on the same thread as you before, so to know where I live you must have scoured through my old posts.

When I made my first post on this thread I did quite clearly state that that my view of Phuket was IMHO and I then went on to say ‘each to their own’.

You really don’t need to get bent out of shape because somebody does not hold the same opinion as yourself, that just comes across as being obsessive.

 

If I pretend that Phuket was one of the best places in the world, will you promise not to get so obsessive and stalk me any more?

The difference is we don't come on TVF to criticize the place you're living in.

[Bert got kinky]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

The difference is we don't come on TVF to criticize the place you're living in.

 

I am stating a view in relation to the original post.

If you cannot understand that then I don't know how to explain it to you.

 

These are my thoughts and my opinion, I have made that clear in my posts.

 

[Joe Mcseismic]

18 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Each to their own but IMHO Phuket was the worst place that I have ever been to in Thailand.

I hated every minute that I was there and would never go back.

 

Like I say, each to their own and I do understand that some people like the place enough to make it their home but the fourth best place in the world to visit, I really don't think so.

 

You need to brush up your comprehension skills. Tahiti was fourth best place, not Phuket, which was eighth......

[Old Croc]

14 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

Nobody ripped me off but when I visited Phuket many locals tried to rip me off, it is a tourist town, that is what happens in tourist towns.

 

Where I live I don’t have to worry about being ripped off by nearly every local vendor nor do I have to fret about the high crime rate, the Tuk-Tuk mafia, high cost of living, the droves of Chinese tourists wrecking the place, the openly corrupt police, etc.

You obviously do like Phuket so much that you are willing to overlook the faults that I could not.

At the same time you might not want to be living where I live and you will have your own reasons but whatever your reasons are they would not bother me and I like living here.

This is where the 'each to their own' statement proves true.

 

My views are an opinion, if you don’t like my views then tough luck, you cannot force me to enjoy certain things just because you do.

 

Old Croc, I have never posted on the same thread as you before, so to know where I live you must have scoured through my old posts.

When I made my first post on this thread I did quite clearly state that that my view of Phuket was IMHO and I then went on to say ‘each to their own’.

You really don’t need to get bent out of shape because somebody does not hold the same opinion as yourself, that just comes across as being obsessive.

 

If I pretend that Phuket was one of the best places in the world, will you promise not to get so obsessive and stalk me any more?

Firstly, I believe you must be talking about the town of Patong, not Phuket City nor the province of Phuket. Accuracy isn't a strong point of yours.

This thread is about Phuket, not the one tourist center you seem fixated upon. 

For information, I haven't been to Patong for years and don't particularly like many of the things you have mentioned. However, I am astute enough to understand that hoards of Chinese tourists are all over Thailand, indeed the world. And ripoff taxis and corrupt Police are nationally endemic.

You are correct that prices are generally higher on Phuket than the Thai average, particularly in the Tourist hotspots. You seem to have visited as a tourist. 

Unlike you, I'm not disparaging others for where they choose to live. For people on a tight budget there are cheaper places to live in this country. Expats on Phuket know where and how to shop so it's not as big a burden as many believe. And yes Phuket is my choice of residence because it ticks so many boxes for me. One of the few problems with living here is that so many small minded people from elsewhere feel the need to throw crap at the place on our local forum. Where you live suits you, and is of little interest one way or the other to me.

You don't know what stalking is. Me checking your one thread to confirm where you live doesn't constitute stalking.  I've had real stalkers throwing crap at my posts for years.  If you don't want people to read what you write don't post on a public forum.

 

[stevenl]

24 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

I am stating a view in relation to the original post.

If you cannot understand that then I don't know how to explain it to you.

 

These are my thoughts and my opinion, I have made that clear in my posts.

 

Yes, you have made that clear. Still you come on here and criticize the place we're living in. Probably after one visit to a very limited part of the island.

[cornishcarlos]

I lived in Phuket for 4 years, in 3 different areas.

Visited regularly to see my mates for a few years after we left.

Now I very rarely go there, maybe once a year !!

 

It's definitely not No.8 spot in the world to visit for me but then neither is Paris No.1....

 

Some people enjoy living there, some people hate the place... I can see both views but I've joined the haters camp recently ????

[pieeyed]

Phuket was some place you wanted to visit 30 to 60 years ago. Not so much now a days.

 

[geoffbezoz]

23 hours ago, madmitch said:

The best place in Asia to visit? The "researchers" need to get out more!

You mean move out of the exclusive 5 star resorts where they are staying as a "complimentary guest" whilst writing their favourable reports , and out into the streets and see the real world ? Naa they will never do that and slum it.

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

"we don't live in constant fear of being ripped off by the locals here."

Neither do we.

Of course not, you and other expats living for years on Phuket, don't have to fear being ripped off. Tourists on the other hand.....

[simon43]

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

[/quopte]

 

I think the photo has been colour-tinted by hand - they hadn't invented colour photography when that photo was taken ????

[Old Croc]

1 hour ago, pieeyed said:

Phuket was some place you wanted to visit 30 to 60 years ago. Not so much now a days.

Yet, about 9 million people visited last year placing it at #8 in the list of most visited on the planet! 

There's always going to be a few who had bad experiences and/or a dislike of a particular place. I have several cities I will never again visit, but I'm mature enough to just get on with my life and not inflict my criticisms on their local social media.

[mike787]

On 6/26/2019 at 11:37 AM, NCC1701A said:

ever notice how great Thailand looks in photos?

Yea!  Like my x wife when I first saw her.  Then reality set in proving there is a big price to pay and nothing is as good as it looks. 

[madmitch]

I don't think the Phuket forum expats are cliquey, nor do all of us defend every aspect of the place. See my initial post for a start!

 

It's a reasonable place to live for many reasons but it has many, many faults. I won't go into any reasons or faults; anyone interested can read a few of the posts on the forum.

 

But this topic is really about places to visit, not to live. Would I choose Phuket for a holiday if I didn't live there and have friends there? Probably not. Is it one of the best places in the world to visit? Definitely not (IMHO but others may see things differently).