'Affordable Phuket needs a change of image'

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The price of accommodation and restaurants in Phuket now has become more affordable than before, but it is not well publicised as a result Thai people were missing an opportunity, she said.

Thais are not missing the opportunity, they well know the scams & prices and are staying away.

Only the newly arriving "green tourists" are going to pay Phuket prices as they don't know any better.

[ChipButty]

23 minutes ago, Promula said:

You're showing an important problem there - you've referred to "Phuket" and "rip-off city" but you're probably talking about Patong. Most tourists head straight to Patong or another beach conurbation, and never look at the east side of the island where the locals live, and that includes the "city" of "Phuket".

 

Phuket city has a bus service from the airport, which although not cheap, at 100 baht it's entirely reasonable. It also has hundreds of places to eat at and dozens to drink at which are Thai priced.  

When me and the wife go out we always go to Phuket Town some trendy little wine bars plenty of selection of restaurants and better quality than where we live not over expensive for what you get, 

[ChipButty]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thais are not missing the opportunity, they well know the scams & prices and are staying away.

Only the newly arriving "green tourists" are going to pay Phuket prices as they don't know any better.

Not yet you mean?

[Promula]

8 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

When me and the wife go out we always go to Phuket Town some trendy little wine bars plenty of selection of restaurants and better quality than where we live not over expensive for what you get, 

Yep, that's where the cashed up Thai locals go. Mainly in the old town but there's dozens of restaurants and bars further out. They wouldn't be seen dead in a Patong bar, much like the Bangkok Ari/Thong Lor locals wouldn't be seen dead on Suk soi 4.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Promula

[androokery]

51 minutes ago, Promula said:

You're showing an important problem there - you've referred to "Phuket" and "rip-off city" but you're probably talking about Patong. Most tourists head straight to Patong or another beach conurbation, and never look at the east side of the island where the locals live, and that includes the "city" of "Phuket".

 

Phuket city has a bus service from the airport, which although not cheap, at 100 baht it's entirely reasonable. It also has hundreds of places to eat at and dozens to drink at which are Thai priced.  

Phuket does become a much more agreeable place once you’ve discovered Phuket Town. And the cheap blue buses to and from the beaches.

[Promula]

34 minutes ago, androokery said:

the cheap blue buses to and from the beaches.

I've seen them  but have yet to try one. Far prefer my Aerox 155, which is even cheaper, more flexible, and with most roads being so quiet this year, almost effortless. The Ride from Patong to Nai Harn for example is amazing, with barely another vehicle on the road along the very well built road and its coastal hilly twisties.

Edited October 1, 2020 by Promula

[zzzzz]

58 minutes ago, Promula said:

Not entirely true in Phuket. KFC for example will cost you around 15% more in Junkcelon mall in Patong than in Phuket Town's KFCs. 

ahh ok,  BUT never really considered KFC a thai Restaurant>LOL

JC prices have always been on the high side to eat and it (the food court is the only overpriced one on the island)  Except it seems the wine connection & Fuji where the prices are the same across the island.

[Promula]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

ahh ok,  BUT never really considered KFC a thai Restaurant>LOL

https://www.kfc.co.th

 

Majority owned by Thais (or fully if they're franchises), entirely staffed by Thais, and 95%+ of customers are Thai. Only the style of food isn't traditional Thai, but they seem to love it anyway ????

Edited October 1, 2020 by Promula

[Promula]

3 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

ahh ok,  BUT never really considered KFC a thai Restaurant>LOL

JC prices have always been on the high side to eat and it (the food court is the only overpriced one on the island)  

I didn't know JC had a food court. Good to know, but won't bother going though. 

 

Central Floresta food court is a little on the pricey side, but then so is everything in that side of Central. 

[katatonic]

2 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Phuket leaves a bad taste in the mouth the second you try and get a taxi into the city from the airport. The rip offs just continue throughout your stay. Everything is overpriced and restaurants selling Western food are much more expensive than those in Pattaya. I can't understand why anyone goes to that ripoff city.

Phuket is an island not a city. The taxi prices are displayed openly and I would pay 800 bt to go home from the airport, or just under 20 pounds. Not too bad for an hour in a newish Corolla, or 50km. Generalising about the prices on a diverse island covering 224 sq km is rather ridiculous. Phuket town is largely for locals and priced accordingly. You haven't been, have you? Foreigners going straight to Phuket Town from the airport are hardly ordinary tourists. Backpackers heading for the ferry port en route to the backpacker hell of Phi Phi, generally.

Edited October 1, 2020 by katatonic
Addition

[Promula]

5 minutes ago, katatonic said:

Phuket is an island not a city. The taxi prices are displayed openly and I would pay 800 bt to go home from the airport, or just under 20 pounds. Not too bad for an hour in a newish Corolla, or 50km. 

Yep, Phuket taxis run on a different economic system to Bangkok. In Bangkok they need to be priced and regulated to be affordable to their primary customer base, Thais. In Phuket nearly all taxis are used by tourists, and if those tourists are willing to pay more than double Bangkok taxi prices, that's what the Phuket taxis will charge. And who can blame them. They're still much cheaper than a London taxi. 

[Promula]

Having said that, Phuket taxis do seek to exploit the lack of public transport, which London taxis can't, and they probably use muscle to keep out public transport. 

[katatonic]

2 hours ago, Promula said:

Yep, that's where the cashed up Thai locals go. Mainly in the old town but there's dozens of restaurants and bars further out. They wouldn't be seen dead in a Patong bar, much like the Bangkok Ari/Thong Lor locals wouldn't be seen dead on Suk soi 4.

Yes, lots of very reasonable and funky places in Phuket Town, mainly aimed at locals and with a wide spectrum of quality/cost. Few people that live here ever go to Patong. I live about 15 mins away and very rarely ever go, only if I have to meet someone for work etc. My wife will not ever go.

[katatonic]

3 minutes ago, Promula said:

Having said that, Phuket taxis do seek to exploit the lack of public transport, which London taxis can't, and they probably use muscle to keep out public transport. 

Not probably..

[Promula]

20 minutes ago, katatonic said:

Yes, lots of very reasonable and funky places in Phuket Town, mainly aimed at locals and with a wide spectrum of quality/cost. Few people that live here ever go to Patong. I live about 15 mins away and very rarely ever go, only if I have to meet someone for work etc. My wife will not ever go.

Still nice to go there for a sunset stroll on the beach, which is all the more enjoyable now with the lack of tourists. 

[Promula]

21 minutes ago, katatonic said:

 funky places in Phuket Town, mainly aimed at locals 

I think Phuket Town is almost certainly the 'coolest' place to live in Thailand. It feels different to any other small Thai city, as it's more attractive and developed. I'd go nuts living somewhere like Surat Thai or Udon Thani. 

[DrTuner]

Not expensive enough for the CCP cadres flying in with the jets? Well raise the prices then.

[DLock]

Thai tourists are thrifty. 

 

All the tourism areas that were cheaper before COVID, have also reduced their prices making Phuket still expensive by comparison.

 

Phuket is not for Thai people. They can try and pivot and beg the Thai tourists to come, but Thai's remember...and they know the moment tourism re-opens, they will be shunned again.