I spent two years in Bangkok before I decided that I'd had enough. It was nothing against the city, but I just felt as if I needed a change. I was given an opportunity to work in Phuket and I took it. Twelve months later and I feel a craving to return to Bangkok, but I won't, because I've been there and done that.
People often ask me what it's like in Phuket. I receive numerous emails from people mulling the idea of moving to the island.
Different people come to Phuket with different expectations and different ideas. When I came to Phuket, I had a fair idea of what the place was like. Phuket is a large island. There are more than 10 main beaches and just as many islands dotted around the coast. For this reason, you can find whatever it is you're looking for in Phuket.
If you want unspoiled beachfront, then head to Mai Khao Beach or Yanui Beach. If you want rowdy nightlife then go to Patong Beach. For surfing you ought to check out Kata Beach. There are even a few splashes of Sino-Portugese culture in Phuket Town.
I live on the outskirts of Phuket Town. I have easy access to decent restaurants, shops, beaches, everything really. While I don't plan to stay in Phuket forever, I am glad to have lived on the island and really seen it for its good and its bad side.
I'd recommend to anyone to spend a bit of time in Phuket to really see what the place is about.
However, after spending the best part of a year in Phuket, there's something about the island that just hasn't clicked with me.
After Bangkok and Pattaya, Phuket is the destination within Thailand that attracts the most expats. People come to Phuket in search of beaches, romance, work, whatever. It isn't the aesthetics of Phuket that bugs me - there are enough beautiful Phuket beaches and islands to keep anyone happy; it's the lack of action that can be a bit of a downer.
Coming from Bangkok down to Phuket, there are stark differences that I haven't been able to get over, no matter how hard I try and convince myself that I'm happy in Phuket. For a start, the social scene sucks. You just don't have the same mix of like-minded people as you do in Bangkok.
Then there's Phuket nightlife. I'm not necessarily referring to just clubs and bars, but to everything that goes on once the sun sets. In Phuket, you can't stroll out at 2 am and find people all over the place. You can't even travel around the island after dark for fear of being mugged if you're on a motorbike or being ripped off if you're riding in a tuk-tuk.
One year in Phuket has left me certain that the island is not a place I want to settle on. However, my idea of paradise is, of course, not the same as the next person's, which is why many people come to Phuket and never leave.
The author of this article can be found over at Phuket Vogue.
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