It’s less than fifty years since the first intrepid travellers set foot on Phuket, but those adventurous hippies would hardly recognise the place if they landed there today. Firmly established as one of Thailand’s busiest holiday destinations, Phuket has also been attracting a growing number of long-term overseas residents for some time now. So just what is it about Phuket that draws in the crowds? We pick 9 possible reasons.
- Maybe it’s the climate. After all, Phuket is a tropical island where the summertime never ends and any day of the year can be spent sitting back with a cold one in the shade of a thatch-roofed cafe with the palms gently swaying as a lazy breeze drifts in off the emerald surf.
- Maybe it’s the laidback way of life. Every day feels like a holiday on Phuket and this is one of those places that make you lose track of time as one spectacular sunset after another melts into the Andaman Sea.
- Maybe it’s the convenience. Phuket boasts all the life necessities of any first-world Western country, including international schools, excellent medical facilities, cinemas, foreigner-oriented supermarkets, a vast choice of luxurious properties for sale and rent and just about any kind of restaurant you can imagine.
- Maybe it’s the inexpensive lifestyle. With the overall cost of living roughly 1/3 of a typical Western city, no-frills food stalls serve up fiery southern Thai curries for less than a dollar, while an authentic Thai massage goes for just a little more.
- Maybe it’s the nightlife? Where else but Phuket could you start the evening with a visit to one of Thailand’s largest muay thai stadiums before taking in a ladyboy cabaret and then keeping the party going deep into the wee hours at one of the many bars and clubs along the “big three” beaches of Patong, Kata and Karon.
- Maybe it’s the neighbors. Just a short boat ride away are a string of smaller, less-developed islands that include Koh Phi Phi, Koh Yao Yai and Yao Noi, Coral and Raya islands, Koh Lanta and the idyllic Similans. Also worth a visit is James Bonds’ limestone cliff-hideout from the film, The Man with the Golden Gun, located in the magnificent Phang Nga Bay.
- Maybe it’s the water sports. Some of the planet’s absolute best diving sites are easily reachable from Phuket, and you’ll find no shortage of wind- and kite-surfing, kayaking and even surfing here. For the more sedate, Phuket also hosts a large sailing community.
- Maybe it’s the ease of travel across the island. Anyone who doesn’t hire a motorbike or car usually relies on Phuket’s bright three-wheeled tuk-tuks to get around. If you need to go further afield, an inter-provincial bus station and international airport make it easy to leave. But even then, there’s every chance you’ll be back again soon.
- So just what is it about the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’? Maybe it’s all of the above. But on Thailand’s largest island, it always comes back to the beaches. Seemingly endless crescents of white sand stretch for almost the entire length of the island’s west coast. And another great thing is that you can still find those affordable condos and even houses in Phuket within an easy walk of a beach.
With so much going for it, is it any wonder that so many foreigners end up sticking around in Phuket longer than they planned?
