Monthly Archives: October 2009

How To Get Cheap Phuket Hotels

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The popularity of Phuket in Thailand has led to the development of numerous Phuket hotels and resorts. While in the past there was nothing more than a scattering of backpacker guesthouses, today, Phuket is filled with high-end hotels, resorts and spas. Phuket is a vibrant tourist destination that attracts millions of visitors each year.

Booking cheap Phuket hotels is easy enough. However, defining what you consider cheap is the first part of the equation when booking a hotel room. For some, a cheap Phuket hotel would be nothing more than a guesthouse or a hostel. There are numerous cheap digs around the island aimed at budget travelers.

The best cheap Phuket guesthouses can be found in Phuket Town. It’s really only a matter of strolling around and finding a place that suits. There are some decent places on Ranong Road and Phang-nga Road. It is quite feasible that you could find a Phuket hotel room for less than 500 baht a night. Of course, you won’t be overwhelmed by the amenities on offer, but you’ll have a place to call home for a few days and you won’t be paying through the nose for it.

For most people, cheap Phuket hotels means something a little more upscale than a mere guesthouse. This is where online booking agents such as Agoda and Hotel Travel come in. Through these booking agents, travelers can browse through a large number of Phuket hotels and find the cheapest deals on the market. This is perfect for people traveling with families or even couples booking accommodation for their honeymoon.

There are cheap Phuket hotels all over the island, with some of the best to be found in popular areas such as Patong, Kata and Karon. Patong in particular is a bustling beach destination that is famed for its nightlife and shopping. A lot of travelers use Patong as a base from which to explore the rest of the island because the area has so many amenities.

If you want to book a Phuket hotel in one of the area’s quieter spots, it will usually cost you a little more compared to somewhere such as Patong. The best Phuket hotels are located in places such as Nai Yang, where you will find the acclaimed Indigo Pearl resort.

In the south of the Thailand at Cape Panwa, there’s a luxury Phuket resort called Sri Panwa, which is the kind of place a celebrity might stay at when visiting Phuket. These places aren’t considered cheap Phuket hotels, but they are the best accommodations on the island.

The convenience of the Internet means that booking cheap Phuket hotels need not take more than an hour of browsing and reading customer reviews. Trustworthy agents such as Agoda deal with thousands of customers every year and offer full online support 24 hours a day.

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Why Choose to Live in Phuket?

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There’s no denying that Phuket continues to be a winner with holidaymakers, but it’s often overlooked just how appealing the island is to expats aiming to relocate. Thailand is a great place to live, but depending on your needs, each different province will be like heaven or hell. Most people’s first stop is Bangkok., but the appeal of the big city can wear thin in a short time. Phuket has most of the amenities of Bangkok with the added bonus of being a tropical island.

One of the main draws of living in Thailand is how cheap everything is compared to the places such as America, Japan, Europe, Britain and Australia. Money goes a lot further in Thailand than in many other countries, You may have read about how expensive Phuket is to live, but take those words with a pinch of salt. Phuket may be slightly more pricey than Bangkok, but if you’re careful with your money you can live on much the same as in the capital.

Accommodation isn’t expensive in Phuket unless you’re keen on renting a lavish condo or a big house. You can rent a basic studio apartment or a small house for about 5,000 baht a month in Phuket Town. You’ll find that renting a place somewhere like Patong is a lot more expensive. Alternatively, if you have a Thai wife you can buy your own house for a fraction of the price of something similar in the Western world.

Eating out is also reasonably priced and there are a variety of restaurants to choose from in Phuket. There are numerous places to go shopping, including Central Festival mall in Phuket City and Jungceylon in Patong. Tesco and Tops are two popular supermarkets that you can find all over the island.

Other amenities in Phuket include cinemas, go-kart tracks, shooting ranges, bars, clubs and pubs, and a couple of parks. The real draw of the island, however, is its beaches.

It doesn’t take long for new residents to figure out which beaches are worth visiting and which are worth avoiding altogether. Forget Patong Beach if you want something scenic and try somewhere like Yanui or Mai Khao instead. It’s a fantastic feeling to be able to have your pick of more than a dozen beach spots on your day off.

In terms of work, there are ample opportunities to find employment with schools, language schools, magazines, newspapers, hotels and resorts, property companies, and other businesses. Get yourself to the island, get out there and meet people – soon enough the opportunities will begin to present themselves.

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Travel Information For Phuket

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Phuket is a great place for a holiday, but as with any destination, it pays to have an idea about the place before you visit. With a little bit of research, you’ll be able to save money and have the best time possible. There’s no need to make notes, but when it comes to travel information for Phuket, it’s best to try and digest as much as you can.

The unit of currency in Phuket is the Thai baht. Travelers checks can be cashed on the island and there are a large number of ATMs that accept international cards. It’s also possible to use a credit card to withdraw money from an ATM, although you’ll likely incur a charge for doing so. There are money changers in all of the island’s most popular destinations (Patong, Phuket City, Kata-Karon and so on), but be careful that you don’t get stung by a hefty commission.

In general, most people in Phuket speak at least a little English, especially people who will be trying to sell you stuff. If you get lost, try and find someone younger to ask for directions. Asking an old person might lead to a few confusing exchanges.

Getting around the island is easy enough, but it can be expensive. Taxis will take you from the airport to your hotel or villa, but it’s against the law for them to pick up on the street. Tuk-tuks are everywhere, but the fares are expensive. You’ll need to negotiate a price, but even then you will still be paying over the odds. However, if you’re stranded at night, you may have no other choice.

During the day, there are buses running between the major parts of the island. The fares are usually 20 baht. Motorcycle taxis will take you short distances for about 40 baht. If you are confident on a motorbike, there are numerous places that rent them out for about 200 baht a day.

Staying in touch with friends on the island can be expensive using foreign SIM cards. It works out a lot cheap to just walk into any branch of 7-Elevent and buy a new SIM card for less than 200 baht. They can cost as little as 50 baht from phone sellers. Credit can also be bought from 7-Eleven stores.

If you’re buying something from a street seller, unless it’s DVDs or CDs, it’s best to do a little haggling, especially for clothes. Though some tourists may try, you can’t haggle at legit shops in the malls, although you may be able to get a deal from some of the indoor market stalls.

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