News Analysis
PHUKET expats can pat themselves squarely on the back. So for that matter can all of Phuket's residents.
A report on the esteemed Wall Street Journal's site, quoting the highly-regarded HSBC bank Expat Explorer annual survey, rates Thailand as the best place in the world for expats to live.
And as the expats on Phuket know, despite a few grumbles about expensive tuk-tuk transport, the moods of the beaches and the monsoon weather, Phuket is the best place to live in the best country in the world for expats to live.
Beneath a typical tropical island photograph above the blog on the Wall Street Journal site runs the caption: ''Patong Beach Phuket, Thailand: It may be beaches like this that make the country rank No. 1 in a report on expat life.''
We have yet to see the HSBC Expat Explorer report online and we can only assume that the Wall Street Journal, being the esteemed publication that it is, has had access to an advance copy.
The wsj blog by Cathy Yan makes the rather forlorn point that Hong Kong ranks a mere 13th, halfway down the 25 countries covered in HSBC's third annual Expat Explorer report, released this week.
The blog goes on to say: ''The best place to live as an expat? Apparently Thailand, which ranked high in all the categories considered, including ease of setting up finances, work-life balance, entertainment and ease of integration with the local culture. Canada and Bahrain ranked second and third.''
Who needs Canada with all that cold, or Bahrain with an overdose of sand? Thailand and Phuket clearly have the balance about right, especially if money is no object . . . or money is not the object.
Thailand's political upheavals clearly count for little because the wsj blog says the HSBC report is based on a survey of 4127 expats from more than 100 countries, conducted between April and June, by a third-party research firm.
Bangkok was hit by red rallies and a dramatic deadly army put-down in April and May.
Despite the over-the-top travel warnings by various ill-informed countries, tourists continued to come to Thailand, and especially to Phuket and the Andaman coast.
Expat residents of Phuket have never needed a survey to tell them why Thailand is the best place in the world to live, especially if you happen to be living on a tropical paradise island in the best country in the world.
Now it appears as though Phuket's secret is out. The best place in the best place in the world for an expat to live.
Visitors are welcome to come to see how good we have it, tuk-tuks, monsoon rainy days, moody beaches and all.
No wonder British Prime Minister David Cameron and his family have chosen Thailand for their New Year break in the sun, following 840,000 British tourists who made it to Thailand (and for many, Phuket) last year.
Thailand also came top in the so-called silver rankings, which rate countries according to their popularity among retired expatriates.
And if this is just a dream, please don't wake us up in the morning.
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No comments? Where are the many whiners, whingers & complainers that seem to love to bemoan this place while still living here?
I'm pretty glad to be an expat in Phuket!
Posted by Tanya Millibank on November 11, 2010 17:34