Did he ever consider people were tired of rip-offs and intimidation by the tuk tuk thugs and others? What goes around comes around and this little fiefdom has been asking for it for years. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.

Posted by Mister Ree on May 19, 2015 13:43

Phuket, Kata-Karon is overpriced the last years. Less quality tourists is your own fault.You want quick money, now you have nothing left..

Posted by John on May 19, 2015 13:47

"As you sow, so shall you reap...."

Posted by Elephants Gerald on May 19, 2015 14:54

Let we take the golf market , good middle class customers ,come one time and never more !advertising with 8 golf courses only 5 have golf carts !!in this country for tourist a must ! prices minimum 4000 too 8000 bht nobody will come back , overtuned prices in the hospitals taxis boat trips 40% goes too tour desk and commissions !!
the new targed market people who have problems with partners sorry ha ha the copy market a tourist attraction the amusement the beaches all things that nobody come back only cheap russian or chinese tours !!

Posted by donaldo on May 19, 2015 15:01

I live in Kata and have done for five years and never seen it anything like it is now beyond quiet compared to what is was. I remember also 2006 totally different now. I do not think there is one reason but many, people thinking it it under military rule (non elected PM) too high Baht pushes cost up even greater, prices that frankly for an island off Thailand are so high compared to the competition and speaking to people apparently they say their customers do not come as Phuket is full of Russians! Well the latter if true is probably outdated now. I think it is the combination of all of these, not sure about the Russians as they never seem to be a problem to me as they do not speak English and I do not speak Russian? So really we only have the super stingy loud mouthed Chinese left now who don't really go out at night or not locally. O I almost forgot the clamp down on Visas has made many foreigners leave and I think it will get worse as there will be a property price crash as supply way outstrips demand. Not bad for me as there are more woman looking for that "good heart" foreign man!

Posted by Feisty Farang on May 19, 2015 15:43

shoddy services, rip offs, over pricing, no parking, has to be a correction somewhere or the whole deck of cards will come crumbling down.

Posted by slickmelb on May 19, 2015 15:58

The big problem with Kata and Karon is the numbers of Russians that were there. That drove all the others away. That meant that the Chinese had to find there own tours and hotels. Now the rest of the world has been driven away by the Russians and now they are on their way out too there is no one left. The prices are too high for what was a Russian town. No one else will go near it.

Posted by Simon on May 19, 2015 16:04

I lived a few years in Kata-Karon. Left when it all became unpleasant. The intimidation of tuk tuks, limousines became frightening. No where to park your car. Many more things became quite bad. How many times tourist could here the saying of the local thai business people: " If you not like it, go and leave". Well, that is what happens now.
Now they cry croc tears, but they them self did kill the chicken laying golden eggs. They simply refuse to understand that the tourist are not to serve them, undergoing rip-off, but instead they have to service the tourists.
Khun Santi can arrest what he likes to arrest. This significant happening has nothing to do with legal or illegal. It is pure the attitude of the Kata-Karon 'service'-industry. Period.
Publishing Chinese arriving figures Phuket airport is show. But how about khun Santi establish/work on legal companies who are able to serve the Chinese tourists? In Cambodja, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore the Chinese tourists get Chinese speaking bus and tour guides. Khun Santi has to work to have that legal wise available to on Phuket.If not legal, than illegal keeps popping up. Matter of market mechanism. Service industry, remember?

Posted by Kurt on May 19, 2015 16:06

As everyone else has said, we all knew (and said many times) that this would happen, you can't expect the push to mass market chinese tourism to support local businesses. This is great as it will rebalance things - hopefully the taxi thugs will find other work now there are no customers. I feel sorry for those nice businesses that will fail.

If this collapse can move up to Patong as well it will give Phuket some time to breath and hopefully figure out what it wants to be and plan for a sustainable future.

Posted by Discover Thainess on May 19, 2015 17:50

You are correct donaldo . I play golf nearly every day at home . In Thailand rarely .way too expensive and not worth it . To be honest I think Thailand is in a downward spiral as far as tourists are concerned .nothing is ever improved as far as safety is concerned . No responsibility about anything . So on and so on . There are a few nice place but a large majority is a dump . I would much rather go to a place and pay more where you don't have to put up with the crap .

Posted by Win on May 19, 2015 17:54

I have been saying for years that Kata & Karon were on an increasingly downward spiral. My UK family used to come twice a year taking rooms for months at a time. Not any more.

Also the grossly over priced golf courses where I used to play 3-4 times per week till they introduced a maintenance fee for existing members that spiralled to an amount greater than an annual membership in UK.

I was abused & called a "doomsayer' Well now I'm an ex doomsayer living comfortably up country well removed from a very over priced Phuket that long since shot the golden goose.

As others state "you reap what you sow!" No sympathy whatsoever!

Posted by Logic on May 19, 2015 18:42

I remember when you went into a bar and the ladies would eagerly come over - now the few that are left many are busy on their smartphones and in many cases look up and their face says "Why are you disturbing me" - maybe they are doing some eCommerce on the phone, lol? Some bars are charging 380Baht for a double Scotch and coke! Sadly not a joke, inflation must be running at 20%

Posted by I am pretty far from ok on May 19, 2015 19:41

Totally agree with all the posts here........

Posted by Robert on May 19, 2015 19:59

I was speaking to a bar owner one time and I think he said by mistake "farang know everything now" - one of the internet's main advantages.

Posted by I am pretty far from ok on May 19, 2015 20:22

When a Thai massage was 200 baht, I used to go almost every day. Since its 300 baht I totally boycott it.

Posted by Backsh on May 19, 2015 20:57

I agree with Simon...The Russians coming was the downfall of Kata/Karon...and all of Phuket..they totally changed the atmosphere...Clash of cultures..Thais=like to smile and joke...Russians=no smiles, serious...but from what i hear, it happens to every holiday spot they go to.

Posted by Anonymous on May 19, 2015 23:30

The comments in regard to the Russians are biased and do not reflect the actual demographics of the Russians who once were frequent visitors. Those Russians were drawn from the middle and wealthy classes, who had money due to Russia's oil boom. They may not have mingled with non Russians, but they were big spenders and didn't cause as much trouble as other tourists. They were victims too because they were more likely to tolerate the rip offs,because they didn't know any better. How often did one read about Russians killing people, starting fights in bars, or stealing bar mats compared to Australians, English, Germans, Norwegians etc.? Phuket's problems have nothing to do with the Russians or Chinese, and more to do with the refusal of local authorities to manage the island effectively. The failure to deal with the jetskis, the tuk tuks, the abuse of endangered animals, the allegations of police corruption, the absence of lifeguards combined with price gouging and the sheer greed of the small cadre of landowners who control much of the island is the culprit.

Posted by Ryan on May 20, 2015 06:33

At least they are leaving unlike those on holiday in Donetsk.

Posted by Manowar on May 20, 2015 06:53

Two statements from TAT last month praising the 57% increase in Chinese tourist traffic and a lot of independent travellers, but they have the internet they read about the jet skis, the taxis the safety of phuket in general (road and sea there have been a lot of Chinese fatalities last couple of years)
Other places around Thailand are getting the benefit. Phuket seems to be getting mainly the package tourists which is only good for the select few.
By blaming a few tour managers is not a solution they need to look at bigger picture, tour desks taking 40+% percent commission, of course the guys running the trips will go direct to the tour operators. Kata central the public car park is still owned by the taxi drivers. People know now that a trip to the zoo means 500 baht per person to the driver etc etc.
As lots of people have said you reap what you sow. Used to like kata and ate there regular, but the taxis and tailor touts have kept me away.

Posted by Michael on May 20, 2015 07:42

A business lays out it's stall and the customer decides to buy or not to buy
Customers have decided not to buy what is offered by the tourist business of Kata and Karon The solution is to offer what the tourists want and tourists want a fair deal

Posted by Paul on May 20, 2015 08:10

@ Ryan

You are spot on. This has nothing to do with any visitors from any country, other than them staying away.

You can be sure though that locals will go to extreme lengths to blame the downfall on anything but their own misgivings. You describe them all.

I believe the only way to force positive change on Phuket is for the tourism industry to suffer a total collapse and a resulting, mandatory rethink of policies, attitudes, strategies and law enforcement.

Fingers crossed it will happen to Patong too.

Posted by Herbert on May 20, 2015 08:10

"..manipulation by Chinese tour package managers ". Finally someone starts to open the eyes. Chinese were taken by Tour operators in remote corners of the island where they can best be cheated out of the competition. A lot of bus full of chinese go up and down on Chao Fa road, bringing them from Chalong harbour ready for Iland tours (crammed into speedboats with life jackets always worn) to the new big shops dedicatedo to Oriental people (European aren't allowed to entry) on the shortcut to Kathu from Chaofa). Here they have also a break in the mega close restaurants. In the night go to Patong to see "the show more shameful in the world" as is advertised, a show like Simon cabaret where, however, are generously displayed private parts between vulgarity of any kind. Ticket price 1.500 baht, but 1.200 go to the tour operator pockets, like any other business where guides can bring ignorant customers to buy all kinds of junk as possible without any others shops ore sellers around. Perfect thai style: big rip off without competitors and no income for the others.

Posted by dave on May 20, 2015 10:11

I used to love staying in Karon and Kara.It used to be peaceful alternative to Patong.Then came development girlie bars and it seemed the same as Patong. Maybe too the generation of westerners who came after the first cheaper airfares to Australia and other places have just got bored with Phuket.

Posted by Fred on May 20, 2015 10:34

Once again, crocs tears. Those who fail to see and address their own issues then will follow the cry baby attitude. Pristitution in Thailand ? Blame it on the foreigners. Patong became expensive ? Blame it on foreigners. Now the thsi government is so proud of record tourist arrival figures in Phuket and guess what ? The higher the figures, the more businesses are closing down. Have you been in Patong/kata/Karon ? Ghost towns. But hey ! "We want to attract high quality tourist !". How ? By putting on a wristband to them ? (Min. of Tourism idea) or giving seniors a mat to lay down on he beach ? Is this a 4/5 star service, right ? When all 1,5 billions of Chinese will be coming to Phuket and business will still be closed down, it might be that authorities will be come out from lethargy. Unless they have a stake on pre arranged Chinese driven local sightseeing tours.

Posted by jeff on May 20, 2015 10:52

Quality tourist want
Sunbeds and umbrellas.
How many people just on this forum
said with no Sunbeds and no
umbrellas I am not returning?

Posted by bob on May 20, 2015 11:58

Sorry Ryan, it's a fact...The Russians killed the cool atmosphere on the Island. Ask anyone, Thais or expats, who were here before they arrived...Totally different feeling on the Island.

Posted by Anonymous on May 20, 2015 12:14

Ok, I do not think that sunbeds and umbrellas is the only reason. But as to bring your own, its just not an ok concept. Tourist carrying, chairs and umbrellas around, in 30 + degrees is just hardship, instead of a relaxing holiday.

Posted by Yoki on May 20, 2015 13:09

@Fred

I lived in Kata / Karon from 1986 to 1989 and again from 1992 to 1999.
During that time, there were always girlie bars. Please don't make stuff up.

Posted by Sir Burr on May 20, 2015 13:30

@Bob

Quality tourists normally stay at quality hotels like boathouse, meridian, Laguna and have pools with loungers and some have them facing the sea.

Posted by Michael on May 20, 2015 14:43

Well wasn't it what I prayed already last may when the 'clearing of beaches' started ? Yes we had articles about that in our local press and many of us (Europeans, Americans and Australians) saw that it's not worth coming back to Phuket anymore. Frankly I returned there past weeks, being surrounded by Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis etc. These are not the people Phuket locals will do big business with. At the end, you always get what you earn and that's exactly what happens now. By the way, Pattaya is still doing well

Posted by fre on May 20, 2015 15:54

I have no doubt Sir that you are an expert on hidden away girlie bars. I can tell you though that in the main part of Kara there were not girlie bars that I could see but the last time I went about 4 years ago there were a string of them on the main road that weren't there before. On thinking about it there may have been a couple in Karon town.I am not talking about massage shops. A further reason not to go is that the pathI used to take to KKara beach had a putrid canal and parts of the beach appeared to have an ooze from such canals.

Posted by Fred on May 20, 2015 20:01

@ Fred

Karon town and Kara beach ?

I'm starting to think you have never even been to Kata or Karon.

The girlie bars did not come with development. On the contrary, the higher value development wiped away a large number of girlie bars.

You don't need to be an expert on girlie bars to notice this but it does help if you pass by there every now and then. Even better if you actually open your eyes.

Hope this helps.

Posted by Herbert on May 21, 2015 00:17

I agree totally with every comment that has been made already. But what's the point, no-one who can do anything does anything. Constantly shooting themselves in the foot the authorities in Kata/Karon have no idea what the tourists or resorts want or need and have no interest in finding out. They have killed their golden duck.

Posted by Chill on May 21, 2015 02:54

@Fred,

You are wrong. Where those bars you refer to are now, there were two sois in Kata full of bar beers. In fact, there are less bar-beers in Kata now than at any time previously.

Posted by Sir Burr on May 21, 2015 04:15

To Herbert I meant Kata beach and the auto correct changed it to Kara. Karon town refers to the township of Karon of course as against the long strip along the beach.
To sir maybe I stuck to the main roads and the side streets did have bars.I stayed many times at Sugar Palm hillside and Hilton Arcadia and mainly ate locally , not at the hotel, and went to the beach. You could walk from Kara No to Karon circle and not see a bar.If there was other things in the side streets then OK.. I don't have a particular issue with girlie bars but the general development of the area. You could walk from the Hilton to Karen town and there would be many open fields and a peaceful atmosphere. Development may be good for the locals but as a tourist there was constant noise from building dirty beaches and yes in Kata a whole string of new girlie bars in the main strip. I haven't been back for four years as I have found a beautiful part of Thailand with beaches, lots of birds that are in trees not bars, and beautiful beaches. I can find big shopping malls and traffic of Phuket back in Australia.

Posted by Fred on May 21, 2015 07:19

Tourists don't want to haul around beds and umbrellas,phuketwan,ridiculous idea. Far better if the various municipalities hired out the beach stuff and used the money to upkeep the beaches!

Posted by Joe on May 21, 2015 08:15

Newsflash - The Thai Baht remains strong, another reason tourism is down!

Posted by I am pretty far from ok on May 21, 2015 09:45

Phuket has been too much of a ripoff for years, and the rest of Thailand is heading the same way. I have given up on the place, the Philippines is far better these days.

Posted by george on May 21, 2015 13:05

i have visit in phuket 7 times with my family ,but not anymore.
Because-Russians,price level,Dirty plases look like Naihharn today and what is it 10-15 years ago. (jet skee skams)litel beter now .tuk tuk more exbencive than taxi with air gooler.Many not all yet mayby like make money fast without good way.
And lot of soi dog ,dog need more help it not nice to come paradise to see what hapen to animal in paradice Phuket Zoo is bad too nowdays and so on think your self what all go wrong .

Posted by Jukka on May 21, 2015 18:07

Dutch royalties don't use umbrellas, and occasionally even dun beds, on Guyana Cay holiday at Bahama - it's time to pick this trend up to ever-whining patrons of Phuket beaches ;)

Posted by Sue on May 21, 2015 20:15

There are packs of feral/wild dogs now roaming Layan Beach and attacking and biting locals/expats/tourists walking along the beach and sometimes forcing them into the sea for safety. Also piles of plastic crap washed up on the beach (yes i know its seasonal but nobody is cleaning it). How is this in any way a world class destination?

Posted by Elephants Gerald on May 21, 2015 20:36

I believe these dogs have been abandoned by the cleared beach stallholders thereabouts. It is a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse.

Posted by Elephants Gerald on May 22, 2015 07:25

@Ed: Although i agree that sourcing where the garbage comes from and preventing it being dumped, should be a priority, this is not solving the problem right now at the beach. I went to Amora, last week, at Bang Tao,and right in front of their small Beach front bar, there was a huge pile of garbage on the sand. And when i asked why nobody picked it up, the answer was: This is the job from the OrBorTor, and they are coming only once a week,and then there is still no guarantee that they will pick it up.Pure laziness, and when i asked for a few bin bags and proposed to pick it up myself,they were laughing at me in disbelief. It's all got to do with education. Or don't they realize that when it's high tide, the water will take the garbage back into the sea and dump it elsewhere? What a bunch of idiots. By the way:i never get the binbags. I left the place,very confused, and frustrated.

Posted by Carl on May 22, 2015 09:21

Fred

There used to be MORE girlie bars in both Kata and Karon and NOT less. Anybody claiming otherwise is just either making stuff up for "shock value" or is clueless. take your pick.

Posted by christian on May 22, 2015 10:15

Khun Santi said he was constantly arresting operators of illegal businesses, fined them but quickly resumed operations.
Of course, a small fine, slap on the wrist and the operator knows he is 'off the hook' for a next few months due to thai way of 'law enforcement'.
Perhaps higher fines, or detention, or deportation if it is a foreigner?
But visiting the entrepreneur 3 times a year and fine him is more profitable, yes?
It is the same as getting a ticket at a road block for driving without helmet or driving license.( for motorbike and car!). Keep the ticket in the car, and it is a 'free way' for the rest of the day.

Posted by Kurt on May 22, 2015 10:20

What Phuket island as a province also needs is:
..Tidy the island.., same as the Governor of Krabi province is doing in many fields. Phuket is dirty.

Phuket needs law enforcement, there is hardly any ( stop that drama thinking.." he has a family to feed").

Make Phuket clean, and have 365 days a year beach guards ( yearly 2 months no beach guards reflects incompetence and/ or failing out of time administration).

Sett up a good modern public transport system, Punish every one, or deport them from Phuket island, who is sabotaging such with 'mafia practice', regardless how influential they might be.
Phuket island has to rescue itself at any level from present down fall for future time. The tourist will not do it.

Posted by Kurt on May 22, 2015 10:48

I agree with you Carl. I also walked Bangtao and Laypang Beach. Unbelievable. It's a garbage dump. World class beaches my ass. Meanwhile all the lazy-ass establishments like Xana, Moevenpick, Bliss, Dusit Thani etc etc etc. do nothing about it. That's their beachfront. That's their bread and butter. Their clients are walking through garbage. And Lord knows, with what they charge they can afford to hire the former lounger and umbrella touts who are whining that they have no jobs, to clean it up! Why is this so difficult? Get their lazy-ass butts out there with a broom and a shovel and loads of garbage bags on a regular basis to clean up the mess. Absolutely clueless.

Posted by Paradise on May 22, 2015 11:47

Christian I find it interesting that you, Herbert and Sir find it easier to be rude than to actually read and comprehend my comments.
I stated that as a tourist I found the development and pollution in Kara and Karon a turnoff and I stopped coming four years ago.An aspect of this was that in the main strip of Kata a number of new girlie bars appeared in the main strip. If there were many in the back streets then I and many other tourists did not see them. As far as 2015 I have no comment as if you read my comments I stopped coming in 2011. Are you dopey or brain dead from bar girls and hear like many in Phuket. You take your pick, Christian.

Posted by Fred on May 23, 2015 11:26

Why I read from Khun Santi that 'they meet' in June at Royal Phuket City Hotel. Why not meeting in a Government office, like Governor office, or provincial office? Something wrong Government servants meet in government offices? Or is there a 'extra-governmental' reason for it? I find it strange.
Something for Cabinet/NCPO to look into to terminate unneeded extravagant meeting expenses. It is taxpayers money!

Posted by Kurt on May 23, 2015 13:03

Thank you for reply, mr Editor.
How many people actually will attend such a meeting as Provincial hall has conference rooms for such meetings?
It is a meeting for/with the higher govern echelon, right?

Posted by Kurt on May 23, 2015 19:01

Wow thats a lot of replies, and some interesting opinions. Personally I think that there must be an element of truth in the Sino-Russo argument. Russians came in great numbers and spent a lot of dough, didnt cause any trouble, but definitely pushed others out of the market by their sheer numbers and lack of interaction. Now their economy is in serious reverse. Chinese are bus-bound and told what to do. Most of their holiday is paid for in China, and why not when the locals objective is simply to rip them off. The locals will rip off whoever comes, until they stop coming. Now Thailand is scraping the bottom of 'quality tourism' barrel. Chinese and Russians. Thais in general are none too fond of the khon Geen, and I expect that this will manifest itself in something like blaming the khon Geen for destruction of natural habitat in Similans and Phi Phi. Even though it is the unregulated local operators hoarding them there in enormous numbers that are ultimately responsible.

Posted by geoff on May 25, 2015 18:18

Of course, of course, it worth to blame someone else who'd causes a trouble. But who ever thought about how arrogant, disrespectful and greedy locals became within last few years. And it's not only tuk tuk or restaurants, one can experience that even in a 5* hotels! Seems like people are tired of earning money. Ok, now go away farang.

Posted by Citizen of the world on May 27, 2015 14:35

We first came to Karon in 2011 and loved it, in 2013 we came with our family in tow. We found the Russian people to be rude and ignorant. They had no respect for other people. The whole mood of the locals had changed and they too had become almost aggressive. There was a lack of respect. In three weeks we are coming again. As much as we loved the people of Phuket and definitely the place the first time, this is our decision making trip as to whether we will come again in the future or go elsewhere. In 2012 the locals were jovial, they talked and smiled and it was a pleasure to spend time with them. In 2013 they were not. If you didn't buy their goods many got offensive and threw insults. It is the people of Phuket that will determine the quality of the tourist that comes and whether they return. Phuket itself is a massive resort and the class of that resort be it 1 star or 5 star will be determined by those people if they all have the same goal to keep their image as one of the best places on earth to visit. This must be lead from the top, stop the ripoffs and return to the land of smiles that truly welcomes your guests. We always eat outside the resort in order to help spread our tourist dollars within the community. I have to admit that reading all I read online it makes me apprehensive about coming back but if incredible Phuket is not supported it will fail completely. If everyone stops blaming everyone else and decides to do their bit, Phuket can and will survive even stronger. If I am reading that the Russians have stopped coming to Phuket now, then the lessons have been learnt from this experience should be valued and it is time to turn the clocks back and encourage each other to treat your tourists as you once did which made Phuket one of those best places on earth.

Posted by KiwiPete on May 27, 2015 16:20

@Kiwipete

Your optimism is admirable, but there are no signs whatsoever that the juggernaut of unadulterated embedded corruption, avarice, and sullen disregard for tourist welfare, is about to turn around any time soon. Maybe not in our (remaining) lifetimes at current indications. As much as it pains me to say it...don't hold your breath, mate.

Posted by Elephants Gerald on May 27, 2015 20:01

Well we are back in Karon and I have to say I am surprised. Nicely surprised at how much the place has been tidied up and how friendly the locals and stall holders are. You see we have just spent 9 days in Ho Chi Minh and it was hell. You could not go anywhere without being hassled verbally and physically. They wanted up to 7 times the price for everything and took rude to a whole new level.

We haven't been out of Karon as yet but have spent 2 days walking the area and so far the transformation of Karon over the last 3 years has been amazing. If the people keep doing what they are doing Phuket will continue to grasp it's rightful hold of one of the most magic holiday destinations on earth.

People will hear of the improvements and yes the prices have gone up a little in places but that is life. We have already programmed to bring our 4 adult children and mother in law back in 2017.

It is not all doom and gloom people. This is out this time here and the place looks the best yet. Vietnam will never beat Phuket because they don't know how to welcome their tourists.This is still the land of smiles and for us and everyone we have spoken to in our resort, particularly those that have been here before it will continue to be so.

There is a lot more children here this time. Remember to look after them. Their memory of coming to this amazing place will stay with them forever and they are your tourists of the future. You have to ensure that they yearn to come back as adults.

Yes things were pretty bad from a tourists perspective last time, but so far it is fantastic this time and the numbers will improve again due to the transformations that have been made.

Well done Phuket!

Posted by kiwipete on June 18, 2015 11:42

Kiwipete,

I hope you tried to be sarcastic or are a troll.

But I'm afraid you are not.

Posted by Georg The Viking on June 18, 2015 12:35

@ kiwipete

Can you be a bit more specific about what has changed and/or better now compared to 3y ago ?

Posted by Herbert on June 18, 2015 12:50

Good man, Kiwipete. Keep taking them happy pills!

Posted by Elephants Gerald on June 18, 2015 13:01

People I appreciate most of you are here every day, but we are not so we can only judge by what we remember from our previous visits.

We have just been into Patong and I can see it is quiet and people are hurting. But again from 3 years ago the place is tidier.

Last time we came there were Russians everywhere and the place was a mess. They weren't just unsociable, they were rude and offensive. This potentially had a rub off effect on the locals at the time. There are fewer Russians now and it is almost like following their mass departure, Phuket has made the effort to tidy up its image.

There will always be cynics and doomsdayers but from a tourists perspective I am saying Phuket is a great place again and will continue to get better as more people become aware of the changes that have taken place.

I'm not being sarcastic or taking happy pills. The fixed price travel on the tuk tuk makes it easier to travel. There are still only so many t-shirts one person can buy.

There is possibly a very valuable lesson to be learnt here. The last time it felt as though Phuket had possibly put all of its eggs and focus into one basket, the Russian basket.

The result would have potentially been the same if it had been any specific focused nationality.

There is a world full of potential tourists for Phuket that will continue to come as long as Phuket focuses on being Phuket rather than a district of Russia, China, New Zealand or any other place.

There are seemingly less girly bars here in Karon than last time too. I am referring to the area stemming from the roundabout heading back from the beach up the main Street.

This whole topic is about how bad things are for the tourism industry in Phuket which ultimately is the islands economy. I am simply trying to give an honest opinion as a tourist in saying the presentation of the streets is better and the attitudes of the people are more welcoming again.

It will take time for the tourists to come back in volume but they will come if the progression continues.

If everyone has the doom and gloom approach and just sits back and does nothing but complain it will never get back where it was.

We're not package tourists, we specifically choose to come here and this trip, so far,that our decision is to continue to do so. If we feel this way I am sure others will too.

I apologize if my sentiments differ to others, I said initially that this trip was a decider trip for us and we have decided things are better again and we will continue to come as long as we are welcomed by the people of Phuket in equality to the others that come here too.

I sincerely hope that other tourists start returning on mass also and would suggest it may be prudent for the tourism industry to bring some travel agents back to Phuket from the declining markets and show them that Phuket is serious about reclaiming its status.

Just my thoughts guys.

Posted by kiwipete on June 18, 2015 17:16

In reading a lot of the comments here I am guessing that many of you are expats and I would respectfully ask what are you doing to make it a better place? Change is something that must be adopted by all for it to be effective. And no I'm not a troll Georg the Viking.

Posted by kiwipete on June 18, 2015 17:36

Thanks Editor, I come from Christchurch, NZ and we have a broken city with more confusion, corruption and more than our fair share pocket liners than any place deserves. There will always be corrupt people in any society but make them a minority rather than a majority. The sun is shining on Phuket again to coin a phrase and it will take time to recover from the damage that was done to the bad and butter tourism industry through complacency and possibly greed. But it will happen.

Posted by kiwipete on June 18, 2015 18:06

Cheers Kiwipete! No worries she'll be apples and we're all sorted, matey!

Posted by Elephants Gerald on June 18, 2015 19:14