Long-tail boats transport tourists through crystal clear waterways and offer the perfect venue for relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

Thailand is one of those places that calls you back, year after year, which is exactly what I’ve done year after year.  I just can’t get enough of this bewitching and beguiling country.  My first journey to Thailand was in January 2004.  I thought I had died and gone to heaven when we arrived at Patong Beach on Phuket Island.  It was bliss.  A week full of fun ensued.  We made sure that we enjoyed the best that Phuket had to offer.  Muay-thai boxing, fresh seafood, fabulous local and international cuisine of every sort, first class resorts and hotels, shopping, dancing, swimming, surfing, sunbathing, sailing, jetskiing….there is no end to the number of opportunities that are available here. 

We returned to Phuket last year because we were curious to see how the island had managed after being hit with the tsunami in early 2005.  I found it hard to believe that the beach I had stood on in 2004 was completely obliterated by the tsunami.  We were pleasantly surprised to see there was little damage left to be seen by the naked eye.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, although it can hardly be called an island anymore as it is joined to the mainland by a bridge.  Patong Beach is the place to be if you’re looking for a little bit of everything.  Patong Beach is a resort town and is notorious for its parties, with the best nightlife to be had on the island.   Restaurants and bars of every shape and size offer an enormous range of food and entertainment.  There is something for everyone here.  Patong Beach is also well-known for its gay community and has hosted International Gay Festivals several years in a row.  This year, the festivities kick off on the 31st of March.  The shopping is pretty good too, although it’s all marked up.  If you can resist, save your shopping for Bangkok where you’ll get more bang for your buck. 

At one point, Patong Beach was known for having the best beach on the island, although I would argue now that the effects of tourism have taken a toll on Patong Beach.  This is not to say that the beach isn’t nice, it is.  However, if you decide to try out some of Thailand’s smaller island paradises, you’ll soon know what I mean by this statement. 

Phuket, along with Koh Samui, are Thailand’s most famous islands.  Consequently, over the course of my last three visits to Thailand, I have been struck by the lightening fast changes that are occuring all over this wonderful country and the effects that tourism is having, both on the local economy, the environment and the citizens of this tiny Asian kingdom.  Over the last two decades, Thailand’s tourism industry has blossomed, as the government has devised marketing approaches that cater to travelers on any type of budget.  I’m saddened to see large-scale resorts and luxury hotels springing up everywhere.  I don’t see anything wrong with quiet, rustic bungalows on the beach.  In fact, this is how I prefer to travel through Thailand.  I stay far away from the over-crowded and over-priced tourist traps that can be found almost everywhere these days. 

In particular, there are two things to watch out for in Phuket.  Safety is a concern, as the number of tourists has increased, so have the number of bars.  While possession of drugs is punishable by death in Thailand, this hasn’t stopped the number of dealers soliciting tourists to purchase their product. 

Harrassment is also a factor.  Last year, we cut our trip short in Phuket because we were constantly harrassed by people trying to get us to buy condo time with their resort.  What was supposed to be a short demonstration ended up eating away our entire afternoon and while we were awarded a one week stay at a luxury resort in Thailand or India, we probably won’t use it.   

Simply put, for your first travel experience in Thailand, Phuket is a good place to go.  Phuket will deliver a fun and adventure filled vacation.  However, as tourism continues to increase, especially in places like Phuket and Koh Samui, so too do prices in accomodation and daily costs of living.  That being said, if you’re a traveler that likes a quieter venue with a sense of adventure and something a little different, there are just as many other gorgeous places to visit in Thailand that are a bit more off the beaten track.  You can truly sample the simple life in Thailand, but you won’t get a chance to do it in Phuket.

A handy map of Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand.