Phuket

[Freakie]

Shattered that Air Australia are done - their flights were half the price of anyone elses!

That's why they went under!

 

[Opportunity Cost]

Just spent two weeks in Thailand, had an awesome time.

We had a massive group of us so probably a bit of a different need accomodation wise than you would have. For full moon we stayed on another beach about 10 minutes away. Was great because we just chilled out drinking beers during the day, then all headed to Hadrin at night.

We stayed three nights, so two after full moon, and the two nights after were just as fun, if not more fun than full moon.

 

[TAITA]

Shattered that Air Australia are done - their flights were half the price of anyone elses!

Nah, didn't find that the case at all - just back from a couple of weeks as part of a group of 17. The rest of the crew booked Strategic/AA when the 'special' first came out because they wanted to fly direct from Melb/Bris to Phuket.

I was dubious about the whole set up and bided my time, eventually getting Jetstar cheaper than AA with an overnight in Singapore (which suited me fine). Air Asia was also cheaper if you booked ahead enough.

 

[Hawks92]

Oh yeah that would make sense I guess. Went to Karon/Patong in December last year with the family, planning a trip for 8-10 of us for December this year, so see how we go

 

[BEEG]

Shattered that Air Australia are done - their flights were half the price of anyone elses!

Had flights with AA

6 of us are going tomorrow night had to book with another airline looks like we wont get our money back

 

[Walshy_The_Goat]

Everything has been booked in for my trip, and I leave this Sunday 4th around mid-day. With it being the first time i'll be going abroad by myself i'm a little nervous, but pretty damn excited too!

I'm heading to Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan (1 Night FMP), & Phi Phi. In total it's a 16 day trip. Only bummer is I couldn't find any flights available the day before the FMP on the 8th, so i'll be flying across from Phuket to KS on the day.

Still considering whether or not I will go to the party yet, as going there by yourself would take away from the experience compared to if you were heading there with mates. Anyone been to a FMP/HMP/BMP by themselves? Yay/Nay?

 

[footy75]

Everything has been booked in for my trip, and I leave this Sunday 4th around mid-day. With it being the first time i'll be going abroad by myself i'm a little nervous, but pretty damn excited too!

I'm heading to Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan (1 Night FMP), & Phi Phi. In total it's a 16 day trip. Only bummer is I couldn't find any flights available the day before the FMP on the 8th, so i'll be flying across from Phuket to KS on the day.

Still considering whether or not I will go to the party yet, as going there by yourself would take away from the experience compared to if you were heading there with mates. Anyone been to a FMP/HMP/BMP by themselves? Yay/Nay?

yes I have been alone. If you are there GO! just party and meet people...it's all good.

having said that, the whole time I was thinking 'I wish my mates could experience this'

if u are in samui or kophanyang when the FM party is on IMO u are crazy to miss the experience.

 

[Eagle87]

yes I have been alone. If you are there GO! just party and meet people...it's all good.

having said that, the whole time I was thinking 'I wish my mates could experience this'

if u are in samui or kophanyang when the FM party is on IMO u are crazy to miss the experience.

Unless you are a grown up of course ....

 

[JoondalupJ]

This is how you write that word on Bigfooty Ph***t. HA ha ha !

 

[Affidavit]

Everything has been booked in for my trip, and I leave this Sunday 4th around mid-day. With it being the first time i'll be going abroad by myself i'm a little nervous, but pretty damn excited too!

I'm heading to Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan (1 Night FMP), & Phi Phi. In total it's a 16 day trip. Only bummer is I couldn't find any flights available the day before the FMP on the 8th, so i'll be flying across from Phuket to KS on the day.

Still considering whether or not I will go to the party yet, as going there by yourself would take away from the experience compared to if you were heading there with mates. Anyone been to a FMP/HMP/BMP by themselves? Yay/Nay?

Why are you going alone with no friends?

 

[Walshy_The_Goat]

Why are you going alone with no friends?

All of my mates were either working and couldn't get time off, or had no money to come. Didn't let that hold me back though, and plus I wanted to see what it was like to travel solo so it was a good opportunity. But note that I'd been to Thailand with these mates last year anyway.

Either way, I must admit I had just as much of an awesome time as I did when I went with my mates on my first visit to Thailand. I came back just over a week ago now and will have a full writeup soon. But I can tell you the FMP was crazy, ended up hanging out with 4 other Aussies from my hotel and had an awesome night!

I am seriously addicted to the country. I can't get enough of it! Can fully understand how you can live there Eagles.

 

[docker_champ29]

Coral Bungalows is pretty well known

http://www.coralhaadrin.com/index_site.php

They have a massive pool party and as it's a backpacker place you'll have no trouble meeting people.

They are around on the sunset beach, so 10 mins walk from the party.

Does anybody know of any good cheap places like this in Koh Samui or Phuket?

 

[BEEG]

Ended up getting back from Thailand just over 2 weeks ago

Took me about a week to recover

Had our first 7 nights in Koh Samui stayed in a awesome resort Amari Palm Reef resort had a great time there spent alot of time at Ark bar on the beach and then would head in to Green Mango every night

Last night there we went to the FMP was pretty nuts just pissed down with run at one point which just made people go even more nuts went to mushy mountain have never experienced anything like it.

If i ever had kids i would seriously be mindful of letting them go to the FMP if your not smart about things and just can not handle your grog i could see how it could be a very dangerious place.

Koh Samui is a nice layed back place but still with that party scene to it i think if i ever went with my partner this would be the place i would go to.

Then spent 6 nights in Phuket at the Patong Merlin not bad resort good location spent alot of time at the Aussie bar then would go down and have drinks at the small bars in this strip then would move on to Seduction,Tigerclub and my favourite Hollywood some great places to party here and it was always so so full on

Really enjoyed Thailand dont think i would go back again as i would rather see other places but then saying that im a big fan of Vegas have been twice and would rather go back there if i was doing the party stuff with the mates.

Also anyone saying the place is cheap must just buy grog from 7/11 stay in there hotel every night because me and my mates spent alot of money there

 

[Eagle87]

Ended up getting back from Thailand just over 2 weeks ago

Took me about a week to recover

Had our first 7 nights in Koh Samui stayed in a awesome resort Amari Palm Reef resort had a great time there spent alot of time at Ark bar on the beach and then would head in to Green Mango every night

Last night there we went to the FMP was pretty nuts just pissed down with run at one point which just made people go even more nuts went to mushy mountain have never experienced anything like it.

If i ever had kids i would seriously be mindful of letting them go to the FMP if your not smart about things and just can not handle your grog i could see how it could be a very dangerious place.

Koh Samui is a nice layed back place but still with that party scene to it i think if i ever went with my partner this would be the place i would go to.

Then spent 6 nights in Phuket at the Patong Merlin not bad resort good location spent alot of time at the Aussie bar then would go down and have drinks at the small bars in this strip then would move on to Seduction,Tigerclub and my favourite Hollywood some great places to party here and it was always so so full on

Really enjoyed Thailand dont think i would go back again as i would rather see other places but then saying that im a big fan of Vegas have been twice and would rather go back there if i was doing the party stuff with the mates.

Also anyone saying the place is cheap must just buy grog from 7/11 stay in there hotel every night because me and my mates spent alot of money there

Maybe next time you could actually try going to Thailand and not just the bogan bar package tour?

As for "cheap" a beer is $2 to $3 bucks in a bar, a spirit is up to $7 in a pricy club and you can but bottles in those places for $50 to $60 with all mixers included....

Water is 25 cents on the street (for a 600ml bottle) and usually $1 in bars.

Food is anywhere from $1.50 to $3 on the street and a burger in an Aussie pub is about $6 or $7...

So yes, the place is cheap, but you can still spen a lot, just less than you would have spent for similar levels of consumption most other places ...

 

[BEEG]

Maybe next time you could actually try going to Thailand and not just the bogan bar package tour?

As for "cheap" a beer is $2 to $3 bucks in a bar, a spirit is up to $7 in a pricy club and you can but bottles in those places for $50 to $60 with all mixers included....

Water is 25 cents on the street (for a 600ml bottle) and usually $1 in bars.

Food is anywhere from $1.50 to $3 on the street and a burger in an Aussie pub is about $6 or $7...

So yes, the place is cheap, but you can still spen a lot, just less than you would have spent for similar levels of consumption most other places ...

Why would i buy food on the side of the street when everybody i know who has done this has been sick for 2 days

Might aswell stick my fingers down my throat

 

[JuddsABlue]

Maybe next time you could actually try going to Thailand and not just the bogan bar package tour?

As for "cheap" a beer is $2 to $3 bucks in a bar, a spirit is up to $7 in a pricy club and you can but bottles in those places for $50 to $60 with all mixers included....

Water is 25 cents on the street (for a 600ml bottle) and usually $1 in bars.

Food is anywhere from $1.50 to $3 on the street and a burger in an Aussie pub is about $6 or $7...

So yes, the place is cheap, but you can still spen a lot, just less than you would have spent for similar levels of consumption most other places ...

yeah buying food off the street if you're a westerner and the worst food you've ever eaten was a day old pizza doesnt seem like a good idea and a real quick way to ruin your holiday

The reason the bogan bar package tour is popular is because its fun. I'm sure Thailand has some other really great places to offer, but lots of people enjoy nightlife/clubbing with other westerners etc.

Dont be 'that guy' that hates people for doing mainstream things

I didnt find the place as cheap as people say, but its obviously cheaper than the most expensive country in the world (ours).

fwiw I really loved the place, thought the atmosphere was great and majority of locals were really nice

 

[Eagle87]

yeah buying food off the street if you're a westerner and the worst food you've ever eaten was a day old pizza doesnt seem like a good idea and a real quick way to ruin your holiday

The reason the bogan bar package tour is popular is because its fun. I'm sure Thailand has some other really great places to offer, but lots of people enjoy nightlife/clubbing with other westerners etc.

Dont be 'that guy' that hates people for doing mainstream things

I didnt find the place as cheap as people say, but its obviously cheaper than the most expensive country in the world (ours).

fwiw I really loved the place, thought the atmosphere was great and majority of locals were really nice

Mate, i love nightlife/clubbing too, just not in the bogan hangouts you mentioned .....

i tend to avoid their Australian equivalents when i am there too ...

Further, I'm confused by your "street food" comment. 1. Are you saying you came to Thailand and avoided all street food? Really? 2. What/Where did you eat? Cos if it was anywhere other than the hotel restaurant (in a decent hotel), the cooking methodology was likely identical .....

i'm not being "that guy" at all, i'm simply encouraging a young bloke like yourself to try and experience life instead of having the same experience he has at home with some cheaper beer and hookers thrown in ....

thailand is great and has great food, great nightlife and some great people but if you stick in tourist traps full of package tourists from the "working class" suburbs of Australia then expect to get ripped off, to see the more opportunistic thai people and to experience nothing much more than you get at home ...

Just TRY to actually get a slightly interesting life experience is all I'm suggesting and again, if nightlife/clubs and "fun" are the primary object, why Phuket? Head to Pattaya and do it properly ...

 

[BEEG]

Mate, i love nightlife/clubbing too, just not in the bogan hangouts you mentioned .....

i tend to avoid their Australian equivalents when i am there too ...

Further, I'm confused by your "street food" comment. 1. Are you saying you came to Thailand and avoided all street food? Really? 2. What/Where did you eat? Cos if it was anywhere other than the hotel restaurant (in a decent hotel), the cooking methodology was likely identical .....

i'm not being "that guy" at all, i'm simply encouraging a young bloke like yourself to try and experience life instead of having the same experience he has at home with some cheaper beer and hookers thrown in ....

thailand is great and has great food, great nightlife and some great people but if you stick in tourist traps full of package tourists from the "working class" suburbs of Australia then expect to get ripped off, to see the more opportunistic thai people and to experience nothing much more than you get at home ...

Just TRY to actually get a slightly interesting life experience is all I'm suggesting and again, if nightlife/clubs and "fun" are the primary object, why Phuket? Head to Pattaya and do it properly ...

How can they be the same went to plenty of Thai restaurants which meals would have been cooked when ordererd not cooked in the morning and sitting on a tray in 35 degree heat all day and night it's a well known fact that a huge majority who eat from the side of the street end up sick

Also calling a place like Hollywood a bogan hangout is pretty interesting considering it's very hard to get in unless your with locals and it's the main local hangout in that area

Does seem you are sounding like that guy that Juddsablue is referring to

 

[Eagle87]

How can they be the same went to plenty of Thai restaurants which meals would have been cooked when ordererd not cooked in the morning and sitting on a tray in 35 degree heat all day and night it's a well known fact that a huge majority who eat from the side of the street end up sick

It's a well known myth. Huge pile of bollocks in fact.

I live in Bangkok.

There is some street food I'm wary of, but heaps of the street food is cooked and prepared to order too. As you'd know if you tried it ...

But yes, how would I know when I simply live it everyday ...

Also calling a place like Hollywood a bogan hangout is pretty interesting considering it's very hard to get in unless your with locals and it's the main local hangout in that area

Firstly, it's in Patong, which has a relatively low "local" (Phuket) with Thais there being from Isaan who've moved there for work ...

That aside you are correct to mention that many Thais are there as its in the top couple of clubs in Patong for freelancer girls and girls who've finished for the night in Gogo and Beer bars. The reason they go is because plenty of westerners head there and any trouble you had getting in is both surprising and really odd unless you look middle-eastern or Indian (Thais are ummm racist about certain groups in certain areas).

Mate, I've had a decent night in Hollywood but its just a club with cheap beer and hookers ... and loads of Aussies etc ... my point was simply encouraging some to avoid the standard bogan tour, in the same tourist traps and come back with the same narrow view of the place (and pick up some of the myths to boot)

Does seem you are sounding like that guy that Juddsablue is referring to

Yes, that's it ....

 

[BEEG]

It's a well known myth. Huge pile of bollocks in fact.

I live in Bangkok.

There is some street food I'm wary of, but heaps of the street food is cooked and prepared to order too. As you'd know if you tried it ...

But yes, how would I know when I simply live it everyday ...



Firstly, it's in Patong, which has a relatively low "local" (Phuket) with Thais there being from Isaan who've moved there for work ...

That aside you are correct to mention that many Thais are there as its in the top couple of clubs in Patong for freelancer girls and girls who've finished for the night in Gogo and Beer bars. The reason they go is because plenty of westerners head there and any trouble you had getting in is both surprising and really odd unless you look middle-eastern or Indian (Thais are ummm racist about certain groups in certain areas).

Mate, I've had a decent night in Hollywood but its just a club with cheap beer and hookers ... and loads of Aussies etc ... my point was simply encouraging some to avoid the standard bogan tour, in the same tourist traps and come back with the same narrow view of the place (and pick up some of the myths to boot)



Yes, that's it ....

I am not going to argue to much with someone that lives in Thailand

Only part I will say is that I doubt the whole food thing is a myth I would know a dozen people who have been sick from eating food on the side of the road

Might just be a big coincidence maybe they have built it up in there head but i can only go of what I have been told by people some who have been there a lot of times

No issue getting into Hollywood but we did always go with locals

 

[yaco55]

I am not going to argue to much with someone that lives in Thailand

Only part I will say is that I doubt the whole food thing is a myth I would know a dozen people who have been sick from eating food on the side of the road

Might just be a big coincidence maybe they have built it up in there head but i can only go of what I have been told by people some who have been there a lot of times

No issue getting into Hollywood but we did always go with locals

Eating food on the street - Getting sick on the street is a coincidence.

I also have one meal per day on the street - Cooked in front of eyes - Can't get much more authentic.

Sometimes people get sick - because they eat too much chilli - When the body is unaccustomed to such amounts - And heaven forbid ! - some people could be pissed from the previous night.

Talk about Beli belly - as it happens - more to locals - Or even India - which can be a real issue - But Thailand is safe in the eating stakes.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

Why would i buy food on the side of the street when everybody i know who has done this has been sick for 2 days

Might aswell stick my fingers down my throat

How ignorant are you.

 

[demonfan9]

i'm not being "that guy" at all, i'm simply encouraging a young bloke like yourself to try and experience life instead of having the same experience he has at home with some cheaper beer and hookers thrown in ....

thailand is great and has great food, great nightlife and some great people but if you stick in tourist traps full of package tourists from the "working class" suburbs of Australia then expect to get ripped off, to see the more opportunistic thai people and to experience nothing much more than you get at home ...

Just TRY to actually get a slightly interesting life experience is all I'm suggesting and again, if nightlife/clubs and "fun" are the primary object, why Phuket? Head to Pattaya and do it properly ...

Sounds like you definately are being "that guy". If people want to do the "bogan bar package tour" as you call it, then good for them. Not everyone is into travelling for the experience/culture/whatever. Some people just want to holiday in a relatively fun, cheap and popular spot. Not everyone is as confident as you to go off the beaten track and visit destinations that they don't know much about. Not everyone cares about seeing the "real Thailand".

I agree in the sense that people aren't in a true position to judge a country if they only visit a couple of tourist hot spots, and being a local you are clearly aware that Thailand has so much more to offer (so you probably are sick of some of the stereotyping that exists). But I think you should accept that everyone travels for different reasons and for some people, it's not that important to get a different and unique experience to everyone else. Hell, many people are just happy with their life in Australia and aren't even interested in travelling overseas.

 

[Eagle87]

Sounds like you definately are being "that guy". If people want to do the "bogan bar package tour" as you call it, then good for them. Not everyone is into travelling for the experience/culture/whatever. Some people just want to holiday in a relatively fun, cheap and popular spot. Not everyone is as confident as you to go off the beaten track and visit destinations that they don't know much about. Not everyone cares about seeing the "reMal Thailand".

I agree in the sense that people aren't in a true position to judge a country if they only visit a couple of tourist hot spots, and being a local you are clearly aware that Thailand has so much more to offer (so you probably are sick of some of the stereotyping that exists). But I think you should accept that everyone travels for different reasons and for some people, it's not that important to get a different and unique experience to everyone else. Hell, many people are just happy with their life in Australia and aren't even interested in travelling overseas.

Fair points.

Of course those people should be aware that they haven't seen anything much at all of the "Real" anywhere and probably not spend too much time on forums sharing all their knowledge on these places, given they have little.

I'm not some sort of intrepid traveller per se, I just don't understand when when your in a place you wouldn't try and see something different. I have my pissy nights out and go to my share of bogan tourist bars (although less than I used to) but its not difficult to just go and see some other stuff too ...

Most of we Aussies have some vague notion of the "Asian century" but wander around with no real idea at all about Asia despite it being on our doorstep and despite so many of us going there ... I'm not sure why. If its deliberate ignorance then that's a sign of stupidity isn't it...

 

[Armed & Dangerous]

The best part of our trip to Thailand was the travelling by minibus with driver and guide. Did the war cemetery, hellfire pass, bride over the river Kwai, train ride from bridge to hellfire (or somewhere near it), Phitsanulok, Chaing Rai, Chaing Mai. (the amazing white temple of Chaing Rai needs to be seen)

Seeing Thai life out of the cities and nightclubs was utterly fascinating. The funny thing was we stayed at Patong beach for the last 3 days, I was expecting it to be the highlight and it was a real downer with the constant hawking, the foreigners (non-western) giving Thai's a bad name and the beach that was littered with driftwood and plastic until it was cleaned up before most of the holidaymakers had awoken.

Will definitely go back for more.