Phuket, more like Poo-ket

March 16, 2010

Today we travel to the beach.

We started the day early in Chiang Mai, getting a flight to Bangkok at 9:00 and then on to Phucket after a couple hour layover.

Although this seems a bit boring, we flew domestically through Bangkok Airways (Thailands Boutique Airline, as we were told many a time), and it was amazing! They had a lounge room in both Chiang Mai and Bangkok which served refreshments, had free wifi, was very clean, and in Bangkok served us lunch. The lunch was surprisingly good, and probably tasted even better compared to $10 sandwiches which seems to be the worldwide airport norm. The bitesize chicken sandwiches and ice tea was our favorite.

We finally got to Phucket!!! It was about 4 by the time we got to our hotel and we immediately headed down to the beach. I was so excited to swim in the crystal blue water, only to find it litered with 7-11 bags and only about 2 feet deep forever. Let alone the fact that the beach had more trash than sand, and there were skee-do's for days. Nevertheless we were here so we frolicked in the water for a bit, even if it left a gross grime on our skin. So sad to see such a beautiful place be ruined like this.

On our walk back to the hotel we were harassed by the street vendors hawking the usual souvenirs, people handing out fliers for the various clubs, and the crowds of men already on the prowl for some mating. We locked ourselves in the hotel room for a nap, and found the earliest ferry we could for the morning. We hate Phucket.

Unfortunately people have to eat sometime. So we walked around Patong for a bit; navigating around the free drink special fliers, top 40 remixes, and strip clubs to get some Pad Thai. We did stop in a bar for a bit and enjoyed a Thai cover band who had most of their songs down pat. Back at the hotel we confirmed our 8:30 ferry time with the front desk.

15 hours in Phuket is 15 hours too many.

Oh, and the streets smelled of trash and sewage. Phucket sucks, or at least Patong does. Emma shares my beiefs:

Phuket was an unfortunate stop-over. Fortunately, we were only there for a short time. The flights were easy, the chicken sandwiches delicious, and we arrived with little trouble.

Upon arriving at Patong Beach - where we stayed - it was immediately like we were transported from beautiful Thailand into a seedy strip of bars next to what I'm sure used to be a beautiful beach. Poor Sam, so happy and excited to swim in the warm ocean immediately dropped his things when we got to the beach and began to frolic out only to discover it was about a football fields length before the water got deep enough to swim.

The city is over run with tourists looking for a drink (or twenty) and some action. We had some dinner, grabbed a drink at a silly bar where a Thai cover band sang such classics as "Sweet Child of Mine" and "Stairway to Heaven."

That's really enough about Phuket. We're hopping a ferry early tomorrow morning and setting sail for better shores (we hope)! Koh Phi Phi, we can't wait.