Thailand – Day 4 (Arrive in Phuket)

Took the advice of a Dave Hone and travelled down from Bangkok to Phuket on Thai Airways in First Class. It only cost £20 extra but it was well worth it. It’s going to make flying home with Emirates in economy class very painful.

So, I finally got to my hotel at 8pm. I was meeting Dave Hone at 9, so it was going to be a quick turnaround. It’s a very impressive complex/resort. Its right opposite the beach but the rooms are a little tired and dated. I mentioned this to the staff and they gladly upgraded me to a deluxe room. The view from my balcony is beautiful. The picture on the left is the view from my room but taken with my phone, so the quality isn’t too good. My room overlooks tropical gardens, a lagoon and the Sea. First thing in the morning, the view is even more amazing as the sun is behind the hotel so all the contrasting colours stand out much more.

Dave arrived as planned and off we went to his friends Irish Bar in Karon. I was promised Thai cuisine by Dave but had to settle for a Chilli Burger! It was nice but not what I planned on eating that night. As you walk down the streets, there are numerous little food stalls to choose from. Dave as his own reasons why you shouldn’t eat from these vendors, but I find them OK and at £0.15 per kebab you can’t go wrong. We went into numerous bars, all full of rather forward Thai women ;-) Dave attempted to beat these women at Pool, but kept failing!

Karon, according to Dave is quite tame compared to Patong. Until I went to Patong the following day, I couldn’t see what the problem with Karon was. In fact its not that it’s a problem, it’s just less intense than Patong. There are enough Bars and Discos too keep anyone happy ;-)