THEN:

  • 300B 1 night at Merit Hill Bungalows
  • 60B Internet @ 1B/min
  • 120B Breakfast (eggs + toast + pineapple juice + tea)

Phuket is a major tourist trap. Like Bangkok, the whites are mostly European, with a dash of Canadian. As I write this I’m sitting on Kata Beach, the furthest one south on the west coast of Phuket. Kata was recommended to me by a couple I met in Surat Thani, and I can see why. It’s more relaxed, more family-oriented (there’s a Club Med), and fewer shops. The problem is that there are too many resorts here. They claim the whole beach and set up their umbrellas and chairs along the whole thing. I think I’ll try for a sunrise swim tomorrow, see if it cuts down on the number of people. In all, Phuket seems nice if you’ve got a family, a sweetheart, and a lot of cash. Thailand has not impressed the cheap bastard within like Vietnam did.

  • 40B Lunch at food stall (chicken + pork + rice)

Okay, Kata does have more shopping, it’s just behind the resorts. It also has cheap eats.

  • 45B 5L water bottle
  • 40B Internet @ 1B/min
  • 135B Dinner (sweet and sour prawns w/rice + sprite)
  • 600B Souvenirs
  • 10B Dessert

NOW: Well there are lots of resorts, and they do ‘claim’ the beach, but it’s still public. I made lots of comparisons aloud and in my head between Thailand and Vietnam, which is quite a bit cheaper.