Pros and Cons - Phuket or Samui?

[focus360]

I got abit of annoying news which means I may now be living on Koh Samui for a few months prior to moving to Phuket (why have I got a girlfriend!!!!).
I am hoping I can persuade her to move to Phuket but she may be thinking the same thing i.e. persuade me to stay on Samui!

I'm really put off Samui as I see it as more expensive, less opportunities, less to do, less to go. I wanted to move to Phuket (despite the fact I have only been there for a very short time) as it is relatively new to me, still a tropical paridise, better infrastructure, more to do etc. etc.

Am I right or am I wrong? Opinions would be great!

[nelsonone]

Originally Posted by focus360

I got abit of annoying news which means I may now be living on Koh Samui for a few months prior to moving to Phuket (why have I got a girlfriend!!!!).
I am hoping I can persuade her to move to Phuket but she may be thinking the same thing i.e. persuade me to stay on Samui!

I'm really put off Samui as I see it as more expensive, less opportunities, less to do, less to go. I wanted to move to Phuket (despite the fact I have only been there for a very short time) as it is relatively new to me, still a tropical paridise, better infrastructure, more to do etc. etc.

Am I right or am I wrong? Opinions would be great!

You are right.......after a while samui will become very small....like the couple of villages that it is.......and very expensive if you like to do falang things......Fight for Phuket.....it will be worth it!!

[focus360]

Im assuming internet will be more reliable in Phuket as well?

[nelsonone]

Originally Posted by focus360

Im assuming internet will be more reliable in Phuket as well?

Well focus Phuket is an island technically but only by a couple of hundred metres.......Samui needs submarine cables for many miles .......plus take into account local populations.........and I know which punt I would prefer

[marc26]

as far as internet goes
in internet cafes, noy my own, i had as good or better connection in lamai than in phuket

why dont you stay in both places, break it up?

[focus360]

Could be an option marc26. Although I need to set up base somewhere. So I will possibly stay on Samui for 6 months before moving to phuket.

I have looked at the internet provider TT&T on Samui and I am going to have to get the Maxnet 4 Life package 1024/512 kbps = 4,000 B. This is 2 times as much as I pay in the UK (which is 16x faster). Hardly seems like a bargain! But, if thats the cost of paradise!

[Stevie42]

im pretty shocked you found samui more exspensive than phuket. i found lamai to be real cheap and much more chilled out than phuket.
what i like about samui was the food (find it pretty crap in phuket), chilled out atmosphere and the girls aren't to bad either. phuket does have more to do but i find it more exspensive and its starting to get real busy there. ok there are more girls and more things to do there as the infrastructure is better. if i had to pick a place to live i guess it would have to be somewhere in phuket but not in patong and just take long breaks in samui.

but you still cant beat those beach bars in samui swaying away in your hammock...bliss!!!

[marc26]

Originally Posted by Stevie42

im pretty shocked you found samui more exspensive than phuket. i found lamai to be real cheap and much more chilled out than phuket.
what i like about samui was the food (find it pretty crap in phuket), chilled out atmosphere and the girls aren't to bad either. phuket does have more to do but i find it more exspensive and its starting to get real busy there. ok there are more girls and more things to do there as the infrastructure is better. if i had to pick a place to live i guess it would have to be somewhere in phuket but not in patong and just take long breaks in samui.

but you still cant beat those beach bars in samui swaying away in your hammock...bliss!!!

i only spent a little time in lamai, but if i take time off work again i would try and spend a good amount fo time in lamai, just so chill and laid back

[Stevie42]

I'm not saying smelly Bkk is the place to be... but for sheer vastness and things to do, its great.


is there anything you can do in BNK that you cant do in samui or phuket? i havent spent much time in BNK as im not a big fan from what little i have seen.

[Stevie42]

i need to spend some more time in bangers i reckon. would you rate nana plaza and soi cowboy better than bangla then?

thinking about it i suppose there will be loads more places to go other than p4p scene. but can i be arsed hunting around and lose beach time....probaly not as im a lazy b'tard..

[brianlacross7]

Samui to Phunket....

Whats the travel time between the two? How much of a pain in the neck to go from one to the other?

Thanks!

[nelsonone]

Originally Posted by brianlacross7

Samui to Phunket....

Whats the travel time between the two? How much of a pain in the neck to go from one to the other?

Thanks!

By plane less than 1hr.....by car + ferry all day

BTW......again.....Phuket (not just Patong beach) is hugely different in size, population, infrastructure and ease of travel etc than Samui.......has a real city in Phuket Town with all the sorts of things required by residents......and much less effected by tourism for a resident....

[brianlacross7]

Originally Posted by nelsonone

By plane less than 1hr.....by car + ferry all day

BTW......again.....Phuket (not just Patong beach) is hugely different in size, population, infrastructure and ease of travel etc than Samui.......has a real city in Phuket Town with all the sorts of things required by residents......and much less effected by tourism for a resident....

I didnt realize there was an airport in Phunket, good thing I asked... thought I would be stuck on a boat>bus>boat.. and then a taxi.

Will I have to book far ahead if I go in Dec?

How much is the airfare?

Thanks again

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by brianlacross7

I didnt realize there was an airport in Phunket, good thing I asked... thought I would be stuck on a boat>bus>boat.. and then a taxi.

Will I have to book far ahead if I go in Dec?

How much is the airfare?

Thanks again

Can't help you with the airfare from the US but you'd be advised to book early for Dec. Starts getting busy late Nov and just builds until New Year. Busiest time for Phuket,dearest airfares and hotel rooms.

Have a look at some of your online booking websites and put in a few dates.
That will give you some idea of the airfare.

[brianlacross7]

Originally Posted by dawsey

Can't help you with the airfare from the US but you'd be advised to book early for Dec. Starts getting busy late Nov and just builds until New Year. Busiest time for Phuket,dearest airfares and hotel rooms.

Have a look at some of your online booking websites and put in a few dates.
That will give you some idea of the airfare.

Actually, I got my ticket to Thailand allready... what I ment to say was the cost of the ticket between the 2 islands and should I book airfare in advance between Samui and Phunket.

Sorry for the confusion

[dawsey]

Originally Posted by brianlacross7

Actually, I got my ticket to Thailand allready... what I ment to say was the cost of the ticket between the 2 islands and should I book airfare in advance between Samui and Phunket.

Sorry for the confusion

5555 My fault,I'm just dumb.

I would book now to ensure you have your ticket. Remember to add 500baht to the fare when exiting Samui airport. Bangkok Air departure tax.

Here is the website and price

http://booking.bangkokair.com/birts/en/fastbook.aspx

Hmm the link has stopped working. Use this one below.
Bangkok Airways :: Asia Air Travel, Airlines, Flights, Samui Thailand
just go to the booking page and enter your dates