I recently enjoyed my first trip to Phuket. It’s strange that I hadn’t been before. But there are so many gorgeous beaches and islands in Southeast Asia that there will no doubt be many that I miss. Having been to Krabi earlier in the year and loving it, I was keen on a comparison study. But I was pretty confident that I would remain more of a Krabi kind of guy. It’s just so relaxing and beautiful. I saw Phuket as being a little too busy and more likely the kind of place I would have enjoyed more about 20 years ago. What I discovered surprised me. Phuket really has become a place for everyone.
Tourism in Thailand is Back
After suffering more than most places that really thrive on tourism, it’s noticeable now how busy the place is again, which is great. Chinese tourists represented the largest percentage of travellers here pre-2020. They are now finally back.
Everyone knows about the beaches, the bars and the other fun activities that can be had here. But a few other things are very evident throughout Thailand and perhaps a little more noticeable in places like Phuket. Here are a few things that I have noticed. All of them are adding to the interesting mix of people and activities present in Phuket.
Legalisation of Cannabis
In 2022, Thailand officially removed the cannabis plant from the Category 5 narcotics list. Possession, cultivation, distribution, consumption, and sales of all cannabis plant parts are legal. And it’s literally everywhere. This does seem to have attracted a certain type of tourism. The jury is out as to whether locals are completely in favour of the move and if it will remain. But for now, it is bringing in the baht. In Railay Beach, Krabi, every second store seemed to be selling some form of cannabis, and the whole place had a real reggae feel about it. Having only been there once, I can’t say if this has changed the place a great deal. But it certainly surprised me a little. Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area has also undergone a noticeable change in terms of openness to the promotion of this particular product. Phuket is no different.
Masks are slowly disappearing
They just became a habit for me in Hong Kong and I still feel a little weird without one sometimes. But slowly Thais are throwing them away. In Phuket, you hardly see them at all. And tourists from the region are finally embracing this new freedom too. The statistics say that Chinese travellers are once again the largest source of tourism dollars. But in Phuket, one nationality has completely taken over.
From Russia With Love
Russian signs and menus indicate the huge numbers of Russians ( and I believe Ukrainians) who are presently in the country, especially in Phuket. The Russians have become the largest group of foreign visitors in Phuket, with around 17,000 arriving in December. It felt to me like nine out of ten foreign tourists that I saw on Phuket’s beaches were speaking Russian rather than English. Signs in Russian and restaurants serving traditional Russian dishes like borscht and pelmeni dumplings are now common sights in the area to cater to Russian tourists.
I remember seeing lots of signs in Russian when visiting Hianan in China over 10 years ago. The beach resort island was one of the closest beaches to Russia. With Covid restrictions preventing this option, Russians have recently been forced to look a little further afield for a place to call a short or longer-term home.
While it’s commonly discussed here that Russians are spending lots of money as tourists as well as investing in real estate, it’s easy to forget about the thousands of people who are not staying in Thailand by choice. Around 7,000 Russians and Ukrainians are currently stranded in Thailand due to the ongoing war between the two countries.
The conflict in Ukraine has left many Russians stranded, with airlines cancelling flights home. While I’ve seen many Russians laying by pools in 5-star resorts, money is becoming an issue for some as they cannot withdraw cash from ATM’s or use credit cards due to sanctions on Russia.
For Ukrainians who were in Thailand when the invasion started, the situation is even worse. They are unable to enjoy their stay in the country as they constantly watch and read the news about the ongoing conflict. Many were supposed to fly back to Kyiv but found their flights cancelled or were urged by relatives to stay in the safety of Thailand as long as possible. This has made me wonder what it must be like to be in such a beautiful place, but almost going through the motions of doing the same thing day after day, while waiting to go home.
Digital Nomads
For quite a few years now, digital nomads have found Thailand one of the best places in the world to base themselves. The term ‘geographic arbitrage’ is now being used to describe the benefits of receiving a Western-style income while paying South East Asian-aligned expenses. Many jobs have become less and less restricted by location. Covid 19 has emphasised this further. If I was teaching English online, I would definitely be better off financially being based in Phuket than if I was based in Brisbane. Chiang Mai has long been associated with Thailand’s growing digital nomad community, but Phuket might be becoming more attractive as Chiang Mai’s air quality issues make the headlines.
This group which is made up largely of millennials is yet another different group of travellers staying here in Thailand often for months and even years. I did notice the presence of these often young, iPad and laptop-carrying coffee drinkers during my stay in Phuket. I’m fascinated to find out more about this community and to know what it is that most of them are actually doing to earn their income.
Expat Retirees Are Still Here
Thailand has long been a great retirement option. The cost of living along with a pretty high-quality lifestyle makes Thailand an attractive place to spend your retirement years. I saw a group of middle-aged men (or perhaps older than that) walking dogs along a beach in Phuket. The dogs are a sure sign that some of these guys are here for the long haul. A British friend of mine from Hong Kong has decided to do exactly that. When a two-bedroom villa or apartment can be purchased for around USD$100,000, I can certainly see the appeal. The sheer beauty of Phuket makes it a great place to settle down. Modern conveniences and an international airport just add to the quality of life.
Medical Tourism Really is a Thing
The hospitals in Bangkok are amazing and obviously cheaper than most places that offer similar quality. A friend of mine was recently here for a knee operation and I’ve heard of many Americans who are doing the math to determine that even with airfares, hotels and food added to the bill, it is still a hell of a lot cheaper to have medical procedures done in Thailand. There is also the plastic surgery element to this medical tourism.
More Pull Than Push
Hence there are so many pull factors at present drawing a huge range of people to this tropical paradise. It means that there is no stereotypical Phuket visitor. They are not all young party-goers living it up and causing mayhem in the bars. When I see tourists that I may have previously guessed were Australian, American or British, I am now hearing European accents, most likely Russian. When I see people enjoying the beaches and other tourist activities, it’s uncertain if they are just passing by or living here. When I see motorcycles flying by, they are more often than not being ridden by shirtless white guys. And when I visit a coffee shop full of young-looking people intently focused on their laptops, I wonder if they are just checking Facebook or are they hard at work.
Indeed, Phuket is a real mixture of people who are all here sharing the sun, sea and beautiful beaches. The same setting, but all for very differing reasons. I must admit, I truly enjoyed my stay in Phuket. It’s different to Krabi. Perhaps not quite as charming, but not a bad place to spend a short or even a long amount of time, for whatever reason it may be.