Advice on Thailand (Patong)

Oreo12_2

penrhyn wrote: »

Have you been to Thailand before?

Nope first time.

soil_2

Oreo12 wrote: »

from all accounts Patong isnt nearly as bad as it used to be, i had my daughter in NYC for her 8th birthday and everyone said i was crazy, it was the best holiday ever and certainly no problems of any kind. Im just looking for advice on trips etc etc

This is the typical Patong street scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VAntDHIIyg

Understand that.

soil_2

penrhyn wrote: »

This looks good however

http://www.thai-blogs.com/2011/05/05/splash-jungle-water-park-in-phuket/

1500 baht? It's just wrong.

Don't let them rip you off, stay away.

They even try to charge 350 baht per person each way for the bus to get there.

Rip-off merchants.

Mr_Wang

Imagine a place where fat greasy perverts all congregate and drool over the young Thai girls who are either looking for cash or visa's.
It's a sickening thing to see and from this a whole industry has evolved.

Oreo12_2

Thanks for the replys, as i said there is no alternative, its paid for and im looking forward to it, if its not what i thought then so be it, but its two weeks away from the bump and grind of every day life here in Scotland. Im sure it cant all be bad, otherwise no-one would go

roadatlas

We have been to Phuket many times and mostly stayed in Patong but these days stay in Kata as the hotel of our choice is on the beach.

The sleaze bars and nightclubs are generally contained in the Bangla Road area so you don't have to go there if you don't want to. There are heaps of family oriented hotels and restaurants in Patong... I wouldn't worry with a bit of luck it'll probaly go over your daughter's head.

I watched the Bangla Road you tube and was surprised to see children around, I can only guess that it was early evening with families taking a stroll after dinner. Some of the dancers were no worse than some of the film clips singers put out when promoting their new songs... which are shown on the telly.

Have a great holiday.

Edit:

Just to add we are going to Phuket with our family (including 3 children) in a few months and plan to use phuketshuttle.com for transfers from the airport to Kata. They have a good reputation. If you go to Phuket forum tripadvisor there is a link on the right hand side about transport and some of the pitfalls (such as taxi drivers taking you to shops) They will meet your flight and hold your name up and away you go without any hassles.

Doshwaster

Oreo12 wrote: »

from all accounts Patong isnt nearly as bad as it used to be, i had my daughter in NYC for her 8th birthday and everyone said i was crazy, it was the best holiday ever and certainly no problems of any kind. Im just looking for advice on trips etc etc

There is no comparison between NYC and Patong. In New York you don't get topless ladyboys walking down the street charging people for photos (are you ready to explain to a 10 yr old what a ladyboy is?), you don't get invited to ping pong shows (if you don't know what that is then you don't want to know) and NY isn't full of drunken European and Australian men on the prowl.

If you are an open minded adult you can have a fantastic time in Patong but I wouldn't take a 10 yr old there unless you are planning on spending most of the time in your hotel and going to bed early - which is no fun for you either.

What hotel are you in? That will allow us regulars to give you an idea of what you will be facing. Some outlying areas of Patong are fairly quiet.

Sorry to put downer on your trip. I love Thailand and there are lots of good things about Phuket but too many people think Phuket = Patong when it's actually a large island with a wide variety of resorts suitable for all tastes.

property.advert

Oreo12 wrote: »

Thanks for the replys, as i said there is no alternative, its paid for and im looking forward to it, if its not what i thought then so be it, but its two weeks away from the bump and grind of every day life here in Scotland. Im sure it cant all be bad, otherwise no-one would go

People like yourself go with their kids and family because

1) You are too idle to do your own research

and

2) It is cheap

Do yourself a favour, look into alternative accommodations somewhere more family orientated rather than being slap bang in the middle of Phuket's sex tourism district.

roadatlas

I have never seen a topless ladyboy in the street ... but then we don't hang about the Bangla Road or the sleazy bar areas. I have never seen a ping pong show nor do I ever want to... but if you do go, don't forget your bat lol.

dickydonkin

property.advert wrote: »

People like yourself go with their kids and family because

1) You are too idle to do your own research

and

2) It is cheap

Do yourself a favour, look into alternative accommodations somewhere more family orientated rather than being slap bang in the middle of Phuket's sex tourism district.

1) Unfair comment. Roadatlas has got it spot on - you can avoid Bangla Road without spoiling your experience.

2) Taking a family long haul and getting a lousy exchange rate can hardly be called cheap.

I can highly recommend this trip. A little more expensive that the awful mass tours but well worth it.

Enjoy.