Quote:
Originally Posted by Chinadream
Dear All,
Have been reading this thread and would like to offer my few cents advice to all bros having fun in phuket. Firstly, I really wouldnt advise anyone to rent a car and drive alone. This is because firstly the road is quite hard to manoeuvre and confusing (I have been to phuket many times and even worked there for a while) and secondly you may be stopped by (corrupted) traffic police and asked for a bribe. Needless to say if you are drunk its quite impossible to drive as well. So always hire a tuk tuk or cab and negoitate for the best price.
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Bro.,
Sorry if I disagree here - just a difference of opinion.
While I have never worked on the island, I have been like going since 1987 till now and average a trip a month till lately.
Even on my first trip, I rented a car from Khun Prawej of Pure rent a car and nowadays use David more.
Provided your topo is decent and use one of the many maps given free, it should not be difficult.
Driving at least 20% slower and carefully helps to keep you out of trouble and observe the rule "BIG IS RIGHT".
And when drunk, don't drive of course although I have often broken the rule myself many times.
Over the years, I have had two minor accidents when drunk.
1) Came out of a Patong Karaoke once with a puying and turned the wrong way down what was a one-way street. A bike hit me and lucky the speed was slow, Big Crowd came round and so did the tourist police. He took my key, put me in a tuk tuk and headed for hotel to sleep over the incident. Reported to police station next day with Khun Prawej the car rental owner and the insurance man. Waste some hours but everything turned out OK with the biker slapping me (as instructed by the police officer), a commitment by the insurance man to pay the damages and a small tip to the biker of 3000 bahts.
In other words, the tourist police saved me and Khun Prawej really went out of the way to get me out of trouble for which I am forever grateful despite my drunkedness.
Moral of the story, be nice and stay cool whatever if you want to be adventurous!
2) A bike hit me in Phuket town one late night while overtaking me on the left. Got out to settle matter and he got loud and started to demand a hefty sum. Tourist police came round, listened to both of us, asked me to give the guy 1000 bahts and told him to get lost.
Again, the tourist police proved to be helpful and good to tourist.
Till today, the above were two incidents of all my drunked driving around Phuket for many occasions and years.
I am not encouraging others to take as much risk as me, but if you don't do drunked driving, use a map and be courteous and stay inside the law, you should be OK.
Why do I drive? Because I am independent, have a distaste for tuk tuks and taxis in most countries who mostly like to treat us like fools and earn commissions etc.
Its also the best way to know your way around and get the most out of any place.
Cavaets.
If you are the nervous type, lousy driver and topo king, better stick to taxis and tuk tuks and "pay the price". Its lousy but what can you do.
If you are typical "kiasu" stay at home in Singapore. The MIW will take care of you till graveyard at your cost! Why bother to take any risk at all.
Sorry it may sound a bit "arrogant" but, the beauty of going oveseas is that we can be "free and easy" and really live and let live.
So long as we are witty and keep cautiously attentive, we will survive the experience. Stay low key and respect the locals and things will be fine. It helps to get into the local social circles when you visit of course.
On Jammin, I understand that the Band broke up and the place is not that hot these days but that was news about two months ago! Today, I don't know. It was also my favourite place cos I liked the atmosphere. I have cut back on Phuket for a lack of time and then, there is China and other parts of Thailand to enjoy too!
My favourite was more Timber Rock which was better when it was run by the original owner who perished in the Tsunami. Today, the brother runs it and its less good!