Buddhism in Phuket

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

I'll be in Phuket late June / early July for a week or two.

Does anyone know of any good Theravada wats etc. worth visiting while there?

Anything else of any Dhammic significance?

(Fingers crossed the next Thai trip will be to Bangkok, Chiang-Mai etc... nonetheless, with a son who will be 8 y.o. at the time, it's probably going to be a good soft introduction to the Thai culture, whereas some places I'd like to go to might have been a bit more challenging)

Metta,
Retro.

[forestmat]

Hi Retro -

never been to Phuket myself, but there is a reasonable blog here by Jamie Monk on "Phuket Temples and Shrines"

http://jamie-monk.blogspot.com/2006/06/ ... huket.html

Metta

forestmat

[GraemeR]

Greetings,

I'll be in Phuket late June / early July for a week or two.

Does anyone know of any good Theravada wats etc. worth visiting while there?

Anything else of any Dhammic significance?

(Fingers crossed the next Thai trip will be to Bangkok, Chiang-Mai etc... nonetheless, with a son who will be 8 y.o. at the time, it's probably going to be a good soft introduction to the Thai culture, whereas some places I'd like to go to might have been a bit more challenging)

Metta,
Retro.

I lived in Surat Thani. The best Wat around the area I know of is Suan Mokkh. you would need to get a bus.

www.suanmokkh.org/

With metta

Graham

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Forestmat,

Awesome.



This will be very helpful!

Metta,
Retro.

[David N. Snyder]

I have not been to Thailand yet. But you know, Bodh Gaya is not too far away (in terms of plane travel). I heard Bangkok has some direct flights to Gaya.

Just sayin' . . . (maybe some other time)

Anyway, have a good time seeing the sites of Thailand. It is beautiful too.

[zavk]

Cool! I hope Bennett enjoys himself. Not that I have plans to travel to the region anytime soon, but if I were I'd like to join the folks there in almsgiving, especially if there's some special communal event. Would be nice to participate in collective merit making, I reckon!

[appicchato]

Good for you Paul (and family)...wouldn't have a clue about Phuket news making it to Melbourne but let me just say that it (Phuket) has a very controversial reputation, spiraling down the tank daily...there are so many, many beautiful spots in Thailand that don't have that stigma...and one is never out of eyesight of a temple...have a look on the website forums on ThaiVisa.com about the topic if you haven't already made your plans concrete...and always know I'm here for you to answer any question I am able...all the very best to you and yours...

[GraemeR]

Good for you Paul (and family)...wouldn't have a clue about Phuket news making it to Melbourne but let me just say that it (Phuket) has a very controversial reputation, spiraling down the tank daily...there are so many, many beautiful spots in Thailand that don't have that stigma...and one is never out of eyesight of a temple...have a look on the website forums on ThaiVisa.com about the topic if you haven't already made your plans concrete...and always know I'm here for you to answer any question I am able...all the very best to you and yours...

Greetings
I lived a couple of hours from Phuket and used to go there with my wife and small children. Whilst there are sleazy parts, there are very beautiful places there too. If you avoid the less salubrious districts, I'm sure you will have an enjoyable time.

With metta,

Graham

[appicchato]

Greetings
I lived a couple of hours from Phuket and used to go there with my wife and small children. Whilst there are sleazy parts, there are very beautiful places there too. If you avoid the less salubrious districts, I'm sure you will have an enjoyable time.

With metta,

Graham

Hi Graham,

Not to nitpick by any means but your operative words are 'used to go there'...and also that you lived 'a couple of hours from Phuket' (not quite the same as living on the island itself)...many things have changed there ('beautiful places' and human beings are apples and oranges)...I used to sleep on the beach at Kata and Karon when there wasn't a building in sight...as we know, no more...I'm not here to scaremonger, just sharing a little of the the thirty plus years I've been in Thailand (much of which on, and near Phuket)...and, as much as I want to, I won't comment on Jaimie's blog...I'd just like to say to Paul and his family to BE CAREFUL...and BE AWARE every waking moment...generally speaking, 99.9% of every Thai's agenda is to separate you from your dough...(it pains me to say these things, and many will not agree, I speak from (my own, and others I know) experience)...

To the skeptics, Google the place...it's not all fun and games as advertised...

I'll leave it there...and the only reason I'm writing in this thread is my care and concern for Paul and his family...first time visitors to Phuket (and Thailand, unlike many moons ago) are ripe for the pickings (I'm sorry to say), and sometimes too trusting of human nature...

And would just like to reiterate my earlier comment about Thailand having many, many beautiful places that rival Phuket...without having to look over your shoulder...any place (again, this pains me to say,) that Thais that have regularly come into contact with, or work with Caucasians (or anyone other than Thai), something happens to them, and it's generally not positive...

ps...and never, repeat never pay the first asking price for anything you wish to purchase...50 to 70%, tops...

Be well...everyone...

[GraemeR]

[/quote]
Hi Graham,

Not to nitpick by any means but your operative words are 'used to go there'...and also that you lived 'a couple of hours from Phuket' (not quite the same as living on the island itself)...many things have changed there ('beautiful places' and human beings are apples and oranges)...I used to sleep on the beach at Kata and Karon when there wasn't a building in sight...as we know, no more...I'm not here to scaremonger, just sharing a little of the the thirty plus years I've been in Thailand (much of which on, and near Phuket)...and, as much as I want to, I won't comment on Jaimie's blog...I'd just like to say to Paul and his family to BE CAREFUL...and BE AWARE every waking moment...generally speaking, 99.9% of every Thai's agenda is to separate you from your dough...(it pains me to say these things, and many will not agree, I speak from (my own, and others I know) experience)...

To the skeptics, Google the place...it's not all fun and games as advertised...

I'll leave it there...and the only reason I'm writing in this thread is my care and concern for Paul and his family...first time visitors to Phuket (and Thailand, unlike many moons ago) are ripe for the pickings (I'm sorry to say), and sometimes too trusting of human nature...

And would just like to reiterate my earlier comment about Thailand having many, many beautiful places that rival Phuket...without having to look over your shoulder...any place (again, this pains me to say,) that Thais that have regularly come into contact with, or work with Caucasians (or anyone other than Thai), something happens to them, and it's generally not positive...

ps...and never, repeat never pay the first asking price for anything you wish to purchase...50 to 70%, tops...

Be well...everyone..][/quote]

Dear Appicchato,

I'm sorry to hear of your bad experiences in Thailand. I have been here for only 18 months, one year is Surat and I haven't found the problems you have faced yet. I currently live in central Thailand, which I don't enjoy as much as the south, but still I've not has any real trouble.

I have found most Thais, including market owners, pleasant and helpful, they routinely gave my kids food in Surat on many visit and on one occasion when I didn't have enough money, they told us to come back the next day and pay.

I agree the tourist areas are quite different and I always avoid those, but I don't accept what you say is true of 99.9 % of Thais. The majority of normal Thais I have met have been helpful and honest.

I would also say it's the poorest people who have often been the most friendly and kind.

With Metta,

Graham

[mikenz66]

Hi Graeme,

I'm sorry to hear of your bad experiences in Thailand. I have been here for only 18 months, one year is Surat and I haven't found the problems you have faced yet. I currently live in central Thailand, which I don't enjoy as much as the south, but still I've not has any real trouble.

I think what Ven Appicchato is saying, and I think you are actually agreeing with, is that there is a huge difference between living (presumably with your Thai wife?) in Thailand, mixing with regular Thai people, and being a tourist in a busy tourist area. I have not had any particular problems in Thailand either (much of my time there has been in rural Ang Thong). What I notice is that in areas like that, where there are few foreigners, I have no problems with overcharging, even when not with Thai friends. It just doesn't occur to vendors to have a dual pricing scheme or a clever sales pitch - they hardly ever see a foreigner and hardly speak any English, so there would be little to gain. As you say, Thais are wonderful. But in touristy places you have to be careful. I one tried to buy some postcards at one of the famous Bangkok temples, and they wanted something like 10 times what a regular shop, like a 7-Eleven, would have charged.

If you are careful, there should be no problems, but, as in any country (I was with a friend who was pick-pocketed in Paris with neither of us noticing until we got off the metro...), it's important to be vigilant...


Mike

[GraemeR]

Hi Graeme,

I think what Ven Appicchato is saying, and I think you are actually agreeing with, is that there is a huge difference between living (presumably with your Thai wife?) in Thailand, mixing with regular Thai people, and being a tourist in a busy tourist area. I have not had any particular problems in Thailand either (much of my time there has been in rural Ang Thong). What I notice is that in areas like that, where there are few foreigners, I have no problems with overcharging, even when not with Thai friends. It just doesn't occur to vendors to have a dual pricing scheme or a clever sales pitch - they hardly ever see a foreigner and hardly speak any English, so there would be little to gain. As you say, Thais are wonderful. But in touristy places you have to be careful. I one tried to buy some postcards at one of the famous Bangkok temples, and they wanted something like 10 times what a regular shop, like a 7-Eleven, would have charged.

If you are careful, there should be no problems, but, as in any country (I was with a friend who was pick-pocketed in Paris with neither of us noticing until we got off the metro...), it's important to be vigilant...


Mike

Mike

I think you are probably right, I just don't go to tourist places, so I don't get problems, I generally used to go out without my wife and still no problems. My neighbour goes out and leaves the key in the outside of the door. Do that back home and your house would be empty before you got back.

I worked for 5 years in Turkey and it was very serious harassment for foreigners, in a couple of cases I had to use physical force to defend my self and only just talked my way out of other situations. Life was much harsher there generally, I say a man with his throat cut in the street one evening near my home! But having said that I made many good friends, a lot of whom I am still in contact with 12 years on.

The only real problem I have had in Thailand is with supposedly educated employers who have had no idea about employing foreigners.

Also the kids I taught in the south of Thailand were an absolute delight and I miss them every day.

Graham

[mikenz66]

Sure, as I said, I have had no problems in rural Ang Thong, where I don't believe I've ever actually talked to a foreigner (I might wave at one occasionally, or, more likely, throw water at one from the back of a pickup during Songkran... ).


Mike

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Thanks for the general warnings. It seems perhaps that Phuket is to Thailand, what the Gold Coast is the Australia.

In other words... nice resorts, nice natural surrounds etc. conducive to leisure and relaxation, but that this is complemented by a secondary "industry" (loosely defined) of people trying to make money by trading on the base sensory cravings of some of the tourists.

To that end, a bit of common-sense would seem to apply... e.g. keep out of dodgier areas at night. We're travelling there with another family (possibly two) so that should also be useful in this regard.

Metta,
Retro.

[GraemeR]

Greetings,

Thanks for the general warnings. It seems perhaps that Phuket is to Thailand, what the Gold Coast is the Australia.

I find Pattaya much worse than Phuket

Graham

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Well, it's only a fortnight until I go... any last minute hot tips?

Metta,
Retro.

[pilgrim]

Greetings,

Well, it's only a fortnight until I go... any last minute hot tips?

Metta,
Retro.

Change your money at proper places, not at the street booths. I had a bad experience in Bali with some money changers employing sleight of hand tricks and have learnt a lesson which I would apply at all popular tourist spots.

[Lampang]

99.9% of every Thai's agenda is to separate you from your dough

I've lived here since 2000 and I'm afraid to say that that's seriously off the mark. Even in the tourist zones it's not true and it's certainly not true of the country as a whole. And in the case of the former, since the sole purpose of a tourist resort is to make and spend money, it seems a bit odd to go there and then complain about people doing exactly that.

I find Pattaya much worse than Phuket

Not exactly a ringing endorsement!

Well, it's only a fortnight until I go... any last minute hot tips?

Keep an eye on the news. The usual suspects are stirring up trouble against the government which may or (much more likely) may not develop into something more serious - if it does it might disrupt your travel plans a bit.

[Mr Man]

Wat Tham Seua may be a possible day trip (Krabi province). Never been there myself but the name catches the imagination.

[GraemeR]

Retro,

How did it go in the end?

Graham

Greetings,

I'll be in Phuket late June / early July for a week or two.

Does anyone know of any good Theravada wats etc. worth visiting while there?

Anything else of any Dhammic significance?

(Fingers crossed the next Thai trip will be to Bangkok, Chiang-Mai etc... nonetheless, with a son who will be 8 y.o. at the time, it's probably going to be a good soft introduction to the Thai culture, whereas some places I'd like to go to might have been a bit more challenging)

Metta,
Retro.