Phuket Travel Forum

Hello Everyone,
Moving to Thailand for at least a 3 month period,was there in January and loved it. I am returning for some SCUBA certifications and I would like to know which areas are safest/quietest to stay in long term.
Thanks,
Eric

Hi Eric
The southern part of Phuket would be ideal for you as you would be located closer to Chalong pier where all the daytrip (and most Liveaboard) dive tours depart.

Kata, Kata Noi, Nai Harn and Rawai areas are all very nice areas. Also in Kata, Kata Noi and Karon longtail boat dives and shore dives are available between October - May.

Hope this helps.
Chantal

Hey there Eric! Chantal provides good insights. The best area for divers to live is the southern end of the island. The dive pier is in Chalong. Quiet town, convenient to diving, but no swimming beach. The entire southeastern side of the island is fairly quiet: Chalong, Rawai; and also the areas between the southeastern coast and the southwestern coasts such as Ban Sai Yuan and parts of Nai Harn are quiet. Once you get to the western beach areas, the towns of Kata and Karon are busier with more tourists, and the prices for rentals go up. You can get condo-type places or stand-alone houses, some with pools even. My advice would be to get here and then spend a few days looking through the ads in the Gazette and driving around to get a feel for the different areas before deciding.