we are thinking of going to phuket in jan about the 19th. i have looked on the web and cant believe the price for this time.are we silly to try phu or should we go back to bali.can anybody suggest a good clean hotel not to close to the nightlife.

Yep, Jan is chockablock, top of the peak season. However, there's so much accommodation around that not everything gets booked out, so I'd keep on searching via internet. If you don't want to be too near the action, look at Karon & Kata, they're 2 popular beaches that are not too hectic. Avoid Patong. If nothing comes up then go back to Bali.
Just out of interest 2 ladies I have know for many years made their first trip to Thailand in Jan this year, previously they have made many trips to Bali. They spent 3 weeks in Thailand, at Phuket, Pattaya & Bangkok and they told me over dinner that they disliked Thailand and would stay with Bali in the future. They found the language barrier annoying, plus they felt the Thais didn't like them. They told me in Bali they make friends with Balinese people and often sat around all night drinking and talking, and Balinese shouted them drinks. In Thailand every interaction they had with Thais involved them getting their purses out and paying money.

Other way round for me! In Bali its constant hasstle and rip off

Only plus side is the short flight from Perth!

Mind you I only ever stay in kuta and perhaps thats my problem.

Den

I agree with you Den, only been to Bali once and I didn't get off on the place, I prefer Thailand, but I found the comments from my 2 friends very interesting. They asked me why hardly any Thais working in the tourism industry could speak any English beyond some basic pidgin? That was their experience. Apparantly this is not the case in Bali, therefore it's far easier to have some social interaction with the locals.

Thats because Bali is full of Australians on a 10 day holiday so its in their best interest to learn English or they will not get a job in Kuta in the tourist industry!

In Thailand most speak a bit of basic English or German or Italian!

Bali tourist are confined to one small area whereas Thai tourists are spread over a much larger area.

If your friends went else where in Indonesia they may have had the same problem!

Bali would struggle to survive without the Australian tourist $,which was proven after the bombings,so children are moulded to tourism and English from a very young age.


Den

Can't the same be said for Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, these places basically exist for tourists, sure there's not the volume of Aussies that Bali gets but English is the international language. So my friends felt it was most difficult communicating with Thais in hotels, restaurants, bars & shops at Phuket & Pattaya - not Surin or Phattalung or Phayao.

I havent met anybody in Phuket or Pattaya that couldnt speak English there must be loads though?

But the Balanese keep it in the family!

If I talk to you in a shop or bar or hotel and am very friendly then there is a good chance I can get my brother to drive you around in his minivan for cheap price, my mum can do your washing,my cousin will make some nice jewelery out of 2dollar coins,my sister has a tee shirt shop that sells at very special morning price for you.

Den