Road Trip: Phuket

If you have concerns eating street food, a good rule of thumb is to have them very hot. Most bellyache-inducing microbes are killed at high temperatures, so go for the freshly fried, grilled or steamed food. If you have a weak stomach, avoid those mixed rice stalls where dishes are pre-prepared and sitting in trays, as you cannot tell how long they have been sitting there. If you are ordering grilled skewers, simply ask the stall vendor to put your stick back on the grill and have it piping hot. InThailand, you wouldn’t offend the folks with any request as long as you do so with a big friendly smile!

Most Singaporean travellers already know how to drive a good bargain. In Thailand, it isn’t hard to bargain, here are some golden rules:
- Bargain with a smile. Thai folk will generally not appreciate it if you come across as rude or pushy.
- Don’t be afraid to subtract more than 50% from the price given if the item’s price tag is not clearly displayed.
- You can just smile and ask, “What is your best price?” when they give their first quote. Often, that alone will get the vendors slashing the prices by 10-20%.
- The “walkaway price” that they call out after you is often the lowest they would go. You can always turn back to buy the item, or use that as a base price to bargain at the next shop.
- Don’t bother to bargain at shops where it is clearly stated that the prices have already been marked down. These are prices they are selling to locals too.
- Here are some prices of the items we bought at Chao Fa Variety Market. This should serve as a good price guide for you:

• Tee shirts THB100-150
• PoloTees THB150-200
• Sunglasses THB100
• Board Shorts THB200-300
• Sarongs THB100-200
• Beach/Sun dresses THB250-300
• Ladies Cotton shorts THB70-150
• Caps THB150-250

There are many smaller local markets around Phuket. We happened to drive past one on Chao Fa East Road (near Kwang Road traffic junction), near the Phuket Villa California area, about 5km from Central Festival. This is what the Thai call a Talad Nat (meeting market). The exact location on Google Maps is Chao Fa Tawan Ok Route 4021, coordinates 7.856737, 98.359783. The market operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 3pm to 8pm. This market is much smaller than Chao Fa Variety Market, with almost no tourists seen, and plenty of stalls selling yummy Thai street food.

For a spot of shopping in air-conditioned comfort, we recommend two shopping malls. They are the at Rat-U-Thit Rd, Patong, and the off Chao Fa Road, just outside of Phuket Town. Both are new and huge, with cinemas, dining options, and almost everything a shopper could ask for!

With warm blue seas, sandy beaches, yummy Thai food, affordable accommodations and the absence of crazy tourist crowds, Phuket in the low season is a great getaway option!

Credits: Written by Evan Lee. Edited by Bjorn Wong.