 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
blast both during the day and the night. It was tough to leave.
the shops within a block of the beach are still closed for rebuilding. But we were able to stay in
$125/night rooms for $27/night, and there were just the right number of people there (enough to make it
fun, but not too crowded).
We visited Kamala, which was “ground zero” of the tsunami (because the coastline there drops steeply
at the waterline—i.e. not a long, gradual drop, and so the force of the tsunami at the shore was
magnified).
We met a local architect there (photo below), who was helping the folks here rebuild. He moved here
from Los Angeles via Hong Kong and Singapore, and loves Phuket. We got a glimpse of the ex-pat
scene when he invited us to a jazz club owned by his friend Nick. Nick is also in real estate, and rents
out "high end" properties--i.e. the seven-bedroom beachfront villas with swimming pools and a full staff
that rent out for $2500 a night. Life is very, very good for ex-pats here.
(http://www.indigore.com/bangtaobeachgardens/index.htm). With the right developer,
builder, and property manager, it--and the many other projects like it in Phuket and
Samui--might not be a bad investment (could yield 5% and appreciate 10% annually,
and provide for free lodging on tax-free trips to paradise).
bars, and a few good discos. You go out in sandals and shorts, and
everything is extremely cheap.
friendly consierge at our
hotel, whom we befriended
and took to the Tiger disco.
home from the disco at around 2
a.m., I had the bright idea to buy
some food from a vendor and feed
it to the nearby JYDs (junk yard
dogs). While it made the dogs, the
vendor, and me quite happy, Keith
was less thrilled when the pack of
dogs, their appetites whetted,
chased him down the street for his
food.