third stop: phuket (day 4)

the ship finally found a docking port at deep sea port phuket. it takes about 40 mins to reach the famous patong beach. so going out was not that convenient. you will have to bargain with the taxi drivers waiting outside the port. we booked ourselves on the tour bus again for transport out to patong. it was the pre-peak season in phuket and the weather was fabulous. blue sky and bright sun. but the same could not be said about the locals attitudes towards asian. a worker sweeping the walkway outside a stall along the beach were heard grunting 'huh, chinese!' (how rude!!!) and a stall owner chased all customers out of his shop for taking too-long-a-time bargaining and looking for goods. he shouted 'only look-look see-see, come out, come out'. sigh. and i thought they were still recovering from the tsunami! my friend was saying what was the use of helping them with all the aids when tsunami struck.
i spoke to a local thai chinese shop owner, she was much friendlier and more humble. i told her what i experienced with the locals and she was shocked at the treatment given as well. she showed me a photo of her shop when tsunami struck and she was still in the midst of opening her shop. loose wires were seen in the newly renovated shop. hence, lunch was at subway instead of any local eateries...which was scarce anyway. you see the stretch of road littered with bars and western food eateries. the encounter with the locals have definitely left a bad taste in the mouth. bali island is a better choice...u still get the beautiful beaches and the locals are definitely friendlier and more hospitable. you won't see so many local women with their Farangs either in bali.

• the stretch of road in front of patong beach. all shops selling imitation goods and restaurants
  

• cool huh?? this is self-explanatory
  

• the famous bang la road. it is only for the pedestrians at night where all the activities are centred. bars, clubs, transvestites (lady man), etc.
  

• patong beach. sitting on the chairs come with a price.
  

• central festival: the most upmarket mall in phuket. still no lv or gucci lah.