Karon, Phuket

Karon is the neighbouring community just to the north of Kata. It is just as busy as Kata, with a beach that is equal in beauty. We have found that Phuket is way busier than it was 2 years ago when we were here. The Russians are coming in droves, due to an emerging Russian middle class, inexpensive flights to Thailand, and a 3-month visa on arrival to this country. The Russian ruble is in the toilet...big time! It costs 2 Canadian cents to buy 1 Russian ruble. Once in Thailand, most Russians spend very little money because they can't afford it. But, they love to holiday, and they bring their kids, and they seem to be having a wonderful time! There have been many complaints about the Russians' lack of social skills, but this also is slowly improving. We have heard stories of Russians eating in restaurants then refusing to pay using the excuse that the food was horrible. So the Thais counter-acted by making them pay for their meals when placing an order. That put a stop to their shenanigans. Many Europeans are looking elsewhere to stay in Thailand because of the Russian invasion. But we have also heard from owners of guesthouses that the Russian children are well behaved. Hopefully, tolerance on both sides increases. Thailand is a wonderful country and we always enjoy our visits here.


                                                   Same Same but different!