Hi louanna

Judging from what we hear from so many comming from OZ is that the doctors are recomending you purchace everything from Malaria to Bird Flu shots. You are bound to here from other local residents and visitors about this issue. Megumi and I have lived and worked here in Phuket for 10 years and we have never been poked, puntured or zapped and we continued to eat chicken just like everyone else here on the Island.

With 60 reported dealths in over 2 years and never a tourist involved in SouthEast Asia I wonder what seems to be the issue with some governments. Yikes! More people die in California from ingrown toe nails. However in the interest of public safety we have canceled all of our chicken farm excrement shoveling tours untill a definate cure has been developed.

Regards From Phuket

Richard & Megumi

Thanks Richard you have been most helpful once again!

Looking forward to seeing Megumi and yourself in Phuket when we visit. Can you recommend a couple of great restaurants with nice setting at Patong Beach and near where Evason Spa Resort is? I know you said in my last e-mail that you were situated right near the Evason, south Phuket. Thanks Richard, cheersxx

Hi louanna

Sorry that I can not be more helpfull with the Patong area restuarents as I go out of my way not to eat in Patong and have not done so in the last 4 years. Maybe you will hear from other tourists who have stayed in Patong who liked their overpriced & lame Thai food but as a long term resident I do not eat at the tourist places. A good reference for Patong restuarents would be TedKarma's website www.phuketdelight.com

For good local restuarents in the Evason area I can give a description on where to find the good spots but the names do not register as we just seem to go to the good places and do not think about names. If you have been thinking about visiting the elephant rehab center we drive past a lot of great places and if you schedule it early during your stay you will be able to find these places on your own after you see them yourself.

I will however start to spend time making up a list of names for the better places in our area and will make it a point to put something together when the high season is over along the lines of how Ted lists and highlights his favourite recommendations.

Regards From Phuket

Richard & Megumi

Louanna, don't you just love PhuketRichard? He is great free entertainment, as well as being full of useful info.

We travel to Thailand every year at least, usually Bkk but also Phuket last year, and don't have any shots. Maybe I'd consider Hep A if I was going bush, but as you'll find out, Phuket doesn't fall into that category! It's probably like trekking around Darwin, actually.

We also eat on the street, and never get sick. Just watch the tap water in Bkk.

Have you checked the DFAT site for official warnings and recommendations for travellers?

Hi There

There is no "required" vaccinations for travel to thailand, just suggested.

Have a look at this link, it is the best!

Make sure to click on vaccinations and follow the prompts to get a report on your chosen destination:

http://www.tmvc.com.au/

Cheers

Ang

We poms must be real wimps (no need to agree!!). We are advised Hep.A, Typhoid, Rabies and upto date on Tetanus-diptheria, polio, measles-mumps-rubella and varicella.

For Malaria: For rural areas bordering Cambodia and Myanmar, prophylaxis with Malarone or doxycycline is recommended. For rural areas bordering Laos, either Malarone, doxycycline, or Lariam should be taken.

Hi louanna

Fally is on the mark about the Thai street food. Look for the stainless steel pots on a counter, take the lid off give it a stir and If there is nothing still swimming in it give it a try. I eat breakfast every day accross from our office with 2 different pot servings from curries, chillies, veggies, srimp, fish or the dreaded chicken on top of rice. On the table there are assorted fresh veggies, pickeled papaya to cool your dish down and a plastic container with your free water inside. This full meal costs me 25 baht unless I get a fried egg on top for an extra 5 baht.

The water you see in the plastic tubs on the table is not tap water but out of the big 5 gallon buckets ( only 10 baht ) that I bye for the water machine for my office. When the water is free you know you are in a real Thai restuarent and not a tourist place. Most people think this is tap water and pay more for bottled water then I pay for a full meal. Real Thai restuarents supply free water and even Thais do not drink the tap water.

The only 2 times that I've had food poisoning in Phuket was from eating in tourist places in Patong. You can compare the pot food to the local delli back home that will have different dished in flat stailess trays and you point threw the glass counter at which dish you want on rice or pasta. The pot food is the same concept but in a different container.

Have a sence of adventure when you are dining, you are after all in a totaly foriegn country and the food here is part of the Thailand experience. It amaises me when I see Westerners come into a Thai restuarent, ignor the pot food and order fried rice from the menu and wishing they could get fries with it. Have you ever noticed how busy Mc Donalds is in Patong? So much for culture !

Regards From Phuket

Richard & Megumi

Thank you so much to Richard and everyone for your fab replies. Have travelled nearly everywhere except Thailand so looking forward to divulging in their culture!! Thanks for your advice regarding vaccinations as well. I suppose as a Nurse, the last thing I wanted to happen was to get sick...

Looking forward to seeing Phuket, spending day trips visiting Phi Phi Isles etc, and most of all having a good time.

This really is a fab site and again thanks to everyone for their replies. Looking forward to beginning of April!!xxx