Phuket: Is It Still Worth It? A Roast, a Love Letter, and a Warning for Expats and Nomads

Let’s be honest. Phuket is kind of like that friend who peaked in college.
They still tell great stories. They’re fun at parties. But now they’re a little too loud, a little too expensive, and they keep reminding you how cool they used to be.

And yet...you still love them. Mostly.

If you're an expat looking for the long stay, a slow moving digital nomad, or just someone wondering if Phuket is still a worthy place to unpack your laptop for a few weeks, this one’s for you.

Once the Dream: A Ridiculously Brief History of Why Everyone Wanted to Be Here

Phuket used to be the stuff of legends. Bungalows for $10 a night. Beaches that looked Photoshopped. Moo Hong, and a dozen other plates that cost less than your coffee back home.

It was the postcard-perfect, sun-drenched fantasy of the Southeast Asia backpacker trail. And then, like every beautiful thing we share on the internet… it was discovered. Then it got optimized… Then it got monetized.

Today, Phuket is many things. Quiet isn’t one of them.

But don’t go full cynic just yet. There’s still magic here. You just have to squint through the Russian-language billboards and taxi scams to find it.

What’s Changed? (Besides Literally Everything)

Well, gere’s the part where we lovingly drag Phuket like your favorite dive bar after it got a Tripadvisor makeover.

1. Prices Are Doing Western Yoga… They’ve Really Stretched 😬

(see what we did there?)

Once known for its “you-can-live-like-a-king-on-$500” lifestyle, Phuket now says, “Gimme $1200/month for your studio with IKEA furniture and a ‘partial sea view’... if you stand on the toilet.”

Airbnbs are pricing in euros.

Grab rides will cost more than your dinner.

And god help you if you want a smoothie with protein in it.

Can you still live cheaply here?

Fuck no! Be real, guys... If you show up in Phuket thinking you can build your empire from a beachfront loft on a freelancer budget, you might need a quick reality check and maybe a co-living dorm.

2. The Vibe Got Influencer’d

If you were there back in the day, you probably remember a Phuket that felt raw and wild and a little chaotic in a good way. Now it feels like an Instagram shoot that never ends.

Cafés with neon signs that say “But first, coconuts!”

Influencers “finding themselves” while yelling at their drone operators

Spiritual retreats that cost more than your flight here

Drunk tourists weaving through traffic on scooters like Mario Kart

And a growing population of Russians so large it feels like a subtropical suburb of Sochi.

Phuket has become an unexpected haven for Russians in the post-2022 world, with entire neighborhoods, menus, and businesses now operating in Cyrillic. Some are digital nomads or retirees. Others? Let’s just say you don’t ask too many questions about the blacked-out SUVs and luxury villas tucked in the hills. There’s a vibe around the Russians. Part expat, part oligarch, part "don’t make eye contact."

The beaches are still stunning… until you pan the camera 15 degrees and catch a guy vomiting into the sand behind a bar named something like “Banana Slap.”

And yet, there’s something kind of hilarious about the spectacle. It’s not subtle, but it’s sincere. Phuket isn’t trying to be cool, it thinks it already is.

3. Nomad Infrastructure: Solid-ish

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Phuket is still functional for digital nomads, especially if you don’t need Silicon Valley bandwidth or lightning-speed uploads.

Coworking spaces? Check. (Garage Society, Hatch, and a few boutique spots)

Wi-Fi? Usually solid. (Unless it rains, in which case: good luck, we’re all counting on you.)

Cafés with outlets? Everywhere. Most also have smoothie bowls and ironic playlists.

It’s technically a good place to work. Just don’t expect Bangkok level hustle culture. This is island time. The Slack huddle can wait.

But... People Still Love It. Why?

Here’s the twist ending: Phuket still kind of slaps. It’s flawed, chaotic, overpriced but still weirdly addictive.

4. It’s Ridiculously Beautiful (When You Leave the Crowds)

Drive 20 minutes outside Patong and suddenly it’s the Thailand from your dreams again. Clear, turquoise water, jungle hillsides, beaches where you’re not breathing in vape smoke

Try Nai Harn, Kata Noi, or head up to Ao Sane. And if you do, let us know what you think.

5. You Can Still Find Your People

Phuket has layers. Beneath the beach clubs and brunch bros, there’s a legit expat and nomad scene.

Yoga teachers who actually care about yoga? You can probably find them but I don’t know, man. I don’t do yoga. Let us know if it is legit, I guess.

The yoga people in Phuket? They’re out there every morning, bending like pretzels, smiling like they know something the rest of us don’t. Maybe they do.

Entrepreneurs quietly building empires from coworking cafés… meanwhile, some influencer’s in the corner doing a fake yawn for her “just woke up in Bali” reel… at 3 in the afternoon.

And then there are the artists, the writers, and the weirdos who came here on a whim and never left

Last but not least, the fight crowd. Phuket isn’t just sand and smoothies—it’s a global hub for Muay Thai, with Tiger Muay Thai leading the charge. Tucked in the Chalong area, Tiger’s no joke. It attracts everyone from UFC champions and pro boxers to fitness junkies and first-timers who want to get punched in the face before their smoothie bowl. The energy around Soi Ta-iad (aka “Fitness Street”) is wild. It is lined with training gyms, protein cafes, massage joints for sore muscles, and people actually trying to better themselves.

It’s not just Insta-tourism. There’s a real, gritty, complicated community here. But you have to stay long enough to find it.

This is a screenshot we stole from the Tiger website. No sponsorship here. Just nerdy fans www.tigermuaythai.com

6. It Doesn’t Apologize for What It Is

Phuket isn’t trying to be some untouched paradise. It’s not promising you enlightenment. It’s just here, doing its thing, loud and messy and alive.

And there’s something kind of refreshing about that.

Want peace and introspection? Go to Pai.
Want to build a business in a focused, driven environment? Bangkok it is.
Want a place where you can eat seafood by the ocean, ride a motorbike through the jungle, party on a Tuesday, and still send that client proposal before 10am?

…That’s Phuket!

So, Is It Still Worth It?

Let’s break it down:

Factor Worth It? Why

Cost of Living: Meh, higher than it should be
Work Setup: Yes-ish. Decent infrastructure
Community: Hidden gem. You have to dig for it
Beaches: Yes, still stunning if you escape Patong
Overall Vibe: It Depends Wild, loud, not for everyone

Verdict

Phuket is not for the fragile. But it is for the flexible.

If you’re looking for balance, nuance, and silence, maybe skip it.

If you’re down to laugh at the madness, lean into the chaos, and dig a little deeper, you might just fall for it.

Like that college friend, Phuket might’ve gotten weird over the years but damn if they’re not still a good time.

Alternatives (If You’re Not Convinced)

If you’re Phuket-curious but commitment-phobic, consider:

Chiang Mai: Calm, cool, cheaper. Still Thailand, minus the hangover.

Da Nang, Vietnam: Beachy but functional. More remote-worker, less full-moon party.

Penang, Malaysia: Cultural richness, street food gods, zero tuk-tuk scams.

Siargao, Philippines: Still raw, still rising. Get in before it becomes “the next Phuket.”

Final Thoughts from a Phuket Survivor

Here’s the thing about Phuket: It’s not pretending anymore.
It is what it is. Glitzy. Gritty. Hot. Hyped. Sometimes horrifying. Often hilarious.

And somehow, through all of that, still kind of magical.

So if you go, go with your eyes open. Your sense of humor intact. And maybe a little extra baht.

You’ll hate it. You’ll love it. You’ll wonder why you didn’t leave… and then why you didn’t come sooner.