Phuket post-tsunami: A second wave of greed?

Phuket, sprawling, sensual, and more than a little bit selfish, had a chance to change after the tsunami of 2004. It did not. At least, not in the right way.

If anything, five years later it is more sprawling, more sensual and more selfish. This is not to say that tourists flock to Thailand's most popular tropical island destination and don't have a good time. They do.

The diving and snorkelling are still excellent, the beaches are among the best in the world at the right time of the year, and everyone loves Thai hospitality, the food and an elephant ride.

Yet there is no one, single Phuket. Helicopter ride to a scintillating wellness destination on a more remote island? Yes, certainly ma'am. Indian wedding for three days for 300? By all means, sir.

There's a Phuket to suit every wallet and purse, from those who can afford the steep prices and the equally steep climb to the perfect hillside villa (with private sunset and sunrise infinity pools) to the buck-conscious backpacker.

It's just that ... well, it could have all been so much better.

Starting over?

After the tsunami, with the beaches washed clean, amid the clamor of rebuilding along the foreshores and with the best wishes of the world ringing just as loudly, Phuket had the choice of starting over.

Keep the beaches of Patong, Kamala, Karon and Kata natural and beautiful, some said. Invest for the future in a proper, efficient public transport system. Turn the place into an international holiday hub that will make Thailand proud.

Officials opted instead to keep the extortionist jet-skis, and the beach lounges, the beach vendors, and the poorly-equipped high-fare tuk-tuk taxis that clog the best seafront parking spots and charge double Thailand's minimum daily wage for a trip of a couple of kilometers.

There are now too many tuk-tuk drivers, and not enough tourists choose this inefficient, expensive form of transport. Tall people cannot even see the views as they travel in these odd contraptions.

The long-term benefits from this short-term thinking are hard to figure. A tuk-tuk ride in Phuket will cost at least 10 times the price of an equivalent journey in Bangkok.

While tuk-tuks in Bangkok have three wheels and tuk-tuks on Phuket have four, the extra wheel hardly seems to justify such a dramatic increase in the fare. Many residents are appalled but simply shrug their shoulders and say: "This is Thailand."

Island of lost opportunities

To put it simply, the world's generosity in restoring Phuket after the tsunami, in returning as tourists, and in making the island an internationally renowned destination, has not been matched by Phuket.

It has been met with greed.

Phuket today is not so much an island of lost souls as an island of lost opportunities. Nobody would seriously suggest that the island needs a second tsunami so it can get it right, but it wouldn't do any harm to pretend. A fresh start is still needed.

Yet there's joy every day on Phuket in significantly touching ways. The rip-offs have not diminished the underlying beauty of the place, or the majority of its people.

A small girl glides past on a motorcycle, holding a large leaf over her head to ward off the sun. A restaurant proprietor runs in pursuit with a five baht piece, left as a tip, crying: ''Hey, you left your change.'' A Korean tourist in a bikini writes ''I love Phuket'' on the sand, and means it.

At its best, Phuket is delightful. It's just that these days, the best of the old Phuket can be found more frequently in other places, and at fairer prices.

North and east of the island, in Phang Nga and Krabi, a region that property people are beginning to call ''Greater Phuket,'' some of the classiest resorts in the world continue to bob up on a coastline that is hard to top anywhere.

Faced with the same post-tsunami decision as Phuket, officials in Phang Nga and Krabi decided to ban beach lounges, jet-skis, and beach vendors. There are one or two tuk-tuks, no more.

Time and future tourist traffic may prove they made a wise decision.

Wolfgang Meusburger, general manager of the Holiday Inn in Phuket's built-up, franchised and fractious Patong, confesses that some guests still come off the planes expecting to find a charming rural village under coconut palms.

Rather than have them complain about everything for their entire stay, he refunds their money and packs them off to more remote corners of the region.

The trend, too, is for tourists to spend a few days on Phuket then a few more in the more relaxed and natural environment in Phang Nga or Krabi. And if you really must try a tuk-tuk, do it in Bangkok. It's a whole less expensive. 

Check out Alan's Insider's Guide to the best of Greater Phuket for his tips on making the most of a trip to Phuket.