Traveling during a pandemic offers a totally unique perspective on places commonly visited. I have been living in Phuket, Thailand for the last three months and I have had the opportunity to experience a completely different Phuket than most have ever seen.
We live like kings among the struggling locals. Many of the hotels are closed and the remaining open hotels are heavily discounted. Many attractions have also cut their prices to encourage the remaining tourists to visit.
When out with friends, they talk about Phuket before the pandemic and their stories and experiences are totally different from the current Phuket. Many of the veteran tourists describe Phuket as a 24-hour party with bars and restaurants busy around the clock.
Pre-pandemic, Phuket was a bustling tourist hub with almost 10 million annual visitors. The streets overflowed with tourists and expats and all kinds of vendors capitalizing on the opportunities.
Now the Island is mostly closed or restricted. In particular, the night life is very restricted. The rules always change at the last minute making it difficult to keep up. It feels like every day we wake up to new rules.
For now, the nightlife is mostly shut down with the occasional bar getting away with opening for a night and always closing earlier than before the pandemic.
The beaches are wide open and free of the typical crowds. Which is a benefit as it is easy to find a spot on a beach and there are plenty of beaches to choose from. Normally these beaches are packed with sunbathing tourists.
There are also very few people visiting the typical tourist spots like temples, so there are fewer people to get in the way of your pictures.
Another benefit is the pricing of everything has dropped, so it is easier than ever to find an affordable hotel and a scooter. It is also easy to find restaurants that are having discounts on food and alcohol.
Usually, the streets here overflow with cars, motorbikes, rickshaws and all manner of transport making the roads very crowded. Now there are few cars on the roads and there’s little traffic and getting a parking spot is easy.
When I first arrived in Phuket, bars and clubs were closed and alcohol serving was restricted. There was no curfew and of course masks were required everywhere including while driving a motorbike.
After a few weeks, a nightly curfew was in effect, and everyone had to be in their home by 10 p.m. and restaurants closed at 9 p.m. Since then, the hours have moved around and now there are restaurants that are open until 11 p.m. and are now allowed to serve beer again.
While all these strict rules were in effect and seriously enforced, that did not mean that everyone obeyed. Many restaurants would still sell you a beer if you asked, but they would bring it in a weird cup that did not look like a beer. It is not because all these businesses are rebels; they need the money.
The people have become incredibly stressed about the situation as they fear losing business and livelihoods.
There are other business owners who have kept their shops closed this whole time and are now working on renovations as they aim to capitalize on the expected influx of tourists as the island begins opening.
Now, more than a year since the first lockdowns, Phuket has begun a soft opening called the “Sandbox,” which is open for vaccinated tourists. As we approach opening, I have seen the prices of some hotels already going up.
When I first got here in April, the restaurants were empty, and I would often be the only one in the room. Since then, I have seen the tourist and expat population beginning to return very slowly. I am noticing more traffic and busier restaurants and cafes.
It is sad to see the crumbling tourist industry in the state that it is in, however I am excited to come back and see Phuket fully reopen and have the opportunity to see it both closed and open. We are living in a moment of history, and I am excited for the experience.
