Are we there yet?

Here is a question asked to our real estate agency, (Phuket Immobilière Agency):

I would like to buy a villa in Phuket. I am interested in a villa located in Nai Harn Beach. I would like to know if it is near the British Curriculum International School (BCIS).

Nai Harn is far away from the international schools (BCIS & QSI). I know some residents who left the South of the island because of the journey to the school. Indeed, during rush hours, the trip can take an hour, this is due for a large part to the Central Festival crossing, which can last 15 minutes.

You will find here an interactive map showing distances between the main areas of Phuket:
http://www.botanvillage.com/location.php

Nevertheless, some things area not apparent on a road map.

Bottlenecks are one of them. We have already seen the problem of the Central – Big C crossing (the traffic light lasts 3 minutes, but since you we miss it at least once before passing, it can make: 3+3+3+3= 12 minutes).
Under an inoffensive aspect, The Chalong roundabout is also frightening.

Topograhpy influences also a lot.

A little bit of geography...
Phuket is the largest island of Thailand but the second smallest province in area. The main island itself has an area of about 539 sq.km., about the same size as Singapore. The total land area of the province, including 39 small nearby islets, is about 570 sq.km.
70% of the area are mountains stretching from north to south, while the other 30% are plains, mainly in the central and and eastern parts of the island. 
There is no important river but a total of 9 brooks and creeks. The west coast are stretches of white sandy beaches which are major tourist developments.

Therefore, communications will be easier in the eastern and central part of the island, which are served by a network of express ways, whereas all the western part is locked by sheer stepped hills, which imposes sinuous slow and dangerous roads.
Certain areas as Kamala have only one North – South axis; which means that, even if on a map the road from Kamala to BCIS looks short, it takes almost the same time than going from the British school to Laguna.

These practical considerations explain why the place of predilections from Foreigners who want to settle in the long run in Phuket is the center, i.e. Kathu, because it is near everything (schools, administrative and business centers, hospitals, beaches and golf courses).

Comments

[Area Rugs]

I am interested in traveling to Thailand and seeing if it is a great place to live. Thanks for your blog, you provide a lot of great information. Will be back often to visit.