# Moving to Phuket



## finbar (May 31, 2013)

Hi all,
My wife and I are moving to Phuket in August and staying fo 3 to 6 month
This is not for employment but mainly an extended holiday.
We will be renting a villa or house in the Patong area.
We have visited several times before and simply love the place, people, food etc. so an extended long term stay is what we want to do.

Perhaps someone could help me out with a couple of queries.

1. Mail from Australia- Can it be delivered easily to the home or villa address or will I need to establish a Post Office box or similar.

2. Telephone-can I get a local sim card or pre paid card that is compatible with my I-phone, or what is the easiest solution.

3. Medical-in case of sickness or medical emergency, what is the best procedure. 

4. Visa- I have a 90day visa organised from the Thai consulate in Adelaide,Australia. What is the procedure if I want to extend. Can it be done locally.

Thank you
Peter


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## cnx_bruce (Feb 2, 2010)

1. Probably yes, but no-one here can tell you the nature or certainty of mail deliveries to a yet-to-be-established residential address. Be aware though that loss or theft of mail is not uncommon, particularly mail addressed to foreigners.

2. Get a local sim card like AIS. i assume your IPhone is unlocked

3. Get travel insurance for the longest possible term. If you are still in Thailand and still committed to stay longterm then arrange for a local medical insurance policy, of which there are many options to suit your needs

4. You'll need to research all your visa options to see what will be least hassle. You can get tourist visa extensions (google on thailand visa runs for e.g.) but this is not suitable for ongoing stays and you'll need to look at alternatives depending on your specific circumstances


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## finbar (May 31, 2013)

thank you - very helpful


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

*Mail - the postman doesn't always get through*

my Phuket mail experiences - (note we left there over 3yrs ago) (file in the _'sad but true'_ drawer!)

Outgoing - postcards always seem to get through; sealed envelopes, no. I still send the occasional birthday/seasonal card etc but never seal the envelope

Incoming - I only know of the ones where senders asked '_did you get my card'_ and the answer was always '_no_', not a single item addressed in English-only arrived in our Phuket year. A parcel sent from UK was sent back to the sender unopened (miracle) despite it having been addressed correctly (in English). Later, on a friend's suggestion/offer used his PO Box. Think it cost him 300b for 6mths or maybe 12mths. Only had a few items sent, and they arrived OK.

And more recently - last year sent a Phuket friend a birthday card, in unsealed envelope, (aiming for 11 November). Addressed in English and Thai, and he's been at same house 6 years. He received it the week before Xmas. But at least he got it.

My partner has stopped sending parcels/gifts back to her mother 200km away from our home as the last two never made it. As it's a rural address they don't offer 'track and trace' type service. Suspect the thief to be at the receiving end, last man in the chain of delivery, but who knows.

For anything important I have used DHL Courier and collected from their depot.


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

finbar said:


> 4. Visa- I have a 90day visa organised from the Thai consulate in Adelaide,Australia. What is the procedure if I want to extend. Can it be done locally.


Hi - question on your visa 90 days?
Is it a Tourist Visa? 
(in which case it is 60 days, and you apply for 30 day extension in Phuket)

Have a look at this thread on *Tourist Visas* hope that helps

Thailand - visits and Tourist Visas


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