MapJack - Phuket Street View - Almost like being here!

Update 2012 - Google Maps now has Phuket Street View!

I first heard of MapJack a couple of years ago, which was about when it started. It's very similar to Google Street View (available as part of Google Maps), which was launched about the same time. The idea with both - to map towns and cities with street view images. The MapJack images are taken by camera operators on foot or in vehicles. Every few meters, a new 360 degree image. Every street, every building.... put it all together and you can "walk" around your own town, or places you have been or want to visit. It's still in its infancy of course, covering some US cities (MapJack started with San Francisco) and (for reasons I am not clear about) quite a lot of places in Thailand too. Chiang Mai was added first and now... Phuket!

• MapJack Phuket - Start Here.

Google Maps has a lot more coverage - loads of cities in the US and Europe, but MapJack, which claims to be run on a shoestring budget, is doing Thailand. Hurrah! I think the Phuket images are about a year old... the problem with a project like this is keeping images updated, especially in a place like Phuket where there's building a plenty, new roads etc... Things look very different to 10 years ago when I arrived. Google Earth is another great tool, but some of the images of Phuket are over 5 years old now, though are updated now and then

#update 2011 - October... Google Street view car has been spotted in Phuket!

Not sure if it's the same for everyone, but I get defaulted to a start image at Kalim beach, just north of Patong. Here's the screenshot:



MapJack is easy to use, you can click on the blue dots to move to the next picture, you can click and drag the picture to spin round 360 degrees, or use the arrow keys to move forward/back/turn. Below the photo is a Google Maps overlay. Best to zoom in a bit to see which areas have MapJack coverage - you can click on the map to move "Jack" to that location. There are a few major Phuket roads missing in the coverage so far, but you can pretty much cruise the whole island and waste entire days at work. Here's a screenshot showing a view from Phromthep Cape:



Each image actually has it's own url (web address) - in the top left of the image you see a little arrow pointing to a circle - click that and you will get a message saying "Link to this location:" followed by the url - for the image above you can click on http://www.mapjack.com/?5R2vTCpvWcgA - and you can then rotate the image to see exactly the same as above.

Here's a screenshot in Phuket Town showing the On On Hotel:



Now, so far.. aside from the fact that some images in the seedier areas of Pattaya were removed, there has been no call for face blurring and licence plate blurring like in Google Street View. I have yet to find myself or anyone I know on MapJack, but I guess I need to waste more hours looking at the images! You might find yourself on there! What you also get in these images is a snapshot of daily life and if you click on different areas in Phuket - a good appreciation that Phuket has a lot of variety, it's not all beaches and tourists!

This is Phuket (Soi Bangla, Patong):



So is this (a small local market north of Phuket Town):



Darn, I could do this all day! You can explore all over Phuket with MapJack - main beaches, quiet side streets in Phuket Town, main roads, minor roads - sure, not every road, but anyway, I have been enjoying playing with this all week - thanks to Alasdair at Phuket Observer for the heads up! MapJack is a bit of fun for me, but a great tool for getting a feel for Phuket and finding places you might want to visit.

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Songkran at Patong Beach - Wet Fun!

Ah, Songkran! You either love it or hate it... It can be a bit silly, some people go a bit crazy, it does help to be a little tipsy and (warning!) don't carry expensive electronic equipment in the streets unless it's waterproof. Anyone in a sour mood... stay at home. I know some expats will happily spend the 13th of April watching DVDs and getting rat-arsed. I think it helps to have kids. I also now believe it helps to have a pick up truck so you can load up with big barrels of water and enter hostile territory fully armed for battle! And last year we bought a Toyota Vigo... so this year we were ready for anything!





We drove over to Patong after midday - already quite a queue of traffic coming over the big hill from Phuket Town. I was driving the "first leg" with my wife, sister in law and 2 kids in the back. Patong is certainly THE place to go crazy for Songkran in Phuket. We checked Phuket Town last year, we have been to the turtle release ceremony before, but this year we just wanted to ride around, get wet, throw water and have fun. And YES, it's fun. Humbugs stay home!







Of course, Songkran does have it's traditions too. We got fresh flowers for our Buddha Shelf, we cleaned the Buddha and King images.. and then waited for the morning rain to stop before heading to Patong. If you come for Songkran, it's best to get to Patong before midday. I can tell you, by about 2pm when we were leaving the traffic was backed up over the hill and down the other side, about a mile of traffic heading into Patong.





I had my trusty Canon Powershot in a plastic bag sealed with tape. Worked pretty well too. When my turn came in the back and my wife was driving I invited water to be thrown in our general direction. There was a bit too much ice water for my little boy and after about an hour he retired to the safety of the cab, but had plenty of fun until then :)





Oh, and if anyone was thinking Phuket was empty, tourist numbers down, credit crunch, Bangkok protests.... I tell you it was packed in Patong yesterday! The pictures do not lie!





I think it is important to remember why we are throwing water. This is not a water fight, this is not "I'll get you back, you bas***d".. the water is to symbolise a washing away of the old year. A good throw should be accompanied by a smile and a "Sawatdee Pee Mai" (Happy New Year). I did see some foreigners who were treating the day as a kind of war - shoot and hide, like a paintball game.. but most were getting the right idea. This is such a happy day. It gives me a "smile buzz".





Songkran is a public holiday for several days, but here in Phuket the water throwing is limited to the 13th, so normal life can continue afterwards! However on the 13th of April, anything goes!







All photos by Jamie - either through the truck window or with my Canon Powershot in a plastic bag :) And I reckon we'll be riding around in our pick up truck next year too! Songkran is a fun day. But I am happy that it's only a day. Happy New Year everyone.

Related Posts

More Songkran Photos
Songkran 2011 in Chumphon
Patong Beach Hotels
Phuket Festivals

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Phuket Bike Week

And now for something completely different. Back in 2009, I decided to check out some of the annual Phuket Bike Week event which takes place around the same date as Songkran (April 13th) every year - 2013 was the 19th time the event has been held. During the event, Phuket is full of big bikes ranging from Harleys to big racing bikes and plenty of amazing custom built choppers. There are bikes on show at the JungCeylon mall at Patong Beach, there are usually events/live music/food stalls by the beach in Patong (at "Loma Park" towards the north end of the beach) and bike rides around the island. If you are here, you will almost notice something going on! I'll try to go back this year and get some new photos. Photos on this page were all taken in 2009.

Phuket Bike Week 2013 was 14 - 21 April - There's more information on the Phuket Bike Week official website.

Now, I'm not a biker myself. Biggest bike I ever owned was a 125cc Honda Wave... hardly a "Hog", but still a step up from my previous 110cc version! I can see the attraction, but prefer driving a car. However even if you don't wear leather, you will have to admit some of the bikes on show are quite amazing, more works of art than a mode of transport, others are just big fat hogs! I checked out some of the bikes on display at Jungceylon mall...







Laziness set in - the Friday night beach party included a concert by Carabao, a very popular Thai rock band, but my wife and I were too tired... On Saturday afternoon I headed down to Patong Beach with my daughter to see what was going on. There was meant to be a "ride for peace" in the afternoon, with hundreds of bikes riding from Patong to Phromthep Cape via Karon and Kata beaches. I hoped to see the start of the ride and hear the roar of throaty engines!

But first we met Jack Sparrow...



Along the road were many food and drink stalls selling burgers, phad thai, chestnuts, fried chicken, satay sticks, mango with sticky rice, fresh juices and beers, plus lots of stalls selling leather bikers clothes, tshirts, Bike Week souvenirs and more. Oh, and big bikes too!



And along with the bikes, the bikers! They come from all over Thailand, and also from Singapore, Malaysia and indeed all over the world. If you want big bikes and fun in the sun, Phuket Bike Week is the place to be! I do like the bikers gear - leather jackets with club membership patches. It all looks very tribal, but I reckon these burly bikers are all jolly nice folk who love kittens!





The bikes are a mix of custom jobs, big Harleys, sporty models, some 3 wheelers which are nearly as big as my car, all kind of bikes!





A little late, the riders set off from Patong on the afternoon ride. I wish they could have slowed down a bit! You need to be a sports photo pro to snap pictures of these guys (and gals). It took 10 minutes for the convoy to pass. The following night there was more live music at the beach and also the Miss Phuket Bike Week contest at JungCeylon where you find lots of men telling their wives "I'm looking at the bikes, honest"! I might go there next year :)



It's almost enough to make me want to buy a chopper.. or just a leather jacket.





(above) Bikes starting the big ride from Patong down to Cape Phromthep

Phuket Bike Week is well established in the calendar now. If you like bikes or want to find some live music and food on the beach, the Bike Week (well, actually only about 3 days...) has a lot to offer. Most of the events take place in Patong - see here for some Patong hotel suggestions.

Phuket Bike Week 2014 wil be 11-19 April - schedule and details on the Phuket Bike Week website. Some of the events will be in Patong, some in Phuket Town.

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Crocodile Farm - Crocodile and Tiger World

Update 2012 - This place no longer exists. Which is probably a good thing!

Phuket Zoo is not the only place in Phuket where you can find large and exciting animals in Phuket. The zoo is well known, all tuk tuk and taxi drivers are happy to take you, as they all make commission on the entry fee. But there is somewhere else. I only knew about it recently although it's quite obvious and is near the center of Phuket Town. The "Crocodile and Tiger World" has obviously seen better days.. or never really got off the ground, not sure which! My wife had been last month with the kids and a friend and her kids and they were the only visitors. We went again last week, and were the only visitors.



Now, the stated entry fee is 500 Baht. I suggest, if you decide to visit, that you try to bargain. We paid the "local" price. There are supposed to be some crocodile shows at 11am and 2pm - maybe some crowds turn up for this? The place is certainly in decline - we saw only a few staff - 2 at the entrance, one feeding the crocs and one sitting very bored next to a fridge selling drinks.

This place is largely about crocodiles. It's a crocodile farm, they breed crocs here and sell meat and skin (sorry, croc lovers). So... there are thousands of crocodiles here in huge enclosures. Actually quite impressive at times.



I'll just say again, there are a LOT of crocodiles - and when it's feeding time, and a guy throws baskets of fish into the enclosure, they come a running...





Within a couple of minutes, it's a croc free for all. Does not seem to be enough food, though I guess they get fish thrown at them on a regular basis. Teeth everywhere. You can view the croc enclosures from above, up a few steps, close but not too close...





It's a bit smelly to be honest - I think croc crap must be to blame! The crocs have plenty of space, well looked after.. except they are destined to be lunch and handbags! I tried croc meat once in Africa and did not think much of it. The zebra was better.

Moving on from the crocodile enclosures we found a few other animals - emu, ostrich and some rabbits (rabbits? wow!). In some large concrete pens were half a dozen tigers, all sleeping in the heat of the day. It looked clean, but I would not want to be one of those tigers. I believe they breed and sell tigers here too.



In a huge indoor area we found 2 young tigers in small cages. Nobody else around except aforementioned girl selling drinks. The young tigers played with us. One of them was very interested in my 4 year old son and appeared to be hunting him. I was a little disturbed by the lack of any staff, anyone looking after the tigers.





After the tigers we found some gibbons... one of them liked to try and attack us - he would sneakily circle around, not looking at us, then suddenly charge at the cage. I am not sure of the legality of keeping the gibbons here. The cages were certainly clean, the animals looked healthy, but ... read on.



This is an odd place. They have brochures, parking, plenty to see, but we were the only people there. What's going on? My wife reckons the money comes from the crocodile farm, opening to the public is just an extra. Obviously they don't promote the place much. Not much about the "Crocodile and Tiger World" online. I did find a write up in the Phuket Post from October 2008, but little else.. but I did find a more worrying story:

• 11 Orangutans Rescued from Private Zoo

The above story is from February this year. There's more here:

• Wildlife Friends of Thailand

Not sure if this explains the lack of visitors, or if that is just due to a lack of marketing. There are parts of the farm we did not see, if the map we were given is accurate.. so I might go again sometime to find baby crocodiles. There is certainly a lot more to see at Phuket Zoo, but based on my experience of both the animals seem just as well or better looked after at this "Crocodile and Tiger World". But do bear in mind the news story above if you think about a visit. It's in Phuket Town about half a km east of the Robinsons store on Ong Sim Pai road, next to the "Seahorse" traffic circle.

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Kaewjai Bakery and Restaurant (Phuket Town)

It's not always 100% true, but I reckon that if you want good local Thai food, then you have to eat where the locals eat. We have been checking out some restaurants in Phuket town recently, helped by my wifes sister who works at a bank in town and has been giving us hints for the best lunch spots. If a restaurant is full of local people it must be good local food.. and most of the time quite a bit cheaper than Thai food at beachside restaurants. It's up to you - as a visitor to Phuket maybe you prefer to eat by the sea, make the most of your holiday - I also like eating by the sea, but I am not on holiday so have to find good Thai food without tourist prices! Thus a lot of the restaurants on this blog are more local style with prices to match. We like to eat out and if you find the right restaurants in Phuket, eating out is very cheap. Yesterday we spent 240 Baht on lunch for the family...

The Kaewjai (แก้วใจ) Bakery and Restaurant close to the Phuket Town bus terminal has been a popular local eatery for years. The menu says something about "since 1961". The area is busy with banks, businesses, the bus station etc.. so you get plenty of office workers and such taking lunch there, or just local folks popping in for a coffee and a cake. You can tell its not a tourist restaurant, as I can hardly find any mention of it (apart from this blog) on Google unless I search in Thai! We stopped in for lunch yesterday with the kids. It's on the south side of Phang Nga road, just west of the bus station, very close to the Royal Phuket City hotel.

Note : This blog post was written in 2009, updated 2013 - the prices at Kaewjai have hardly gone up. Just ate there recently (January 2013) and my main dish was 65 Baht.



It's not a huge place, could maybe seat 30 people max. Aircon inside, and there are a few outside tables too. The coffee and cakes are easy to find, and without seeing a menu you might think that was all they had. The cakes and snacks are right inside the door at the counter.



And behind the counter just coffee and drinks. The kitchen is out the back out of sight.



The menu is simple, basic Thai food, all the lunchtime favourites. Our kids love chicken fried with garlic (gai tod kratiem), I had a tasty fish with black pepper, my wife had a fried rice made with tom yum seafood. Plus drinks. As I said, 240 Baht. That's why you see so many Thais eating out! At that price you hardly save by cooking at home!





So now we have another restaurant for lunch in Phuket Town. I have aimed over the years (with the blog in mind) to try lots of new places to eat, partly to add to this blog and partly to stop me being lazy. My wife and I do like to play it safe sometimes and have a tendency to go to the same places where we know the food is good. Hopefully some more new restaurants coming soon!

More places to eat in Phuket Town:

• Rimtang
• Uptown Noodles
• Kopitiam
• Route 68
• More Phuket restaurants

Kaewjai Restaurant - Location Map


View Kaewjai Restaurant, Phuket Town in a larger map

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Kamala Beach

We used to visit Kamala beach quite often, we had quite a few friends living there, we liked the quiet beach and the little beachside restaurants - we knew a couple of the owners of these restaurants too. But friends who lived there moved away to be closer to the center of Phuket. Kamala beach is a bit off the main road, and it has remained that way. Not a trendy beach, a bit of a backwater, not many bars as it's a Muslim area, and it always seemed to me like a bit of a drive to get there. Somehow, Kamala still has a quiet feel unlike any other area in Phuket and yet has quite a lot of hotels and restaurants.



• Kamala Beach Hotels - Check at Agoda.com

And then there's what happened on December 26th 2004. Kamala beach was hit quite hard, and took time to recover. But Kamala was not mentioned nearly as much as Patong just down the road. More talk of the tsunami on these pages: Kamala Temple, and 4 Years After the Tsunami. We were all on the beach at Kamala on December 25th 2004. So Kamala has some memories for me. Lots of "what if?" thoughts.

One morning in April 2009, I drove to Kamala in the early morning sunshine for a walk along the beach. The photos on this page are all from that morning. It's about a mile along the beach starting from the temple at the south end passing fishermen and their longtail boats, then the main beach with beach chairs and small restaurants. The northern section is very quiet, as a large part of the land behind the beach is a Muslim graveyard. There are still a few little beachside shacks selling drinks. It's not most people's idea of "busy" Phuket!

I started the walk at the temple...



The temple end of Kamala beach is not so good for a swim, as a couple of canals drain into the sea there - all the chairs and hotels are further up the beach. Not far from the temple there were longtail boats and fishermen cleaning their nets. I guess they had already unloaded the catch - you have to wake up really early to catch a fisherman in the act!



Before 9am the heat is not too bad for walking, and there are patches of shade on the beach, shadows cast by trees, not by tall buildings - you don't see any huge hotels here, even the larger hotels at Kamala are quite low key. Beach chairs were empty, although some of the restaurants were busy serving breakfast.



The "main drag" along Kamala beach is a narrow path lined with small restaurants and hotels. The traffic mainly passes through on the main road which is about 500 meters away from the beach. Most of the population of Kamala lives along roads to the east of the main road, rather than near the beach. The school is close to the beach, but if you wanted to see more local life in Kamala you'd have to get off the beach.. much like anywhere else in Phuket! Much of the local population lives inland towards the hills.



It's very low key along the beach at Kamala, not flashy or over touristy. Small restaurants, guesthouses, hotels, bars and tour desks, and all kind of holiday related things for sale. No traffic noise, no jet skis and (maybe because it was early) I was not hassled once to buy this, try that, have a drink, massage etc... I enjoyed my little morning walk. Should do it again sometime!





A sign helpfully points the way to the beach, just in case you hadn't noticed the sand and the blue ocean right next to you!



Here's one of the little beachside restaurants. Nice. Simple. Unpretentious. On the sand. There must be at least a dozen all looking similar, I can't recommend any particular one, but I would recommend heading to Kamala beach for a sunset one day, a cold beer or a cocktail and an evening meal right by the sea as the sun sets.





Once I reached the north end of the beach near the aforementioned graveyard, the sun was heating up. Not many people up this end but still a few little shacks selling drinks and signs to a restaurant way up at the far end of the beach where you find a shady forested area.

Kamala is like the forgotten beach of Phuket. The local Muslim community kept things quiet for a long time. When we visited friends there 7 years ago it was hard enough to buy a beer in a local shop. There was no 7-11, and the "main" road was a fairly narrow 2 lane street. Things changed a bit when Phuket Fantasea opened - Phuket's largest "tourist attraction" is just at the north end of Kamala, but on the main road, not on the beach. A wider road was needed for all the tours and minibuses coming from Patong. There are now 7-11's and some bars, some new hotels have opened in more recent years, but Kamala is still quiet. Well worth a visit even if you are not staying there, and worth considering for hotels if you want some peace and quiet... and Patong is only about 15 minutes away by car if you do need a crazy night out!

Suggested Kamala Beach Hotels

• Aquamarine Resort and Villas
• Cape Sienna
• Andara Resort
• The Palms Hotel
• The Trees Club Resort
• Kamala Beach Resort
• Swissotel Resort (formerly Marriott)
• Print Kamala Resort
• Layalina Resort
• Kamala Beach Estate Hotel

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