Mai Khao Beach - Phuket, Thailand
Posted by English_Traveller_5@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 30 comments
Some shots I got from a recent trip to Phuket. A great place to sit and watch planes come into land. I still really want to do Sint Maarten and Corfu. Are there any other really good and unique spots like that? P.S. I’m not a pro photographer at all so please don’t judge the photos too much 🤣
MeDonGustavo@reddit
Looks like fun. Unfortunately I missed that spot. Is it a long walk from the nearest street? Isn’t there also a cafe nearby named after the flying club from where you can spot the runway?
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
It was great to be fair. The beach itself was a bit dirty/littered but not much more than you’d expect sadly. You can walk down the beach which is quite nice but maybe 10 minutes or so. Otherwise you can get a small motorbike with a side cart from the nearest car park and it costs a tiny amount. And ooo I don’t know about the cafe. There were some food and drink places nearby but not on the beach itself. There very well could be though, I just came with my own drinks and snacks and just lay on the beach watching the planes coming in 😂
MeDonGustavo@reddit
Sounds nice. Well, I visited Phuket in the off-season and I figured I might be the only person to be there which felt a bit awkward. So I dismissed my plans to go there. Thanks for sharing your pictures. I would certainly like to visit St. Maarten or Skiathos. Hardly anything beats view of a very low approach when you’re into plane spotting.
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
I went in November and it wasn’t crowded but there were still probably around 20-30 people on the beach taking photos. What month did you go?
And no problem at all. I 100% agree with the low approach. What’s your favourite place you’ve been to so far? I’d be happy to hear some recommendations if you have any😂
MeDonGustavo@reddit
September.
I’m not a pro 😉. What usually happens when I go some place by plane I automatically start looking for a good viewpoint once I have arrived. Even if I have to walk half around the airport fence. Plane spotting simply makes me happy.
I guess Hongkong Kaitak has been the most impressive sight. But as far as I know, this circling approach now is no longer in service due to the relatively newly built airport. But if I happen to visit Hongkong again, I will most definitely visit the relics of the famous red-and-white checkerboard on the hills, just for nostalgia.
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Ah nice. It might have been a little quieter then tbf. Did you go to Thailand on your own? And how long ago was it? What did you think of it? (Sorry for all the questions😂)
Hahaha, everyone is a pro compared to me 😂. That’s good though, as long as it makes you happy.
Ahhh I always wanted to go to Kai Tak! Unfortunately yeah it isn’t really used anymore sadly so I’ve missed my opportunity. I was too young when it was in operation😢
MeDonGustavo@reddit
From my experience you can travel alone or with friends. Both can be fun. I enjoyed the Thai food and as a foreigner usually being treated with kindness. Sometimes I felt like I was seen as a dollar bill with two legs. That didn’t feel so good. In general, if you go there not having the highest expectations that everything will be western standard or will run smoothly you will better enjoy your stay. I was departing from Phuket at night after heavy rainfalls. Nevertheless the ocean below us was completely lit up with hundreds of green and blue lights from the squid fishing boats. Those are the kind of things that you remember even years later. The humid climate during the rainy season though might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Oh cool. How long did you go for? I went last year too. We weren’t too far apart then hahaha.
And yeah I completely agree. I loved it whilst I was there and it’s the most welcome I have ever felt as a solo traveller amongst other solo travellers. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone. I do remember those boats tbf. I had that when I arrived.
MeDonGustavo@reddit
Which place did you like best?
MeDonGustavo@reddit
Yes, indeed. I stayed for three weeks. Might have been a bit long. Next time I will surely spend a week in Bangkok as well. In Phuket I used the Smartbus a lot to travel around. Walking distances didn’t work well as there are sometimes no sidewalks or they suddenly come to an end and you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere. And if you’re walking you’re looked upon as some kind of poor weirdo because everyone uses a scooter even for the smallest distances. Grab worked fairly well to order a taxi. Highly recommend using it. Best place was Chillva market. I miss the food choices there! Lots of locals went there as well which is always a good sign. For people who grew up recycling their garbage they might have to adjust a little to Phuket. Plastic packaging on everything as if there’s no tomorrow. I needed to calm myself down 🤣. And again, if you go shopping with a textile bag, you’re the weirdo. But there was this one big grocery shopping store I went where they didn’t hand out plastic bags, so I had to walk across the street my arms heavily loaded with groceries to buy some from a street vendor as I wasn’t expecting it not to be provided with.
MeDonGustavo@reddit
I went there last year.
MeDonGustavo@reddit
It’s called the 8 / 5 runway cafe.
Eevee_Goose@reddit
Ass
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Would you like to fly on Ass?🤣🤣
LuftHANSa_755@reddit
my favourite airline, ASS
Full_Hunt_3087@reddit
Danish charter airline Sunclass Airlines, apparently (previously Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia).
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Yeah, that’s correct. I thought the tail design reminded me a lot of British Airways, I don’t know if that’s just me though
Full_Hunt_3087@reddit
I see what you mean, though it reminded me more of Emirates myself. Maybe a mix of both.
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Yeah I see what you mean by Emirates as well tbf. There’s probably an obscure airline that’s basically the exact same 😂
Helpinmontana@reddit
ASS^(\~)
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
🤣🤣 the details matter
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
🤣🤣 Must be a Ryanair subsidiary 😂
Great_Comparison462@reddit
Phuket? More like Phukthat.
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Hahaha. Do you not like getting that close then?😂 Or is that just to Phuket in general?😂
Radiant_Solution9875@reddit
So, funny story from many years ago. I was backpacking in HKT with my bf, we were exploring the island on our moped looking for Mai Khao. We ended up getting lost, took a wrong turn and found ourselves driving along an access road next to the runway. There were no fences, signs or gates, but there was an pretty angry security guard.
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
Hahaha, you got a better view than everyone else then 😂
Canadianspartain23@reddit
address me
English_Traveller_5@reddit (OP)
You have been addressed 🤣
the-cat-wasabi@reddit
That’s a big ASS plane
post-explainer@reddit
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