All of the following businesses and services on “Barry’s List” are here because I have personally used them over the years and have enjoyed their consistently good service. Please contact me if you would like any further information on any of them.
Law Firms
Property Law & Litigation – Khun Pacharaporn and Khun Pansaporn are very dedicated and hard working young lawyers whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with on several occasions. It always surprises me when I receive an answer to an email at midnight on a Friday night or 6 am on a Tuesday morning. If you are looking for a very professional, efficient, and friendly legal service then look no further.
Limcharoen, Hughes & Glanville - is a full service international law firm headquartered in Bangkok and with offices spanning Asia including Phuket. Both clients and myself have used Desmond and his professional team over the years, and they never fail to offer high quality legal advice and a fantastic service.
Restaurants
Les Anges Patisserie at Royal Phuket Marina – This was the very first restaurant that we ate in when we first moved to Phuket over 5 years ago and I was blown away by the good food and relaxed ambience. I must have eaten here hundreds of times since and have never had one bad meal or disappointment, it’s a great place to drop in for a bit of breakfast, lunch, dinner or even just a coffee and the hand made chocolates are dangerously divine. The staff are always very friendly and pleasant and you may even bump into Gulu Lalvani, one of Phuket’s biggest and best characters who has developed the whole of the Royal Phuket Marina area and takes great personal pride in every bit of it.
Pla Seafood on Surin Beach – This is a great favourite of mine for lunch or dinner as it’s on the fabulous Surin Beach and the food in absolutely delicious. The seafood is especially good but they do have a great selection of vegetable and meat dishes for those that don’t eat seafood. It’s one of the first places we take any visitors to as the the restaurant itself is super trendy and the location and setting right on the beach is perfect, it never fails to please and impress.
Taste on Surin Beach – This is right next to Pla Seafood, and one of my biggest dilemmas is always which one to go to when I walk along Surin Beach. The food is always really great and it’s a bit different to the usual menus you get at the beach restaurants as it’s run by two chefs, one from Sweden and the other from Nepal. A favourite meal choice of mine at Taste is Swedish prawn toast followed by Nepalese chicken curry.
Catch by Twin Palms at Surin Beach – One of Phuket’s favourite Friday night traditions is to head down to Catch, Twin Palms beach club restaurant for their fabulous Friday night buffet. The food, service and luxury beachfront setting is the best way to start the weekend, and there’s always a great international entertainment act on to get you into that Friday night feeling.
Baba at Sri Panwa – I don’t make it down to Baba as often as I’d like as it’s right at the opposite end of the island from where I live, but when I do it’s always worth it. The menu has a great selection of Thai, Western and Japanese favourite’s and it’s lovely to chill out on one of their rocking chairs and feel utterly spoiled with the great food, service and super chic surrounds with a great view out to sea.
The Dewa Restaurant – Closer to home at Nai Yang Beach this has been a great addition to the area as the restaurant is set upstairs with stunning views along Nai Yang beach and the Sirinat National Park. There is a great a la carte menu, but my favourite has to be the Western and Thai tapas to share menus, nothing can beat sitting on their comfy sofas with a great selection of tasty and fabulously presented Tapas and a chilled glass of white wine.
The Rivet at the Indigo Pearl – Another favourite on Nai Yang Beach, this is a restaurant I use for very special occasions and their Sunday Brunch in my eyes has to be the best on the Island. The sheer quality and choice of food buffet, the fabulous service and the free flow of international wines and cocktails makes this a very indulgent session that should only be enjoyed once in a while.
Cafes
Bake by Twin Palms – this is quite a new addition to the Island with one in Chalong and another at the entrance to the Laguna area. I’ve now made my mind up that everything Twin Palms does is well thought out and done fabulously well. Hard to drive past and not too good for the waistline their selection of home baked breads and cakes are delicious, and stopping for a quick coffee and snack is becoming a bit of a habit.
Cafe Luca at Boat Lagoon – Tucked in just beside the entrance to the supermarket at Boat Lagoon you’ll find Cafe Luca, it’s only open during the day and their fresh sandwiches to eat in or takeaway and their quick service is great when you’re busy. It’s a big favourite with the boating lot as well as myself as the foods really tasty and great value, I’ve seen me drive half an hour out of my way to pick up one of their scrummy parma ham soft baguettes.
Dewa Resort’s Bread and Butter Cafe – There’s nothing I like better than taking a leisurely walk along Nai Yang Beach first thing in the morning as the sun rises and then heading into Bread and butter for a freshly baked croissant (or 2) and cup of tea, this is what living and working in Phuket is all about, enjoying a truly magnificent lifestyle. It’s a cosy little cafe and the whole Dewa resort is a great addition to the Nai Yang area.
Health and Fitness
Bangkok Hospital Phuket – This is by far my preferred Phuket hospital of choice, this private hospital is Internationally accredited, has superb facilities and hosts a wide range of extremely qualified english speaking doctors and specialists to cover all of your medical needs. This hospital is home to all of my health care including a great dentist clinic, eye care clinic and an acupuncturist who has cured myself and many of my friends and clients from long term aches and pains, and they also have various good value health check plans if you fancy a bit of a health MOT while you are here.
LMG Pacific Health Care Insurance – I’ve used LMG since arriving in Phuket and they offer a choice of health insurance plans at a very reasonable cost compared to some of the more known companies. If and when needed it’s a seamless service as the hospitals in Thailand are very familiar with LMG and it’s just a quick phone call to them and everything is taken care of. This is the first thing I renew every year as having this in place for my wife and I is very comforting and reassuring.
Royal Phuket Marina Health Club – This has to be the best premier fitness centre and gym in Phuket, set over 3 floors at the Royal Phuket Marina, this super luxurious and well equipped gym is in the most perfect location. It does make going to the gym a pleasure being able to watch the boats in the marina and people go by while pounding the treadmill. The only problem is it’s dangerously close to Les Anges Patisserie, one of my all time favourite restaurants on the island.
Veterinary Surgery – My cat needs a bit of attention at the vets now and again, and after a series of trial and error trying to find the right vet I have to say Metta’s in Phuket Town, which is not too far from the Bangkok International Phuket hospital has been by far the best that I’ve found. Very caring and friendly service, and Tickles the cat seems to be happy going there too.
Accountants
Andaman Capital – I’m sure there are many good accountants on the island, but the one I’ve used myself since arriving in Phuket is Andaman Capital. Efficiently and professionally run by Khun Anna, I know my accounts are being well looked after and the offices are nice and centrally located close to the Laguna area.
Food and Drink
Tops Marketplace at Central Festival – This has been my preferred choice of supermarkets over the years as you can find everything under one roof, it has a good balance of foods including a host of western treats such as Heinz baked beans and Branston Pickle. It’s just gone through a big remodeling and is starting to look as good as some of the supermarkets I used to ogle at in Bangkok.
Vila Market at Homepro Village in Chalong – This is a fairly new supermarket, a lot smaller and more compact than Tops at Central but surprisingly has a fantastic range of products and quite a few that can’t be found anywhere else on the Island. It’s an extra half an hour drive for me to get to this supermarket, but worth it if you’re looking for those few special ingredients or treats.
Andaman Wine Club – On the way to Laguna and Surin from the Twin Sister’s monument roundabout you’ll find the Cherngtalay branch of the Andaman Wine Club which is where I go. Great wines are always avaiable at reasonable prices, and if you take out an annual membership you’ll get discounts and invitations to lots of wine tasting social events and to their taster table evenings.
Hotel and Tourism Knowledge
C9 Hotelworks - Headed by Phuket’s one and only Bill Barnett, there isn’t a thing happening on the island, particularly in the hotel world that Bill and his team don’t know about. They are continually researching the Phuket market and are a great stop if you’re looking for information and advice on hotels and tourism on the island. As well as C9 Hotelworks Bill also runs the very popular The Phuket Insider website.
Hairdresser
Kates Salon – There’s only one hairdresser my wife and I go to and that’s the lovely Kate who runs her own small and friendly salon not too far from the Laguna area. It’s taken years to find her and now that we have we won’t be going anywhere else.
Car Hire
Nine Car Rent Phuket - When I arrived in Phuket all those years ago I rented a car for a short while from Khun Pan who owns and runs Nine Rent a Car. Khun Pan and his wife are the nicest people you’ll ever meet and they offer a fantastic and reasonable car hire service. Their head office is located very close to the airport and whenever I have friends or clients looking for a car I always recommend them and have only ever heard good reports back.
