A TRADERS WEEK IN PHUKET 🇹🇭

Land of Smiles, Delicious Eats and Ping Pong Shows

Over the next 12 months I’ll be slow-travelling around the world with my family while working and trading. I’m very grateful that our ‘job’ gives many of us the opportunity to do this, so I thought it would be interesting to note down some thoughts along the way, which may hold some nuggets for other traders. As always, reach out if you’ve got any questions, or you can unsubscribe here.

LOCAL EXCHANGE:

Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

840 Listed Companies. Average Return: 7.24%

Largest Listed Corporations:

1. PTT Public Company Limited (PTT PCL), with a market cap of approximately $27.25 billion. PTT PCL is a state-owned enterprise operating in the oil and gas sectors, among others.

2. Airports of Thailand (AOT), with a market cap of around $25.36 billion. AOT operates several major airports in Thailand, including the renowned Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport.

3. Delta Electronics (Thailand), with a market cap of about $24.75 billion. Delta is a key player in the power and thermal management solutions sector.

TIMEZONE:

GMT + 7 – INDOCHINA TIME

4 HOURS BEHIND AEDT, 3 HOURS BEHIND AEST.

Found the timezone excellent if you’re a super early riser.

~5:30am wake up to catch the start of the Aussie session (a bit earlier for me to write the Substack), which closes around lunchtime. Europe opens mid afternoon, and then able to catch the US open before bed, around 9:30pm. Missing this open is the main drawback for the Australian timezone imo, so was interesting to watch it play out.

CONNECTIVITY:

Over many trips I’ve found Thailand to have much better connectivity than Australia. No matter how rural you are, there always seems to be consistent 4G signals, and WiFi is generally reliable and fast country-wide.

BROKER AVAILABILITY:

Have always had issues accessing broker websites and apps in Thailand. Obviously using a VPN is critical. For me CMC Ipad app works fine, but iPhone app doesn’t work. No issues with City Index, or IG Markets.

SAFETY:

Generally safe outside of the nightclub districts and Go Go bars (so I’ve heard). Can comfortably leave phones / laptops out when dining / drinking with little fear of theft.

FOOD:

Arguably one of the best cuisines in the world, but what probably tips it over the line vs others is the variety of dishes. While of course Curries & Pad Thai’s make up every menu, particularly as you leave the main tourist districts a whole other world of authentic local dishes await. My favourites were deep fried fish, Laap, or if you’re adventurous, delicious soups and broths full of offal, and Blood Tofu / Pigs Blood soup are simple, cheap Thai staples.

Favourite Restaurant: Raya, Phuket Old Town. Michelin stared dishes for about $10. All the dishes are amazing, but you’ll still be talking about the crab curry on your death-bed.

DRINK:

Singha, Chang, and Leo, in that order. Best drunk from 630ml tallies. 241 cocktail hours are a staple, and usually poured over-proof.

COST OF LIVING:

Accommodation costs obviously varies from Tourist areas to more regional, but generally $150 - $250 per week will get you a nice 1 bedroom apartment. The Hilton we stayed at close to Bangla rd was ~$70 / night including extravagant buffet breakfast.

Food costs are on the expensive side for Asia within the tourist districts ($8-15 for main meals) , however outside of this, if you’re happy to eat local, ~$3-6 gets you amazing food. 630ml beers around $5, cocktails ~$10.

VISAS

Australians can enter Thailand without a visa for short stays or can opt for a tourist visa for longer visits, which can be single-entry (up to 60 days) or multiple-entry (60 days per entry within six months). Visas can be extended for an additional 30 days at Thai immigration offices.

For those interested in long-term stays, there are various visas such as the Business Visa, Education Visa, Marriage Visa, Retirement Visa, and the Elite Visa, each with specific requirements. The retirement visa, for example, requires applicants to be at least 50 years old and have adequate financial resources or income.

MUST-HAVE APP:

Google Translate, GRAB.

QUICK FIRE CLOSING COMMENTS:

Red Mountain was the best golf course we played around Phuket (usually includes optional wife (Caddy), if you’re a single man/woman).

Seriously impressed with Phuket Old Town, and will stay there instead of Patong next time we go back.

Russians and weed / magic mushroom stores have completely taken over Patong.

Island Tour was good, but most of the best sites (Maya Bay, James Bond Island) are pretty much closed to tourists now, with most swimming areas full of rubbish.

Cheers

Marto