Phuket is Thailand's largest island. It is 48 km in length, 21 km at its widest, and is in Southern Thailand, on the west-facing Andaman Sea coastline, suspended from the southern tip of Phang Nga Province by a pair of short but substantial road bridges.
Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand's Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometres south of Bangkok. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoyed a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign trader’s ship logs.
In recent times, though, Phuket's top earner has been tourism, which has transformed the island into Thailand's wealthiest province. Expect prices to be a bit higher than on the mainland. The west coast of Phuket was hit severely by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, but almost no evidence of the damage now remains. Phuket enjoys great popularity as a travel destination. Most beaches are on the west coast, with Phuket Town to the southeast and the airport in the north.
CLIMATE
Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The hot season is generally considered to be from March to early May. During the summer monsoon season from May to October, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider November to February the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centres around the Gulf coast. It's comparable to Florida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 degree Celsius, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches.
CITIES
• Chalong Bay — home to Phuket's most popular yacht anchorage and the primary gateway to the islands off Phuket.
• Kamala — a quieter beach to the north of Patong.
• Karon — the second most-developed beach after Patong.
• Kata — busy, clean tourist beaches with good surf, split into Kata Yai and Kata Noi Beaches.
• Nai Thon and Nai Yang — two quiet beaches in Sirinat National Park.
• Patong — the largest beach resort, known for its night life.
• Phuket Town — the administrative centre of the province, and the island's main population centre.
• Rawai — set off point for lots of local islands, popular with locals for eating on the water front.
• Surin — an up-and-coming up-market destination.
CULTURE
Phuket is a melting pot of indigenous Thais, Thai-Chinese, ethnic Malays and even sea gypsies. The majority of the population in the rural areas is Muslim. Outside of the provincial town, the rural folk speak with a thick Southern dialect which is difficult for even other Thais to understand. The provincial town’s economy having boomed over the past decade has led to a lot of the youngsters leading similar lives to those in Bangkok. Altogether, the lifestyle of the urban Sino-Thais in Phuket resembles that of their counterparts in Bangkok.
GET AROUND
Phuket is a large island and you need some form of transport to get around. Public transport is very limited and taxis and tuk-tuks are the only practical means. Another, more dangerous option is rent your own wheels. Hotels generally offer shuttle bus services into Phuket Town, and also have taxi and car hire facilities.
ATTRACTIONS
Thai Village and Orchid Farm: Located on Thepkasattri Road, approximately 3 kilometers from Phuket City is an extraordinary place for culture lovers. The village provides stunning classical Thai dance performances, sword-fighting, Thai boxing, southern customs and elephant shows. Handicrafts and traditional mining techniques are also featured. The orchid farm outside is worth exploring. It is open daily from 09.00 a.m. - 09.00 p.m. Cultural shows are performed daily at 01.00 p.m.and 05.30 p.m. Admission Fee applicable.
Hat Karon: A 4-kilometre long straight beach with fewer visitors than its big sister, Karon. Nightlife is pretty much confined to dining and a few beer bars.
Laem Phromthep: Most photographs of the stunningly beautiful sunset in Phuket were taken here: Laem Phromthep at the south-most tip of Phuket Island offers a memorable, unparalleled sunset moment on a clear day. Go early and sit back to enjoy the sun setting behind the Andaman sea. With its landscape easily recognizable by sailors, it is also the location of the 50-feet-tall Kanchanapisek Lighthouse, erected in 1996 to celebrate the auspicious occasion of the king’s 50th anniversary of his accession to the throne.
AC's Phuket Fishing Park (Thepkrasattri Rd, Koh Keaw District, Muang, Phuket, 83000): 08:00-18:00, a great freshwater fishing experience. Catch many species from three different continents such as arapaimas, red-tailed catfish, alligator gars, Siamese giant carps, piranhas, Siamese sharks and many more. Equipment and local guide included.
Chalong Temple (Chaiyathararam Temple): Visit the ancient temple of Phuket's monks who helped the people during the Chinese rebellion.
Crocodile Farm: Watch the staff at Chana Charoen Road tame crocodiles and alligators right in front of you.
Phuket Aquarium: Located at Cape Panwa, this tropical aquarium offers a variety of fish and corals.
Phuket Fanta Sea: This is referred to as the Disneyland of South East Asia. It's the ultimate in night entertainment on Phuket.
Prom Thep Cape (located in Tambon Rawai): 24 hours. Literally translated as "God's Cape", the Prom Thep Cape is one of the islands most notable natural landmarks and lies to the far south, around 2 km/1.5 mi from Rawai Beach. With high cliffs and uninterrupted views, Prom Thep is most famous for its dramatic sunsets, which regularly attract crowds. Close to the cape's peak you will find a small and interesting shrine, which features a number of wooden elephants. There is a fine Thai restaurant not far away from this.
Waterfalls: Explore the biggest waterfalls in Thailand, especially in the rainy season. The largest drop measures 10 m and is just 22 km outside Phuket.
Phuket Trick Eye Museum (located in Phuket town): the museum with creativity and imagination of 3D paintings.
Siam Niramit Phuket: the art theater with 80 minutes adventure show about the history and culture of Thailand in high flying fashion, live elephants, acrobatics, pyrotechnics and stunts. Furthermore, dinner of local cuisine buffet is also available here. Moreover, outdoor performances, souvenir shops, traditional Thai massage parlor and feeding the elephants or riding are including in one place.
ACTIVITIES
Swimming, snorkelling, diving, yachting, jet-skiing and parasailing are the most popular activities on the island. Other activities include Freediving, windsurfing, kite surfing, wakeboarding and deep sea fishing. Popular kite surfing locations include Nai Yang in summer and Chalong Bay in winter season. Sea Canoeing is a popular activity in the Phang Nga Bay, as many grottoes are only accessible by canoe.
Phuket has become a sought after destination for people getting married. Undeniably romantic with an abundance of stunning locations not just necessarily on the beach but also in luxury ocean view villas and resorts. Combining both the stag and hen do, the wedding ceremony, party and honeymoon all in one Island location has proved that Phuket continues to grow in this market.
THINGS TO BUY
Phuket is the source of cultured pearls, nielloware, pewter ware, ornaments and dried seafood. Specialist shops dealing in souvenir products can be found on Ratsada, Phang-nga, Montri, Yaowarat, and Tilok-U-thit roads, in Phuket Town, Thepkasattri Road, north of town and at the beach centres of Patong, Kata, Karon and Rawai.
Phuket's larger beaches are ravaged by ravenous hordes of touting tailors, who are certainly cheap, but will screw you over if they can. For example, suits done in 24 hours are usually just glued together and will fall apart the first time you take them to a dry cleaner. Choose your own fabrics (you can buy them on Thalang Rd in Phuket Town), insist on multiple fittings and check the quality of work carefully. It makes little difference which tailor shop you choose, since they're all just sales fronts for a few central sweatshops.
There are two giant shopping malls in Phuket: Central Festival, at the northwest edge of Phuket Town, and Jungceylon, in Patong.
WHAT TO EAT:
Food in Phuket is surprisingly cosmopolitan, especially in Patong, as many foreigners have set up shop to cater to their fellow travellers. All the usual Thai favourites are of course still available, with a particular emphasis on seafood. See the individual town articles for detailed listings.
Phuket has its own style of preparation and cooking. Some interesting local dishes include:
• Fried or boiled noodle dishes: usually with pork or chicken, are available at many noodle shops in the town such as Mi Ton Pho, Mi Sapam, Mi Ao Ke, Mi Hun Pa Chang.
• Khanom Jin: a version of noodles eaten at breakfast, usually served with a spicy curry sauce and fresh vegetables.
• Nam Phrik Kung Siap: is a mixture of dried chilis and smoked shrimps eaten with various fresh vegetables.
Cashew nuts and pineapples are grown in Phuket and available all year round. The nuts are available dried, fried, or coated. Phuket pineapples are delectable, sweet and firm.
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