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Back to Main Menu Recommend Us to a Friend! E-mail Us download printer friendly map (PDF 330 KB) Travel Destinations along the Gulf of Thailand

Koh Phuket Islands

Koh Phuket, 867 km south from Bangkok, is Thailand's largest island, and the country's smallest province. With about 300 000 inhabitants, Phuket is the second least populated province in the Kingdom.

Pulau Phuket was an important stop for trading ships on the route between India and China for many centuries. During the Sukothai Period, the time of the first Thai Kingdom, Puket Island was associated with other cities in South Thailand that where all famous for their vast tin reserves. During the following Ayuthaya Period of the 16th century, Phuket Island's northern and central regions were governed by the Thais, while the southern and western parts were given over to the tin trade, a concession in the hands of foreigners.

After Ayuthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1767, they outfitted a fleet to raid the southern provinces of Thailand that were well-known for its wealth from the tin mining. This led to Phuket's most significant historic event. A passing sea captain, Francis Light, sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Puket Island were assembled by the wife of the recently deceased Phuket Governor and her sister. After a month's siege of Thalang, the capital of Phuket at this time, the Burmese departed and the two women were credited with the successful defense. A statue of the two heroine sisters dressed in the clothes of this period was erected later in the geographic centre of Phuket Island, a point everybody passes on the way from the mainland or the airport to Phuket Town or the southern beaches.

The begin of the tin boom in the early 19th century saw Chinese immigrants arriving in such numbers that the ethnic character of the island's interior became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements remained populated chiefly by Muslim fishermen. The cleverness of the Chinese saw them rising from the poor worker to the tin mine owners within a short period. They constructed many fine mansions and shops in an architectural style, typical of the region and often described as Sino-Portuguese. Shops present a very narrow face onto the street but stretch back a long way. Some of them are still well preserved in Phuket Town; especially on Dibuk Road they have old wooden doors with Chinese fretwork carving.

Pulau Bukit became the administrative centre of a group of tin mining provinces called Monton Phuket during the reign of Rama V, and in 1933, with the change from absolute monarchy to a parliamentary system, the island was established as a province by itself.

Since the early 1980's the tourist business has been Phuket's chief source of income. Hotels, restaurants, tour companies, and souvenir shops are much in evidence on the west coast. However, agriculture remains an important economic factor and crops like rubber , coconuts, cashews, and pineapples cover much of the island’s lowlands. Prawn farming dominates the eastern and southern coasts and processing of marine products from Phuket's busy fishery harbour is another significant contribution to the economy.

Ko Phuket Island today, is the country's major tourist attraction. Measuring approximately 21 km in width by 48 km in length, the island is sparsely populated outside Phuket Town. The landscape is one of forested hills, coconut groves, rubber plantations and a coastline dotted with numerous spectacular beaches, the surrounding waters contain much varied marine life. The island and the surrounding 32 smaller islands form Phuket Province, with a total area of 570 square kilometres. On the North, Phuket is connected to the mainland by two bridges running side-by-side, the older Sarasin Bridge, and the newer Thepkrasattri Bridge.

Phuket's weather conditions are dominated by monsoon winds that blow year round. It is therefore always warm and humid, however, there are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. During the rainy season that begins in May and lasts till October, the monsoon blows from the southwest. The dry season lasts from November through April, when the monsoon comes from the northeast. Highest average temperatures prevail during April, while lowest temperatures occur in November, when nightly lows dip to 22 C.

Each of Puket Island's many beaches has a character and charm of its own and is separated from its neighbours by picturesque headlands. From busy fun beaches offering a range of water sport activities, to secluded coves of fine white sand there is bound to be at least one to suit the mood and mindset of every visitor to the island.

Koh Phuket Island has numerous other attractions for the visitor. The Andaman Sea and the sheltered Phang Nga Bay offer an unrivalled selection of watersports, including deep-sea fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving. Sea-canoeing into spectacular hollow islands and enchanting sailing experiences to the relatively unknown islands between Phuket and Langkawi are another big draw. Once a heaven for pirates, the area today has become one of Asia's premier yachting destinations with yachts from every continent represented in Phuket’s marinas.

On Puket's shore, take a trek into the island's jungles on elephant’s back or hike through the virgin forests of Khao Phra Thaew, the last remaining rain forest of the island. There are four world-class golf courses on the island and a themed mini-golf park for the younger ones in Kata. Other activities include mountain biking, go karting, bungee jumping, horse back riding and shooting. Visitors interested in history will find surviving examples of old Sino-Portuguese architecture in Phuket Town. Phang Nga, Yaowarat, Thalang and Krabi Road form "Old Phuket" and a walking tour of the area is easy and delightful. Some other old European-style buildings of note are the Provincial Hall, the Phuket Courthouse and the Nakhon Luang Thai Bank.

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