Thailand Travel Guide & Information

General Information

Located approximately 862 kilometers south of

Bangkok is Phuket , Thailand' s largest island, which is often dubbed as the pearl of the Andaman, or the pearl of the south. Its natural resources- rocky peninsular, limestone cliffs, white powdery beaches, tranquil broad bays and tropical in-land forests contribute to making it the South's wealthiest, busiest, most visited and most popular island and province.

Nestled in the tropical zone off the west coast of the southern part of Thailand in the Andaman Sea and the Indian O cean , the province covers an area of approximately 543 square kilometers (excluding small islets). It is estimated that Phuket Province covers an area of approximately 590 square kilometers if its 39 other small islands are included. The islands total length, from north to south, is estimated at 48.7 kilometers and approximately 21.3 kilometers wide.

Phuket borders on Phang-nga Province to the north. The other 3 sides are encircled by the Andaman Sea the place where many of the best diving sites are located. The island is connected to Phang-nga Province by Sarasin Bridge and Thep Krasattri Bridge .

Staying on the island is easy, as there are only two seasons in a year the rainy season (May to O ctober) and the hot season (November to April). Visitors are not recommended to travel to Phuket between September and O ctober as they are the wettest months. The best period for a visit, however, is from November to February, when it is possible to see the clear blue sky, feel the fresh sea breeze and marvel at the crystal clear water while lying on powdery, palm-fringed beaches. Average temperatures ranges between 23°C and 33°C.

History of Phuket

Most geologists believe that the area known as Phuket today was once a cape that extended into the Andaman Sea . Geographical formations gradually changed the capes location, finally detaching it from the mainland.

A famous Greek philosopher, Claudius Ptolemy, was the first person who mentioned the cape in his book written in the year 157. The cape was locally referred to as Jung Ceylon , which was located between latitudes 6 N and 8 N (the present site of Phuket Island ). Natives called the place Cha Lang, which evolved to Tha Lang the name of the main town to the north of the island.

As a perfect stopover sheltering traders from monsoons, Jung Ceylon welcomed merchants from India , Persia , Arabia , Burma , China and also Siam . During the 16th century, the island was also a popular trading port for tin with Portuguese, Dutch, English and French traders flocking to the island. This contributed to making the development of mining so unprecedented. Chinese businessmen and miners later migrated to Phuket and soon enjoyed thriving business wealth.

Geography

About 70 percent of Phuket is mountainous; a western range runs from north to south from which smaller branches derive. The highest peak is Mai Tha Sip Song, or Twelve Canes, at 529 meters, which lies within the boundaries of Tambon Patong, Kathu District. The remaining 30 percent of the island, mainly in the center and south, is formed by low plains. Streams include the Khlong Bang Yai, Tha Jin, Khlong Tha Rua, and Khlong Bang Rong, none of which is large.

Climate

Phuket's weather conditions are dominated by monsoon winds that blow year round. It is therefore always warm and humid. There are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season begins in May and lasts till October, during which the monsoon blows from the southwest. The dry season is from November through April, when the monsoon comes from the northeast. Highest average temperatures, at 33.4 degree Celsius, prevail during March. Lowest averages occur in January, when nightly lows dip to 22 degree Celsius.

Popuration

Official population as of December, 1998, was 231, 206.

This figure numbers those who are registered as living in Phuket. Phuket' s attraction as a center of economic activity has resulted in many living on the island whose registration is elsewhere. The total population of Phuket varies considerably depending on the time of year, through it is never less than the figure given above

Achitectural Heritage

The cultural built heritage of Phuket is a reflection of the settlement's prosperity during the tin boom days. The townscape is unique in Thailand, but resembles that of the British Striats Settlements, which comprised, Penang, Malacca and Singapore. The architecture is usually called 'Sino-Portuguese' by the Bangkok architects today. However, any Portuguese influence would have been rather indirect, via Malacca's historic influence on Straits Settlements architecture. Although Phuket had early contacts with the Portuguese, most evidence of European settlement was destroyed during the Burmese invasion.

Phuket town was really modelled after British colonial Penang, and that was the origin of any European influence on its architecture. Upon close examination, it is evident that Phuket's shophouses and villas resemble those in Penang in form, materials and design, although the occasional Thai motif reminds us that we are in Thailand. Phuket oral tradition in several cases claim that Penang architects, builders and materials were brought to Phuket for its best mansions. We are waiting for old building plans to be revealed to prove that this was indeed so. Thai architects entered the scene no later than 1930, and from then on, Phuket architecture began to diverge from Penang style.

In 1993, the Siamese Architects Association recognized this historic area with a conservation award given collectively to 'Shop and houses of Phuket city centre (Ancient Rowhouses)' on Thalang, Krabi, Dibuk, Phangnga, Rasada, Ranong, Yaowarat and Phuket Roads. These eight roads, plus two lanes, namely Soi Romanee and Soi Sun Uthit, form the pre-Second World War town.