Introducing Phuket
Phuket is the largest island in Thailand. The province of Phuket comprises Phuket Island and 39 small islets around it. The main island is 570 square miles in size, and measures 48 kilometers (34 miles) from north to south and 21 kilometers (16 miles) from east to west. From the map, Phuket Island appears like a leaf hanging from the branch-like Isthmus of Kra. It is connected to the Thai mainland by Sarasin Bridge. A mountain range runs north-south along the western side of Phuket Island. The mountain range splits the island into two halves. Most of the flat land is located in the central and eastern part of Phuket Island. Running down the west coast is a sliver of flat land between the mountains and the Andaman Sea.
All along the west coast of Phuket Island are lovely sandy beaches, bays and coves. These are the best beaches in Phuket. Although the Andaman Sea can get pretty rough at times, the west coast is the main focus of tourists to Phuket, with Patong Beach being the most happening place and the hive of tourism activity. The other beaches on the west coast offer a quieter retreat. Many tourists descend on Patong Beach for the nightlife and shopping, and then return to their resort rooms on the other beaches.
The main town in Phuket is also called Phuket, or some times Phuket Town or Phuket City. It is located somewhere near the centre east coast of the island. I will describe Phuket Town separately, but just to let you know, it is the traditional commercial hub for the island. This is where you find shophouses similar to those in Penang. Furthermore, a sizeable number of the population of Phuket Town is of Chinese descent who also speak the Hokkien dialect like in Penang. (To know more about Penang, read Penang Travel Tips which I write). In fact, the most important festival in Phuket, the Vegetarian Festival, has its origin with the Chinese population.
In the olden days, Phuket depended on tin and rubber as the mainstays of its economy. But towards the last few decades of the 20th century, tourism has propelled forward as the most important contributor to the economy, at an appropriate period when the raw commodities have gone into decline. It is no surprise that while Phuket is Thailand's smallest province, it is also the wealthiest outside of Bangkok. As far as the capital was concerned, Phuket has been an income earner for the kingdom, initially with tin and rubber, and now with tourism.
Although air connection was established as far back as 1947, Phuket remained pretty much undiscovered until the late 1960's, when hippies and backpackers discovered it as a beach paradise. The earliest resorts - if we can call them resorts - were nothing more than ramshackle huts and sheds by the beach. It does not take very long for people who discover the cash cow in their midsts, and soon money was pouring into Phuket, resulting in a sprout of tourism development. Today the idea of a Phuket paradise may mean a luxury spa with a horizon pool merging with the sea.
All that tourism development in Phuket means that it is also one of the most expensive places in Thailand outside of Bangkok. Nevertheless, there is quality and good products on offer for that price. As far as tourists from rich countries are concerned, Phuket is still relatively cheap - you can enjoy fine dining in the best restaurant in Phuket, with quality food and service, at a much lower price than you could have done in any Western city. For the moneyed traveler, Phuket offers good value for the price.
Phuket is today Thailand's tourism crown jewel. What it offers covers the whole spectrum of activities, from the most decadent to the most spiritual. Whether a visitor is expecting earthy entertainment of Patong Beach, or meditation in a Thai monastery, Phuket has both and anything in between.
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Andaman Coast
Phuket Island
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