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PHUKET |
| Phuket (ภูเก็ต) , pronounced (roughly) "poo-get", is Thailand's largest island. It is 48 km in length, 21 km at its widest, and is located 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. |
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| Cities |
Only a few of Phuket's cities are not on the beach.
- Phuket Town - The administrative center of the province, and the island's main population center. Has the cheapest accommodation, but no beaches.
- Chalong Bay - on the east coast, home to Phuket's most popular yacht anchorage and the primary gateway to the islands off Phuket
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| Beaches |
The major beaches from north to south are:
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| Islands |
There are dozens of small islands (ko) between Phuket and Krabi. The following have accommodation:
- Ko Bon — 10 minutes from Rawai, an ideal island for a day of snorkeling and relaxing.
- Ko Hae (Coral Island) — 15 minutes by speedboat from Chalong Bay, accessible all year.
- Ko Lon — quiet, mostly Muslim island with a few bungalows
- Ko Mai Thon — gorgeous little island with only one (expensive) place to stay
- Ko Maphrao (Coconut Island)
- Ko Racha (Ko Raya) — consists of two islands (Yai and Noi), popular with scuba divers.
- Ko Sire (Ko Si Le) — Sea Gypsy colony, connected to the mainland by a causeway
- Ko Yao — two islands halfway to Krabi, with four upmarket resorts
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| Understand |
Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand’s Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometres south of Bangkok.
Phuket formerly derives 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. 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 south-east and the airport in the north.
Climate
Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The high season is generally considered to be from November to May. During the summer monsoon season, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider May to October the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centers around the Gulf coast. It's comparable to Florida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 deg C, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches.
Culture
Phuket is a melting pot of Buddhists, Thai-Chinese, Muslims and even sea gypsies. The majority of the population in the rural areas is Muslim. Phang-nga however, does not suffer from any religious tension and the folk live in peace and harmony. 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 lead to a lot of the youngsters leading similar lives to those in Bangkok. Altogether, the lifestyle of the urban Thai-Chinese resembles that of Bangkokians.
Festivals and Events
- Phuket Vegetarian Festival - an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and ascetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".
- Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Sisunthon Fair (งานท้าวเทพกระษัตรี - ท้าวศรีสุนทร) is held on March 13 every year to commemorate the two great heroines who rallied the Thalang people to repel Burmese invaders. Many activities and celebrations are organised.
- Seafood Festival (เทศกาลอาหารทะเล), held around May yearly, is designed to publicise the delicious seafood of Phuket and attract visitors during the rainy season. Activities include a Marine Tourism Resources Parade, seafood stalls, demonstrations of regional cuisines and cultural shows.
- Phuket King’s Cup Regatta (งานแข่งเรือใบชิงถ้วยพระราชทาน) is held in December. The Kata Beach Resort hosts international yachtsmen, largely from neighbouring countries who compete in the Kata Beach area for royal trophies.
- Laguna Phuket Triathlon (ลากูน่าภูเก็ตไตรกีฬา) is held in each December. The triathlon (a 1,800 - metre swim, a 5.5 -kilometre bike race and a 12-kilometre run and a 6 –kilometre fun run) attracts world-class athletes from all over the world.
- Phuket Travel Fair (เทศกาลเปิดฤดูการท่องเที่ยวจังหวัดภูเก็ต), starting from November 1, is usually called the Patong Carnival, from the place where celebrations occur. Colourful parades, sports events, and a beauty competition for foreign tourists are major activities.
- Chao Le (Sea Gypsy) Boat Floating Festival (งานประเพณีลอยเรือชาวเล), falls during the middle of the sixth and eleventh lunar months yearly. The sea gypsy villages at Rawai and Sapam hold their ceremonies on the 13th; Ko Sire celebrates on the 14th; and Laem La (east of the bridge on Phuket’s northern tip) on the 15th. Ceremonies, which centre on the setting adrift of small boats similar to the Thai festival of Loi Krathong, are held at night and their purpose is to drive away evil and bring good luck.
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Stay safe |
Particularly in the monsoon season, there are strong currents on many of the beaches and drownings are a depressingly common occurrence. Heed the warning flags on popular beaches and play it safe if off the beaten track.
Crime as of late has definitely increased in the Phuket area among Farangs (tourists) and you should keep this is mind and be vigilant of anyone who wants to befriend you or trick you into gambling (which is illegal) and anything else you consider out of the ordinary. Katoeys (Ladyboys) are notorious for pick pocketing as you walk around the tourist areas at night. Also muggings do take place on regular occurrences. Avoid walking down unlit sois; stick to the main roads. If something looks/sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Tourist police can be contacted locally using - 1155 - They have a good basic understanding of English, so if in trouble these people should be contacted. Thai police speak hardly any English and normally take the side of the locals even if it is their fault. Always insist on Tourist Police if you have any run-in with the Thai Police.
For information on what has been happening in and around Phuket, Phuket Gazette contains the latest news and the new Phuket FM Radio broadcasting on 91.5FM throughout the Island are excellent daily news and events sites. |
Useful numbers
- Overseas operator /Directory Enquiry 100
- TAT, Phuket Office 0 7621 2213, 0 7621 1036
- Diving Medicine Center 1719
- Narenthon Emergency Medicine Service 1669
- Tourist Police Phuket 0 7625 4693, 0 7621 4368 or 1155
- Marine Police 0 7621 1883, 0 7621 5438
- Phuket Provincial Office 0 7621 1366
- Phuket International Airport 0 7632 72306
- Phuket Immigration Office 0 7621 2108, 0 7622 1905
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| more infomation please visit http://wikitravel.org/en/Phuket |
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