Phuket Travel Guide

Phuket Island, located in Andaman Sea is the largest island in Thailand. Over years, Phuket has become one of the most preferred seaside holiday resorts in the world. It has a well-developed tourist infrastructure that caters to the needs of all types of vacationers – jet set to budget. The others attractions of Phuket are its exotic corals, colorful sea creatures and mouth-watering seafood.

The sea here has variety of marine life and the lush green island has lovely beaches and heavily wooded hills. Vast tracts of land are forested, with a great diversity of wildlife. Phuket has beautiful specimens of Sino-Portuguese architecture that dates back around 100 years. Phuket, in short, is a tropical paradise that is picture-perfect for a dream vacation.

History of Phuket

Phuket got its present name from the Tamil word ‘manikram’, which means crystal mountain. However, on most ancient maps, it is referred to as ‘Junk Ceylon’. Phuket got this name may be from the book Ptolemy’s Geographia written during the third century by the geographer from Alexandria. In this book, he writes that while traveling from Souwannapum to Malay Peninsula, he had to pass Cape Jang Si Lang.

Phuket’s history starts at 1025 AD. Phuket was used as a stop in-between by those traveling in the India-china route. The island was part of the Shivite empire Tam Porn Ling, which ruled the Malay Peninsula. It came under Srivichai and Siri Tahm empires as Muang Takua-Talang. Phuket was represented by the emblem dog in those times.

Phuket has connections with Phang Nga, known as Takua Pa and other tin mining areas, during the times of Sukothai. In 16th century, during Ayuthaya period, the Dutch landed here and established a trade post. The Dutch controlled the tin mining areas in the western and southern parts. Phuket’s central and northern parts were still under the rule of Thai rulers.

In 1767, the Burmese invaded the island and ousted Ayuthaya ruler. After for a short period, Thailand was without a ruler. King Taksin unified the country and succeeded in driving away the Burmese. However, the Burmese gathered forces and prepared to attack the southern provinces and take away the people of the region for slavery in Burma.

Francis Light, captain of a passing ship, alerted the residents of the imminent Burmese attack. Phuket’s two heroines, Kunying Jan, wife of Phuket’s deceased Governor and Mook, her sister, reunited the forces and defended the island against Burmese attack. The fierce battle went on for a month and finally the Burmese retreated on 13 March 1785. This is a significant chapter in Phuket’s history.

Both brave women were honored by King Rama I. Kunying Jan was bestowed the title ‘Thao Thepkrasatri’ that is usually given for royalty. Mook was given the title ‘Thao Srisunthorn’.
In the 19th century, Chinese came in hordes to work in the tin mines here. This changed the ethnic character of the interior regions of the island. The coastal area is dominated by Muslim fishermen.

Phuket was established as the administrative capital of the tin mining provinces during the rule of King RamaV. This group of tin mining provinces was named Monton Phuket. Recently, in 1993, with the change of reigns from monarchy to parliamentary system of governance, Phuket Island got the status of a province.

How to Get Here

By air
Thai Airways International flies daily flights from Bangkok to Phuket. It takes one hours and 20 minutes for the travel. Contact numbers in Bangkok: Tel. (02) 2800060, 6282000

By car
From Bangkok, drive along Route 4 towards south. You will pass Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi and Prachuap-Khirikan provinces. At Chumphon, turn right and proceed towards Ranong. Further ahead are Kraburi and Kapoe districts. Next comes the Phang Nga province. Here you will pass through Kuraburi, Takuapa and Thai Muang districts. After the Kok Kloy town, cross Thep Kasattri or Sarasin Bridge. You will reach Phuket Island. The total distance from Bangkok, by road is 867kms.

By bus
From Bangkok, buses leave for Phuket Island frequently. You can choose between A/c and non-A/c buses. In Bangkok, buses bound for Phuket leave from the Southern Bus Terminal. The contact numbers are: Southern Bus Terminal Tel. (02) 4347192, 4345557-8, Phuket Bus Terminal Tel. (076) 211480, Phuket Central Company Tel. (02) 4355019, Phuket Travel Tel. (02) 4355018

By Sea
Cruise ships from all over the world visit the port at Phuket, known as The Deep Sea Port. For more information on the ships visiting the port, contact your nearest travel agency.

Getting around

In Phuket, you can choose between conventional transport and adventurous ones. If you are staying in the tourist centers like Patong or Kata beach, moving around won’t be a problem. Here, accommodation, beach, shops, restaurants and entertainment activities are within walking distance. However, if you are staying in one of the isolated beaches, you need to consider transportation seriously. There are many options like taxi, tuk-tuk, minibus, public buses etc. It depends on how much you want to spend on transportation. Most expensive hotels have their own shuttle services for the benefit of their guests.

Tuk-tuk
For short trips, tuk-tuks are very convenient. These are small taxi trucks seen in plenty all over Thailand. However, agree on the fare before the journey. The drivers have a tendency to overcharge tourists. A short trip within the town area should be anywhere from 50 baht to 100 baht. For longer trips, the fare will go up depending on the distance and your bargaining ability.

Songthaew
Songthaews are daytime buses that operate services to and from Phuket Town to other destinations. This is a safer and cheaper way to travel. In addition, you get to experience the local culture and can meet local people during the journey. These buses run from Phuket Town to the destination and is back again in Phuket Town by evening. It starts from the bus terminal near food market in Phuket Town. You can see them parked along the one-way road here. All of them display their destination prominently. All you have to do is to spot the right bus and get in. These buses do not have any fixed stops along the way. You can stop them anywhere, if you want to get down or get in. To get in, just wave your hands at the driver as the bus approaches. The fare will be in the range of 15 to 25 baht, depending on the distance of the journey.

Local buses
Local buses run frequently between destinations during the day hours of 7.00am until 6.00pm. As there are no fixed bus stops in Thailand, if you want to board the bus, you have to flag them down as they approach. You can find buses going to different destinations in the busy roads here. In Phuket Town, most buses are parked along Ranong Road, opposite to Thai Airways office. Just go there, find the bus going to the right destination, and get in. In Patong, the best place to catch a bus is Phra Barmee Road, where you can flag them down. The average fare in these buses is 20 baht. However, if you want to reach your destination in a hurry, this is not the transport for you. They stop all along the way to allow passengers get down or get in. But if you want to see the country and meet local people, there is no better way than this.

Hire cars and Motorbikes
Some hotels and private companies offer cars and motorbikes for hire. If you are planning to explore the island, this is a necessity. Before hiring, make sure that you have valid license to drive and the vehicles insurance papers are proper.

This becomes vital in case of an accident. In case of motorcycles, insurance is typically not included, even if the hire company claims otherwise. You will end up paying the damages and medical bills if accident happens. You should possess a Thai or International license for claiming any insurance.

Patong has lots of adventure to offer biking enthusiasts. The roads are excellent and the exotic landscapes add charm to the trip. The Andaman Sea providing a beautiful background, it will be a trip any biker will enjoy. There are some out-of-the-way places to try out as well. Honda Dream is the favorite bike of locals as well as tourists. However, Patong has bike shops (Rat-U-Thit Road at Patong Beach) that focus on dirt bikes and road cruisers for the adventure-seekers. Before venturing on Thai roads, be warned that the road-users here have no regard for laws and road rules and you may see unforeseen and unsafe behavior on roads. During rainy season, the roads are very slippery due to oil spills and the chances of skidding are very high. Be safe and cautious and enjoy the country.

Motorcycle taxi
Phuket Island has motorbike taxis that operate round the clock. You can find the drivers, wearing colored vests in street corners, looking for passengers. The fare depends on the distance, the time of the day and your bargaining ability. It is not a safe means of transport, but fast and convenient.

Car rental
Cars and jeeps are available for hire and it is one of the best and hassle-free ways to get around Phuket Island. Before hiring the vehicle, check the insurance papers to make sure that they are in order. In case of accident, the responsibility of damages is with the driver.