Phuket Topics

• king narai
• east india company
• siamese king
• southeast asian history
• socit des
• matre d
• king chulalongkorn
• abu talib
• king rama
• land boundaries
• french ambassador
• honorary titles
• english influence
• neighbouring provinces
• french control
• rama v
• french general
• htel
• southern provinces
• thep

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Phuket, Phuket

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Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga and Krabi, but as Phuket is an island there are no land boundaries.

It is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. It has an area of approximately 570sqm and its made up of 1 large and 39 small islands. Despite being referred to as an island, it is connected to the mainland by bridge. Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber.

In September 1680, a ship from the French East India Company visited Phuket and left with a full cargo of tin. In 1681 or 1682, the Siamese king Narai, who was seeking to reduce Dutch and English influence, named Governor of Phuket the French medical missionary Brother Ren Charbonneau, a member of the Siam mission of the Socit des Missions Etrangres. Charbonneau held the position of Governor until 1685. New Terrains in Southeast Asian History, p.294, Abu Talib [1] In 1685, king Narai confirmed the French tin monopoly in Phuket to a French ambassador, the Chevalier de Chaumont. Smithies 2002, p.179 Chaumont's former matre d'htel Sieur de Billy was named governor of the island. Smithies 2002, p.50 The French were expelled from Siam in 1688 however, following the 1688 Siamese revolution. On April 10, 1689, the French general Desfarges led an expedition to re-capture the island of Phuket in an attempt to restore some sort of French control in Siam.

The two women became local heroines, receiving the honorary titles Thao Thep Krasatri and Thao Si Sunthon from King Rama I. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), Phuket became the administrative center of the tin-producing southern provinces. In 1933 Monthon Phuket ()was dissolved and Phuket became a province by itself. Old names of the island include Ko Thalang.

The waves destroyed several highly populated areas in the region, killing as many as 5,300 people nationwide, and tens of thousands more throughout the wider Asian region. As many as 250 people were reported dead in Phuket including foreign tourists and as many as a thousand unreported deaths of illegal Burmese workers building new beach resorts in the Khao Lak area. Almost all the major beaches on the west coast, especially Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata, sustained major damage, with some damage also being caused to resorts and villages on the island's southern beaches.

As of November 2005, following strenuous recovery programs, there is little obvious remaining tsunami damage other than at the most remote beaches, and the tourist industry, which drives the Phuket economy, has now almost fully recovered.

The island is mostly mountainous with a mountain range in the west of the island from the north to the south. The mountains of Phuket form the southern end of the Phuket mountain range, which ranges for 440 km from the Kra Isthmus. The highest elevation of the island is Mai Thao Sip Song (Twelve Canes), at 529 m above sea level. It is estimated that Phuket has a total area of approximately 570 square kilometers (including the provinces other islands). The main islands total length, from north to south, is about at 50 kilometers and approximately 20 kilometers wide.

Most of Phuket's nightlife and its cheap shopping is located in Patong, and the area has become increasingly developed. Patong means "the forest filled with banana leaves" in Thai. Other popular beaches are located south of Patong. In a counterclockwise direction these include Karon Beach, Kata Beach, Kata Noi Beach, and around the southern tip of the island, Nai Harn Beach and Rawai. To the north of Patong are Kamala Beach, Surin Beach and Bang Tao Beach. These areas are generally much less developed than Patong, and sought out by individuals, families and other groups with a preference for more relaxed and less crowded environs than Patong. There are many islands to the southeast, including Bon Island, just a short boat trip away. There are several coral islands to the south of Phuket, the Similan Islands lie to the north west, and Phi Phi Islands to the south east. Islanders engage in a lively tourist trade, catering to snorkellers and scuba divers.

The capital Phuket has city ( thesaban nakhon ) status, and the main touristical town Patong as well as Kathu has town ( thesaban mueang ) status. There are further 6 subdistrict municipalities ( thesaban tambon ) - Karon, Thep Krasattri, Choeng Thale, Ratsada, Rawai and Wichit. The non-municipal areas are administrated by 9 tambon administrative organizations (TAO).

Most were Hakka Chinese, and their influence on Phuket culture and cuisine can still be felt today.

In July 2005, Phuket was voted one of the Worlds Top 5 retirement destinations by the acclaimed Fortune Magazine. http://www.phuket-retirement.com/retirement.html There are thousands of expatriates living in Phuket, many of them retirees. A favourite spot for them is Phuket Beach, as it is very convenient. Costs in Phuket have shot up over the past decade, making it one of Thailand's more expensive retirement destinations.

There are many scheduled flights and chartered flights from domestics and other countries in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America landing in Phuket.

Songthaews (passenger pick-up vehicles) are a common mode of transport on Phuket. Phukets songthaews are larger than those found in other areas of Thailand. They travel between the town and beaches. There are also conventional bus services and motorbike taxis. The latter are found in large numbers in the main town and at Patong Beach. The traditional Tuk-tuks have been replaced by small vans, mostly red or some are yellow. Songthaews are the cheapest mode of transportation for travel from town to town.

Source: Wikipedia > Phuket Province