Phuket Facts
- Location: Southeastern part of the Andaman Sea
- Dialing Code: (+66) 076
- Zip Code: 283000
- Best Time for Travel: From November to April
Phuket is an island in Thailand, which is one of the most famous resorts in the world. It is located in the southeastern part of the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean. It is 867 kilometers from Bangkok and covers an area of 570 square kilometers.
There are 39 small islands around Phuket, which are all under the administration of Phuket Town. 70% of Phuket is a mountainous area. Except for the urban area, the island is full of tree-lined hills. The highest mountain is Mai Toa Sip Song at 529 meters above sea level. It is located at the junction of Tambon Patong and Kathu District. The remaining flatlands are mainly located in the middle and south.
Phuket is Thailand's largest island, and most tourists gather on Patong Beach or Phuket Town, which are the two centers of Phuket. One wins over the island scenery, and the other wins over the ancient buildings. Both of them are favored by tourists because of comprehensive services.
Phi Phi Island
History of Phuket
The earliest original inhabitants of Phuket were some very small primitive clans that still exist in Malaysia. These primitive clans live on hunting and rainforest fruits. According to related reports, these primitive dwarven tribes still lived in the dense jungle of central Phuket until the middle of the 19th century, but they eventually moved due to a large number of tin miners coming to Phuket.
The coast of Phuket was once occupied by a family pastoring the sea. They are called "Chao Nam" or "Gypsies at sea". These people will mine all kinds of shellfish and other resources in a certain sea area until exhausted, and then move to other bays. After the restoration of various resources and the ecological environment in the previous bay, they will migrate back to continue this cycle. Captains who often sail on the Straits of Malacca call them "Saliteers" (meaning pirates), and their reputation is even worse than the local pirates.
However, those who came to Phuket early to visit often described the "Chao Nam" as a small but brave group. And they were recognized as professional sailors who can build small and strong ships and calmly face the fickle sea. These people, like the Gypsies, never stop migrating. In the meantime, they will temporarily settle on the island, but they never cultivate and cultivate on the fertile islands. They just rely on being pirates and collecting shellfish to obtain pearls to maintain their life. They don't even have any words and religions, which makes them considered to be extremely primitive and barbaric.
Climate & Weather
Phuket is located in the tropics, with a humid tropical climate, so there is only summer in this region.
Karon Beach
From January to April: It is the most suitable period of temperature in Phuket, it is not too hot. The beautiful Similan National Park near Phuket is also open to visitors during this period. April 13-15 is Thailand's attention to the Songkran Festival (Water Song Festival), which should not be missed. During this time, hotel and travel costs will increase by about 15%.
May-October: It is the rainy season in Phuket and the off-season for travel. Locals rarely travel during this time; especially in June-August, almost daily rainfall will affect the itinerary. In September, a "vegetarian festival" featuring asceticism will be held on Phuket, and you can experience a different tropical style.
If you choose to travel during the public holidays, you must prepare for overcrowding.
Transportation
►How to Get to Phuket from Bangkok
By Flight
There are flights from Bangkok to Phuket every day, and the budget airline is a good choice to save time and money.
By Long-distance Bus
To Phuket, you can take a long-distance bus at Bangkok South Bus Station, which will take about 8 hours. There are also first-class and second-class seats on the car, and the price is 700-1000 baht, which is the first choice for backpackers.
►Domestic Transportation
Tourists who come to Phuket will choose chartered car service or rent a car or motorcycle as transportation. This is not only the poor public transport on the island, but because it is a good way to visit the beautiful island.
How to Reserve the Chartered Car Service?
To book online or book through the hotel you stay is a convenient way to charter a car. You could decide the vehicle with your group size and itinerary. You could also choose to have the driver who could speak English.
How to Rent a Car?
There are many car rental locations in Phuket, international chain car rental brands such as Hertz and Avis. Therefore, tourists can pre-rent on the car dealer's website in advance and pick up the car directly at the store, which can save more time.
- Store Location: Airport Arrivals
- Store Opening Hours: Open 24 hours in Hertz and 7: 00-24: 00 in Avis
- Booking Link: Hertz car rental, Avis car rental
In addition, there are many reliable car rental agencies in Phuket, such as yesaway, which are also praised by tourists.
Tourism
Phuket's tourism industry has risen since 1970, and it is a representative tourist spot in Southeast Asia. The west coast of the island faces the Andaman Sea, where you can see pristine white sand beaches. Each beach has its own charm and attracts a large number of tourists.
Phuket is full of beaches and bays, including Kamala Beach, which is famous for its cleanliness, Surin Beach, which is private in style, coral islands which often hold sea sports, and Patong Beach, which has a rich nightlife. There are also many mountains on the island, and tourists can have motor adventures on the island, as well as dive and yacht out to sea.
James Bond Island
Best Places to Visit in Phuket
►Wat Chalong Temple
Located in Chalong Bay in the south of Phuket, it is the largest Buddhist temple on Phuket. There are 108 golden Buddhas in the temple. More locals come here than tourists.
There are four main halls that can be visited: the main hall, stupa, the original site of the temple, and the old ancestor temple. The area is small but quiet. Here you can feel the atmosphere of Theravada Buddhism in Thailand, and you can also wear local clothes to take photos and wedding photos in the temple.
►Promthep Cape
The Promthep Cape is located at the southern point of Phuket, which is named after the enshrining of a four-sided Buddha on the viewing platform. The magnificent rocky landscape, currents, and waves are the main scenic features.
It is recognized as a great place to watch the sunset. There is no building or jungle blocking the view so that you can watch the change of the sunset in seconds.
►Big Buddha
The 45-meter-high seated Buddha Guanyin statue is made of Burmese white jade marble. It is located on the top of the mountain and enjoys a wide panoramic view.
Because the Big Buddha is located at the highest point of the southwest, it can be seen from many places in Phuket. The base of the Big Buddha is still under construction. Visitors can donate bricks and stones voluntarily. The price ranges from 100 to 1,000 baht.
►Phuket Town
Phuket Town is the capital of Phuket Province. The main streets are Tailang Road, Ratsada Road, Phuket Road, and Lannon Road. There are galleries, bars, cafés, etc. on the street, which have a typical atmosphere.
Diversified old buildings, classic cars, and old-fashioned buses with Chinese and Portuguese characteristics perfectly preserved the colonial style of the past when trade was developed. It is also good to choose to sit in a small shop.
►Rawei Seafood Market
Located in the southernmost part of Phuket, it is one of the two largest seafood markets on the island. Visitors can buy the seafood and cook it at restaurants. The lobster and wrasse shrimp are very large and popular. The price is a little cheaper than the Banzan Market, but don't forget to bargain.
►Karon View Point
Located at the south of Kata Noi Beach, it has direct views of the Andaman Sea. About 10 minutes drive from Kata Beach and about 10 minutes drive from Nai Harn Beach.
It is the island's best iconic landscape in the north: the sparkling blue sea, snow-capped waves, white sandy beaches, nearby exotic islands (Koh Pu), and the dark green tone of Phuket's hillsides.
►Karon Beach
Phuket's third-largest beach is also one of the longest beaches on the island. The waves are high, and it is very suitable for surfing. Compared to Patong Beach, the water here is bluer, the sand is more beautiful, there are not many water activities, but the atmosphere at the beach is more relaxed.
►Kata Beach
Located in the south of Patong and Karon, it has 2 beautiful bays, which are W-shaped in appearance and nicknamed by the locals as Big Kata and Little Kata. The calm and clear waters are suitable for leisure and diving, which attract many tourists. It is the scenery on the postcard of Phuket and one of the famous places to enjoy the sunset at dusk. From April to November every year, the wave conditions here are very suitable for surfing, and many surfing enthusiasts can be seen.
Currency
The official currency of Thailand is the Thai Baht (THB), which is pronounced as "ba", usually abbreviated as "B". The maximum denomination of the Thai baht is 1,000 baht. 500, 100, 50 baht are commonly used, and 20, 10, 5, 1 baht are common coins, so it is necessary to prepare more coins in Thailand.
Street Food
Consumption
Food: Roadside stalls are the cheapest place to eat. Generally, a meal costs 500 baht per person. Except for the paying bills, upscale restaurants usually need to pay an additional tip of about 10%.
Accommodation: Take the most lively area of Patong Beach as an example. The five-star sea-view hotel near the beach is around 9200 baht, and the three-star hotel is around 1800 baht.
Transportation: Transportation on Phuket is the most expensive because there is no public transportation such as the subway. Generally, TUK TUK taxis on the roads travel between the beaches. The starting cost is about 140 baht/person.
Tip: Because there are many European and American tourists, Phuket has the habit of tipping. Generally, restaurants, hotels, massages, etc. will tip the service staff appropriately, which is only 20 baht.
Festivals
There are many festivals in Phuket, so people have a variety of reasons for carnival throughout the year; many festivals and colorful nightlife are part of Phuket life.
►Seafood Festival
Held in May, it aims to advertise Phuket's delicious seafood and attract tourists during the rainy season. Activities include seawater tourism resource exhibitions, seafood sales booths, cooking exhibitions, and cultural exhibitions.
►Super Thunder Gyps Festival
This celebration is held every year in June and November (old calendar) in Phuket. Similar to the Water Lantern Festival, the boat is put into the water and drifted away at night to drive away bad luck and pray for good luck.
►Vegetarian Festival
Sep 1st to Sep 9th of the lunar calendar each year is a grand festival in Phuket. It started as early as 1825.
Origin: There was a strange disease among the miners. People started to become vegetarian under the condition that all treatment is invalid. After a period of time, this strange disease disappeared miraculously. The local people think there must be god bless. So every year from the first day of September to the ninth day (lunar calendar), people will ceremoniously worship for disaster relief. During the festival, people wear white clothes, do not eat any meat, do not drink alcohol, and participate in celebrations, lighting fireworks. What we have to mention is that this event is not available for pregnant women during kimono.
►Patong Beach Carnival
A crazy, lively and artistic festival on November 1st every year. Every day on this day, Patong Beach gathers people from all over the world, and they are here to celebrate until sunset.
Carnival features Thailand's best jazz band performances, shemale shows, bartending performances, magic shows, and plenty more. Many colorful and interesting activities will also be organized, including morning blessings, water sports competitions, tourist beauty contests.
Patong Beach
►Triathlon
Held every December at Bang Tao Beach in Phuket, it is an international event that includes an 1800-meter swimming race, a 55-km bike race, and a 12-km long-distance race. The winners of the competition will be eligible to compete in triathlons held in Hawaii.
►King's Cup Regatta
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta is held in December every year. The Phuket Yacht Club hosts the international yacht drivers, who are mainly from neighboring countries. They compete in the Nai Harn beach area to compete for the Royal Trophy.
