Phuket Hotel and Travel Guide
- General Information
Phuket
is located in the southwest and is also the largest island
in Thailand.It's the only one island that has a status to
be a province. It is about. 867 km south from Bangkok. It
is surrounded by water contain with much marine lives and
the town, Phuket, is known as the Sino-Portuguese architecture
buildings. The populations about 2.5 hundred thousands people.The
main business is tourism as it is surrounded by many beautiful
beaches;i.e. Patong Beach,Kata and Karon Beaches.The total
area is about 570 square metres.
Phuket ,is well-known as the Pearl of the south Andaman
Sea ,has quite long history for over 500 years , which is
very wealthy of its beautiful places and tourists attraction.
It is a very attractive island for sightseeing, with lovely
seashores and forested hillsides .In each year the Pearl
of Andaman brings much income to the country. Phuket remains
the wealthiest province in Thailand and ranks the second
in popularity places only to Pattaya.
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 History
Dating back to A.D. 1025 indicate that the island's name
derives from the Tamil Manikram, or crystal mountain.For
the most of the history,Phuket was known as Junk Ceylon,.
The name is thought to have its roots in Patolemy's Geography
written by the Alexandrian geographer in the Third Century
A.D .He mentioned that in making a trip from Souwannapum
to the Malay Peninsula it was neccesary to pass the cape
of Jang Si Lang.
Phuket was the gateway on the route between India and China
where seafarers stopped to shelter.
The island appears to have been part of the Shivite empire
(called in Thai the Tam Porn Ling) that established itself
on the Malay Peninsula during the first Millenium age. Then
when Muang Takua-Talang, it was part of the Srivichai and
Siri Tahm empire governed in the eleventh in a constellation
of twelve cities, Phuket is an emblem, by which it was known
to others in those largely pre-literature times.
During the Sukhothai period, Phuket was associated with
Takua Pa in what is now Phang-nga Province, another area
with vast tin reserves. The Dutch established a trading
post during the Ayuthaya period in the 16th century.Then,the
island was divided as northern and central regions then
when was governed by the Thais, and the southern and western
were given over to the tin trade, a concession in the hands
of foreigners.
When Ayuttaya was sacked in 1767 there was a short interregnum
in Thailand, ended by King Taksin who drove out the Burmese
and re-unified the country. However, the enemy was anxious
to return to the offensive. They outfitted a fleet to raid
the southern provinces, and carry off the populations to
slavery in Burma.
This led Phuket has the most memorable historic event. A
passing sea captain, Francis Light, sent word that the Burmese
were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket were assembled
led by the two heroines, Khunying Jan, wife of Phuket's
recently deceased governer, and her sister Mook, After a
month's siege the Burmese were forced to depart on 13 March,
1785. Kunying Jan and her sister were credited with the
successful defense.
In recognition King Rama I bestowed upon Kunying Jan the
honorific Thao Thep Kasatri, a title of nobility usually
reserved for royalty, by which she is known today. Her sister
became Thao Sri Sunthon.
During the Nineteenth Century, Chinese immigrants arrived
to work for the tin mines that the ethnic character of the
island's interior became predominantly Chinese, while the
coastal settlements remained populated chiefly by Muslim
fishermen. In 1933, with the change in government from absolute
monarchy to a parliamentary system, the island was established
as a province by itself.
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Boundaries
Phuket is situated in the south of Thailand, on the Andaman
sea coast,it is a part of the Indian Ocean.It lies between
7'45" and 8'15" north latitude, and from 98'15"
to 98'40" west longitude on the map. Phuket,Thailand's
largest island is surrounded by 32 smaller islands that
formed part of the same administration, with a total area
of 570 square kilometers. Measured at its widest point,
is 21.3 kilometers; at its longest, 48.7 kilometers. it
is bounded thus:
North : Lies The Pak Prah strait, spanned by two bridges
running side-by-side, the older Sarasin Bridge, and the
newer Thao Thep Krasatri Bridge.
South : Is the Andaman Sea.
East : Is Phang-nga Bay (In the jurisdiction mainly of Phang-nga
Province).
West : Is The Andaman Sea.
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Geography
It is about 70 percent of Phuket province is mountainous;
a western range from north to south from which smaller branches
derive. The highest peak is Mai Tao Sip Song, or Twelve
Canes, at 529 meters high, which lies within the boundaries
of Tambon Patong, Kathu District. Another about 30 percent
is mainly in the center and south, is formed by low plains,
streams including Khlong Bang Yai, Tha Jin, Khlong Tha Rua,
and Khlong Bang Rong, none of which is large.
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Administration
The island is divided into three districts, Thalang in the
north, Kathu in the west, and Muang in the south. Thailand's
system of government relies upon a strong central authority,
thus the Provincial Governor is a civil servant appointed
by the Interior Ministry in Bangkok, as are the Nai Amphoe,
or District Chief. The cities of Phuket and Patong have
their own city governments, with elected city councils,
the leading members of which serve as mayor. There are also
elected provincial, district, and sub-district councils.
The local constabulary is part of the Interior Ministry.
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Population
Official population as of March 31, 2001, was 252,282. This
figure those who are registered as living in Phuket. Phuket'
s attraction as a center of economic activity has resulted
in many settlements that living on the island whose registration
is elsewhere. The total population of Phuket varies considerably
depending on the time of year, through it is never less
than the figure given above.
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Economy
Since the early 1980's the tourist business has been Phuket's
principal income from hotel's business, restaurants, tour
companies, and souvenir shops are much in evidence on the
west coast. However, while once all-importance tin mining
has ceased, tourism is by no means the island's only activity.
Agriculture remains important to a large number of people,
and covers by far the most part of the island. Principal
crops are rubber, coconuts, cashew nuts, and pineapples.
Furthermore, prawn farming has taken over the east and the
south coasts. Pearl farming is also important. Phuket's
fishing port is at all time filled, and processing of marine
products, mainly fish, makes a significant contribution
to the economy. With so many healthy industries supplying
income, construction has become a major factor in employment.
This range from massive public works projects, large office
buildings and hotels, and housing estates with hundreds
of units, down to single family homes, apartments and additions.
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Weather
The weather of Phuket dominated by monsoon winds that blow
year round. It is therefore always warm and humid. There
are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season
begins in May to October, during which the monsoon blows
from the southwest. The dry season is from November through
April, when the monsoon comes from the northeast. Highest
average temperatures, at 33.4 degree Celsius, prevail during
March. Lowest averages occur in January, when nightly lows
dip to 22 degree Celsius.
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Provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand
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