Phuket
An island that got rich on tin, not tourism — and the old town still shows it
- When to go
- October 26° · 28 rainy days
- Per day
- €€price 2 of 5
- How many days
- 5days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 26 km Phuket · 69 km Krabi
- Right now
Phuket is chosen by beach, because the differences between them are larger than they look: Patong is loud and cheap, Kata and Karon are family beaches, Nai Harn and Mai Khao are quiet and empty. Booking without deciding that is gambling with the whole holiday.
The island is large — fifty kilometres north to south — and joined to the mainland by a bridge, so it is not an island the way Phi Phi or the Similans are. The west coast has the beaches, the east the ports and the piers for excursions. You cover the distances by scooter or app taxi; street taxis here cost more than in Bangkok and the fare is agreed in advance.
What most people skip is the old town. Phuket was a tin-mining island in the nineteenth century, and the Chinese merchants who came built shophouses in the Sino-Portuguese style — two storeys, arcaded, in pastel colours. That is now a few streets of cafés and museums, half an hour from the beaches and an entirely different town.
The season is sharp and splits the year in two. From November to April it is dry, the sea is calm and the boats run daily. From May to October the monsoon blows in from the west, the sea is rough, and red flags appear on the beaches — swimming then is not a question of nerve but of currents, and every year someone drowns for having read the flag as a suggestion.
What to see in Phuket
The old town
Sino-Portuguese shophouses from the tin-mining years. Half an hour from the beach and a different town entirely.
Beaches by purpose
Patong for nights out, Kata and Karon for families, Nai Harn and Mai Khao for quiet. The differences are bigger than they look.
The Big Buddha
A 45-metre figure on a hill above the south of the island, visible from most beaches. Free, and best just before sunset.
- T
The Phang Nga trip
The bay of limestone stacks north of the island, with kayaks through sea caves. Better than Phi Phi and less crowded.
The Similan Islands
Diving and snorkelling, about two hours by boat. The national park is closed from mid-May to mid-October.
Karon viewpoint
The spot where three bays line up at once. Reached by scooter, and the one view that explains the island's shape.
Two things you probably did not know
Phuket grew rich on tin mines, not tourism. The Sino-Portuguese houses in the old town were built by mining merchants in the nineteenth century, and they are what people come to see today.
The vegetarian festival in October runs for nine days and includes cheek piercing and walking on hot coals. Chinese miners brought it in the nineteenth century and it has been kept up since.
Ready for Phuket?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Phuket — day trips or weekends.
Thailand
→Two coasts the monsoon never reaches at the same time, and a north seen through smoke in March
Vietnam
→A country sixteen hundred and fifty kilometres long, where north and south are never in season together
Japan
→A country where a train five minutes late hands the passenger a written delay certificate
All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
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