An introduction to Phuket Pearl of the South
| The biggest draw of the South cannot be any other place than Phuket, Thailand's
dreamy island province in the Andaman Sea. |
The word Phuket was formerly believed to have come from the Malayan
word Bukit, which means a mountain. However, it has recently been discovered that Phuket is actually a Thai word meaning
a mountain ( phu) of jewel (ket). The name is recorded in a Thai chronicle. |
| Formerly known as Ko (island) Thalang, Phuket was only noted for its rich tin
ores, from which its wealth was derived. Today, it is better known as a tourist paradise, a most rewarding place for holiday
makers. With its magnificent long white beaches, its luxuriant vegetation, its crystal blue sea water, its fantastic undersea
scenery, its calm and relaxing tropical atmosphere, and its fresh prawns, lobsters and other kinds of seafood, Phuket - the
Pearl of the South - entices many travellers to visit her again and again. |
Phuket Attractions
The numerous places of attraction in Phuket can be conveniently grouped into the following routes: In-town, Northern Route,
Western Route and Southern Route. (see the map of Phuket) |
In-Town/Western Route
Southern Route
Northern Route
Islands around Phuket
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For Zoomed image click HERE |
Accessibility:
By road, 862 km. from Bangkok by Highway No. 4 (Bkk to Ban Khok Kloi, Phang- nga Province), then by Highway No. 402 (Ban Khok
Kloi to Phuket town), about 13 hrs. drive. Daily coach service between Bkk and Phuket available from Bangkok Southern Bus
Terminal. By air, 1.10 hrs., several flights daily. No rail service. (see Useful Calls Bangkok,
for telephone numbers)
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Transportation: Airport to Town and Beaches
By mini-bus to Phuket town, 70 Baht per person; to Kata, Karon, Patong, 100 Baht per person. By Taxi, to town, Kata, Karon,Patong,
400 Baht. By limousine to town, Surin, 400 Baht; to Kata, Karon, Patong, 600 Baht.
In Town
No public buses, but there are mini-buses which operate a communal service. Just tell your destination to the driver, In the
town area the fare is 10 Baht.
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Eating out
Visitors to Phuket should not miss the opportunity to have a taste of Phuket many kinds of famous seafood which are always
fresh and palatable. Prices are also very reasonable. Various seafood dishes are available in town and along famous beaches
such as Patong, Kata, Karon, Rawai and Chalong Bay. But if you want to try the local food, mi sapam, misua (kinds of
Chinese noodles), khanom chin ( Thai rice noodles with curry soup and vegetables), ho mok (steamed curried fish),
kaeng luang and namprik gung siap are recommendable. |
Town to Beaches
There are mini-bus services between the town and all the tourist beaches. Buses leave for the beaches at the market on Ranong
Road at the half-hour intervals until 6:00pm. After that, you must hire a taxi. Bus fare: about 10-30 Baht.
Private cars,
jeeps and motorbikes can be hired from a car-rent company for your convenience. |
Aquatic Sports
Phuket is also a centre of all kinds of aquatic sports with ideal environment, modern equipment and professional guidance
for diving, windsurfing, sea-canoeing, big game fishing, etc.
go to Sports Facilities in Phuket |
A Miraculous Story of Pra Thong
For people in Thalang, Phuket, Wat Pra Thong is the most important Buddhist monastery, enshrining a most revered Buddha image
called "Pra Thong", meaning the Gold Buddha.
A miraculous story has it that once a young boy tethered his water buffalo to a post protruding from the ground. Then both
the boy and the animal were stricken by a mysterious sickness. Discovering later that the post was the decorative topknot
of a buried gold Buddha image, villagers tried to excavate the whole image for enshrinement, but only the upper part could
be uncovered and the lower part still stuck firmly in the ground. So they built a temple over it, believing that that was
the desire of the Buddha himself.
In 1785 during the invasion of Thalang by Burma, the Burmese also tried their utmost to move the gold image to their country,
but failed because a desperate horde of hornets attacked them every time they began to dig.
For fear of robbery, the villagers later covered the image with gilded stucco, and it has remained so ever since. Thus
Pra Thong is sometimes called Pra Phut which means a Buddha image swelling from the ground.
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Shopping
When you are in Phuket, you have no need to go to Bangkok just to buy some quality goods and souvenirs. Because apart from
pearls, nielloware, sea-shell ornaments and dried seafood which Phuket is famous for, Phuket also offers large selections
of the best buys of Thailand. The shopping areas are mostly on Ratsada Road, Montri Road, Yaowarat Road, Phang-nga Road, Thalang
Road in town, on Thepkasattri Road north of town, and in Patong, Kata and Karon Beaches. |
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