- 70% of the Island is covered in Mountains which stretch from the north to the south of the Island
- 60% of the island is covered in forests, rubber and oil plantations
- The rubber output helps make Thailand the world’s largest producer of rubber
- There are no major rivers on the island – but does have 9 brooks and creeks across the Island
- The Island is off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea
- Phuket as well as being an Island is also a province of Thailand, there are 76 provinces in total
- Phuket is the wealthiest province in Thailand
- Two road bridges connect Phuket to the main Island
- While the main island is mainly Buddhist, the main religion on the island is Muslim – but its a multicultural island including indigenous Thais, Thai-Chinese, ethnic Malays and sea gipsies as well as Muslims.
- Phuket has always been one of the major trading routes linking China and India and throughout history was frequently mentioned in the ship logs of English, French, Dutch and Portuguese traders.
- Since the 16th Century, Tin mining has been a major source of income for the Island. Both Tin and rubber contributed to Phuket’s wealth.
- The Island now relies more upon tourism than trading but is a calling port for Cruise Ships. During the winter months, they dock at Ao Makham Deep Seaport, which is about 5 miles from Phuket Town, but during the summer (November to April) they often dock on the west side of the island and a temporary pier at the sound end of Patong Beach. Some cruise liners tender on Kalim Beach, which is on the north end of Patong.
- Phuket town is the largest town on the Island and also the economic hub of the province.
- While more than 600,000 people live on the Island, the official population is just 386,605 at the end of 2015. The difference is migrant workers, Thais registered in other provinces who live on the Island part of the year, international expats and also long term tourists.
- Patong beach which translates as “the forest filled with banana leaves” is Phuket’s most popular tourist spot. Its no wonder its the most popular, filled with an amazing nightlife scene and cheap shops it draws visitors from all across the globe.
- Other beaches which are popular with tourists are Karon Beach, Kata Beach and Kata Noi Beach are popular beaches south of Patong. If you’re after a more relaxed experience with fewer people head North of Patong to Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao Beaches.
- Phi Phi Islands south of Phuket and the coral reefs of Similan are drawers for scuba divers and snorkelers.
- There is an Island called “James Bond Island” after appearing in the movie ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. It was previously called Koh Tapu. During high season, the area is often crowded with tourists looking at the limestone cliffs that climb out like skyscrapers from emerald green water.
- The most popular time of the year to visit is from November to Feb the “cool” season. During May to October, this is monsoon season with morning sunny and clear and afternoons and evening raining. March to May is the summer season when the temperatures reach the highest, but Phuket is hot and humid all year round.
- During the tsunami on 26th December 2004, Phuket was extensively damaged. However many of the damaged businesses were back open by February 2005 less than 2 months later. Walking around the town now and you will see very little damage left from the tsunami.
- In 2006 Thailand launched the first of the 22 US made tsunami detection buoys positioned around the Indian Ocean. These are all satellite-linked to offer an early warning for future tsunamis. They are deep-sea buoys float 620 miles near the midway point between Thailand and Sri Lanka.
- Thepkassatri Road, one of Phuket’s main roads leads past the “˜Heroine’s Monument’ paying tribute to Thao Thep Kasatri and Thao Sri Suntorn. When the Burmese tried to invade in 1785, the widow of the deceased governor and her sister ordered the women to dress as men and take positions on the Thalang city walls. Tricked into thinking Phuket had many troops, the Burmese were afraid to attack Phuket and retreated due to starvation. The two women became local heroines. They received the honorary titles from King Rama I.