Phuket Town

Phuket Town is the first of the two major towns on Phuket. This is not only the major town on the Island, but is also the area for shopping. Developed considerably over the past few years, it now has many large supermarkets, department stores, duty free stores, and international famous name shops. Virtually everything that you could ever need is now available on Phuket Island.

Patong:

Patong is the area on the Island that is famous for its nightlife and market stalls where you haggle over the price. The latter selling nearly anything that you might need, including souvenirs, T-Shirts, Handbags, Leather Goods etc. There are also many restaurants, bars, and nightclubs that make this busy town an ideal place to visit, especially at night. It also has a beautiful beach, but can get rather crowded in the high season, November to April.

Phuket International Airport:

Phuket has its own International Airport, with many major scheduled services daily to many parts of the world. It is located on the North West corner of the Island. From he airport nearly every part of Phuket can be reached in less than an hour. Once you arrive in Phuket, you will only have a short car trip to reach your final destination.

Restaurants:

It is probably true to say that you can find virtually every type of food imaginable on Phuket. Restaurants are everywhere and offer an extremely varied choice. Though it would be wrong not to mention Seafood, which the Island is rightly famous for. If you are a Seafood lover then you will truly love being in Phuket. The choice of fresh fish and shell fish is probably one of the best that you will find anywhere in the world.

Golf:

Phuket is also famous for the many fantastic Golf courses around the Island. So if you enjoy playing golf then you need look no further. With the amazing climate and stunning scenery these designer courses are all around the Island. There are now five international standard Golf Courses on Phuket that are all within an hour of each other, with both stunning scenery and some very testing holes!

Scuba Diving:

Ever wanted to learn to Scuba Dive? Then there is no better or safer place to learn than Phuket. Surrounded by the crystal clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and the Andaman Sea, you will be amazed at the wonderful sea life that can be seen under the water. Rated a one of the worlds top ten diving sites, is the beautiful Similan Islands which is just off the coast of Phuket.

Hospitals:

Two of Thailands leading hospitals are situated on Phuket Island. These hospitals are fully equipped with the latest technology and some of the countries leading doctors and surgeons. Services include, all forms of surgery, including Open Heart, Health Check Up, Cosmetic Surgery and all forms of Dentistry.

Schools:

Phuket has some leading International Schools suitable for all ages. The standards of tuition are high, and the high standard of education from these schools is now recognised throughout the world.

Tin Mining:

The Island of Phuket, Thailand originally was a major Tin mining area. The last of these mines were finally stopped around 15 years ago with the advent of tourism. Today all that remains, are the many lakes around the Island; the remnants of this once thriving industry.

Rubber Plantations:

Today, Phukets other major use, next to tourism, is growing and harvesting Rubber.
You will see many plantations around the island of this still valuable crop. It takes up to 7 years for a Rubber tree to reach maturity, after which the rubber can then be tapped. While the young trees are maturing, the land between the trees is not wasted, it is used to grow pineapples! (Many people do not realise that Pineapples actually grow out of the ground). The collection of the rubber latex from the trees is a major source of income for many Thai families. After the rubber (sap) is collected, usually in the early hours of the morning, (which is the coolest), it is first made into a paste, and then pressed, before finally being hung out to dry. You will often see these white sheets of rubber hanging drying, as you drive around the island.

Phukets Fabulous Beaches:

No description of Phuket would be complete without mentioning the many fabulous beaches there are on this tropical island. The West Coast (Kamala is on the West Coast) is one beautiful beach after the other. Starting at the very top of the island, near to the Phuket International Airport, going all the way down to near the bottom of the island with Nai Hairn Beach, there are literally miles and miles of golden white sandy beaches.

Phang Nga:

Phang Nga Bay, is to be found off the East Coast of Phuket, and is famed for it's stunningly beautiful scenery. Many films companies have used this area for the background to their films. Formed many millions of years ago through volcanic eruptions, there are thousands of islands to explore, with yet even more fabulous white sandy beaches.