Brief of Phuket

Phuket is one of the world's premier beach destinations ranking alongside the French Riviera, the Mediterranean and Hawaii, gifting its visitors with quintessential beach holiday.

Phuket offers a miniature Thailand in an array of incredibly diverse geography, bright lights, utopic razzmatazz and club culture, idyllic tropical beaches and clear warm waters, hilly stretches covered under lush forest and hospitality services good enough to sweep the visitors off their feet. The most beautiful beaches are found on the West coast, separated by rocky coves and headlands. The east coast comprises limestone shoals with only a few sandy beaches while spectacular limestone islands adorn the horizon. Coral gardens full of exotic marine life dot the emerald waters surrounding the island.

Wildlife is something else that Phuket has in spades – a bonus for its tourist. The rambling national park of Koh Sok to the north with its unending stretches of un-spoilt rain forest, rope bridges and gorges is a tantalizing experience at every step as you encounter wild gibbons and birds chattering noisily in the trees and creepy crawling things moving uninterrupted.

Phuket has a lot more to offer its guests other than its natural heritage sea, sand, sky, beach, forest, and world renowned diving sites. Sino-Portuguese architecture casts its spell delighting travelers to the city, while Phuket-style hospitality has never failed to impress visitors from all walks of life. In addition, accommodations ranging from world-class resorts to tropical-style bungalows have warmly catered to the different needs of travelers. For seafood lovers, there is a lot more to sample than just Phuket's famous lobster. Altogether, these characteristics have made Phuket a truly unique destination.

This beach-lovers’ destination lies off the west coast of Southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea, approximately 890 kms from Bangkok. It is Thailand’s largest island at 550sq km, roughly the same size as Singapore, and is surrounded by many smaller islands that add a further 70 sq km to its total land area. Phuket is separated from the mainland by the Chong Pak Phra channel at its northernmost point, where a causeway connects the island to the mainland.

Phuket Town, the provincial capital located on the east of the island, about 20kms from the beaches, is the biggest city, where most Thais live. The island has a long history of tin mining and agriculture. As with most of Thailand, the majority of the population is Buddhist, but there is a significant number of ethnic-Malay Muslims (30%) in Phuket, mainly descendants of the island's original sea-dwelling people. A large Chinese population dwells here as well.

One of the most popular tourist areas on Phuket is Patong Beach on the central western coast, perhaps owing to the easy access to its wide and long beach. Most of Phuket's nightlife and its cheap shopping is located in Patong, and the area has become increasingly developed. Patong means "the forest filled with banana leaves" in Thai. Other popular beaches are located south of Patong. In a counterclockwise direction these include Karon Beach, Kata Beach, Kata Noi Beach, and around the southern tip of the island, Nai Harn Beach and Bang Tao Beach. These areas are generally much less developed than Patong, and sought out by individuals, families and other groups with a preference for more relaxed and less crowded environs than Patong.

Phuket Island has emerged to be the most sought after location in Southeast Asia for people looking for a “lifestyle” (as opposed to a “house”) in a lush, tropical environment. There are over 12,000 expatriates living in Phuket. Thailand has recognized the necessity of improving the infrastructure to support the growing demand for improved telecommunications, schools, medical facilities, roads and utilities. The city has upgraded its infrastructure and now has excellent roads, modern hospitals, excellent marinas and world-class international schools. Phuket’s international airport has been upgraded and is now accessible from over a dozen international locations as well as most domestic locations.