Phuket is about the size of Singapore. It faces the Andaman Sea, and is located 867 kilometres south of Bangkok. The island has a colourful past. It used to derive its wealth from tin and rubber - today, many old houses in Phuket town testify to the old money from these commodities. The island was a stopover along the trading routes between India and China and was frequently mentioned in ship logs. In the old days, the island was called Junk Ceylon.
Patong Beach in Phuket at sunset.
In 1785 a passing sea captain, Francis Light, sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket assembled to face the Burmese.
The Thai counteroffensive was led by two heroic sisters, Kunying Jan (aka Thao Thepkasattri), wife of Phuket's recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook (aka Thao Sisunthon). As there was not enough men so she ordered 500 women to dress as soldiers with coconut palms daubed in soot to look like weapons. This tactic succeeded in delaying a full-on Burmese attack. After a month's siege the Burmese were forced back on 13 March, 1785. Kunying Jan and her sister were credited with the successful defense.
The Burmese were to make three more offensives on Phuket between 1809-12 but armed forces from Bangkok arrived in time to push them back. Burmese invasion only stopped when Burma capitulated to the British. The Portuguese, French, Dutch and English all established trades with Phuket. While Phuket was fighting back the Burmese, Captain Francis Light had other intentions. He was looking for a site to be used as a British outpost, and contemplated Phuket. However, Phuket was spared when in 1786 he chose Penang instead.
Phuket is blessed with magnificent coves and bays, and powdery white sand covers its beaches. The west coast faces the Andaman Sea, and hence the waves are rougher. Most of the beach resorts in Phuket are located on the western coast, along beaches such as Patong, Karon, Kata, Kamala and Nai Yang.
Phuket has two distinct seasons: the wet season from May through October, and the dry season from November through April. The best months to visit Phuket are from November through February. Average temperature ranges from 22-34 degrees Celsius. An international airport links Phuket to Bangkok and the rest of the world. By land, Phuket is linked to mainland Thailand by the Sarasin Bridge at the northernmost tip of the island.
Credit:asiaexplorers.com
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