Phuket (ภูเก็ต), pronounced "Poo-get", is Thailand's largest island and also its second smallest province. It is 48 km in length, 21 km at its widest, and is located in Southern Thailand, on the west-facing Andaman Sea coastline, suspended from the southern tip of Phang Nga Province by a pair of short but substantial road bridges.
Phuket Town is the administrative centre of Phuket Province, and the island's main population centre.
Understand
Phuket enjoys great popularity as a travel destination. Most
beaches are on the west coast, with Phuket Town to the south-east and the
airport in the north.
Phuket Gazette - online English language newspaper; daily news, upcoming events & calendar, etc.Phuket Post - daily news and online classifiedsPhuket Tourism - Phuket Phangnga Krabi Tourism Club 2004 tsunami The west coast of Phuket was hit severely by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, but very little evidence of the damage now remains.
Climate Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The high season is generally considered to be from November to May. During the summer monsoon season, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider May to October the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centers around the Gulf coast. It's comparable to Florida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 deg C, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches.
Talk Phuket is one of Thailand's premier tourist destinations and (basic) English is very widely spoken, especially in the beach areas. That said, even a little Thai will draw smiles and can be useful in the less touristed areas of Phuket Town.
Cities
Phuket Town - has the cheapest accommodation Beaches
Particularly in the monsoon season, there are
strong currents on many of the beaches and drownings are a depressingly common occurrence. Heed the warning flags on popular beaches and play it safe if off the beaten track.
It is important to note that, while many tourists who flock to the beaches of Phuket are European, nudity is viewed as highly offensive to Thais. It is very rude to go topless to beaches. Thais are generally non-confrontational, but it is always best to be respectful while treading on another's home country.
The major beaches from north to south are:
Bang Tao - long, very quiet beachSurin Beach - an up-and-coming destinationLaem Singh Beach - small bay with stunning views, between Kamala Beach and Surin BeachKamala Beach - a quieter beach to the north of PatongPatong Beach - the largest beach resort, known for its nightlifeKaron Beach - a quieter beach to the south of PatongKata Yai Beach - busy, clean tourist beach with good surfKata Noi Beach - quieter sister of Kata YaiAo Chalong - home to Phuket's most popular yacht anchorageRawai Beach - set...
