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Phuket Overview
Spectacular scenery, stunning tropical sunsets and warm blue sea awaits at Asia’s most popular beach destination. The island of fun provides an unbeatable combination of perfect silky soft beaches, superb hospitality and great value accommodation!
Whether it’s world class diving in the Andaman Sea, golf at championship courses or exciting eco-adventures in tropical forest, Phuket is a place to extend your horizons. Take an exhilarating speedboat trip to surrounding islands, or a serene cruise around mystical Phang Nga Bay. Or simply enjoy Phuket’s vibrant nightlife in Patong Beach. Total enjoyment! Not convinced yet? See our 10 Must See and Do list.
Families will find Phuket offers lots of attractions for kids of all ages; from toddlers and teenagers to the young at heart. Go elephant trekking, grab a mask and snorkel and discover the undersea world or have a picnic on the beach. If you're just after a little a little indulgence spend a few hours at one of Phuket's wonderful Spas. Unforgettable!
Phuket General Information
Phuket is the largest island in Thailand. At 540 square kilometres, it's about the same size as Singapore. Just over an hour by jet from Bangkok or Singapore, and with daily connections to most major Asian airports, Phuket is ideally situated for a short break or a relaxing vacation.
Business hours are generally from 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays, plus 9 am to 12 am on Saturdays, except public holidays when hours may vary widely. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. Currency exchange booths operate as retail outlets and are usually open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Shops and stores also open from 10 or 11 am to 10 pm, everyday.
Currency is the Thai Baht. Currently, (1999) around 37 baht to US$1 and floating between 35 to 40 for most of 1998. Check out our handy Currency Converter to find the value in your own currency.
Electricity is 220 Volts AC at 50 cycles. Several different plugs and sockets are in use, but two pin flat (US type) or round (European type) are pretty universal. |
Phuket Population
The official census shows 231,206 people living in Phuket. Since this figure only includes those registered as resident in Phuket province and there is a significant (semi-permanent) work force from other provinces of Thailand and as many as 35,000 visitors at any one time, it is likely that a more realistic figure would be much higher
Phuket Town, the main town, has over 60,000 inhabitants.
Patong Beach, the most developed of the west-coast beaches, has evolved from a fishing village into a thriving little resort city over the past 15 years or so.
Ethnic composition
Thai
Chinese
Muslim (originally of Malay descent)
Chao Le (sea nomads)
European
Indian and Arabic
Phuket Climate
Temperatures. Year-round temperatures on Phuket vary between 21-34ºC. Water temperatures range from 26-28ºC, which means wetsuits are not necessary to enjoy water sports. The northeast monsoon season, roughly November till April, brings consistently sunny weather, cool breezes and low humidity, with moderate seas.
The southwest monsoon, May till October, sees the rainiest and most unpredictable weather along with frequent swells off the Indian Ocean.
Phone and Fax Service. International direct dialing (IDD) is widely available. Dial 001 + country code + area code (less any leading zero) + phone number.
There are also several Internet Cafes around the island and especially in the more developed tourist locations.
Mail and Postal Services
The post offices are usually open from 8 am to 4.30 pm. The Thai post service is usually reliable. Urgent or important items can be sent by EMS services. This is faster and safer but the cost is higher. Private couriers like DHL are also available in Phuket.
Cameras and Film Most popular brands and types of film are widely available in Thailand and in Phuket. Film processing is widely available and one-hour service is common. Throw-away one-time cameras are widely available, too.
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