Old Phuket Town

A tour of Old Phuket Town is a trip back in time, to an era when tourism was the last thing on Phuket's mind.

Phuket Old Town

From a small tin mining town a century ago, Phuket has become a hub of culture and tourism and is home to a stunning 100-year-old mix of Chinese and western influenced architecture, labelled Sino-Portuguese, a feature of which is narrow-fronted, long buildings, with ornate columns, arches, windows and doors. Check out Old Phuket Town around and about Talang Road, Yaowarat Road and Dibuk Road.

From the Phuket office of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), heading west through Thaew Naam Intersection, is the beginning of old town. This area is home to mainly commercial buildings, now operating as draper's shops (many under Malaysian ownership), restaurants and small hotels for backpackers dating back to the very start of tourism on the island. At the corner of Phangnga and Phuket Roads is the old police station with its clock tower and opposite is the old Chartered Bank building, the first foreign bank to open in Phuket.

Continue the journey on to Talang Road, Phuket's main commercial centre, that was once the town's wealthiest residential area. Here the buildings have been well-preserved for their descendants, although most have now been converted to restaurants, hotels or coffee shops. One notable building here is the On On Hotel, one of Phuket's oldest which achieved recent glory as a location for the famous movie, "The Beach".

On your journey, check out many art galleries and don't miss the Chinese herbs at Nguan Choon Tong, the city's oldest Chinese herbalist shop.

The old buildings along Soi Rommanee, located at the middle of Talang Road, have been renovated as part of a drive to stake Old Phuket Town's place as an historic attraction. Even though Soi Rommanee is a tiny, short soi, compared with other parts of the Old Town it is without doubt the most elegant. The unique red/orange colour of the buildings here preserves beautifully the distinctive Sino-Portuguese style and this small lane has now become home to souvenir shops and restaurants, capturing the magic of days gone by for visitors.

Another fascinating road is Dibuk Road, running parallel with Talang Road and leading to Yaowarat Road. Start by strolling west down Dibuk Road, then at Sii Yaek Siam (Siam Intersection) turn left into Yaowarat Road, which still retains the real ambiance of Old Phuket-something visitors should not miss. Hang out in the restaurants along the road and soak up what life was like here all those years ago.

On Krabi Road is a beautifully-preserved Sino-Portuguese mansion, Chin Pracha House, operated as a private museum by the owner, Pracha Thantawanit. Architectural features include doors gilded and carved with bird-and-flower motifs and evocative Chinese character paintings (Chim Chae). Inside, apart from the decor and furnishings is an exhibition of black-and-white photos dating to Phuket Town's tin-mining heydays. Open daily, admission is only 100 Baht. For more information call 0 7621 1167.

A tour of Old Phuket Town is a trip back in time, to an era when tourism was the last thing on Phuket's mind.

Phuket Liveaboard Destinations - Favourite National Marine Park

Favourite National Marine Park

Comprising nine granite islands covered in tropical jungle, washed by a clear blue tropical ocean and blessed with fine beaches, the Similan Islands provide the most beautiful and diverse dive destination in Thailand. Liveaboards to these islands are some of the most popular diving cruises in the world. They lie in a 25 km long north-south chain, 65 km offshore from Phang Nga Province in the Andaman Sea, about 100 km from Phuket. The Similans achieved National Marine Park status in 1982.

The eastern fringes of the islands feature pretty hard coral gardens in the shallows and sloping reef banks down to thirty metres. At some dive sites such as East of Eden, large bommies (coral heads) rise from the sea bed and are blanketed with soft corals, fan corals, and swarms of smaller tropical fish. East coast Similan Islands diving is relatively easy-going, allowing you plenty of time to explore the sites at your own leisurely pace.

The western side of the Similans along with the north and south points can offer more exciting diving as currents swirl around huge sunken granite boulders, which form a series of arches, tunnels and swim-throughs at sites such as Christmas Point and Elephant Head Rock. Growing on, and between, these enormous rocks you find a tapestry of colourful soft corals. In the channels between the boulders, sea fans can grow to some 3 metres across, and in such numbers that you cannot possibly swim through. The contrast between the east and west coasts and the variety of underwater topography is one of the reasons the Similan Islands are so popular - every dive offers you something different.

For underwater photographers and lovers of marine life, then diving in the Similan Islands is difficult to surpass for the variety and abundance of tropical fish. Leopard sharks make appearances on a regular basis and you'll also see whitetip sharks. It's not a 'big fish' paradise, but it's consistently great for sheer diversity of marine life. You may find anything from tiny ghost pipefish to turtles and giant bumphead parrotfish.

Although the tsunami of 2004 did affect a few of the reefs here, most are in excellent condition and many divers in the last season have commented to us that they could not see any reef damage.

• Koh Similan tourist information

Phuket Liveaboard Destinations

Phuket Liveaboard Destinations

Why not join one of our 4 night dive cruises to the Similan Islands? Diving an awesome array of reef formations and underwater landscapes, cruising amongst tropical islands with stunning white beaches, it's not hard to see why Similan liveaboard trips are among the most popular diving adventures in the world.

Excited expectations of diving with manta rays at Koh Bon and chance encounters with whale sharks at Richelieu Rock and Koh Tachai, provide a dramatic complement to Similan cruises and irresistible incentives to most first-timers.

If you're short of time then our southern Thailand liveaboard trips may be just what you are looking for. Deep wall diving at Hin Daeng and Hin Muang offer opportunities to see reef sharks as well as more mantas and whale sharks. These short liveaboards are less crowded and also take in some interesting caverns and the beautiful Phi Phi Islands. There is also a Phi Phi overnight trip which you can book as an add-on to your longer cruise.

For the more adventurous out there, try Burma - the Mergui Archipelago and Burma Banks offer true frontier diving. Leave the crowds far behind and voyage back in time to this wonderous and magical archipelago. Large sharks and rays are often to be expected, but Burma is equally attractive to macro-enthusiasts and experienced divers in search of more elusive marine life such as frogfish, pipefish and nudibranchs, not found so regularly in Thailand.

You can combine any of these destinations for a once-in-a-lifetime diving adventure in this spectacular part of the world.

Reef Ecology Guide Phuket Thailand

Discover Phuket's Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are, without a doubt, one of the true natural treasures of our earth. They are home to an enormous variety of life forms, which is why they are often compared with tropical rainforests. Coral reefs need sunlight and warm water to exist. As a result, we only find coral reefs between the 30th parallels north and south of the equator. The minimum temperature that tropical corals can exist at is 20 degree C.

Coral reefs are a complex system of uncountable micro-living spaces. In addition to the visible plants and animals, there are millions of nearly invisible, microscopic organisms that reside in these micro-caves and crevices inside of the coral blocks. Also, legions of tiny creatures called 'zooplankton' live directly above the reef. These creatures are an essential link in the reef food chain.

The Andaman Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean, hosts a unique variety of marine life. More than 3000 different types of fish and over 500 unique corals have been identified and catalogued to date. According to experts on this region, there still exists a great quantity of undiscovered marine life – a challenge for all underwater photographers to become the first to document and perhaps even name a new species.

Coral reefs are now facing the threat of massive destruction on a global scale. Fishing with dynamite and cyanide, specifically in Indonesia and the Philippines, has destroyed countless reefs already. As a result of global warming, more and more of the phenomenon known as 'coral bleaching' is also occurring. When bleaching takes place, the symbiotic algae in the corals are expelled and the corals become transparent. When this happens, it becomes possible to see through to the white limestone underneath, hence the name 'coral bleaching'. Most of the corals will eventually recover from the bleaching, but if the warmer water temperatures last too long, the corals will be destroyed forever.

A further danger facing coral reef ecosystems is the increase of tourism. Millions of people worldwide spend their leisure time around, on or in the ocean. Many reefs show extensive damage from boat anchoring and pollution. DIVE ASIA is a leading proponent of reef preservation, and has made protection of coral reefs one of our highest priorities. During all of our dive excursions, customers are fully briefed that no touching of any organism is permitted, and diving gloves are not allowed. The collection of any 'souvenirs' under water is also prohibited. During diving courses, one of our primary focuses is continuous buoyancy control. Diving occurs in small groups, under the guidance of a dive professional. Coral reefs need our help if we are to continue to enjoy them.

In this Andaman Sea Reef Guide, we can't possibly present all the fish and coral that inhabit this region. We have limited this guide to marine life forms which are often encountered while diving in the Andaman Sea. As well, we've include some of the special 'regulars' of Phuket - life forms that you can see here more often than in other dive destinations. We've also included some masters of camouflage, which may require a trained eye to recognize.

Phuket Activities Shooting Range

Shooting Range

800 meters from the Chalong traffic circle towards Kata is a shooting range especially designed for those experienced in using hand guns and rifles. Available are hand guns and rifles of varying caliber. All ammunitions used are special range bullets. The cost varies according to the gun models and quantity of bullets spent.

Welcome to Phuket

Phuket

Phuket Island

Blessed by nature and the smiling hospitality of its people, and supported by superb tourism facilities, Phuket is today one of the world’s premier tropical resorts.

Located 867 kilometres south of Bangkok, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island, shaped like an irregular pearl and measuring approximately 21 kilometres long. Connected to the mainland by a causeway, it has a coastline fringed with white sandy beaches and quiet coves, bathed by the clear blue waters of the Andaman Sea and set against a backdrop of green hills, coconut groves and rubber plantations.


Phuket formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and has a rich and colourful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ships’ logs. The Portuguese, Dutch, English and French came to trade during that time.

Phuket’s most famous monument is the memorial statue of the heroines Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Sisunthon, who rallied the islanders in 1785 to repel Burmese invaders.

Blessed by nature and the smiling hospitality of its people, and supported by superb tourism facilities, Phuket is today one of the world’s premier tropical resorts. Palm-fringed beaches, an island-studded sea, superb accommodation, delicious seafood, numerous sporting and leisure opportunities and, of course, year-round sunshine, to conclude the perfect recipe for a truly memorable holiday.