Phuket town is a wonderfully atmospheric place, with its colonnaded, Sino-Portuguese architecture, its traditional coffee shops and medicine stores and its pleasantly laid back feel.
Phuket town reflects the culture and history of Chinese immigrant labour on Phuket. They first came to the island to work in the tin mines and the interior of the island is now almost exclusively peopled by Thais of Chinese descent. The town itself reflects the prosperity the Chinese created with its elegant architecture. If you also want to get out of the package tour environment on the beaches for a while, Phuket Town is a great place to watch the normal life of southern Thailand go by. Many people choose to stay in Phuket Town. It is entirely different from the beach areas given that it is a functioning Thai provincial capital. It is very peaceful both day and night and there are a good range of hotels and restaurants.
In October Phuket Town hosts the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival when residents purify themselves both by diet but also with mass self-piecing with all kind of objects such as trees, umbrellas and model airplanes made of tin cans. The protagonists walk in procession in the early morning accompanied by the intense din of fire crackers creating huge clouds of acrid smoke.
Things To Do On Phuket
There are plenty of things to do in Phuket, both on and off the beach, including stunning views, health treatments, and the annual Vegetarian Festival.
