Sa Wa Dee Kah!

"Welcome". We at PhuketHotels.com have put together this information more as a primer for first time visitors to Thailand and specifically Phuket; certainly Phuket veterans will already know most of this material. That said, this should get most people off to a good start. If you are looking for more information on Phuket there are any number of good guide books from which to choose. BTW, if you are one of those Phuket veterans and you think we missed something, don't hesitate to drop us an e-mail.

Phuket Overview

With its white sand beaches with a gentle surf that is better suited for swimming than surfing, beautiful clear blue waters with scenic outcrops of rock all just an hour and a half flight from Bangkok, has made Phuket one of the most popular beach resorts in Thailand and fastest growing destinations in S.E. Asia.

That said, Phuket has always been a prosperous island, first with tin mines then rubber plantations and now tourism. To give an idea of how fast Phuket's tourism sector is developing, in 1974 about 15,000 foreign tourists visited. By 2004 that number exploded to nearly 2.5 million.

The largest island in Thailand Phuket is the smallest province in Thailand and the only island in Thailand so designated. Furthermore, the island is divided into three administrative districts, Kathu Thalang and Muang (this may mean little to the average tourist but you will see these districts on postal addresses and it gives an idea which part of the the address is located. (see map)

Nearly all resorts are located on Phuket's west coast with the beaches of Patong, Karon & Kata being the most popular and developed. Most Thais, especially those in Patong, Karon and Kata beach areas work in tourism and are fluent in English and several other European languages. And the Thai people are nothing if not polite, courteous and caring.

Quick travel facts: