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A bridge to Southern Thailand on the Andaman Sea coast connects
Phuket Island.
Surrounded by 32 smaller islands that form part of Phuket
province. Its size is about 570 square kilometers (widest
point 21.3km, longest 48.7km) and about 70% is mountains.
The highest point of the island is 529m.
You may fly from your home country to Bangkok, the capital
city of Thailand, or to neighboring countries such as Malaysia
or Singapore. A connecting flight to Phuket takes about
1 hour from Bangkok or about 2 hours from Singapore. If
you prefer to come by road, there are several different
types of buses available and traveling time varies between
14 hours via VIP express bus or up to 20 hours via local
buses.
Population
Phuket has a population of 200,000. The main centers of
population are on opposite sides of the island. Phuket Town,
with a population of about 63,000, is located on the East
Side and Patong Beach, whose population varies widely depending
on the time of year, is located on the West Side.
Language
Thai is the official language with a southern accent, of
course, but English is widely spoken in Phuket.
Economy
Tin mining used be the majority of income, however agriculture,
such as rubber, coconuts, cashews and pineapples remains
important to large number of people. Since 1980's, the tourism
industry has become the number one income in Phuket province.
Phuket Province residents enjoy the highest standard of
living in Thailand.
Climate
Phuket has a moist, tropical climate, influenced chiefly
by monsoon winds that vary in direction according to the
season. From March to September, as the sun's rays strike
directly above the equator, the landmass of Asia is heated
more than is the Indian Ocean. This draws moist hot air
from the ocean over Phuket and southern Thailand, bringing
the rains of the southwest monsoon. By mid-April the winds
are mainly from the southwest and are heavy with moisture.
From the middle of December until the beginning of May we
enter the high season for diving in Phuket. Gentle winds
and temperature during this time and no rains produce ideal
diving conditions.
 Transportation
Transportation is available from Phuket International
airport to the major hotels and districts. (Or we can arrange
your airport transfer in advance.) While you are in Phuket,
if you like to drive around by yourself, we have rental
cars and motorcycles. We can arrange chauffeur driven minivans
with onboard television so you can download or playback
your cameras from one activity to the next. If you prefer
other means of transportation, the local version of a small
open taxi is called a Tuk-Tuk and motorcycle taxis are also
available. You just need to negotiate the price before you
ride. The local bus is called a Songthaew. They run every
30 minutes to 1 hour between Phuket town to the main beaches.
 Food
Thai food is a true international cuisine and enjoyed by
a multitude of millions around the world. Thai food in Phuket,
and throughout southern Thailand, is heavily influenced
by the bountiful harvest of fresh seafood from the Andaman
Sea. Seafood served southern style is unique, likely to
be barbecued, and employs numerous herbs and spices, garlic,
lemon grass, chilies, mint, cumin, basil, coriander, and
shrimp paste.
Water
Tap water is not safe for drinking. Drink only bottled water
or from a flask supplied by the hotel. Water provided in
restaurants is safe for drinking, but avoid all shaved or
crushed ice particularly from roadside fruit venders.
Looking
for things to do on off diving day and/or for non-diver friends
and family ? Click
Here for lists of our recommendations. |
