Phuket is the largest and best known of all the islands in Thailand. Depending on your taste, Phuket offers either peaceful settings or wild times. This mixture of lifestyles attracts visitors from all over the world.
Phuket is Thailand's largest island and its best example of the benefits and problems of tourism. Huge promotions of Phuket by the TAT and travel agents since Thailand first start attracting international travellers on a large scale in the 1980s have brought in millions. Along with them has come unregulated development, severe environmental degradation, organised crime and a raft of other ugly annoyances.
The so-called pearl of the south is today unrecognisable from just a few decades ago. As property prices soared, many locals sold up to national and international hotels and many of the most beautiful beaches are now host to scores of them, along with restaurants, bars, travel agents, massage parlours and the usual other suspects.

For the budget traveller, the days of grass huts on the beach are largely gone and simple seafood feasts have been replaced by KFC, Starbucks and Pizza Hut. Phuket is an expensive place, with lodging, eating and transport all far costlier than elsewhere in Thailand. You can minimise this by eating on the street and drinking less (or diligently chasing happy hours) but if you really want to spend some time here, you'll need to adjust your budget. Dishes of pad thai for 100B are not unusual here.

And you can't avoid the disgraceful public transport here, where the spineless authorities refuse to crackdown on the tuk tuk mafia, meaning public buses only run between Phuket town and the beaches, but not between beaches. This makes interbeach travel very expensive and a good reason to hire a motorbike or car. It's worth spending a night in historical Phuket town and then heading to one of the low-key beaches where budget spots can still be found. Once you're in the water, who really cares whether they're paying 500B or 50,000B for their bed? Phuket was hit by the Boxing Day Tsunami, with Kamala, Patong, Bang Tao and Naiya the worst hit. Reconstruction in most areas is progressing rapidly.

Location
Phuket is bordered in the north and the east by the province of Phang-nga while the Andaman Sea is to the south and the west. Despite being an island, it is still possible to drive here by using the Sarasin bridge, which links Phang-nga with Phuket.

	Had Patong: Located about fifteen kilometers from town is the nine-kilometer stretch of beach called Patong. The atmosphere here is similar to Pattaya, supplying all different types of entertainment, several ranges of accommodation, swimming, and just about any other activity you could dream of.
	Had Kata: Had Kata is located about seventeen kilometers from town and is comprised of Ao Kata Yai and Ao Kata Noi. There are many different types of coral and rock to be found here. Like Patong, there are several hotels, resorts and restaurants of all different price ranges.
	Kata Noi Beach : This cosy bay is found at the end of a dead-end road, just a few minutes' drive over the hill from Kata beach. There's not much to do in Kata Noi, which is precisely the point of coming here. Relax, take a walk along the soft sands, snorkel or swim. It's long been a popular spot for surfers in the monsoon season of May-October, though swimming can be dangerous during this period. The popular Kata Viewpoint, offering a stunning vista across the three bays of Karon, Kata and Kata Noi, is only a 5-minute drive along a winding road towards Nai Harn.
	Had Karon: Had Karon is located north of Had Kata and bordered by craggy hills. The beach is long and the many pine trees offer shade to keep you cool in the midday sun.
	Had Rawai: Located about seventeen kilometers from town, Had Rawai has beautiful seaside streets and is where many of the islanders live. From here, you can hire boats to Koh He.
	Laem Phrom Thep: Laem Phrom Thep is the best spot on the island to see the sunset. Located only two kilometers from Had Rawai, there are several souvenir shops where you can buy gifts for your loved ones.
	Had Naihan: Had Naihan is next to the Laem Phrom Thep, about eighteen kilometers from town. This is a peaceful area with un-crowded white-sand beaches.
	Had Surin: Had Surin, located twenty-four kilometers from town, has beautiful beaches and scenery, but swimming is forbidden because of the dangerous rip tides. Many visitors rent boats from here to take them to nearby islands like Koh RachaYai, KohTaphao, and Koh Sire.
	Kamala Beach : This well-enclosed bay and fishing village surrounded by forested hills is one of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket. Tranquil and calm, the pretty white sands of Kamala beckon most people by day, but if you're seeking more than sunbathing on a perfect beach, there are other options. Hire a long-tail boat and go snorkeling at the north end of the beach, explore the neighbouring beaches of Laem Sing or Surin, or take an island tour
	Bang Tao : is a study in contrasts, with the luxurious resorts and villas along its 8-kilometre stretch of beach just a few minutes' away from the town of Cherng Talay, where many villagers still make their living as their ancestors did - by fishing, farming and rubber tapping. The northern tip of the beach, so far untouched by development, is still an area where visitors might find that they have the beach to themselves.
	Nai Yang Beach, combined with Mai Khao Beach to the north, is the longest stretch of sandy beach on the island, covering nearly 10 km. It is here that giant sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs every year. At the Songkran festival in April, one of the activities is to release baby turtles to the sea. During the low season (June-October) car must be taken when swimming as there can be an undertow. Visitors should check with the hotel.
	Had Nai Thon, Naithon Beach is one of the last remaining undeveloped spots on the island. Just a lovely beach, shady trees, a few sea food restaurants and a few small hotels and guest houses. Although it is close to the airport, it remains isolated, peaceful, scenic and totally relaxing. Phuket as it was 20 years ago.
	Chalong Bay : Its muddy shoreline makes Chalong unsuitable for swimming, but it's an ideal spot for yacht mooring. Outside of the marinas of Boat Lagoon and Yacht Haven, Chalong is a centre for boating activity in Phuket. Early mornings and late afternoons are the busiest times, where diving and day trip groups are seen being bundled on and off the boats. The Ao Chalong Yacht Club, which organises regular sailing races, makes its base here, and its bar is a favourite spot for sailors to swap stories.
	Cape Panwa : Just a short 10-minute drive from Phuket Town, Cape Panwa is a lesser-known area where rubber and palm plantations still outnumber the resorts, and where Phuket's deep sea port and naval base are found. The roads are quiet, offering the chance to take in the sea views and other sights as you wind around the cape. A major attraction is the Phuket Aquarium at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre.

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By Car
Take Route 4 from Bangkok to the south. Along the way pass the provinces of Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap-Khirikan, and at Chumphon go right to Ranong. From Ranong, go south through Kraburi and Kapoe Districts to Phang-nga Province. In Phang-nga the road passes through Kuraburi, Takuapa, and Thai Muang Districts before reaching the town of Kok Kloy. Then, cross the Thao Thep Kasattri or Sarasin Bridge to Phuket Island. The distance is 867 kilometers.
By Sea
The Deep Sea Port (Port of Phuket) at Puket is visited by both cargo and cruise ship from Thailand and from abroad. Contact your travel agent for information about the many different ships that stop at Phuket.

By Bus
If you come to Phuket overland, the bus connection is the only means of travel, since there is no existing railway connection to the island. The only land connection to the island is a 1200 meters long causeway, used by cars and busses.
The bus ride from Bangkok takes 14 hours or more for the nearly 900 kilometers, leaving there from the Southern Bus Terminal. The fare is around THB 700 to 800. There are also regular mini-bus trips from Singapore and Penang which are reasonably priced.
Both air-conditioned and non air–conditioned buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok daily. Southern Bus Terminal Tel. (02) 4347192, 4345557-8, Phuket Central Company Tel. (02) 4355019, Phuket Travel Tel. (02) 4355018, Phuket Bus Terminal Tel. (076) 211480.

By Air
Thai Airways International operates flights to Phuket Airport daily.
The travel time is 1 hour 20 minutes. Timetable
Bangkok Airways operates flights from Samui to Phuket daily.
The travel time is 50 minutes.
Orient Thai Airlines(One-Two-Go) operates flights from Bangkok to Phuket daily.
The travel time is 1 hour 20 minutes. Timetable

More Infomatin
• Web Board & Gallery Koh Phuket
• Google Earth Thailand Map Koh Phuket
• Get Google Earth
Important numbers
Police emergency: 191
Tourist Police: 0 7742 1281
Tourist Police - Emergency: 1155
Fire Department: 106
Bangkok Hospital: 0 7742 9500
Samui Hospital: 0 7742 1232
Immigration: 0 7742 1069