Phuket Part I

History of Phuket

 

Early History

Located on the trade routes between India and China, Phuket has been subjected to foreign influences long before many other parts of Thailand. Ships would anchor in the safe harbors of Phuket and wait for the monsoon winds of the northeast that would allow them to proceed to India.

The interior jungle was inhabited by indigenous tribes until they were displaced in the 19th century by tin miners. Coastal areas were inhabited by Chao Leh, sea gypsies who made their living through piracy and fishing for pearls. Although threatened by development, Chao Leh villages can still be found along the coast of Phuket and neighboring islands.

Phuket first became part of a Thai state during the thirteenth century when Thai armies from Sukhothai wrestled control of the island from the Sirivijaya Empire based in Sumatra.

The Battle of Thalang

The most famous moment in the history of Phuket, is when the people of Phuket (then called Thalang), drove out the Burmese invaders who were besieging the island.

In 1785, Phuket was attacked by the Burmese as part of a larger campaign to invade Thailand (then called Siam). The governor's wife, recently deceased, Lady Chan, with his sister Lady Muk, rallied the people and broke the siege in Burma.

Hearing these acts of valor, the king gave honorary titles of these two heroines. Today, their statues can be seen on top of a monument at the roundabout a few kilometers north of Phuket town.

Origin of the Name “Phuket”

The name Phuket is derived from the Malay word bukit, meaning hill. The island was formerly known as Junk Ceylon on European maps, a corruption of Malaysia Tanjung Salang meaning Cape Salang. He later became known as Thalang, named after the main town of the island. The island does not come to be known as Phuket until very late in its history, when the administrative center was moved to a mining town in the center of the island called Phuket.

Tourism

Tourism on the island began in the 1970s with the first beach bungalows at Patong beach. Meanwhile, Phuket was a haven for backpackers. Phuket idyllic beaches and clear warm waters attracted travelers from around the world to the island. This was facilitated by the construction of an airport in the 1970s.

Today, tourism is by far the largest industry of the island with more than 3 million tourists who visit the island annually, making Phuket one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.

to be continue…