Phuket Town

Phra Pitak Chinpracha Mansion

Unlike many Thai provincial capitals, Phuket Town fairly shines with personality and nowhere more so than its Old Town.

In this historically rich part of town you will find shrines, temples (Buddhist and Chinese), ornate and beautifully preserved 'shophouses', quaint cafés, tiny printing shops, impromptu private and public museums and even a mini ex-red light district.

Phuket Old Town was built on riches reaped from Phuket's tin boom of last century, when the metal was an extremely valuable commodity. In this quarter of the town you will see grandiose Sino-colonial mansions, once occupied by Phuket's tin barons of 100 years' ago.

Phuket Old Town is compact enough to stroll around in. The best time to do this is early in the morning or after the day has lost its heat. There are enough restaurants and cafés to provide you with refreshments so don't bother taking a picnic along!

Sino-colonial Architecture

The China Inn Café & Restaurant

At the heart of Phuket's Old Town is Thalang Road, the commercial centre of Phuket's past. Here, you will find various fascinating shophouses selling such exotic wares as Chinese herbal medicine and handicrafts. One aspect to note about this architecture (so often called 'Sino-Portugese' but in reality 'Sino-colonial') is that the shophouses and residences in this area are many more times longer than they are wide, with residences featuring heavily accented latticework entries.

The cooking and bathing area is at the back of these buildings, open to cooling breezes and each residence has an air shaft that goes up through the centre, ensuring ventilation. Of course these shafts let in rain which is collected in a sort of in-house pond often containing exotic fish. Many old town roads and streets have covered arcades ('noh-kaa-kee') or archways that join shops together and provide cover for passers by. (Read more...)

Naughty but nice

Built during the reign of King Rama II

Just off Thalang Road lies Soi Romani, an interesting little back lane that has an interesting past - this was once a red light district for the many Chinese labourers who came to work the tin mines.

The name of this soi is intriguing as 'romani' is an old-fashioned Thai word, roughly translating to 'naughty with the ladies'. This soi was the first in the area to be renovated.

Historical Festival

Baan Chinpracha

Thalang Road, Soi Romani and nearby Krabi Road play host to a yearly Old Town Cultural Festival every February that celebrates Phuket's ties not only with China but with the 'Baba' (Straits Chinese of Malaysia and Singapore). Locals dress up in traditional 'Yaya' style and there is a nightly history-based son et lumiere show in a nearby mansion.

On Krabi Road stands the Chyn Pracha House - a fine example of architecture from a bygone era and open to the public. Locals call this type of building 'angmor lao', literally meaning 'red hair house'. The term refers to foreigners who were living or had lived in this type of residence.

In the Movies

The On On hotel on Phang Nga Road

The road directly to the north of Thalang Road is Dibuk Road. Here again, Phuket's past is evoked - 'dibuk' being Thai for 'tin'. This road features textile and arts shops and a French restaurant - called the Dibuk. Further south lies Phang Nga Road where you will see an old Phuket establishment, the On On Hotel.

The On On is famous for being famous: many backpackers choose to stay there, in spite of the rather meagre facilities, less-than-cheery staff, gloomy rooms and other, cheaper and brighter alternatives close by. Perhaps people are drawn to it because of its star quality - the hotel featured as a Bangkok flophouse in the movie The Beach.

Other Phuket edifices that have starred in Hollywood are the Phuket Government Buildings on Damrong Road, and the Governor's Residence on Thepkassatri Road, both featured in The Killing Fields. Baan Chinpracha on Krabi Road has also appeared in Heaven and Earth as well as TV's Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Look Closer and You Will See

Shrine of the Serene Light

A few doors up to the west of the On On Hotel is the Shrine of the Serene Light but you will not notice it unless you walk down a short alley to it. This shrine was built in 1889 by a local Chinese family and is relatively little known due to its concealed location.

Further east, where Phang Nga Road meets Thepkassatri Road there is an old vacated bank building facing a police station. The police station was purposely built there after dissatisfied tin mine workers threatened to loot the bank.

Toys, Strong Boxes and Water Guns

Thavorn Museum in Phuket Town

On close by Rassada Road (named after Ratsada Korsimbi Na Ranong, Phuket's forward-thinking governor of 100 years' ago) in the Thavorn Hotel you will find a fascinating collection of miscellaneous memorabilia in its lobby and adjoining ground floor rooms. Here, there are strongboxes, ancient-looking typewriters, antique postboxes and toys as well as photos from past eras to admire.

At the western end of Rassada Road stands a traffic circle with what looks like large green guns mounted on it. This is the Suriyadate Fountain and the water-spouting 'guns' are in fact what used to be extremely powerful water cannons that blasted top soil and rocks away in the tin mining process.

Yes or No?

Jui Tui Shrine during Vegetarian Festival

Carrying on further west and past the now closed-down day market, you will come to the Chinese Jui Tui Shrine. This shrine is where people use bamboo blocks to obtain advice from the shrine's oracle. Ask a 'yes or no' question then throw the blocks gently in the air. If both blocks land on the same side the answer is 'no'. If one lands up and the other down the answer is 'yes'. A small donation to the shrine is appreciated.

Next to the Jui Tui shrine is Pud Jow ('God Talks') Chinese Taoist Temple. Built 200 years ago, it is the oldest of its sort in Phuket. (Read more about temples...)

By now you should have worked up a healthy appetite: no problem - there are so many eateries in this part of town you may have to throw bamboo blocks in the air to decide in which one to eat.