Phuket Information
The Andaman Sea, separated from the Bay of Bengal by the Andaman Nicobar Ridge, is part of the Indian Ocean. Koh Phuket is the largest island in Thailand. There is a vast range of exhilarating dive sites of many different kinds, providing something for everyone, regardless of their qualification levels or scuba experience. Spectacular soft and hard coral abound and the marine life is prolific, ranging from colourful reef dwellers to mantas and sting rays, sharks and pelagic visitors such as barracudas, jacks, tuna and the mighty whale shark. As Phuket is the Mecca of scuba diving in South East Asia with renowned day trip dive sites like Shark Point, Anemone Reef, Koh Phi Phi and the King Cruiser Wreck and liveabord trips to the Similans, Burma, Indonesia and beyond.
History
Phuket is the largest island in Thailand, 540 square kilometers in size. It is a major tourist destination attracting visitors worldwide with in excess of 3 million visitors annually and is located off the South West Coast of Thailand approximately 1 hour by plane south west of Bangkok.The name Phuket comes from the Tamil word, manikram, or Crystal Mountain.
Phuket was a way station on the route between India and China for seafarers to stop for shelter. The island appears to have been part of the Shivite Empire (called the Tam Porn Ling in Thai) that established itself on the Malay Peninsula during the first millennium AD. Later, as Muang Takua-Talang, it was part of the Srivichai and Siri Tahm empires. Governed as the eleventh in a constellation of twelve cities, Phuket’s emblem, by which it was known to others, in those largely pre-literate times, was the dog. During the Sukothai Period, Phuket was associated with Takua Pa, in what is now Phangnga Province, and another area with vast tin reserves. The Dutch established a trading post during the Ayuthaya Period of the 16th century. The islands northern and central regions were governed by the Thais, and the southern and western parts were given over to the tin trade, a concession in the hands of foreigners. After Ayuthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1767, there was a short interregnum in Thailand, ended by King Taksin, who drove out the Burmese and re-unified the country.
The Burmese, however, were anxious to return to the offensive. They outfitted a fleet to raid the southern provinces, and carry off the population to slavery in Burma. This led to Phuket’s most significant historic event. A passing sea captain, Francis Light, sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket were assembled by two heroines, Kunying Jan and her sister, Mook, after a months siege, the Burmese were forced to depart on 13 March, 1785. Kunying Jan and her sister were credited with the successful defense. In recognition, King Rama I bestowed upon Kunying Jan the honorific Thao Thepkrasatri, a title of nobility usually reserved for royalty. Her sister became Thao Srisunthorn. During the 19th century, Chinese immigrants arrived in such numbers to work for the tin mines that the ethnic character of the islands interior became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements remained populated chiefly by Muslim fishermen. In Rama Vs reign, Phuket became the administrative center of a group of tin mining provinces called Monton Phuket, and in 1933, with the change from absolute monarchy to a parliamentary system, the island was established as a province by itself.
Population
Approximately 310000 people live in Phuket and are made up of a wide variety of cultures, which includes Thai, Chinese, Muslim, Indian, Arabic and European. This number however does not include people who work here but are registered in other provinces in Thailand and with seasonal workers and visitors the number can almost double!
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