Phuket province

Phuket (Thai ภูเก็ต ) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga and Krabi, but as Phuket is an island there are no land boundaries.

Geography Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, located in the Andaman Sea. Since the 1980s Phuket has become one of the major tourist attractions of Thailand, and most of the sandy beaches on the western coast of the island have been developed into tourist centers. The island is mostly mountainous with a mountain range in the west of the island from the north to the south. The highest elevation is Mai Tha Sip Song (Twelve Canes), at 529 m. 70% of the island is covered by forest.

History The most significant event in the history of Phuket was the attack by the Burmese after king Taksin had fought them back. Francis Light, a captain passing the island, sent word to the local administration that Burmese forces were preparing for an attack. Kunying Jan, the wife of the recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook then assembled forces. After one month of siege the Burmese had to turn back on March 13, 1785, and the two women became local heroines, receiving the honory names Thao Thep Kasatri and Thao Sri Sunthon from King Rama I.

During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) Phuket became the administrative center of the tin-producing southern provinces. In 1933 the Monton Phuket was dissolved and Phuket became a province by itself.

Demographics 17% of the population are muslim.

Symbols

Administrative divisions

External links

• Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand (http://www.tat.or.th/province/south/phuket/index.htm)
• Golden Jubilee Network province guide (http://kanchanapisek.or.th/cgi-bin/kp8/oncc/province.cgi?prov=s9)