“PHUKET TOWN”

So we spent the last two days finishing up Thailand … we left the island of Langkawi in Malaysia and headed up the western side of Thailand through the Andaman Sea stopping at Phuket for two days.

Phuket is an interesting area … it is an island attached by a bridge to Thailand. Back in the day it was known as “Phuket Town” … a major tin mining center in the region in the late 1700’s … with demand peaking in the late 1800’s. By 1980 demand collapsed with tin being replaced by plastic … Not sure that turned out to be a great idea🤔 … but restrictions on dredging coast waters … basically shut down the industry.

Rubber was the other staple that was part of the economy that started in the 1900’s with large areas of rain forests cleared to make room for rubber plantations. Thailand is the leading supplier of rubber in the world and Phuket produced 11,300 metric tons in 2023. ( a number not really comprehensible to me ) So rubber production continues today along with agriculture ( coconuts, cashews, rice, pineapples etc ). But the new economic driver … TOURISM ..came into its own by 2000, filling in the gap created by the tin industry.

So for the past 20 years Phuket has gained notoriety as a popular beach destination … thanks … in most part to “Hollywood.”

Phuket has a beautiful rock formations that jut out of the sea … making some spectacular scenery … leave it to Hollywood to find them. So Phuket has become synonymous with Ko Tapu Island ( Means “Stands out of the Sea” ) … better know to those old enough to remember as “James Bond Island” in the film “The Man with the Golden Gun.”

The movie exposed the world for the first time to the beauty of Phuket. As the director Ray Hamilton would later say “We put Phuket on the map.” Gradually air transportation got cheaper and suddenly it became everyone’s “go to” vacation spot. Today tourism dominates the islands’ economy with over 3 million visitors annually.

Phuket … an island of 210 square miles and 11 beautiful beaches connected by the mainland of Thailand.

The “Old Town” still exists and is a popular tourist destination … going back to the days of Tin Mining … numerous restaurants, bars, shops and a lively nightlife. Our visit there was like jumping into a sauna with your clothes on … it was very charming but as you might expect “old town” is old … so no AC and it was HOT. I walked with a washcloth in hand to wipe the sweat and even that did not really help. The killer is the humidity so … no need to shower before you go … you can bathe in your own sweat … just bring the soap.

Today Phuket and its surrounding areas have a population of about 450K. The population is a mix of Thai and Chinese, who migrated here to work the tin mines along with Malaysian Muslins who came to work the rubber plantations. The primary religion is Tao Buddhist.

The Buddha depicts Gautama ( meaning the “enlightened one” ) in a sitting position … 142’ High and 83’ Wide. Made of concrete and covered in a white marble … the largest Buddha in Phuket.

Phuket today is known for its beautiful beaches and relatively inexpensive prices ( at least for Americans ) along with a lively nightlife.

So I am always a sucker for a property or in this case a timeshare. This purchase was made from my last trip in 2016 with my dear friend Joanie … This time I kept my hands in my pockets when it comes to timeshares and property … but I guess from the purchase in 2016 we can say we own a little tiny bit of Phuket. ( Not to sure Tom wants to be included in this “we” stuff … Trying to pay maintainence bills on a property in Thailand is not an easy undertaking ) … and of course they left out that part when they were selling it.

The elephant plays a significant role in Thai culture and you can’t go anywhere without someone selling a souvenir elephant. It is the mascot of Thailand and was part of their national flag. Elephants are considered sacred and have spiritual significance in the Buddhist and Hindu religion.

There are lots of opportunities to visit them, feed them, pet them, ride them or buy a souvenir. Since I had done the “elephant thing” on my last trip … with the scorching hot weather we opted for the cashew factory. An “elephant vs a nut” … “one outside” or “one inside” … So you know what won out …

It turns out there is a lot more involved in growing and harvesting cashews than we ever realized … Very few cashews actually come out of the shell as a whole … so most … about 75% … are waste. ( Thus the higher price for a cashew ) … And the cashews … we are not cashew connoisseurs … but they were the best we ever had … move over Planters ( not that they are anything to write home about ) … but who would think a “fresh cashew” could taste that much better.

So our last stop … of course “indoors” … a Gem Gallery … the size of a full blown department store for jewelry. We have seen a few in our travels .. basically they show you a presentation of all the stones that are mined in the surrounding areas … then you can observe them making jewelry.

An escort was assigned to walk with us in hopes of “guilting us” into buying. We were assigned the “top dog” … the “assistant manger” … But little did the know they picked the wrong 2 Americans. We did not buy any jewelry but we did get to cool off and have some water.

So Phuket was interesting to revisit but the oppressive head did put a damper on things. ( And people think Arizonia is hot. ) The last visit was in November which seems to be a much better time of the year to go. And this time it seemed a little tired … It may be in contrast to how much some of the other areas in Southeast Asia have prospered … and of course COVID didn’t help … Phuket’s economy is driven by tourism so being shut down for almost 3 years would definitely had its impact.

We got out of there spending $120 for some batik umbrellas … they had a small souvenir section at the very end of this jewelry maze where they probably figured if you wont’ buy a ring … just maybe …. as a last ditch effort … they can can get you to a least to buy some souvenirs. That worked … though the umbrellas were actually part of their display. They got their sale and I got some very cool parasols to stimulate my creativity.

Onto our Next Stop … DAYS 122 to 125 … SRI LANKA