Asia Travel Guide

Phuket Island in Thailand has grown into one of the most popular travel destination in South East Asia. Phuket has steadily rebuilt much of its infrastructure so that it now holds as much of its previous glamour as before after Tsunami in December of 2004. Beautiful and crystal clear beaches for excellent diving conditions, nightlife with large number of clubs and bars, inexpensive hotels and resorts make Phuket become one of the busiest travel destinations of Thailand and replaced Bali as the most popular holiday island in the region.

Phuket Beaches

Most of the tourists enjoy scuba diving and snorkelling at Phuket beaches. The palm tree lined beaches of Phuket Island, famous in calm, clear waters and crystal white sand of the Andaman Sea. For those with a penchant for sailing, there are dinner cruises to enjoy, sailing lessons in which to enrol and fishing trips on which to embark. The nicest and most popular beaches found on Phuket Island are the beaches at Patong, Kamala, Karon, Kata and Nai Harn.

Shopping in Phuket Island

Shopping is always become the first thing to do when traveling to Thailand. Tourists should not miss out Phuket City and night markets. Shoppers in Phuket will find the whole gamut of traditional Thai crafts and textiles, as well as antiques, clothing and souvenirs. Silk, cotton and custom-made clothing can all be found at attractive prices, as can leather, jewellery and antiques. Patong is heaven to Shopaholics and bargain hunters as they enjoy bargaining for a price that both parties can agree on.

Chatuchak Market Phuket, a weekend market modelled after the famous bazaar in Bangkok, has sprung up along Phang Nga Rd, near the long-haul bus terminal. All kinds of clothing, shoes, knick-knacks, jewellery, live fish, plants and more, plus offerings of fresh and tasty local food, are found in the many stalls lining the market.

Phuket Nightlife

Phuket nightlife is also called Patong nightlife because most Phuket island nightlife venues can be found in Patong beach along the well known Soi Bangla. Large number of beer bars (girlie bars), Go-Go bars, nightclubs, pubs are located along Bangla road in Patong including the very popular Tiger disco and the new Seduction Disco.

Eating out in Phuket

Again, Patong has the highest concentration of restaurants to be found on the island. While Thai food is renowned world-wide for its wonderful flavours and fresh ingredients, Phuket is especially famous for its seafood, and, you don’t have to empty your bank account to enjoy the most sumptuous of dishes.

Restaurants in Phuket cater for every palette with international and world-class Thai cuisine available all over the hottest tourist districts. Fresh seafood is in seemingly endless supply, and most dishes are tailor-made to satisfy tourists—not too spicy without a specific request. Authentic Thai food is easier to find the farther inland you go, where the crowds of tourists give way to legitimate Thai villages and communities.

Phuket Attractions

Phuket’s waterfalls are great places to take a swim or enjoy a picnic. Kathu Waterfall is the farthest inland and offers inviting, cooling pools for a quick dip. Ton Sai is often photographed due to its pools and tall palm trees. The island’s Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre is home of the island’s third waterfall, Bang Pae, and those who venture here are also afforded the opportunity to glimpse one of these rare animals.

Thai Boxing (muay Thai) is one of the Thai traditional sports as famous as football in Europe. Phuket Town, Chalong and Rawai are all home to open training gyms where students learn the ancient martial art form of Thai kick boxing, or Muay Thai, which has increasingly gained world recognition for its highly effective combat style. Its popularity is evident in the droves of spectators that gather every Friday to watch the fights hosted in Phuket Town.

Promthep Cape is one of Phuket’s most photogenic spots, a fact to which the crowds of tourists testify. On-site is a popular merit-making shrine covered in miniature elephants. There’s also a statue erected in honour of a 19th century prince well-known for founding a Thai school of navigation. The cape is a great place to take spectacular photos, especially at sunset when the evening light bathes this southernmost point of the island.

Many tourists seem to keep coming back each year for praying in Thailand. Temple (Wat) in Thailand is one of the most attractive places for tourists. Wat Chalong is the most visited Buddhist temple on Phuket, due largely in part to its unique design and décor, spacious grounds and modern chedi (pagoda). Other well-known temples include Pra Tong, Put Jaw, Jui Tui, Pra Nahng Sahng and Sanjao Sam San. When visiting any temple, locals will appreciate it if you practice proper etiquette—namely covering your legs and shoulders, taking off your shoes and maintaining an air of reverence when inside the sacred buildings.

Jim Thompson, an American who was born Greenville, Delaware, in 1906 practiced architect prior to World War 11, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army, campaigned in Europe, and came to Asia as part of the force that planned to liberate Thailand. However, the war ended before the operation. He arrived in Bangkok a short time later as a military intelligence officer attached to the O.S.S. After leaving the service, he decided to return and live in Thailand permanently.

The hand weaving of silk, a long neglected cottage industry, captured Jim Thompson’s attention, and he devoted himself to reviving the craft. Highly gifted as a designer and textile colorist, he contributed substantially to the industry’s growth and to the worldwide recognition accorded to Thai silk. He gained further known through the construction of this house combining six teak buildings which represented the best of traditional Thai architecture. Most of the houses were at least two centuries old and were easily dismantled and brought to the present site, some from as far away as the old capital of Ayudhya.

In his quest for authenticity, Jim Thompson adhered to the customs of the early builders in most respects. The houses were elevated a full story above the ground, a practical Thai precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season, and the roof tiles were fired in Ayudhya employing a design common centuries ago but rarely used today. The red paint on the outside walls is a preservative commonly found on many old Thai buildings. The chandeliers were electrified as a concession to modern convenience, but even they belong to a past era, having come from 18th and 19th century Bangkok palaces.

All the traditional religious procedures were followed during construction of the house, and on a date in the spring of 1959, decreed as being auspicious by astrologers, Jim Thompson moved in. The house and the art collection soon became such a point of interest that he decided to open it to the public with proceeds donated to Thai charities and to projects directed at the preservation of Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

On March 27th 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared while on a visit to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Not a single clue has turned up in the ensuing years as to what might have happened to him. His famous Thai house, however, remains as a lasting reminder of his creative ability and his deep love of Thailand. In 1976, the Thai Court appointed administrator for the property of Jim Thompson received permission from government ministries of the Kingdom of Thailand to legally establish the James H W Thompson Foundation.

By virtue of its presence and the dictates of its charter the Foundation is committed to the preservation of Thailand’s rich artistic and cultural heritage. The foundation supports a wide variety of research, publication and seminar projects in furtherance of this aim. All these activities require funds, and the James H W Thompson Foundation welcomes any contributions.

Official website: http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com