Walk around exploring Phuket Old Town

Old Town of Phuket

Read Thai Version ภาษาไทย เดินชมเมืองเก่าภูเก็ต


The old town is the area where the tin traders originally founded the town. The tin miners came here to trade their ore and would then go out and spend their hard earned-money in the local shops and vice dens. It is the area around Dibuk Road, Krabi Road, Thalang Road, Ranong Road and Ratsada Road. The buildings in the old town area are more than 100 years old.

Over recent decades, they have allowed the old town area to degenerate. Many of the charming walkthrough archways had been blocked or bricked up and the ornate doorways fell into disrepair. More recently, the local authorities have started to realise what a treasure they were losing and they are regenerating the area. The archways have been opened-up, buildings restored and overhead wires buried with more work soon to come.



A walk around the old town area is full of interest and an opportunity to admire the Sino-Portuguese architecture.

Sino-Portuguese Architecture

The architecture of the buildings around the old town area is usually described as Sino-Portuguese. That is a mixture of Chinese and European influences.

The buildings are mostly shop houses, three or four stories high. They have a ground floor shop where the family can run their business with living space behind and on the floors above. Many of the buildings are very narrow measuring only 5 meters wide but they can stretch up to 50 meters back. You can most clearly see the Chinese influence in the ornately decorated doors and windows while the European influence is behind the distinctive walkthrough archways.

The Chinese influence comes from the large number of Chinese migrants who came to work in Phuket's tin mining industry and from the strong trading relationship Phuket formed with Penang. At the time, the island of Penang in Malaysia was the major local trading port and the Chinese dominated its business community. If you go to Penang today, you can see some very similar architecture.

The Portuguese reference is misleading. The Portuguese were among the first western traders to have a presence in Thailand but they had left long before Phuket started to flourish. The European influence is mostly British Colonial style imported from Penang, which was a British colony at the time.

Soi Romanee: This delightful little soi between Thalang Road and Dibuk Road is one of the oldest streets in Phuket Town. It was once home to a variety of vice dens catering to the tin miners. It is now a charming little street full of quaint examples of sino-portuguese architecture. There are several charming little bars here where you can sit and soak up the ambience. The local authorities recently tidied away the overhead power lines, which really does improve the experience.



China Inn Cafe: There are a few examplesof Sino-Portuguese architecturewhere you can go inside and look around. One of the best is China Inn Cafeon Thalang Road near the junction with Yaowarat Road. The owner has done a fabulous job of restoring the building to its former glory and has filled it with antiques and mementos from the old tin mining days. The cafe is in the garden at the back of the building. The food is good but a little expensive. The surroundings are a real throwback in time and the owner does not mind if you just want a quick look around and do not eat.

Mansions: As well as the Sino-Portuguese shop houses, you will also see a few colonial style mansions, often described as Sino-Colonial. Two of the best examples are on Krabi Road. On the corner of Satun Road is the impressive Phra Phitak Chyn Pracha Mansion, named after its original owner, Phra Phitak was a Chinese tin baron. This mansion has now opened the Blue Elephant restaurant. Next door is another colonial mansion open to the public. The owner of Chyn Pracha House allows visitors to look around her residence for a small donation.

Temples
There are several beautiful temples and Chinese shrines around the old town area. For more information on temple etiquette and what happens there, see our Temples page.

Put Jor and Jui Tui shrines:
These two Chinese shrines are next to each other towards the western end of Ranong Road at the junction with Soi Phuthon. These Chinese shrines are Taoist and are dedicated to particular gods.

The Jui Tui shrine is dedicated to the vegetarian god, Kui Wong. It is the center of activities during the Vegetarian Festival. The Put Jor shrine is dedicated to the goddess of mercy. It is 200 years old (although it was rebuilt 100 years ago after a fire) and is the oldest Chinese shrine in Phuket.

The Shrine of the Serene Light:
This is a surprising little discovery just yards from bustling Phang Nga Road but you will not see it from the road. It is up a small alley near the junction with Yaowarat Road. From Yaowarat Road, you walk passed what is probably the best second hand bookshop in Phuket and turn left up the alley with the Chinese flags at the entrance.

A local Chinese family built this shrine in 1889. It has a nice little garden where you can take the weight off your feet for a while and watch the comings and goings. You will see local people paying their respects by lighting candles and josh sticks. Then look inside the shrine which is rammed with religious artifacts.

Sam San Shrine: On Krabi Road, near the junction with Patiphat Road are two more small temples. The one on the road is Khachonrangsah Temple. The more interesting one, set back a little from the road, is Sam San Shrine. This shrine is dedicated to the Goddess of the sea and they hold ceremonies here to bless newly launched boats.

Mangol Nimit Temple: On Dibuk Road is a traditional Thai Buddhist temple. Inside you will find the usual selection of Buddha images and religious artifacts.
Thai Hua Museum
Phuket Thai Hua Museum is on Krabi Road in the old town area. It was originally a Chinese school. It features exhibits about the history of Phuket, particularly concentrating on the role Chinese immigrants played in Phuket's development

Thavorn Hotel Lobby Museum
The Thavorn Hotel is on Ratsada Road. It was built in 1961 and was Phuket's first 5-star hotel. It is looking a little worn these days but still has plenty of character.

In the hotel's lobby is a small museum containing artifacts from Phuket's history. There are all sorts of antiques and paraphernalia from the old tin mining days such as mining implements and opium pipes. One of the centerpieces is a glass case containing two sabers, which the two heroines apparently used to fight the Burmese. Perhaps the most fascinating is the collection of old photos. Entrance is 30 baht.

Downtown Market
The downtown market is the main fresh food market in Phuket. It is on Ranong Road.

The market is a constant hive of activity and never closes. The produce available varies depending on the time of day and the best time to shop is actually early morning from 2am to 6am. This is when many of the local restaurant owners buy their ingredients for the next day's business.

Take a wander around the market and you will see an extraordinary range of local food produce. Take the opportunity to try some of the amazing fresh local fruits. On one side of the road is a side road with an open-air market selling mostly fruit and veg. On the other side of the road is the indoor market where they sell meat, seafood and other produce.



Khao Rang Viewpoint
For a fantastic view across Phuket Town, make your way up Khao Sim Bi Road to the top of Khao Rang (Khao sounds like cow and is the Thai word for hill).

You can see across Phuket Town all the way to the southern coast and islands beyond. There is a small exercise park at the top of the hill.

There are a couple of nice restaurants. Halfway up the hill is Viewpoint Restaurant. The food here is nothing special but the views make up for it. At the top of the hill is the nicer Tung Ka Cafe, again with great views and nestled into the jungle.

Saphan Hin
Saphan Hin is a nice spot for a bit of relaxation or activity if you are up for it. It is a large leisure park created on a land reclamation project built in 1969. In the circle at the entrance to the park is the Tin Mining Monument dedicated to Australian Edward Thomas Miles who brought the first tin dredger to Phuket in 1909.

The large area reclaimed from the sea contains a number of sports and recreational facilities. There is a sports stadium, large swimming pool, Thai boxing stadium, tennis courts, petanque, basketball courts and indoor sports hall.

There are a number of karaoke bar & restaurants and they hold a small fresh food market daily in the central car park. It is also a popular spot for picnics under the trees by the sea. When the tide is out you will see locals foraging the muddy seabed for shellfish.

The area is pleasant to visit during the day but unfortunately it has become a haunt for local motorbike gangs in the evenings. This is usually no problem but there have been occasional outbreaks of violence.

King Rama IX Park
For a break from the bustle and noise of the streets, head to King Rama IX Park, also known as Suan Luang (royal park). You can access the park from Chao Fa Road or Wai-Rat Hong-Yuk Road. It is a large park with a big lake in the middle. It is a popular place for some late afternoon jogging and there are also some exercise classes from 5pm onwards.

You will see the locals playing takraw with great dexterity. It is an Asian game that is basically keepy-uppy with a small rattan ball.

Information from: www.knowphuket.com

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