Since the early 1980's the tourist business has been Phuket's chief source of income. Hotels, restaurants, tour companies, and souvenir shops are much in evidence on the west coast. However, while the once all-important tin mining has ceased, tourism is by no means the island's only activity. Agriculture remains important to a large number of people and covers by far the largest portion of the island. Principal crops are rubber, coconuts, cashews, and pineapples. Prawn farming has largely taken over the east and south coasts. Pearl farming is also important. Phuket's fishing port is at all times filled. Processing of marine products, mainly fish makes a significant contribution to the economy.

The climate in Phuket

Phuket is located in an area of tropical climate and due to this warm all year. But at the same time it offers a breeze from the ocean to cool down some. The monsoon winds their direction depending on the season.

There is two main seasons in Phuket from April to May the average temperature will range from 27 degrees Celsius to 36 degrees Celsius. There will be very few thunderstorms that cool down the air and give a relief from the heat. In may the rainfalls in average about 25 days. Making this month the wettest month per year.

In September- October it will be very hot to, but during this month it rains frequently that relive from the heat. Most of the rain this time of the year comes during the night and offers nice weather daytime.

Visiting Phuket during the monsoon is not unpleasant, most of the days are rain free except for the showers in the afternoon. Phuket gets an average of 2540 mm of rain per year.

Religion in Phuket

Over 90 percent of Thais follow Theravada Buddhism (a branch of Hinayana Buddhism), and Buddhism is the most powerful force in the nation's culture. In keeping with Buddhist teaching, we are a peace-loving nation.

Muslims are the second-biggest religious group, but there are also Christians, Hindus and other faiths. Tolerance is total, and there is no history of religious conflict.

The Buddha was born Prince Siddhartha Gautama in India during the 6th century BC. He gave up his riches to seek enlightenment, and later he taught others to follow his path.

Buddhism first came to Thailand a few centuries after Buddha's death, and became a dominant force by the Sukhothai era. Statues of the Buddha and murals depicting his previous ten lives can be found throughout Thailand.

Buddhism continues to exert a strong influence on daily life. Senior monks are highly revered. In towns and villages the temple (wat) is the heart of social and religious life. Each wat is a cluster of buildings including a meeting hall, lodging for the monks, an ordination hall, and perhaps a library. The features of each building, and the overall layout, are governed by established principles. The architecture varies between historical periods.

Getting around in Phuket

Phuket is an Island that is only 48 kilometers from south to north and 21 kilometers from east to west. That makes it easy to getting around and se the entire island in 1 day if you so wish. There are many free maps that you can get at the airport, tour agents, hotels and shopping centers. Use these maps to navigate around on your own, the size of the island makes this very easy.

Going from Patong to Phuket town only takes about 20 minutes and in less than an hour you can reach just about any point in the island! The main roads in Phuket are generally in good condition even if there are some road constructions on them at the moment. You can find road signs in both English and Thai this to make navigation easy for every body. The roads are limited in Phuket thanks to the High mountains that is stopping the way. Many times you will be required to drive around the mountain in stead of driving over them.

When you travel in Phuket or other parts of Thailand we recommend that you do drive carefully, the Thais are a kind and smiling people until they get out in the traffic. In the traffic Thais are never willing to let any one else go first, the traffic is more or less with out working rules and regulations. The best thing to do is follow the flow of the traffic and watch your rear mirrors on both sides. The Thais drive pas other cars on both sides and not like the west world on one and same side! The motorbikes they drive on the side that is simplest at the moment to drive on.

If you are passing a road on foot, there is no one that will stop to let you go over the road. Do be very care full even if it is a marked crosswalk. Most of the Thai people do have driving license, but they get it buy going to the police station and asking for one. The knowledge that is needed to get the license is almost non existing! Thanks to this they do not have any trained skills in driving and regulations.

Taking the bus in Phuket

There is a daytime bus service (songthew) to most parts of the island. All the busses run in a loop from Phuket town to the destination and then back to Phuket town again. The bus terminal in Phuket town is at the food market (talad sod) they park along this one way road. If you are planning to go with the bus then all you got to do is locate the right bus (all of them have signs on their destination) and enter the bus.

The buses run until 6 a clock in the evening and start in the morning. This is a much safer way to travel around the island then the Tuk-Tuk is and at the same time very sheep way to travel. You get to see allot from the bus and can stop it at any time to get of!

There are no bus stops in Phuket! All you need to do is go to the road where the bus passes and wave with your hand when it comes. You climb on and the bus continues the trip. You pay either to the driver or to the "money collector" when he comes and the price is around 15-25 THB / person depending on destination.

Social Customs

Thailand is called the "Land of Smiles" and this for a reason. If you travel to Thailand you will notice that a smile can help you in many places. The Thai people will like you direct and accept you if you only smile. The smile can say hello, or thank you or just show that you are pleased and happy.

When children or the hotels staff make a "wai" or a greeting to you, all you need to do is smile back to them. Most of us have golden rules on how to act and what to do, this will work in Thailand to with some small ad on to think about.

• When you come to a Thai home, the expect you to always remove your footwear before entering the house, this rule is also for the temples never enter a temple with footwear on.
• The Thai people say that the lowest part of a human is their feet, their fore you should not put up your feet on a table, neither should you point with your feet at any one or any thing.
• The head is considered as the highest (purest) part of the body, there fore do never touch the head of the Thais since this is considered impolite.

You should never show that you get angry or lose your temper if you have a misunderstanding. It is better to cool down your heart and try to smile back and solve the problem by talking soft and slow.

Phukets night-life

When night falls, a different Phuket emerges. Phuket at night has many faces offering just about any form of entertainment one might desire.

The city of Patong and Phuket town transform themselves into night time neon jungles with street vendors selling their goods, bars blaring all eras of music, nightclubs, cabarets, discos, restaurants and massage parlors.

Take a walk down Soi Bangla in Patong where some of the most beautiful women you will ever see are men. Numerous local clubs have representatives walking around the street carrying cards with descriptions of stage shows that sometimes sounds like they border on the physically impossible.

Festivals in Phuket

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

'Is held from the first through the ninth nights of the ninth Chines lunar month, that is in September or October. It was first celebrated in 1825 when a troop of actors enacted these rites to ward off a plague. Vegetarian food is eaten by participants and white clothes worn during the period of the feast. Self-mutilation is practiced by those whose bodies become the temporary residences of powerful gods. Parades of worshippers brave fireworks while carrying images through the streets; others walk on fire or climb bladed ladders. Participants number in the thousands. The whole forms one of the most bizarre festivals in Thailand.

Loi Krathong Festival

The most picturesque of the Thai festivals is held on the full-moon of the 12th lunar month. Little candle-lit krathongs are launched onto the water as an offering to Mother Water. People apologise for polluting the water and promise to do better in the future.
Loy means to send adrift, and Krathong means: a little basket-like boat containing small flowers and other offerings suitable for the water spirits.

Songkran Festival

Songkran is a Thai traditional New Year which starts on April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. Songkran festival on April 13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old year, April 14 is Wan Nao which is the day after and April 15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok which the New Year begins. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival.

Phuket shopping

Large department stores are located in Phuket town and Patong, and smaller one is in Thalang town; they have a broad range of what is available in Thailand, both imported and domestic.

Tailors have shops everywhere; labor cost is inexpensive so a handmade suit is an attractive purchase. Tailors supply the cloth, or you can select your own from one of the many cloth merchants on Thalang Rd

Don't forget to bargain for the prices, try to get 30-40% discounts as a start and meet the sales personal some where in the middle. If you don't get the price you like just start walk away and many time the tell you come back and offer the price you are willing to pay!

Tel: +66 76 345639
Fax: +66 76 345640
Email: info@thebeachhousephuket.com