History

Phuket has long history since Sukhothai Dynasty. The old Phuket town was at Thalang, a popular trading port for tin with Dutch traders during the 16th century. Thalang was surrounded by Burmese troops who invaded the west coastal area in 1785. Under the leadership of Chan, the widow of the governor, and her sister, Muk, they united local residents and successfully fought and drove the invaders out of Phuket. As a result of such heroic deeds, noble titles were granted to Chan and Muk as Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Si Sunthon respectively. The name of Thalang has been called Lam Takola, Manee Kram, Jung Ceylon, Phukej (means crystal hill) and become Phuket as in nowadays. The most significant event in the history of Phuket was the attack by the Burmese in 1785. Captain Francis Light, a British East India Company captain passing by the island, sent word to the local administration that he had observed Burmese forces preparing to attack. Khunying Jan, the wife of the recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook then assembled what forces they could.

After a month-long siege, the Burmese were forced to retreat March 13, 1785. The two women became local heroines, receiving the honorary titles 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 Monthon Phuket was dissolved and Phuket became a province by itself. Old names of the island include Ko Thalang.

The ocean has always been woeven into Phuket's history Throughout its long history Phuket has always been a lure for peoples from beyond its shores. The earliest known mention of the island comes from the records of Ptolemy, a Greek geographer from the third century A.D. In his Geographia he mentions that when making a trip from Suwannapum to the Malay Peninsula it was necessary to pass the cape of Jang Si Lang. Jang Si Lang is often translated as ‘Junk Ceylon’ and it is by this name that Phuket is known on ancient maps of Thailand.

Thai control of Phuket began when the Sukothai Period began in the 13th century. Phuket became associated with Takua - Pah in what is now Phang Nga province. Despite its small size Phuket became economically important due to its natural reserves of ivory, gems, natural pearls, hides, spices, firewood, caulk for ship hulls, and ambergris - the valuable slime emitted by whales which is used as a cloying agent in Western perfumes. Even then Phuket saw a diverse array of visitors step onto her shores, from Malay pirates to Arabian traders, Tamil merchants, Han dynasty traders and Portuguese explorers. In the 16th century a Dutch trading post was established to harvest the area’s excellent tin resources. Although the northern and eastern areas of the island remained in Thai hands, the western and southern regions were administered by the Dutch.Other nations became interested in Phuket due to the growing importance of tin.

The French began to show great interest in Phuket and one of their number, medical missionary Brother Renée Charbonneau, was appointed governor of Phuket in 1681. The British were also interested in Phuket and the East India Company began to scout Phuket as a possible strategic base to control the Malacca Straits. They sent Captain Francis Light to reconnoiter the island. Although the British eventually chose Penang as their base, Captain Light married a Phuket girl and built a home on the island. His chapter in the history of Phuket was not yet finished.

The two sisters who saved the island from Burmese invaders are legendary After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767 Phuket was briefly in Limbo until King Taksin drove the invaders out and re-unified the kingdom. Not willing to give up without a fight, the Burmese launched a raid by sea against Phuket, intending to capture as many people as possible and carry them off to slavery. Captain Francis Light discovered the Burmese fleet and sent word of the attack to Phuket. Kunying Jan, wife of the recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook rallied the population of the island and led the defense against the invaders. After a month long siege the Burmese departed on March 13th, 1785. In recognition of their decisive action King Rama I awarded Jan with the title of Thao Thep Kasattri (Divine Lord of Kasattri), an honorific usually reserved for royalty. Her sister Mook was given the title Thao Sri Suntorn. Today they are known as the Heroines and are commemorated buy a monument located on Thep Kassattri road.

During the 19th century tin became the most important resource in Phuket and Chinese laborers flocked to the island in huge numbers. The cultural influence of the Chinese came to dominate most of the island’s interior while the southern and coastal areas were made up predominantly of Muslim fishermen. In 1876 two sects of Chinese workers, unhappy with their wages and working conditions, began a bloody rampage of theft and murder across the island. The locals rallied to Wat Chalong, where the head monks gave shelter to the people. The monks, Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang, were reputed to be great healers in possession of supernatural powers. They convinced the miners to end their rampage and brought the uprising to a peaceful end. Statues of the two monks still stand in Wat Chalong and many locals come to the temple to pray to the two heroes for guidance and good luck.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Phuket’s prominence continued to increase and it was declared a monthon and given control of Phang Nga, Krabi, Ranong, Trang, Satun and Takua-Pah. With the beginning of the constitutional monarchy in 1933 Phuket became a province of Thailand and has been ruled by an Interior Ministry-appointed governor ever since.

When tourism first began attracting visitors to Thailand, Phuket was among the first regions to benefit. Not-surprisingly, the beautiful beaches and fantastic scenery in the region turned the island into one of Asia’s most popular destinations. With the construction of an airport, and easy road links, the island blossomed and by the 1980s had become a world renown resort destination. Since the island had hosted foreigners for centuries the infra-structure for tourism rapidly grew into a what it is today – boasting Thailand’s most sophisticated resources for vacationers.

Today Phuket continues its long history of welcoming foreigners as Thailand’s most popular tourist destination. Three million tourists come to Phuket each year, drawn by its white sand beaches, world-class diving and snorkelling and its vibrant nightlife. The property market is both buoyant and lucrative and the standards of hospitality world class. Annually it hosts a world-class regatta, and in addition to catering to tourists, has established a well developed commercial centre from where several international businesses are based.

Even the curious Moken sea gypsies have survived and still eek out a living in a subsistence manner that is hardly diluted by the mayhem of western tourism around them


	Read more about Phuket Island:

Background: Overview, Weather & Climate, History, Geography, Economic, Tsunami
Transportation: Taxis & Rental Cars, Public Transportation, Getting Around more
Things to do: Top Ten Must Do List, Dining, Shopping, Sport & Activities
Things to see: Beaches, Sights, Temples