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Patong Beach is the most popular beach resort town in Phuket, with a 3km long beach and an immense choice of hotels, restaurants and shops, and legendary nightlife. If tourists decide to spend the day at the beach, they can rent beach chairs and umbrellas, get a beach massage, try parasailing, or scare themselves by renting a jet ski. Beyond the beach and the nightlife, Patong has a suprisingly wide range of things to do for everyone. There are rooftop bars, night markets, street food, ziplines, cable skiing, cinemas, bowling and huge shopping malls that are much more fun than you think. The Big Buddha statue was built in 2004 as a symbol of hope, spirituality, and shared values for the people. The statue is 45 meters tall and spans 25 meters at the base, and it was built entirely with donations from locals and foreigners. Tourists can visit Big Buddha for free. The site is open to all visitors who are interested in exploring its cultural ad religious importance. The best time to visit is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. There is also a dress code for everyone. Females can not wear a tank top, cropped, see-through clothes, mini-skirts, and shorts. If you are wearing any of this, you have to use a scarf to wear over it and a shawl to cover the waist. The dress code for males is that not wearing a shirt is not allowed. There are plenty of ways to get to the Big Buddha. The roads to the statue are well-maintained and paved so you can expect a smooth drive depending on where you are coming from.

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Blue buses can take you from selected beaches to Phuket Town. The Smart Bus takes you from beach to beach. Taxi maters and Grab taxis are also available. Renting a van with a driver for the day is also a great way to explore the island. Grading a taxi is an excellent alternative to get around the island. Renting a car is another way to explore Phuket and beyond. It's much safer than a bike and can accommodate up to 4 people and some luggage. Always rent from a reputable international company. You can easily book online before arrival and at reasonable prices. They are not more expensive than local companies and come with proper primary insurance and a name you already know. The Phuket Smart Bus goes from beach to beach, from Phuket Airport to Rawai Beach. It's more time-consuming than taxis or Tuk Tuks as it goes from a defined bus stop to bus stop, but it is incredibly cheap and comes with air-con.

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Phuket, city and island, southern Thailand. The island lies in the Andaman Sea, off the west coast of peninsular Thailand. Phuket city, located in the southeastern portion of the island, is a majot port and commercial centre. Its harbour exports tin, rubber, charcoal, lumber, and fish products south to Malaysia and Singapore and north to Myanmar.

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As of November 2024, the island of Phuket in Thailand welcomed approximately 124,500 visitors from Russia. Visitors from India accounted for the second-highest number of arrivals, with over 55,000. Other major groups of foreign arrivals were from China, Germany, and Australia.

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Phang Nga Bay, nestled between Phuket and mainland Thailand, features dramatic limestone cliffs, emerald waters, and hidden lagoons. This UNESCO-protected marine landscape spans over 400 squares km and hosts some of Thailand's most iconic natural wonders. The best time to visit is in November and April because it offers optimal conditions with clear skies and calm seas. The most intimate way to explore hidden lagoons and caves. Professional guides navigate through narrow passages and explain the area's geology and ecology. Koh Phi Phi island is a beautiful spot in Thailand with limestones hills, turquoise lagoons, and the world famous beach at Maya Bay. There are two main islands, Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don, they both have amazing scenery. Leh island is completely uninhabited, while Don island has hotels, restaurants, and more. It's easy to visit the Phi Phi island on a day trip by boat from Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak, or Koh Lanta, and that gives you enough time to see Maya Bay and the other main sights, or you can stay a few days on Phi Phi Don and do even more exploring. The Phi Phi islands are located in the Andaman Sea of Thailand, about 40 km southeast of Phuket, and about the same distance from Krabi. The only way to reach the Phi Phi island is by boat from Phuket or Krabi, and you can use either a ferry or a speedboat to get there. There's no airport in Koh Phi Phi, so the closest place to fly is the international airport in Phuket or the one in Krabi. Both of these have cheap flights from Bangkok. There are two tourist fees you have to pay when you arrive in the Phi Phi islands. At Phi Phi Don island, there's a cash fee of 20 baht per person, which is paid when you first land at the harbor. They collect this from everyone, and it helps pay for daily rubbish removal from the islands. This fee is one time only not a daily fee.

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Phuket, city and island, southern Thailand. The island lies in the Andaman Sea, off the west coast of peninsular Thailand. Phuket city, located in the southeastern portion of the island, is a major port and commercial centre. Its harbour exports tin, rubber, charcoal, lumber, and fish products south to Malaysia and Singapore and north to Myanmar (Burma). Rice and manufactures are imported. The city airport has regular flights to Bangkok, towns of southern Thailand, and George Town, Malaysia.

The island's surface area is mostly level land but is dotted with isolated hills that reach a height of 1,700 feet (520 metres). It was settled as early as the 1st century bce. The island was part of various Tai states from an early time and was incorporated into the Ayutthaya kingdom about the 16th century. After the 18th century, large numbers of Chinese arrived; more than half the population is now Chinese. Called Ujong Salang ("Cape Salang") by Malays, the island has also been known as Tongka, Junk Ceylon, and Jonsalam.

Phuket is noted for its rich tin mines. The ore, found in lowland gravels and on the shallow seafloor, is recovered by river and ocean boat dredges and pumps. The island has also become a major seaside resort. It is reached by bridge from the mainland to the north across a narrow strait. A road links the major settlements of Thalang, Phuket, and Ban Rawai. In December 2004 the island was severely damaged by a large tsunami triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia. Several thousand people, many of them foreign tourists, were killed. Area island, 210 square miles (543 square km). Pop. (2000) city, 66,685; (2018 est.) city, 79,755.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Adam Augustyn.

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Phuket | Location, History, Economy, & Facts

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Phuket, city and island, southern Thailand. The island lies in the Andaman Sea, off the west coast of peninsular Thailand. Phuket city, located in the southeastern portion of the island, is a major port and commercial centre. Its harbour exports tin, rubber, charcoal, lumber, and fish products south to Malaysia and Singapore and north to Myanmar (Burma).