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Phuket (city)

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Phuket is a busy city in Thailand. It sits in the southeast part of Phuket Island. The city is the capital of the Phuket province. It is a long way from Bangkok. The city is 862 km south of that capital city. Many people live in this area. The city municipality has 71,284 people. The whole district has about 252,515 people. The larger metropolitan area has around 430,000 people.

Phuket is one of the oldest cities in Thailand. It was a very important port long ago. It sits on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. This was where Chinese immigrants first landed. The city grew because of tin mining. This industry made the town very wealthy. In 2004, the town became an official city.

Phuket Old Town is a special place to see. It covers an area of 2.7 square kilometers. You can walk through ten different streets there. These include Klang, Phang Nga, and Rassada streets. Other streets are Dee Buk, Krabi, and Thep Kasattri. You can also find Phuket, Yaowarat, Satun, and Soi Rammanee streets. The buildings use a style called Sino-Portuguese. They mix Chinese and European looks. These buildings have special tiles and windows.

Culture is a big part of life in Phuket. Most people there follow the religion of Buddhism. Many tourists visit the beautiful Buddhist temples. You can also find Hindu temples in the city. These temples show statues of Ganesha and Brahma. Phuket is also famous for its delicious food. UNESCO named it a City of Gastronomy in 2015. It was the first city in Southeast Asia to get this title.

Getting around the city is easy for everyone. Many locals and tourists use songthaews to travel. These are small vehicles used for transport. Pink songthaews stop around the Old Town area. Blue songthaews connect the Old Town to beach resorts. Phuket International Airport is northwest of the Old Town. You can catch a bus from the airport every hour. This helps people reach the city quickly.

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