Phuket town

Phuket Town is a central, historical part of Phuket, often unfairly overlooked by foreign tourists, but beloved by locals. Phuket town - and especially Old Town - is full to the brim with personality, which is often lost in the beach areas, hidden underneath the cosmopolitan layer of glitzy hotels and souvenir shops.

Here you’ll find traditional shrines, Buddhist and Chinese temples and Sino-colonial mansions once occupied by Phuket’s tin barons. Alongside them are quaint cafes, boutique hotels and some of the best restaurants on the island.

Phuket town is compact enough to be walkable. Thaland road and soi Romanee with their colorful buildings are especially popular spots for cafe-hopping and shopping. On weekends a section of Thalang road is closing for car traffic to make room for a weekend market.

This is the place to experience authentic local Phuket cuisine as well - an eclectic mix of Thai, Peranakan, Hokkien and Malay influences. Some of the most famous local restaurants include Raya renown for its local Phuket dishes, and Blue Elephant - former governor’s mansion turned into a restaurant and upmarket cooking school. At the same time Phuket town doesn’t lack for international restaurants and bars, modern coffee shops and roasteries.

If we step out (or rather drive out) of the historical center, not far from Phuket town is Central Phuket shopping mall - one of the biggest and most popular on the island, as well as Tesco, Big C, Makro and Index Living Mall. 2 of the biggest international hospitals - Bangkok International Hospital Phuket and Bangkok International Hospital Siriroj are in this area as well.