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Phuket is Thailand's largest island, a idyllic site for the country's premier international beach resorts. Much of the island's charm is that the ocean facing west coast, is lined with a series of bays where white sand beaches span between two rocky points. This makes for a series of relatively intimate places rather than one big unbroken stretch of sand lined with high rise hotels and packed with people.

As befits a mature international resort destination, Phuket has a large variety of sun and surf activities so there's something for just about everyone. Some would argue that Phuket's development as an international destination has made it a little less exotic. While this is certainly true of some places, there's still a lot of local color to be found for those willing to step away from the beach and look for it.

Of course, we can't talk about Phuket without mentioning the tsunami which affected a wide area of the Indian Ocean on 26 December 2004. The big wave affected different beaches to varying degrees. Kata beach was relatively unaffected due to coral reef and "Koh Pu Island", while Karon and Patong's long gentle slope allowed the water to flow several blocks inland and well past the second floor of the buildings nearer the beach. Many businesses in Patong were effectively destroyed.

However, the wave had barely receded when re-building began. Many businesses were able to re-open within 3-4 months, although some hotels took slightly longer. November 2005, just a month shy of one year since the tsunami, things were pretty much back to normal. There are lots  of new shops, hotels and upgraded beachfront's with an array of shiny new tuk-tuks, but other than that, there is very little sign of the event that tragically took so many lives.

Thailand is still the land of smiles though and is welcomming all newcomers and oldtimers, that can never get enough of a good thing...

T-shirts saying : Sars, tsunami, red-shirts, yellow-shirts etc...but Thailand is still growing, financially, socially, infra structure and tourism too!

Facts about Phuket:

• Largest island in Thailand 540 kmฒ
  
  
• Population: 270,438 (2008 about 5mill people visited Phuket)
  
  
• Capital: Phuket City
  
  
• Tourist capital: Patong Town
  
  
• Currency: 100 Satang = 1 Baht   1$=31thb. 1euro=42thb.
  
  
• Evergreen tropical climate
  
  
• Day temperature 28-38C/82-100F
  Night temperature 20-28C/68-82F
• water temperature 27-29C
  
  
• Tourist season November-April with peak at X-mass and New Year (but You are welcome anytime!)
  
  
• 24 beaches with soft white sand on the west coast (especially Kata!)