Phuket, a large island in the Indian Ocean, is about 900 km away from Bangkok. It is the only island having provincial status, and was a regional headquarter as well, with a rich and colorful history. Known as the Pearl of the Andaman, it derived much of its former glory and its enormous wealth from the production, which in Phuket dates back over 500 year. Today, Phuket is the major tourist attraction of Thailand with hotels of all price ranges.

The surrounding waters contain much varied marine life, and the town is notable for its Sino-Portuguese architecture. It is a very attractive island for sightseeing, with lovely seashores and forested hillsides. Its population of 1.6 million people ranks sixth among all provinces. Approximately 1.75 million Rai (1 Rai = 1.600 sqm) of the area is forest land. The main occupation here is rice farming. The average income is 14.000 Baht.