Phuket, a large island in the Indian
Ocean, is 867 kms. from Bangkok. It is the only
island having provincial status, and was a regional
headquarters 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 tin
production, which in Phuket dates back over 500
year. Today, Phuket is the major tourist attraction
of Thailand. 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. |
This
is where stands the cast statue of Luang Por
Cham, who helped the people of Phuket put down
the Angyee, or Chinese Coolie Rebellion, in
1876 during the reign of Rama V. There are also
statues of Luang Por Chaung, and Luang Por Gluam,
abbots of the temple during later times.
A
land reclamation project provided abundant new
land now used for parks and public facilities
at Sapan Hin, located where Phuket Road meets
the sea in Phuket Town. In the circle is the
Tin Mining Monument, shaped like a large drill
bit, dedicated to the memory of Captain Edward
Thomas Miles, the Australian who brought the
first tin dredge to Phuket in 1909.The monument
was built in 1969 on the occasion of the 60th
anniversary of tin dredging in Phuket. A sport
center is located in the park.
Ancient
artifacts from Phuket's long history are on
display, including exhibits detailing the famous
Battle of Thalang involving the Two Heroines,
daily life in Phuket, and the Sea Gipsy culture.
Tel: (076) 311025, 311426. Open daily except
holidays 8.30 am to 4.00 pm. Located just east
of the.Two Heroines Monument on the Pakhlok
Road.
This
temple enshrines a golden Buddha image that
sprang up from beneath the earth long ago. The
story tells of a young boy who tied his buffalo
to what he thought was a post. After doing so,
he fell down in agony and died. The father of
the boy dreamed that the reason his son had
died was for the sin of tying a filthy buffalo
to a sacred object, that what the boy thought
was a post was in reality the golden peak of
the Buddha's conical cap. He told his neighbors
the dream and they all went out to dig up the
statue but had no success. 
