I
Patong Beach
f there is one thing that Thailand is
uncontestably famous for, it is the
beauty of its paradisiac beaches. Very
few locations in the world have them
in the way that the country’s biggest island
does. That island is Phuket. Well known
for the amount of tourists it attracts at all
seasons of the year, this southern Thai
province has the ability to make anyone
who’s lucky enough to venture its lands,
fall madly in love with it. Today it bustles
with people, activity and tourism, but
what do we know about Phuket’s history?
It seems that Phuket had always been
a place of interest for foreign eyes, even
as far as almost four hundred years ago.
Back then, English, French and Dutch
explorers and merchants came stumbling
across this paradise of beauty. However,
their attention was not placed on the
potential sunbathing spots or the fresh
coconuts. Back then, the island, which was
known as Jung Ceylon, proved to be a
succulent reserve of tin and attracted large
offers of trade by opportunistic European
nations. The French were the first to yield
the profits, as a ship from the East India
Company left packed with tin in the latter
end of the seventeenth century. King Narai
appointed a French governor in the island
to reduce Anglo-Dutch influence, but
this resulted in a monopoly of the metal.
The French were expelled as the Siamese
Revolution got on its way and this restored
national control of the resources. The
Burmese invaded the island a century later
but were defeated upon a month of their
capture thanks to an army of valiant ladies
put together by Than Phu Ying Chan, who
was then revered and given royal titles for
their heroic efforts.
Today, Phuket has flourished having
put its tin production behind and letting
modern modes of income take over,
mainly rubber plantations and tourism.
This tourism is due to the enticing
beaches which bless the island, all of
which are hard to choose from, especially
since the current government has focused
on giving the beaches back to the people,
getting rid of the businesses that were
encroaching on it.
We start with Patong Beach, which is the
most iconic beach resort in the whole of
Phuket. It attracts large amounts of crowds
due to its signature nightlife, boisterous
atmosphere and infinite beer and dance
bars. Patong is not the place to go to find
peace, quiet or genuine Thai culture as it is
strongly oriented ѽ݅ɑ́ѡ