Phuket is the largest island in Thailand. 48 km long and 21 km wide. It lies off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, and is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to the mainland to the north. Population is about 430,000. The name Phuket is relatively recent having previously been named Jung Ceylon and Thalang.
70 % of Phuket’s area is covered with mountains which stretch from north to south. The highest elevation of the island is 542 meters above sea level in the Kamala hills behind Kathu waterfall. The remaining 30 percent are plains in the central and eastern parts of the island. It has a total of nine brooks and creeks but does not have any major rivers.
The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ships’ logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English traders, but was never colonised by a European power. It formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber and now from tourism.
Khao Sok National Park lies on the mainland north of Phuket. Its area is 739 km2 and it includes the 165 km2 Cheow Lan Lake contained by a Dam. The park is the largest area of virgin forest in southern Thailand and is a remnant of rain forest which is older and more diverse than the Amazon rain forest.
The Similan Islands is an archipelago in the Andaman Sea off the coast of southern Thailand with very clear water. It was established as a National Park in 1982.
Phi Phi Islands lies group between Phuket and Krabi Province, and can be reached from Krabi or from Phuket. The islands feature beaches and clear water. Tourism on the islands exploded since the release of the movie The Beach.