Phuket Museums

What? There are museums in Phuket? Surely Phuket is a beach resort island.. what could possibly be worth putting in a museum? Well, guess what... Phuket has a long and interesting history. Tourism really only started about 25 years ago and of course now tourism has a massive influence on Phuket and tourism is the most important source of income to Phuket. Thousands of people live in Phuket because of tourism. Thai people come from all over the country to find work here, and of course many foreigners too (like me!) come here to work or retire.

There have been large changes even in the 11 years that I have been here - mostly in terms of infrastructure and the availability of such delights as shopping malls and huge DIY/Home Decor stores. The old history and culture can be a little hard to find under the new layers of modernity, but it's there. Phuket is a big island and there are large areas of quiet farmland covered in rubber plantations or pineapple groves or shrimp farms. You can't see this if you stay at the main beach areas, but if you hire a car and drive around, you suddenly see the old Phuket. Of course people were here before tourists came! Phuket was actually quite rich due to the tin mining industry and rubber industry and fishing and coconuts/palm oil/pineapples/shrimps and the fact that Phuket was an important port. Enough on the history for now... This blog touches on the old side of Phuket quite often. Over the years I have blogged about several museums where people can learn more about Phuket's history.

Phuket Mining Museum



Tin mining played a huge role in Phuket's history and this museum has loads of information and great dioramas relating to the tin mining era as well as geological information and great mock street scenes representing old Phuket. We've been a couple of times, our kids love it, I think it' very well done and entry is cheap - only disadvantage is the location up a hardly-known back road between the Loch Palm golf club and the British international school.

More Information: Phuket Tin Mining Museum

The tin mining industry was based around the Kathu area of Phuket between Phuket Town and Patong. For the last few years, Kathu has had a 3 day street fair with lots of costumes and also tin mining demonstrations.

See: Kathu Street Fair 2011



Thalang National Museum

The Thalang National Museum of Phuket opened in and provides a long historical record of the people of Phuket ranging from indigenous cultures up to the modern era. There's a big section devoted to Phuket's famous Heroines who rallied the people to beat off a Burmese invasion in 1785, an event that is remembered by a festival every March (the Phuket Heroines Festival). This museum is easy enough to find, heading north towards the airport and turn right at the Heroines Monument, the museum is just 100m along the road.

More Information: Thalang National Museum Phuket



(above) - the Phuket Heroines Monument is seen by most tourists coming to Phuket, as it's on the main road from the airport south to most of the beach areas.

Phuket Seashell Museum

Open since 1997, a great collection from Phuket and round the world, shells of all shapes and sizes collected by a local family. I visited for the first time in March 2012, and it's pretty good! Only 200 Baht entry fee.

More Information : Phuket Seashell Museum



Thai Hua School Phuket History Museum

A really interesting (for me!) and well looked after museum, housed in the old Thai Hua School in old Phuket Town. Thai Hua was (and still is) a Chinese-Thai school, with Chinese being taught as a major second language. This was very important 100 years ago with all the Chinese people coming to Phuket. And these days, probably just as important in terms of SE Asia business. The museum is full of displays relating to Phuket history as well as school relics, old photos. Entry 200 Baht. Easy to find on Krabi road, just half a block west of Thalang Road in old town.

More Information: Thai Hua Phuket History Museum



Chinpracha House

And just another block west of Thai Hua you find a couple of old mansions. One of these, called Chinpracha House (or Baan Chinpracha) is also a museum. The owner still lives there (upstairs) but downstairs is a wonderful old house full of photos, old furniture, I love the tiles too. We visited first in 2010 as part of a tour organised by Phuket Heritage Trails. Went back in October 2011 for another visit.

More Information: Chinpracha House in Phuket Town



(above) old family photos at Chinpracha House in Phuket Town.

Phuket Post Office Museum

Just to the east of old Phuket Town is the central post office. There is a new building and next door is the old Phuket post office which houses a small museum that would probably be only of interest to stamp collectors or post office workers! Nevertheless, entry is free and if you are passing by, why not have a look?!

More Information: Phuket Post Office Museum

More Museums in Phuket

There are some oddities in Phuket which I have not blogged yet. In Phuket Town, at least in the old town, just walking around can feel like a museum. Check out old hotels like the On On Hotel or the Thavorn (which has a room full of junk downstairs, which they call a museum) - or the old shops on Thalang Road. Just step into the Old Chinese Herb shop and breathe deeply. Parts of the old town, despite some modern additions, are like a living museum.





(above) The On On Hotel and the Herb shop on Thalang Road (Phuket Town)

Phuket Festivals

Some of the festivals in Phuket are based on old traditions. I guarantee that if you head to a shrine during the Phuket Vegetarian festival you'll feel a sense of timelessness. The chanting, the incense, the music, the clothes.. Is this the 21st century?



(above) Lighting candles at Kathu shrine during the vegetarian festival.

Phuket has way more history and culture than is obvious on the surface. A holiday at the beach in Phuket is nice, but I do recommend a little exploration, and the museums are a good place to start if anyone wants to do more than just eat and get sunburned... also something to do on a rainy day!

Phuket Museums - Google Maps


View Phuket Museums in a larger map

Read More

Por Tor Festival (Hungry Ghost Festival) 2011

Update : Por Tor Festival 2012 was August 31st - September 6th - see Por Tor Festival Phuket 2012.

Phuket has a lot more culture and history than most people realise. This blog has featured many festivals, some are well known throughout Thailand like Songkran or Loy Kratong. And then you have the amazing Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which is celebrated in a few other areas but is centered in Phuket. The vegetarian festival is of Chinese origin. The population of Phuket is about 30% of Thai-Chinese ancestry. Many Chinese came to Phuket in the 19th and early 20th century to set up business or work in the booming tin mining industry, and Chinese beliefs came with them.

The Por Tor festival is held during the 7th Chinese lunar month, so the exact date changes each year. I had never checked out this festival before so was glad of the chance to make a little tour in Phuket Town with Chaya from Phuket Heritage Trails to see some of the festival. We arranged a meeting on Wednesday evening (17th August) in town with several other local residents, bloggers and website owners. After a drink at the very nice Siam Indigo bar in the heart of Old Phuket Town, we headed to the main market on Ranong Road. Unfortunately .. even the local experts sometimes don't know everything.. it turned out that the main event at the market had been the night before! So some of us arranged to meet Chaya again on Friday evening to visit the Por Tor Kong shrine which is the center of the festival. I consoled myself on Wednesday with some street photos ...





Friday evening was great. After being in Phuket more than 11 years, it's nice to find something new. The Por Tor festival is centered around a shrine called Por Tor Kong, it's not far from the big Bang Neow shrine just south of the old town on Phuket Road. The belief is that during the 7th lunar month, the ghosts of ancestors can pass back into their previous earthly realm and visit their former homes. Offerings of food are made and left for the hungry ghosts. Prayers are said to give thanks for the work done by the ancestors in the past. The most common offering is a red turtle cake. The red colour symbolises good luck and the turtle symbolises long life. I went into town with my family, and we met Chaya at the well known Keng Tin bakery where Chinese cakes like mooncakes are made year round. During the Por Tor festival they specialise in making giant red turtles to be used as offerings in the Por Tor Kong shrine which is just a few minutes walk from Keng Tin.







(above) inside Keng Tin, red turtles being made. The local name for these cakes is "Ang Ku". They can be made of flour, or more commonly nowadays from sticky rice, then decorated with sugar coatings and lots of red dye. Messages are written on the turtles such as Good Luck, and they may also bear people's names. The Keng Tin shop has been a family business in Phuket for 4 generations and is an important part of the local community - especially at this time of year! The price to buy one of the biggest turtles - about 2500 Baht!

From the Keng Tin shop, it was a short walk to find Por Tor Kong shrine. Again, a place I had never been to, never even knew it was there! It's down a small side road - one of many small side roads that I have never explored. Not enough hours in the day, not enough days in the week to explore it all! Many houses on the street nearby were also selling Ang Ku or other foods, along with stalls selling clothes, toys and the usual assortment of cr*p that makes your kids say "Oh pleeeaaase Daddy, I want one!". It was rather more crowded that I expected. We took our small turtle to the shrine where it joined many more...



It's a small shrine and it was busy. Candles and incense everywhere. My wife headed inside to join the procession of people heading to the far side of the altar to say a prayer to the god Por Tor Kong who is responsible for releasing (and feeding!) the ghosts. Sometimes as a tourist (and yes, even after living here for this long, do feel like a tourist sometimes!) you feel a bit out of place. In a small shrine filled with people saying prayers, filled with people who have different traditions and beliefs, I just try to keep out of the way (and take photos) - at the same time, it's quite a buzz to just be there.





The festival seems to have changed a bit over the years. Chaya told us that when she was a kid, it was considered bad luck to be outdoors after dark. I have read on websites that children should not be outside after 6pm. Well, the streets around the Por Tor Kong shrine were filled with kids! Our daughter started chatting to a local girl about the same age as her, who explained to her about the festival and helped her burn the paper money in the furnace. The money which I sometimes see referred to as "hell money" is for the ancestors/ghosts.





Having taken one turtle to the shrine as an offering, our kids were each given a small red turtle to take home. I am not quite sure if we were meant to eat these or leave them out for the hungry ghosts.. we chose the latter option. We bought plenty of food from the street stalls near the shrine - street snacks can often be enough for dinner! The festival carries on for another week, so we might head into town again one evening to see more. And now I know about this festival, it will be on the calendar for next year... as far as I can tell from looking at Chinese calendars, the Por Tor festival will start on August 31st 2012. Many thanks again to Chaya from Phuket Heritage Trails - if you want to know about the culture and history of Phuket - contact her!

Map of Phuket Town showing location of Por Tor Kong shrine and Keng Tin :


View Por Tor Festival in a larger map

Read More

Sapan Hin Chinese Shrine

Many times when I take a day off work we just have a very relaxing family day, we don't feel like taking a long drive or a "big day out". We might stay home, just go out for lunch... sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm not a tourist - it's quite normal to chill out at home doing the garden and let the kids play games. Sure sometimes they are very happy to go out, like the trip we took to Splash Jungle recently, or the "adventure" day on mopeds at Koh Yao Noi island. Other days I try to combine relaxation with a chance to take some photos - the Phuket blog needs feeding! So a couple of weeks ago was a "home" day, but in the afternoon, we headed out for some fresh air and a walk. Destination: Sapan Hin, which is a large recreational area, largely built on reclaimed land in the south of Phuket Town, right by the sea. There are often festivals and fairs held here, and its always popular with locals to take a walk, go jogging, sit by the sea.

At Sapan Hin there is a Chinese Shrine facing the sea. The shrine plays an important role in the Phuket Vegetarian Festival - all the street processions during the festival will visit this shrine and there is a huge celebration at Sapan Hin on the last night of the festival.The shrine doesn't look like much from the outside:



Just over the road is the sea. It was low tide when we visited and quite a few people were out digging for shellfish. I hear that Sapan Hin is also a good place for birdspotting, especially good for waders and birds that eat shellfish.



There's some work being done at the shrine now, which I imagine will be ready for the start of the festival (26th September). Somehow, despite being a big fan of the vegetarian festival and a big fan of Chinese shrines, I had never been inside the shrine here at Sapan Hin. So, with the family in tow, we all went to have a look. The caretaker was sitting outside and we found that we knew her - she used to be the school nurse at our kids school! It was clear that this shrine is very well looked after - everything was spotless. The family said some prayers:



The shrine has an outer area covered by a roof where incense can be lit. The ceiling was pretty spectacular, looks like it's been painted recently.



This fella guards the entrance to the shrine. Someone tell me his name please!



Inside, like other shrines, there are several altars, and all are covered with statues of gods of all kinds. A quite amazing selection of faces. I urge people to visit at least one shrine like this when visiting Phuket. You know you're not in Kansas any more when you look at these statues.





And then there's this guy (below) - his name is Ji Gong, a legendary Chinese monk who lived about 800 years ago and helped the poor with his "magic fan". He was also called the "Crazy Monk" Looks a bit mad to be sure!



Sapan Hin shrine will be a lot busier soon - the Phuket Vegetarian Festival starts on September 26th and runs to October 6th (see schedule). The main street processions are every morning starting about 7am from September 29th - October 5th. And the night of 5th October sees a massive night time procession in town and down to Sapan Hin. Always something interesting to see in Phuket Town!

Phuket Chinese Shrines Map


View Phuket Chinese Shrines in a larger map

Read More

Naiharn / Yanui Viewpoint

Not quite sure if this viewpoint has an official name, but it's easy enough to find. Look for the big white wind turbine on the hill by the sea just south of Naiharn Beach. For sure I have been up here quite a few times before, but last week I realised that I had not been for a drive around the Naiharn area for ages. With the sun setting at around 6:45pm in August I decided to head down that way from my work at Karon Beach. Not a long drive, past Kata Beach and then on the coast road passing the After Beach Bar and the well known Karon Viewpoint after which the road drops inland heading towards Naiharn Beach. The roads here are small and there are lots of shortcuts that I don't know. It's easy to drive round in circles, though there are a few street signs. The area inland from Naiharn has become much more developed in the last 6 years. I mean, it's still quiet but there are a lot of new houses, bars, restaurants etc... When you get to Naiharn lagoon, you need to be on ths south side of the lagoon, then 2 minutes up the hill to the wind turbine. Parking is easy on a scooter, less so in a car, not much space up there.



(above) Look for the big wind turbine on the hill near Nai Harn Beach

When I got up there I was very pleased to find someone paragliding. This spot is often used by paragliders and there have been a couple of competitions. More information at www.phuketparagliding.com. So my camera was quickly in action! There were quite a few people up there watching or just enjoying the views, mostly local people. This viewpoint is not promoted as much as Phromthep Cape or the previously mentioned Karon Viewpoint. The guy who was paragliding took off from the hillside that falls steeply down to the waves about 40 meters below. The wind has to be just right, and on this beautiful low season day with a light wind blowing from the west this guy was able to fly.





I don't know how often there are people paragliding. About 15 minutes after I arrived, this guy was packing up so I was lucky to see it. Then I could concentrate on the views! The coastline of Phuket has some great views, all around the island. To the south of this viewpoint you can see Yanui beach, a very small quiet beach which has a few bungalow operations. South of Yanui is Phromthep Cap.. you can't quite see the tip of the cape from this viewpoint. You can also see a small uninhabited island called Koh Mun just off the coast.



And a close up view of Yanui beach. We've not been to Yanui for years. I recall going when our daughter was small and enjoying a drink at a cafe with my parents. We climbed on the rocks and looked for marine life in the rock pools. Yanui beach was battered by the tsunami on December 26th 2004. I know everything is all rebuilt, but if memory serves, we've not stopped there in all that time.



With the paraglider out of the way, a local man was preparing his remote controlled plane for take off as the sun sank towards the sea. And all this time another guy had been quietly playing guitar.





And here's the guy with his remote control. The little yellow plane is out there somewhere. I tried to take a photo with the plane in frame but it zipped past too quickly. You can just about see Naiharn beach in the background behind the guy.



Well, it was a very nice evening. Low season is like this sometimes, you can have days that are as good as any high season day, mixed in with some less-good days! Below - the view looking west from the "wind turbine viewpoint" or whatever it's name is - blue ocean, blue skies. Everyone says "go see the sunset at Cape Phromthep" - yeh, you and 1000 others! Phromthep is very nice, but just about anywhere on the west coast is good for a sunset.



Hills and Views in Phuket - Google Maps


View Phuket Hills and Viewpoints in a larger map

Read More