Visit Phuket Old Town, come back to the past, enjoy many old houses, come on. First time visiting Phuket Old Town. The real old town is a shabby old house. There were not many people walking around the alleys. There were not as many cafes, restaurants, and hotels as there are now. At that time, Soi Ramanee was still quiet. I heard a story from an old woman who told me that Soi Ramanee used to be a big entertainment area of Phuket.
Now that youre in Phuket, take some photos and relax. There are delicious food and cool cafes where you can sit and sip tea or coffee. Walk around with your loved one.
Phuket Museum
Some people say dont like museums, but thats okay. Its still nice to stop by and take pictures outside, because these two buildings have been important symbols of Phukets old town for a long time.
The two buildings are located on opposite sides of Phang Nga Road. They are now called Phuket Nakara and Peranakan Nithat, together forming the Phuket Museum. They are operated by Museum Siam. The building on the left has a clock tower called Hor Song Muang (Observation Tower). It used to be the Talat Yai Police Station. The building on the opposite side is one of the first branches of Standard Chartered Bank.
The growth of the mining business in Phuket was extraordinary. It was so rich that offshore banking branches were established since the time of Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi (Kosimbi Na Ranong) who was the Governor of Phuket Province, around the time of King Rama V.
Why are the street names in the old city the names of provinces in Thailand?
Why are there many streets in Phuket Old Town that have the same names as other southern provinces, such as Phang Nga Road, Krabi Road, Satun Road, Ranong Road (or even Soi Takua Pa)?
These are all the names of cities included in Phuket Province during the time when Khosimbi Na Ranong was the governor. So when roads were built to build the shophouse market that became the present-day Phuket Old Town, the names of the cities under its administration were used to name the streets. In addition to streets with the same names as the southern provinces, there are also Bangkok Road and Yaowarat Road.
There are also road names named after important people in the early Rattanakosin period, such as Damrong Road, which was named after Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, who had a close relationship with Kosimbi Na Ranong.
On On Hotel
Do you like watching movies? If you have seen the movie The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio, you may have seen this hotel in the movie. The On On Hotel scene is transformed into Khao San Road, even though it was actually filmed in Phuket.
On On is a Hokkien word meaning prosperity, which is a very auspicious word. Built in 1927, this hotel is considered one of the most important symbols of Phuket Old Town.
Soi Ramani
Now many people probably know Soi Ramanee as a walking street, right? This alley is popular with tourists, especially young women who like to dress up and take pictures with the beautiful old pink houses. But if you know the history of this alley during the era when the mining business was booming up until the World War. Soi Ramanee was called Macau.
In addition to opium and gambling, there are also prostitutes from Macau, Japan, and Malay all gathered in the same alley (it is said that there used to be Chinese and Korean women there too!). This area is zoned for grey businesses, and these types of businesses are forced to be located only on Soi Ramani and Bangkok Road.
But that is a story of the past. Because at present, Soi Ramani has become a beautiful and valuable old town. And this alley is also the starting point of the vegetarian festival or Jia Chai, which is an important tradition of Phuket people. It is a result of a major epidemic, just like COVID-19.
See Phuket street art
Many people may not know that Phuket also has street art. These paintings are scattered throughout the old town for tourists to search for and take pictures as souvenirs. Take a good look. The picture above is a street art work by Rakkit Kwanhawet, in which the artist has hidden 12 pictures of his childhood snacks.
Phuket Thai Hua Museum
When tin was in demand for American industries, many Chinese turned to Phuket. Almost all of them were Hokkien immigrants escaping poverty. Some of the tin miners became successful traders, leading to many trading families joining together to form the Phuket Thai Hua Association and supporting the establishment of a Chinese school after many Chinese schools in Phuket had been closed down for political reasons.
The current museum building is the former Thai Hua School.
The museum tells the story of the various families that were the pioneers of Phukets economy. Each family had a different way of life and ran different types of businesses. Some were involved in mining, palm oil, cigarettes, rubber seedlings, and transportation. The museum has compiled the information into an exhibition so that the younger generation can study the era of Phukets various pioneering businesses.
The exhibition helps you understand the culture of the Babay Nyonya Chinese people, and also collects stories about the lives and food of the locals in great detail. For those who are foodies and want to find old restaurants in Phuket, you can come and collect information before going on a food tour from this museum. Its guaranteed to be awesome!
Nguan sun Tong Pharmacy
The old drugstore and the old town always go together. If you come to walk around the old town of Phuket, dont forget to stop by to take a picture at Nguan Sun Tong shop, located on Thalang Road. This drugstore is more than 100 years old. The old people know it as Mae Prik shop. Notice that it now sells Fishermans Friend.
Shrine of the Goddess of Mercy (Hainanese)
Thai people call the name of Goddess Tubtim from two very different Chinese gods, but they believe that Goddess Tubtim is the god of sea travel. One is a real person in history, a god of the Hokkien people before spreading among the Chinese people, including Teochew, Cantonese, and Hainanese. Her full name is Thiang Hou Siea Bo, or shortened to Ma Zhou, or even shorter, A Ma. The other is called Jui Buai Nia (Hainanese call it Tui Buai Teng Niang), which means village at the end of the river.
The Shrine of Goddess Taptim in Phuket Old Town is a shrine built by Hainanese people. The original shrine was located at Suridet Roundabout or Fountain Roundabout near the fresh market. Later, it was moved to Thalang Road and became the Hainan Association of Phuket.
Walk around old houses and ancient mansions
In addition to the Sino-Portuguese shophouses that can be seen along every street, in the old city there are also many large houses called mansions, which are old houses such as Phra Phithak Chinpracha Mansion (alongside Chinpracha House), Luang Amnat Nararak mansions, and Thawornwongwong Family mansions.
The old Town at Night
When the sun sets, the lights shine brightly, making the old town at night full of color. The streets are almost car-free, inviting you to leave your hotel and wander along the main street, maybe sneak into a pub or bar, so that the night wont be too quiet.
