Old Phuket Town
Phuket
Town fairly shines with personality
and nowhere more so than its Old
Town. In this
historically rich part of town you will find shrines, temples (Buddhist and
Chinese), ornate and beautifully preserved 'shophouses', quaint cafés, tiny
printing shops, impromptu private and public museums and even a mini ex-red
light district.
Phuket Old Town was built on
riches reaped from Phuket's tin boom of last century, when the metal was an
extremely valuable commodity. In this quarter of the town you will see
grandiose Sino-colonial mansions, once occupied by Phuket's tin barons of 100
years' ago. Phuket
Old Town
is compact enough to stroll around in. The best time to do this is early in the
morning or after the day has lost its heat. There are enough restaurants and
cafés to provide you with refreshments so don't bother taking a picnic along!
Phuket plays host to a wonderful mix of nationalities who have
chosen to live here ,there are Thais, Chinese, Malays, Indians and Nepalese, a
young and growing Eurasian community and a unique mix of Hokkien Chinese and
Thais called 'Baba'.
The Baba community's heritage can be seen in Phuket's Old Town
in its architecture, commerce, dress and way of life. The core of the Old Town
essentially is made up of five roads and several 'sois' (small streets), these
are Rasada Rd,
Phang Nga Rd,
Thalang Rd,
Dibuk Rd,
and Krabi Rd.
This quarter teems with history and after years of neglect is currently being
renovated.
One hundred years ago, Thalang
Rd was a hive of activity as tin mine workers
would head there to buy essentials, sell tin ore and indulge themselves in
less-than-exemplary activities. Theirs was a hard life and the comforts of
alcohol, opium, women, and the chance to win some extra cash through gambling
provided a heady contrast to the drudgery of tin prospecting.
There were fewer roads in Phuket in those days and people got
around via a series of canals. As the area was rich in tin, anywhere that
wasn't the absolute centre of 'Tongkah' - as Phuket Town
was known then - was mined. After the tin was extracted buildings were erected
on the debris as the town gradually expanded, leaving the Old Town
as the historical heart of the settlement.
A lot has been written about Phuket Old Town's distinctive architectural style
but it's worth a good look at Phuket's recent history to gain a focused
perspective on why it looks that way. Phuket's strong commercial, educational
and cultural links with Penang resulted in a
direct influence on the settlement. Tin ore was taken to Penang to be smelted
as it was easier than transporting it to Bangkok,
and the children of the rich were sent to school there for the same reason.
Phang Nga Road
Turn right here down Yaowarat
Rd and right again into Phang Nga Rd. On your left you will see
the South Wind secondhand bookstore and just after that an alleyway with
Chinese characters at the entrance.
This leads to the Shrine of the Serene Light. Built in 1889, the
garden is indeed a serene place to rest your legs before exploring the
colourful interior. On the left of the garden is a large polished marble plaque
with the names of the donors who helped set the temple up - along with how much
they donated. On exiting the alley, diagonally opposite, you will see a good
example of imaginative renovation in the form of Siam Indigo, a restaurant that
has taken typical Chinese shophouses and joined them together to create a
spacious eatery which artfully mixes the old with the new.
Less artful but perhaps more atmospheric is the On On Hotel, a few
metres down on the left. The On On is a Phuket institution and played the part
of a Bangkok
flophouse in the movie, 'The Beach'. Despite spartan rooms, questionable toilet
facilities and the grumpiest staff on the island, people keep coming back for
more. Built in Sino-Colonial hotel style, it features a dramatic entrance
archway and the sort of fan-wafted lobby that typifies Hollywood's
idea of the Far East.
Carrying down the road you cannot help but notice shop after shop
selling gardening equipment. Thai businesses tend to operate in clusters but
just why gardening and agricultural hardware vendors have gathered on Phang Nga Rd and
its environs is a mystery.
The old police station
The road is lined with tailors, sweetshops, art galleries and a
business with the enigmatic declaration above its door, 'Individual Travelling
of Accurate Conduct'. Here, we start to see Phuket's undeniable Chinese
heritage in the shape of an old-fashioned cobbler shop, a Chinese noodle shop
and, right at the end of the road, a defunct bank facing a police station.
These are two relics of Phuket's sometimes volatile past.
One hundred years ago, dissatisfied Chinese tin mine workers
threatened to sack the bank and relieve it of its money, so mine owners
insisted on a police station being erected opposite as a guarantee of their
money's security.
Thalang Road and Soi Rommanee
Turn left at the end of this block into Phuket Rd and pass what looks like a
rundown tenement on the opposite side - this is, in fact a hotel of
questionable repute - then turn left into Thalang Rd and head west. You are now
smack-bang in the heart of Phuket's Old
Town on a street teeming
with history and atmosphere. Here, a system of archways begins.
These are
dubbed 'five-footways' and most are linked, affording an easy stroll along the
road out of the sun and the rain but some are blocked and still others are cluttered
with shop merchandise. Still, the mix of colours and uniform design along with
the eclectic blend of commerce makes for an impressive combination.
Soi Romanee Highlights
This area is truly a hidden gem – full of colourful renovated
buildings. And, unlike in most places in Thailand, there are no funny
looking electric or telephone cables hanging here and there anymore. Everything
has been nicely put away underground. Some local families have been living
along this street for generations. Most of them have Chinese backgrounds hence
many houses have cute little red Chinese shrines set high up on the outside
walls to make it easy for them to pray to the deities before entering or
leaving the house. An old accommodation called the Wiboonsinn Hotel that has
been there for decades is still going strong even though there have been some
better looking and more comfortable budget guesthouses opening up over the
years.
At this end of the street there are two roti shops, a Chinese
clinic, along with a shop devoted entirely to the sale of white shirts, a
bicycle shop and the usual sprinkle of textile outlets. Further up on the right
is Soi Rommanee. This back lane has an interesting past - it used to be the red
light, or 'pleasure' district where Chinese labourers would go to let off
steam. In fact, the word 'romanee' translates roughly as 'naughty with the
ladies'. Nowadays the soi is an example of what the area has potential for as
the houses and cafes are colour coded and the street is full of character (a reconditioned
1960's Ford Consul adds a welcome touch).
Back on Thalang Rd,
a big policeman on a little motorbike blows his whistle as he bangs on
illegally parked car roofs. Several shop doors open and sheepishly smiling men
run out, start their car engines, and when the policeman rounds the end of the
road, turn them off and go back indoors again.
China Inn in Phuket
Town
The names of the shops and businesses say it all: Sin & Lee,
Sin Yoo Chang. At number 16, Nguan Choon Tong -'Phuket's Oldest Herbs Shop'
mixes Chinese and Western herbs and supplies many of Phuket's spas. Throughout
this area there's a distinct odour of fresh paint and some of these buildings
are positively gleaming after their renovation. One good example is at 20 Thalang Rd. This
is China Inn, an erstwhile foreign money exchange and remittance agency.
Renovated at great cost, it is now an upscale café and restaurant.
Oddities abound here: PN Sports sells Adidas running shoes, tennis
rackets alongside electric guitars and drum sets; the corner bridal shop has
photos of happy Chinese couples dressed up in their wedding finery with a
picture of a Thai-Western couple in pride of place. Women gaze out of darkened
tailor shops, all the while working ancient Singer sewing machines. For this quarter
of town think noodles, think textiles, think tiny printing shops, think
surprise.
Dibuk Road
Take a right turn out of Thalang Rd and cross over to turn left into Dibuk Rd. This road features some dazzling examples of well-renovated Chinese-style houses and has a wider throughway which handles two-way traffic, unlike the narrow one-way Old Town system. The relative wideness of the road allows for better photographic opportunities. At the end of Dibuk you will come to a T-junction with Satun Rd. Diagonally opposite you is Pheteow noodle shop. This place is crowded every week lunchtime with the many office workers who have discovered just how well Pheteow prepares its dishes.
Krabi Road
Backtrack to Yaowarat
Rd. and head back towards Thalang Rd. At the junction there's a
Chinese open-air garden-like eatery selling slow boiled sweet pork. A very
popular spot, the 'moo hong' is a brisk seller, even among the sweet vendors
along the next soi, Soon Utis Lane.
Even though there are absolutely no customers in sight, the sweet
vendors are laughing and joking amongst themselves - school will be out in ten
minutes' time and they'll be busy enough then. Carry on and turn right into Krabi Rd.
Fifty metres in on the right there's an ancient-looking secondhand
bookstore and after that the Thai
Hua Museum.
Once a Chinese language school, nowadays it is used as a museum and an
exhibition space. This beautiful building is set back from the road in its own
garden. A few shophouses down, an entire shop front is obliterated under
several tons of green coconuts.
Three doors later and you can buy as much watermelon as you want
and after that comes a mixed fruit shop. Next to that is the Old Town Guest
House - this must be the most charming location to base from to explore the
area.
On the
left-hand side of the road is a narrow alleyway that leads to the new downtown
fresh market. Carry on east up Krabi
Rd and cross Satun Rd, still heading east and you will
see a beautiful mansion. This is Phra Phitak Chyn Pracha Mansion, the most celebrated
'angmor-lao' ('red-haired' or 'foreign') residence in Phuket Town.
It's
original owner, Phra Phitak, a Chinese tin baron, was of course far from
being a redhead but he was nevertheless a foreigner, hence these mansions'
moniker. Further up and also on the right there is another beautiful mansion
called the Chyn Pracha house and you can have a look
around this residence for a small donation.
Even
further along and also on the right is the Sam San shrine, built in
1853. Here, ceremonies are held to bless newly launched vessels as the shrine
is dedicated to the Goddess of the sea. A statue of the goddess Matsu was
brought to Phuket from Fujian in China after the
2004 tsunami and this shrine is her 'home'.
On the left-hand side of the road is a narrow alleyway that leads
to the new downtown fresh market. Carry on east up Krabi Rd and cross Satun Rd, still heading east and you will
see a beautiful mansion. This is Phra Phitak Chyn Pracha Mansion,
the most celebrated 'angmor-lao' ('red-haired' or 'foreign') residence in Phuket Town.
It's original owner, Phra Phitak, a Chinese tin baron, was of
course far from being a redhead but he was nevertheless a foreigner, hence
these mansions' moniker. Further up and also on the right there is another
beautiful mansion called the Chyn Pracha house and you can have a look around
this residence for a small donation.
Even further along and also on the right is the Sam San shrine,
built in 1853. Here, ceremonies are held to bless newly launched vessels as the
shrine is dedicated to the Goddess of the sea. A statue of the goddess Matsu
was brought to Phuket from Fujian in China after the
2004 tsunami and this shrine is her 'home'.
Phuket Market
Return towards Yaowarat
Rd towards the alleyway on your right and turn
down it. This leads to an unnamed soi on which you will find a fresh market.
Recently the long-standing fresh market was torn down in order to construct a
two-storey market with a parking underneath and this is where many of the
traders and market stall owners have brought their business during its
construction.
Ranong Road
Take a right turn at the end of this soi at Ranong Rd and walk up to a Y-Junction.
Here, you will find a colourful Chinese shrine called Jui Tui. This shrine is
dedicated to the vegetarian Chinese-Taoist God, Kui Wong In and is the centre
of activities during Phuket's annual Vegetarian Festival.
This is also where people use bamboo blocks to obtain advice from
the shrine's oracle. Ask a 'yes or no' question then throw the blocks gently in
the air. If both blocks land on the same side the answer is 'no'. If one lands
up and the other down the answer is 'yes'. A small donation to the shrine is
appreciated.
Next to the Jui Tui shrine is Pud Jow ('God Talks') Chinese Taoist Temple.
Built 200 years ago and renovated after a fire 100 years ago, it is the oldest
of its sort in Phuket.
amboo blocks to obtain advice from the shrine's oracle. Ask a 'yes
or no' question then throw the blocks gently in the air. If both blocks land on
the same side the answer is 'no'. If one lands up and the other down the answer
is 'yes'. A small donation to the shrine is appreciated.
Next to the Jui Tui shrine is Pud Jow ('God Talks') Chinese Taoist Temple.
Built 200 years ago and renovated after a fire 100 years ago, it is the oldest
of its sort in Phuket.
Phuket
Fountain Circle
Now, simply turn back where you came from and walk past the
fountain at the end of Ranong Rd
and you will find yourself back on Rasada Rd. Walk to the end and you will be
where you started your tour of Phuket's Old Town.
Sorce
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