Sino-Portuguese houses
Colourful facades from the tin era.
Christophe95 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Slleong — CC0 · Christophe95 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Slleong — CC0
Phuket Town's historic heart, away from the beaches, where colourful Sino-Portuguese shophouses built by wealthy tin traders in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries line both sides of the streets. Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads and little Soi Rommanee are the prettiest. The old town tells Phuket's story before tourism: a tin-mining island settled by Siamese, Chinese, Malays and Indians, where the Baba community arose from unions between Chinese miners and local women, with its own culture, cuisine and dress. Many old houses are now cafes, restaurants, small museums and shops. Wandering is free and always possible, best in the morning or late afternoon when it is cooler, and the streets are lit in the evening. Every Sunday evening a walking-street market fills Thalang Road with food stalls, crafts and performances. Note that many Chinese restaurants here are not halal; the town has mosques and halal restaurants for local Muslims. Allow two hours and make it a change of pace from the beach.
Colourful facades from the tin era.
A unique Chinese-Siamese blend.
Stalls and shows on Thalang Road.
Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads, Phuket Town
Yes, for half a day: it is Phuket's cultural side, and its streets are among the island's most photogenic. Sunday evening is the best time because of the market.