The Battle of Thalang
Two heroines defend the island.
Phuket's national museum, near the famous Heroines Monument on the main road, tells the history of the island and its surroundings in southern Thailand from prehistory to modern times, in calm, orderly galleries. Its best-known story is the Battle of Thalang in 1785, when a Burmese army besieged the island and two women, Lady Chan and her sister Mook, led its defence after the governor's death, dressing the women as soldiers to make the army look larger, until the Burmese withdrew after a month. The museum also holds an ancient stone statue of Vishnu found at Takua Pa, and galleries on tin mining and the life of the sea peoples. Foreigners pay about one hundred baht, and it usually opens Wednesday to Sunday from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon. It is air-conditioned and quiet. May to October is the Andaman rainy season, when the sea is rough and boat trips may be cancelled. An hour's stop for history lovers on a rainy day, combined with the nearby Heroines Monument on the way to the airport or the northern beaches.
Two heroines defend the island.
Ancient stone from Takua Pa.
And tin-mining life.
Near the Heroines Monument, Thalang, north-central Phuket
For history lovers and on a rainy day, yes: it is quiet and tells a story most beach visitors never hear. Otherwise it is optional.