Xplore Phuket

Thalang is Phuket’s northern district, and its quietest — well away from the busier south. It’s also where most visitors arrive: the Sarasin Bridge crosses from here into Phang Nga on the mainland, and Phuket International Airport sits at Mai Khao, on the north coast. At 252 square kilometres, it’s the largest of the three districts.

Its six sub-districts are surprisingly varied. Three sit along the west coast: Mai Khao, Phuket’s longest beach, where sea turtles come ashore to nest, and Sakhu, home to the protected shores of Sirinat National Park. Choeng Thale (or Cherngtalay), just to the south, is the opposite — it’s built around the Laguna resort complex, with the beach clubs of Bang Tao and the area’s best dining and shopping at Boat Avenue.

On the east coast, Pa Khlok is the departure point for boat trips into Phang Nga Bay, its marinas tucked among the mangroves.

Inland, Si Sunthon holds the Heroines’ Monument and the Thalang National Museum, while Thep Krasattri is home to Wat Phra Thong, famous for its golden Buddha.

If you’re after a calm, relaxing base, this is the part of the island to choose. Accommodation ranges from affordable local resorts to luxury hotels and private pool villas, with everything from roadside food vendors to international restaurants, bars, and beach clubs close at hand.

Kathu is Phuket’s smallest district, sitting on the west of the island and close to its centre — which makes it a handy base for reaching everywhere else. Once the heart of the island’s tin trade, it now runs from quiet residential streets to Phuket’s busiest beach resort. At just 67 square kilometres, it packs a lot of contrast into a small space.

Its three sub-districts could hardly be more different. Kathu itself, the old mining town, is the green, residential heart — home to the Phuket Mining Museum, the Kathu Shrine where the island’s Vegetarian Festival began, Kathu Waterfall, and several of Phuket’s golf courses.

Patong, on the coast, is the opposite: the island’s busiest resort town, packed with hotels, restaurants, shopping, and the nightlife of Bangla Road.

Kamala, just to the north, keeps things calmer — a former Muslim fishing village with a relaxed beach, upmarket resorts, and the long-running Phuket FantaSea show.

Whatever kind of stay you’re after, Kathu has a corner to match — long-term residential stays in Kathu town, the full resort buzz of Patong, or a quieter beach at Kamala. Accommodation ranges from budget rooms and condominiums to beachfront resorts, with the dining, shopping, and nightlife at their busiest along the Patong coast.

Mueang Phuket is the island’s capital district, covering the south — and the most varied of the three. Its 224 square kilometres take in the historic old town, a string of beaches down the west coast, the island’s southernmost cape, busy marinas, and quiet sea gypsy villages.

It also holds the most sub-districts of any district: eight, gathered around the capital, Phuket Town.

Three sub-districts make up the urban heart of Phuket Town: Talat Yai and Talat Nuea form the city centre, with Ratsada wrapping around to the east.

Talat Yai is the Old Town — rows of Sino-Portuguese shophouses now filled with local markets, small bistros serving authentic southern Thai food, and stylish coffee shops.

Ratsada, on the coast, holds the deep-sea port where boats leave for the islands, along with the sea gypsy village on Koh Sirey.

North of town, Koh Kaew (or Ko Kaeo) sub-district is home to Royal Phuket Marina and Boat Lagoon. South of there, Wichit stretches from the edge of town down to Cape Panwa. Near the town, it holds Central Phuket, the island’s largest shopping mall; out at the cape lies a quiet, green headland of luxury hotels, the Phuket Aquarium, and the calm bay of Ao Yon.

The south is where most visitors head. Chalong is the spiritual and seafaring centre — home to Wat Chalong, the island’s most revered temple, and the busy pier where boats set off for the dive sites and islands offshore.

Over on the west coast, Karon runs along the resort beaches of Karon, Kata, and Kata Noi with one of the island’s most famous viewpoints above them, and the Big Buddha on the hilltop behind, reached by the road that climbs up from Chalong.

Right at the island’s tip, Rawai gathers the sunset crowds at Promthep Cape, the quiet sands of Nai Harn beach, a sea gypsy village, and some of the island’s best seafood.

With this much in one district, Mueang Phuket suits almost any kind of trip — exploring the old town, visiting the temples, lazing on the beaches, or watching the sun set over the sea.

Accommodation ranges from boutique stays in the Old Town to beachfront resorts at Karon and Kata and villas around the southern capes, with the island’s deepest mix of restaurants, bars, and markets close at hand.