Phuket Old Town

เมืองเก่าภูเก็ต

An old street of Sino-Portuguese arcade buildings dating to the 19th-century tin mining boom, with colorful buildings, Hokkien ancestral halls, and cafés. The Sunday night market and local snacks show another side of Phuket.

Phuket Old Town lies in Phuket Town on the island's southeast side. In the 19th century, the tin mining boom attracted many Hokkien Chinese immigrants, who, together with European merchants, left behind a neighborhood of 'Sino-Portuguese' style arcade buildings. Two-story shophouses in pink, butter yellow, and mint green line Thalang Road, Dibuk Road, Krabi Road, Phang Nga Road, and the Soi Romanee alley. They have arcaded ground floors, and upper floors with shutters and stucco reliefs. Today they are filled with cafés, galleries, and design shops, making them ideal for photos and strolling. Highlights include Soi Romanee (the most photogenic alley), the Phuket Thai Hua Museum (on Chinese immigration history, 200 baht), the Chinpracha mansion, Jui Tui Shrine (the center of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival each October), and the Khao Rang viewpoint on the hilltop. For food, the Old Town is the heart of Phuket's local cuisine: Hokkien noodles (Mee Hokkien), Lock Tien food stalls, old-fashioned coffee at Kopitiam, Phuket's bean-paste pastries, and Ko Ang Seafood. Every Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m., Thalang Road is closed for a walking night market with snacks and handicrafts. Getting there: from Patong, a shared songthaew takes about 45 minutes (30 baht), or Grab costs about 300 baht. Walk within the Old Town. Notes: it is very hot during the day, so visit after 3 p.m. if possible. The Sunday market is crowded. Many shops in the Old Town close on Mondays.

Phuket Old Town

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