Phuket Old Town
The pastel Sino-Portuguese fronts of Thalang Road, far from the beaches.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Best time
Late afternoon
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
The old town dates from the late nineteenth century, when tin made the island rich and drew Chinese merchants from the Strait of Malacca. They built arcaded shophouses, narrow and deep, in the Sino-Portuguese style you also find in Penang and Malacca.
Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi Road hold the restored pastel frontages. It is also the one part of the island where you eat local without a beach surcharge: the lunch stalls are open on weekdays.
Getting there
Local bus from Patong to the Phuket Town terminal, about an hour, or a taxi. Everything is on foot from there.
Rules on site
On Sunday evening Thalang Road is pedestrianised for the night market: the best time to come, and the hardest for parking.