Old Phuket Town sits inland from the west-coast beaches and is the island's historic core — built on tin-mining wealth in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sino-Portuguese architecture
The town's signature look — narrow shophouses with ornate façades, shuttered windows and covered walkways — reflects the Hokkien Chinese merchants and Portuguese-influenced architecture that shaped the area during the mining boom.
What to do there
- Walk Thalang Road and the surrounding streets, now filled with cafés, galleries and street art
- Visit on a weekend when the Sunday Walking Street market takes over the old quarter
- Try local Phuket-Peranakan dishes distinct from mainland Thai food, a legacy of the town's mixed Chinese-Malay-Thai heritage
Getting there
Old Town is inland, roughly 30–40 minutes from the main west-coast beaches by road — most visitors base themselves at the beach and visit Old Town as a half-day trip.