Thailand’s largest island, on the Andaman Sea, where a Sino-Portuguese old town and forested hills stand behind a west coast of sheltered bays.
Phuket remains Thailand's most established island destination, shaped by forested hills, Andaman Sea beaches and a layered hospitality culture. Its appeal lies in variety: private villas, lively beach towns, quiet headlands and a gateway to some of Southeast Asia's most beautiful waters.
Phuket lies off Thailand’s southwest coast, joined to the mainland by a short bridge. Its wealth came from tin mining in the nineteenth century, which drew Hokkien Chinese merchants whose shophouses and mansions still give Old Phuket Town its Sino-Portuguese streets, painted façades and Peranakan cooking. The interior is hilly and green, with rubber plantations and rainforest in the Khao Phra Thaeo reserve.
The west coast is a chain of bays separated by headlands. Patong is the busy centre; Kata, Kamala and Surin are quieter; Pansea, Bang Tao and Layan in the north hold many of the island’s finest resorts, with Mai Khao’s long beach beyond. To the east, Phang Nga Bay’s limestone islands and the Phi Phi archipelago are easy days out by boat.
The dry northeast monsoon brings the best weather from November to April: clear skies, calm sea and settled heat. December to February is high season, with the Christmas and New Year weeks the busiest of all. March and April are hotter and quieter, with Songkran, the Thai New Year water festival, marking mid-April.
From May to October the southwest monsoon brings showers, stronger winds and rough water on the west-coast beaches, where red flags are common. The rain usually comes in bursts rather than whole days, the island is greener and hotel rates fall. In autumn the Phuket Vegetarian Festival fills the old town with processions.
The west-coast headlands hold Phuket’s most established resorts. Amanpuri, opened in 1988 on Pansea Beach, was the first Aman; Trisara sits in its own cove on the northern coast; Rosewood Phuket stands on Emerald Bay near Patong; and Anantara Layan Phuket Resort faces the quiet sands of Layan, between Bang Tao and the national park.
LVXVRY books Anantara Layan through Anantara Journeys — at the official hotel rate, with the privileges the programme attaches to the stay. For Amanpuri, Trisara and Rosewood Phuket, LVXVRY advises on villas and dates and arranges the stay directly with the resort, together with boat days in Phang Nga Bay.
Phuket on film
An editorial video feature on YouTube — plus a direct enquiry to LVXVRY for this destination.
Enquiry — Phuket
LVXVRY advises on the houses of this destination and coordinates your reservation directly with the property.
The enquiry opens your e-mail programme — nothing you enter is stored on this page.