Monday, February 10, 2025 - Phuket, Thailand

Our day started quite early since it was Superbowl Sunday!  (Actually, it was early Superbowl Monday morning for us).  Our cruise line arranged to have the game broadcast in the theater and served snacks.  The only problem was they served mini-burgers at 6:30a.m.!!!  In fairness, they had some pastries, as well, but it wasn't an actual breakfast.  A bit disappointing, however, the most important item, COFFEE, was readily available.  We had a great time watching the game with other football fans.

When people think of Thailand they often imagine ocean ecstasy and wide, opulent beaches.  The name "Phuket" means mountain of jewels.  When we arrived at this tropical island we found that Phuket offers some of the country's most attractive and dreamily dramatic scenery.   There are photo perfect beaches with sumptuous spas and Thai massages, but there is also the bustling streets of Phuket town, which hums with markets, lively festivals, and an unending stream of whirring scooters darting in, out and around traffic. 

Phuket Province is located in southern Thailand and is the largest province in the country and is the size of Singapore.  Thailand was historically known as Siam but the name was changed to Thailand in 1939.  "Siam" means colored people, while "Thai" means free.  It is the only country in southeast Asia never to be occupied by foreigners!  Phuket, being a large island,  is surrounded by 32 smaller islands.  A half million people live on this island, with a majority of residents practicing Buddhism and 35% of the population being Muslim.  Although most people are Buddhists, the actual number of Mosques outnumber the temples on the island!!!   

Since the island has a large Chinese influence, there are also many Chinese shrines and restaurants around the city.  Seventy percent of the local residents are a mix of Chinese and Thai.  They immigrated from China because of the poor living conditions and were looking for a better life. While the Chinese community is large there are many other ethnicities (including a large number of Russian immigrants) bringing all their traditions and festivals from all over the world to Phuket.  The result is a magnificent tapestry woven together in a beautiful, harmonious way.  The tranquil beaches, with crystal clear water, fantastic classical architecture, the famous Phuket nightlife and the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the Thai people make this island a hot spot for tourists. 

Along with the mix of ethnicities comes a beautiful blend of cultures and traditions.  One practice that caught my attention was the traditional difference between being considered a "woman" or a "lady" in Thailand, with a lady being the more acceptable label. A "lady" never shows emotions in public, whereas a "woman or female" might show her emotions, which is considered lower class.  So, in an effort to communicate emotions, women developed dance as a way of expressing themselves.  Over the years dance has become a beautiful expression of Thai culture and girls start training from a young age.  An outstanding feature of Thai dancers is their graceful beauty and their ability to bend their fingers backward wearing extremely long fingernails.  From a young age, girls train their fingers to bend backward by using a coconut and having their fingers bend backward over it. 

 Thai culture is a very respectful society.  For example, people bow to one another when coming face-to-face.  Pressing hands together at chest level with thumbs bending backward toward the chest is for greeting someone younger, pressed hands with thumbs between lip and nose is for greeting an older person, and pressed hands with thumbs between eyebrows is for greeting a monk or religious person.  

Faith and traditions continue to be an important part of Thai culture.  As we drove through the various villages we noticed tables, chairs, tents, etc. being set up on streets, and when we arrived in Phuket town, as well as Putong Beach, traffic was extremely heavy and backed up due to upcoming festivals and an overload of tourists.  We understand that there are frequent festivals throughout the year in Thailand.  For instance, in February, which is when we visited, there is the desert festival, elephant festival, rose festival, and Surajkund crafts festival, among others.  There is even a Vegetarian Festival! Our guide told us that the Thai New Year, or "Songkran" will be celebrated in mid April.  He told us that the holiday is marked by nationwide water fights, symbolizing the washing away of past misfortunes.  Children, both young and old, start the day by worshiping at the temple, then going home to get their parents, then taking them to the river to wash the feet of their parents.

As we drove through the residential areas we observed very small houses in front of the main house.  Our guide told us these miniature structures were "spirit" houses, designed to protect the residents who lived in the main house.  Although a great majority of residents identify as Buddhists or Muslim, it's interesting that a large number of people combine their traditional beliefs, which include worshipping various gods and goddesses, and animism, the belief that all things have a spiritual essence and are animated or have free will. The goddess of mercy is a major figure in Thailand and statues of her can be found throughout the island.  Another goddess who is very important in Thai culture is Phra Mae Khongkha, who is the goddess of the water.  

A large canal runs through Phuket and our guide explained that it was a very important  aspect of Thai commerce because until recent years there were no roads in the province so the river was really the only way of transporting goods to and from the ocean since 70% of the island is mountainous.  Today, the canal (and the goddess of water) is still important for fisherman who fish for sea bass, butterfly and other fish.  Other popular exports in this area are rainbow lobster, with its multicolored shell, cashew nuts, south sea pearls and pineapple. Since 1970, tourism has become increasingly popular and is now the second most important industry in Thailand.

Our tour today was mainly a drive around much of the island, with a couple of stops for photos, a visit to the Chalong Temple, and a stop for refreshments at the Secret Cliff Restaurant.  We drove by Patong Beach which is a lovely resort town on the west coast of Phuket Island, facing the Andaman Sea.  Its white sandy beaches, swaying palm trees, gentle breeze, and calm water create an idyllic setting and its adjacent streets are lined with cafes, restaurants, and bars.  

We noticed as we drove along the beach that there were pharmacies on nearly every block, cannabis shops, and tattoo and massage parlors everywhere.  Our guide, maybe kidding and maybe not, told us that the pharmacies are for all the people who are sick after a night of hard partying!!!  He told us that there are two types of massage parlors here, vegetarian and non-vegetarian massages.  The non-vegetarian massage is the traditional one and is usually given by conservatively dressed, sometimes older women.  The vegetarian massage is particularly liked by men and given by scantily dressed, attractive young women.  We didn't ask any further questions!

The nightlife is famously raucous and we are told that the beer bars, go-go bars, nightclubs, massage parlors and cabarets overflow into the neon-lit streets.  I was just thankful we visited the town in the relatively quiet of the day and were out of there before evening!!!  Although Phuket is a very lovely town I don't think it would be the place for use to spend any time on our own!!

 

 

After our drive through the crowded, bustling Phuket town, we continued through the countryside and came to our stop for refreshments, the Secret Cliff Restaurant, which had a spectacular view of the busy coastline below.  This was a much nicer way to view the beach without all the traffic and activity. The restaurant patio was roomy with lots of beautiful foliage.  I discovered that my favorite flower, the plumeria, is very similar to the French Penny flower in Thailand.  Our break gave us the opportunity to relax, enjoy a drink and the lovely view and good conversation with our fellow travelers.  

Once back on the bus we headed for the Chalong Temple, which is Phuket's largest and most sacred Buddhist temple.  Once inside the enormous compound we were able to view its renowned shrine which has long been revered for its molded bronze images of three respected monks.  Chalong Temple was built at the beginning of the 19th century and is the largest of Phuket's temples. and the most visited.  Locals and many Thai tourists come to pray and pay respect to the monks who founded the temple.  

The most recent building on the grounds of Chalong is a 197 foot tall building, which Buddhists believe is built with a splinter of bone from Buddha.  The walls and ceilings were decorated with beautiful paintings illustrating the life of Buddha, as well as many golden statues.  There are three stories, and for energetic, mobile people, you can climb to the top floor to get a beautiful view of the entire temple grounds, which are very impressive and boasts of several smaller, but still very ornate temples.

After spending some time exploring the lovely, peaceful temples and grounds we re-boarded our bus and prepared for our lengthy ride back to the ship.  Unfortunately, between street closures along the way and rush hour traffic it took us quite a long time to get back.  However, the positive part of the long drive was that our guide was very knowledgeable about Thailand and was able to share lots of interesting information about his native country. 

It also gave us the opportunity to notice features of the landscape we hadn't noticed before, such as the tremendous amount of wires that are present everywhere above the city streets.  The wires carry electricity and telephone services to the community but the amount of enormous bundles of them can be quite distracting from the views.  As we continued our drive through some of the residential areas our guide was able to point out some of the unique architecture found on the island. The older buildings add a bit of European character to the community.  The iron gates, which dot the streets, resemble ones you might find in Europe, although they are constructed with Thai tin which is mined in the mountains on the island.

 

Thailand is an absolutely delightful country.  There is so much to learn about its people, culture, traditions, and beliefs.  Today, we have only had a brief opportunity to spend time here and enjoy this fascinating place.  Thankfully, we have spent time here in the past and look forward to returning in the future (however, maybe not to the chaotic environment of the beach in Phuket town)!!!