Flash floods recently inundated several areas of the island of Phuket in Thailand, one of the country’s major tourist destinations.
About Phuket Island:
It is Thailand's largest island and sits on the Andaman Sea, a marginal sea of the northeastern Indian Ocean.
Located in southern Thailand, it lies off the country's western coast.
It is known as the “Pearl of the Andaman Sea”.
History:
It was settled as early as the 1st century BCE.
Located on trading routes between India and China, Phuket was subjected to foreign influences long before many other parts of Thailand.
Phuket first became part of a Thai state during the thirteenth century when Thai armies from Sukhothai wrestled control of the island from the Sirivijaya Empire based in Sumatra.
Phuket is first mentioned as a major source of tin in the sixteenth century when the island became an important source of revenue for the Thai kingdom at Ayutthaya, as well as an important trading post.
It was also during this period that the first Europeans arrived on Phuket.
Due to Phuket's abundant supply of tin and its importance as a trading port, the island's economy continued to prosper.
The British secured a tin mining concession and nearly claimed Phuket as part of the British Empire.
The residents of Phuket comprise Thais who have migrated from the mainland, ethnic Chinese, Malays, and Chao Leh or ‘sea-gypsies’ who are the original inhabitants of Phuket.
The island features a hilly and mountainous landscape, with forests and agricultural plantations covering parts of its interior.
It is reached by bridge (Sarasin Bridge) from the mainland to the north across a narrow strait.
Phuket city, located in the southeastern portion of the island, is a major port and commercial centre.
The island has also become a major seaside resort.
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