In today’s ‘Facts about Thailand, ‘ we are letting you know more about this beautiful island of Phuket we live in.
The Island  has a long recorded history. A chronicle dating back to A.D. 1025 indicates that the island’s present-day name derives in meaning from the Tamil manikram (crystal mountain) (which is equivalent to the Thai words phu, meaning mountain, and ket, meaning jewel). Many modern tourist brochures often refer to Phuket as the Pearl of the South.
However for most of history, and especially on old European maps, it was known as Jung Ceylon. This is thought to be an English corruption of the cape of Jang Si Lang, which was recorded by a third-century A.D. geographer en route to the Malay peninsular. Most geologists believe that the area known as Phuket today was once a cape that extended into the Andaman Sea before becoming detached from the mainland over time. As a complete aside, the new hotel and shopping complex (opening in 2006) in Patong Beach, Phuket, bears the name Jung Ceylon for historical reasons, no doubt!
Other early accounts sometimes refer to the island as ‘Bukit’ (the Malay word for mountain). King Ramkhamhaeng named the island “Cha Lang” (then the capital city on the island), which evolved to “Thalang”. During the reign of Rama V (1868-1910), the island was officially named Bhuket, and in 1967, the spelling was changed to the present-day Phuket.
Phuket was first inhabited by Negritos, who lived side by side with sea gipsies from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Moken or Chao Lay people of the sea). The Sea Gypsies gathered shellfish as they roamed from cove to cove. Portuguese seafarers arrived in the early 16th century to seek ship masts from the forests and rhinoceros horns for markets in Europe and to buy pitch to caulk their boats. The Portuguese established settlements and their presence is reflected in the Sino-Portuguese architecture in Phuket Town.
In economic terms, Phuket’s history has been shaped by tin mining, rubber, agriculture and tourism.
If you want to visit Phuket or are a step further and even thinking of getting a holiday home here, then contact our sales staff at paradise@royalphuketmarina.com We have a variety of properties for sale but also for rent.
Source: http://www.kophuket.com/phuket/info/phuket-history.html