Phuket Old Town

Phuket grew rich on tin. From the 19th century, Hokkien Chinese miners and merchants arrived in large numbers, and unions between Chinese settlers and local women produced the Baba or Peranakan community, with its own dress, cuisine and customs. Under governor Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahitsaraphakdi in the early 20th century, roads were built and trade expanded, and wealthy families built shophouses and mansions in a Sino-Portuguese style shared with Penang, Malacca and Singapore.

As tin declined and tourism moved to the beaches, the old town was neglected for decades. Restoration in recent decades has revived its streets, and in 2015 UNESCO listed Phuket in its Creative Cities Network for gastronomy, recognising the island's mix of Hokkien, Peranakan, Malay and southern Thai cooking.

Phuket Town is a working provincial capital, and the old quarter is still home to many Peranakan and Chinese-Thai families. Their influence is strongest in the food: thick Hokkien noodles with seafood, o-tao oyster and taro omelette, crispy lo-ba pork and shaved-ice desserts are local specialities. Shrines are busy during Chinese festivals, and the island's Vegetarian Festival, rooted in the Chinese community, fills the streets with processions each year.