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During the month of May, it will rain an average of 25
days making it one of the wettest months of the year. When the tilt of the earth brings
the direct sun rays south of the equator, the heating of the Indian Ocean draws the cooler
dry air of the northeast monsoon from the highlands of Asia across the countries of South
and Southeast Asia. By October the direction of the wind will have shifted to the
northeast and Phuket will experience another intense but briefer wet period as the
northeast monsoon sweeps down the east coast of Thailand and moves back into the Indian
Ocean. By mid November the weather on Phuket will be somewhat cooler and dryer, until
March when the weather becomes perceptively warmer and more humid preceding the onset of
the next monsoon. Visiting Phuket during the monsoon season is not unpleasant because most
days are rain-free except for showers in the afternoon. Phuket averages 2540 mm (or about
100 inches) of rain each year.
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People
Phuket has a population of 200,000. The main centers of
population are on opposite sides of the island. Phuket Town, with a population of about
63,000, is located on the east side and Patong Beach, whose population varies widely
depending on the time of year, is located on the west side.
The residents are Thais who migrated from the mainland,
Chinese who arrived to work the tin mines, Muslims of Malaysian extraction -- many of who
come to work the rubber plantations -- and Chao Nam or sea gypsies -- who may have
occupied the area for a millennium or more.
The Chinese now comprise 35 percent of the island’s
population. They differ from those who settled in Bangkok and many other areas of Thailand
in that they came from the Hokkien region of China, as did those who settled in Singapore
and Malaysia. As elsewhere in Asia, many of the Chinese have made the transition from
providing cheap labor to being merchants. The Chinese have inter-married with native Thais
and have largely been assimilated into Thai culture. Today the descendants of the early
Chinese settlers are responsible for much of the trade and commerce that take place on the
island.
The influence of Indonesian-Malayan culture is still
apparent today in the ethnic makeup, language, art, and religion of the southern Thais.
About 35% of the Thais living on Phuket are Muslims. Concentrated mostly around Surin and
a few other big villages, they work as rice and rubber farmers. In addition to Thai and
Malay languages many also speak ‘Yawi’, an ancient dialect of the Malayan
language.
One of the most interesting groups of people who have
lived on Phuket are the (or Sea Gypsies), traditionally a nomadic peoples who traveled
from cove to cove, staying until the fish and other resources were depleted. They then
moved on, allowing the cove to re-establish its former ecological balance before returning
to repeat the cycle. Their history and cultural lifestyles are hard to trace as they do
not have a written language. Sea gypsies are said to have originated in the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands between India and Burma. They are generally darker skinned and heavier
with curly black hair. They speak their own language and follow their own animistic
religion.
Sea Gypsies consist of three groups. The Mokens still
prefer their ancestral sea nomad-style of living and are commonly found occupying the
islands north of Phuket. The Orung Laut and the Moklens have settled on coastal areas.
There are three Sea Gypsy villages in Phuket. The one located at Rawai is thought to be
the oldest and is visited by busloads of tourists everyday. Another village is located 8km
north of Phuket Town at Sapam Coast, and a third village is located on Siray Island which
is accessible by bridge from Phuket Town.
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The Monarchy
The King, Queen and the Royal Family are genuinely
respected by the Thais. Most homes and businesses, have one or more photographs of the
King or the royal family prominently displayed. Showing any form of disrespect to the
Royal Family will not be appreciated by the Thais and could cause you serious problems. If
you attend a cinema during your stay, when the portrait of the King is shown on the screen
during the national anthem you are expected to rise and remain standing for the duration.
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Social
Customs
Thailand is known as the "Land of Smiles", and
for its tolerance and hospitality. The simple rule is that if you smile people will like
you. A smile is an easy way to say ‘thank you" and can also be used to
‘excuse yourself’ for small inconveniences. A smile is the proper response to
acknowledge the wai or greetings of small children, and with hotel and restaurant staff.
Most of us were raised with the "Golden Rule" and that will work for you as well
in Thailand as it does at home. Nevertheless, we will provide you with a short list of
things that you should know to help you overcome any ‘culture shock’ you may
encounter.
- If you are invited into a Thai home, you are expected to
remove your footwear before entering the door.
- It is considered disrespectful for anyone to put his feet
on the table while sitting. When seated make sure your feet are not pointed at anyone as
this is offensive to Thais.
- Thais regard the head as the highest (purest) part of the
body, so refrain from touching or patting the head in a friendly gesture because it is
considered impolite.
- It is not proper to lose one’s temper or show
exasperation during a misunderstanding. "Jai yen", or a "cool heart"
the Thais believe will solve the problem.
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