Phuket, formerly known as Thalang, one of the southern provinces of Thailand without land boundaries, is connected to mainland Thailand by two bridges.

Praised as “Pearl of the South” by the tourists industry, Phuket is a whirl of colour and cosmopolitanism, where the rich come to play. The 810-sq-km island is Thailand’s largest, wealthiest, most populous and most visited. It features rocky peninsulas, jagged coastal terrain, sandy bays, tropical vegetation and the ubiquitous limestone cliffs.

It is a place to see and be seen, to dine on delicious seafood, scuba in blue seas, sip cocktails on pearly white beaches and retire at night to a leisure resort or dazzling yacht. Daytime beach activities excite tourists while at night the lights come up, the music is pumped and the well-dressed throngs flock to the beach-side bars and hip clubs. It is considered the ultimate paradise, especially if you are looking for glamour and glitz.