Phuket

Phuket is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands off its coast. It lies off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Island is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga Province to the north. The next nearest province is Krabi, to the...

Phuket is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands off its coast. It lies off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Island is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga Province to the north. The next nearest province is Krabi, to the east across Phang Nga Bay.
Phuket Province has an area of 576 square kilometres (222 sq mi), somewhat less than that of Singapore, and is the second-smallest province of Thailand. It formerly derived its wealth from tin and rubber, and enjoys a rich and colorful history. The island was on one of the major trading routes between India and China, and was frequently mentioned in foreign ship logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English traders. The region now derives much of its income from tourism.
In Phuket it is advised not to drink the tap water. Locals, tourists and expatriates alike, use bottled water. If you ask for a glass of water at a restaurant or outlet it is unlikely it will be tap water. However, if you would rather be cautious, use bottled water, which is always available.
Thailand is a very safe place for kids of all ages. The Thai people love children and are quite protective of them, no matter what their nationality. They do like to touch kids, squeezing their arms gently or stroking their hair, especially if your child is blonde, but it is done with the kindest of intentions. However, this can be a bit unnerving for children from the west who aren't used to this kind of attention from strangers.
And here are some tips for kids in Phuket: Splash Jungle Waterpark covers 6,400sqm of land inside the Grand West Sands Villa Phuket on Mai Khao Beach and features numerous waterslides as well as a 335-metre ‘Lazy River’, ‘Boomerango’ rides and a spectacular wave pool, all of which are under the professional supervision of trained lifeguards. There are also various gentle slides and pools for toddlers and small children. Guests at the hotel get free access while tickets for outside guests are not especially expensive.
Rawai Park is part of the Rawai VIP Villas and Kids Park resort, a short distance from the beach in one of the quieter parts of Phuket. Featuring five play areas, it has a shallow play pool with slides and fountains; a roofed outdoor play zone; an air-conditioned indoor playroom with climbing wall, carousel, ball pit and more; a 10m-tall outdoor rope climbing tower and a green zone with mini football field and basketball court.
KidzSole Flying Trapeze is an exciting activity by the beach in Mai Khao, in the grounds of the Micky Monkey Beach Hotel, where you can experience the thrill of flying in a safe and simple way. A smaller version of the famous circus apparatus, the trapeze has a horizontal pole, suspended from two lines, free to swing back and forth with the visitor hanging from it. Needing only a few minutes of very basic instruction, you can go from the ground to swinging around at high speed in next to no time at all.