phuket is the biggest island of thailand. in the past 40 years,phuket could only be reached by ferry from the mainland. there is now a bridge connecting the island to the mainland . phuket's main sources of income in the past were tin mining and rubber plantations. no one had foreseen that phuket, with its strong chinese influence, indochina architectural influence surrounded by many beautiful beaches, and delicious seafood, would become one of the biggest and most popular tourist destinations for tourists visiting thailand. phuket is about 870 kilometers from bangkok. flying takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes while bus riding takes almost 14 hours. during the past five years, beach roads were built to connect different beaches together. most of the most beautiful beaches are located on the west coast of the island such as patong beach,karon beach,and kata beach. all beacheshave been well developed with modern infrastructure. there are big shopping centers, 5 star hotels, bunggalows and guesthouses for every type of travelers. because of repid development in tourism, phuket is now confronted what many problems such as traffic jams, shortage of water supply, and hih cost of living. phuket has become one of the biggest economic provinces in thailaืd