Phuket has a very rich and varied history which stretches back thousands of years. It was even mentioned in classic literature by the famous Greek philosopher Ptolemy, who remarked that ships on route to the Malay peninsula had to pass Junk Ceylon as it was known in those times. This name can still be seen on old Siam maps today, but has since been eclipsed by the modern day moniker Phuket, which is derived from a Malay word that means hill.