PHUKET, THAILAND (Port No. 22, 3/21/12)

∙ GEOGRAPHY 101
          ∙ Land Mass/Continent: Phuket is Thailand’s largest island
          ∙ About Phuket: Phuket is one of the 76 provinces of Thailand, to the south
          ∙ Estimated Population: 348,504
          ∙ Distance From Home (San Diego, CA): 8,779 miles
          ∙ The Water That Got Us Here: Adaman Sea


∙ ITS PLACE IN HISTORY/INTERESTING FACTS
          ∙ Currency:  Baht (THB)
          ∙ Official Language:  Thai
          ∙ Local time: 
          ∙ Average annual gross income:  $4,509, per http://www.worldsalaries.org/thailand.shtml
          ∙ On 12/26/04, Phuket and other nearby areas on Thailand’s western coast suffered extensive damage from the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

PATONG BEACH AFTER TSUNAMI

                    ∙ Its epicenter was off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, with a magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3 – the 3rd largest ever recorded (and slightly more intense than the 9.0 EQ near Japan which occurred on 3/11/11)
                    ∙ The EQ caused a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most land masses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,210 people in 14 countries
                    ∙ It was one of the 10 deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, along with the Haiti EQ on 1/12/10 (which killed 316,000)
                    ∙ Indonesia was hardest hit, followed by Sri Lanka, India and Thailand
                    ∙ It prompted a worldwide humanitarian response, with the worldwide community donating more than $14 billion in humanitarian aid
                    ∙ In 12/06, Thailand launched the 1st of 22 U.S.-made tsunami-detection buoys around the Indian Ocean, to serve as a regional warning system
          ∙ There are several coral islands a short boat trip away, to the south, including the Phi Phi Islands, which were destroyed in the tsunami but have been largely restored
          ∙ Fried insects, like grasshoppers and crickets, are popular snacks there - we'll be skipping those!
          ∙ Travel videos:  http://www.youtube.com/user/bestdestination#p/search/4/RYHCDoPSjlw and http://www.youtube.com/user/bestdestination#p/search/5/cYu3nuwpBRc

∙ CLIMATE
          ∙ Phuket has a tropical monsoon climate, with a dry season from November to April
          ∙ Average low for March: 75.7
          ∙ Average high for March: 92.3

∙ HIGHLIGHTS/THINGS TO SEE
          ∙ One of the most popular tourist areas on Phuket is Patong Beach; indeed, there are numerous picturesque beaches there
          ∙ Two Heroines Monument, commerating the women who led the defeat of Burmese invaders
          ∙ Thalang National Museum
          ∙ Phi Phi Island: one of the most beautiful tropical settings in the world (the movie, “The Beach”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was filmed there)

TWO HEROINES MONUMENT