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SAWASDEE & WELCOME TO PHUKETRESORT.
COM
Herbal
Health Products
Hideaway Spas in Phuket have developed their own range
of herbal products that are used in all their own spas and in other top-class
resorts in Asia. The products were based on centuries of tradition and experience
by studying the herbs used by the Thai monks. They are available at the Hideaway
Spas in Patong, Kata and Bang Tao. Call (66 76) 342-553 for further details.
Batik
Batik is a fabric art well known around Southeast Asia. From stunning complex
patterns drawn on silk saris in India to complicated floral and decorative patterns
seen in Indonesian batik, the custom of making art on fabric is as ancient as
the cultures in the region. Unlike popular batiks from Indonesia, where wood blocks
are used to create uniform patterns, local batiks are free-form: each represents
an effort from the artist who draws a unique design and then paints the figures
onto the cotton. Visit Batik Gallery, 9/10 Visit Road, tel: (66 76) 288-220 .
Pearls
While Japan has traditionally been the Asian center for the cultured pearl industry,
Phuket has, in the past couple decades, become the preferred site in Southeast
Asia for pearl cultivation. Each year, hundreds of these precious items are sent
around the world as a valuable export item as the quality and lustre are in high
demand. Most of the larger jewelers, such as P & C Jewelry in Patong, carry
an exclusive line of pearls, at a fraction of the price charged in Europe or even
Japan. Careful buyers can choose from a wide range of colors and sizes.
Thai Style
Antiques
Phuket has become an international showcase for rare religious
images and unusual furniture from around Southeast Asia. The best collection of
antiques and handicrafts can be found at Thai Style Antiques on the Airport Road.
Tel. (66 76) 215- 980, 238- 960 or Email: antique@loxinfo.co.th
Tailored Clothes
Any visitor to Phuket will notice the numerous tailor
shops on the island.But how does one choose which shop to have a special suit
or dress designed or made? At Mr. Singh's Fashion Gallery in Patong, customers
can select from an international selection of materials; from British cashmeres
to Italian woolens to cool cottons to lustrous silks. The tailors are experts
at helping a client choose a suit or dress design that is both comfortable and
fashionable. A wide selection of catalogue books from the Italian fashion houses
act as a guide for what to order.
Thai
Kite
Ever wanted a kite? Look no further than Thai Kite in Nanai Road,
Patong. It is one of the few places in Thailand that can offer such a wide range
of kites from a simple single-line "toy" kite to the four-line sports
kites. Proprietor Peter will gladly help you decide which one is right for you
and will even give you a few lessons. All kites are individually made from imported
nylon with fibreglass tubing he can also make them from Thai fabrics with bamboo
spas if required. Prices start from 540 Baht for a small single line kite. Tel:
(66 76) 342-547
Fine Jewelry
Thailand is a great
place to buy gems and jewelry. The approximate price for most gems is set by international
standards but certain stones such as sapphires and rubies are mined in Thailand.
Jewelers from around the world send precious gems to be put into custom settings
here as the quality of the workmanship and the price can not be equaled elsewhere.
Boathouse Cookbook
Due to popular demand, Khun
Thamanoon Punchun, Executive Chef at The Boathouse Wine and Grill, he has collected
his favorite traditional Thai recipes into one book for his guests to take home
and cook for themselves. The Boathouse Cookbook includes fragrant salads, spicy
soups, curries, noodles and a sampling of desserts. Each recipe has easy-to-follow
instructions with photos on how to prepare the cuisine that has made the Boathouse
famous.
Ceramics
Ceramics of Phuket was started by two sisters who became fascinated with the magic
of glaze and design. Their factory supplies many of the better hotels on the island
with specialty custom ceramics for the dining room. Their ceramics capture the
deep greens and blues of the surrounding marine environment. The studio is constantly
expanding, creating new patterns of dining ware, custom tiles and most recently,
ceramic murals of Thai cultural legends.
Handicraft
(Blue Witch)
Blue Witch Handicrafts offers special lanterns made from
saa or rice paper and a batik type process is used to create patterns and lively
colors which fade into one another. Other interesting presents are the one-of-a-kind
coffee mugs which are made in various animal forms and handicrafts from hilltribe
weavers in the northern mountains.
Galleries
The
Banyan Tree Galleries at each of the Laguna Phuket resorts feature a world of
beautiful items including ceramics made on Phuket, silk and cotton textiles from
all regions of the country, the Banyan Tree product line of massage, aromatic
oils and incense, and objets d'art as sandstone Khmer figures and elephants, in
many sizes, made from either wood, stone or metal.
Silk
Though it prospered in early Bangkok, the silk industry went into a long decline
starting in the latter part of the 19th century but a few years after World War
II, an American named Jim Thompson revived the industry and made the silk known
to international markets. In Phuket, Jim Thompson outlets may be found in; Canal
Village, Laguna Phuket (66 76 270- 957) Le Meridien Phuket (66 76 340- 480) or
Phuket Arcadia Hotel (66 76) 396- 038.