Thailand / About the city
Introducing Phuket
Phuket is the largest island in the Andaman Sea, off Thailand’s southwest coast. Its culinary culture grew from centuries of exchange between Thai, Hokkien Chinese, Malay and Peranakan (Baba) communities. Old Phuket Town’s Sino-Portuguese shophouses still reflect this mix.
That heritage lives on in local dishes such as mee hokkien, moo hong and oh tao, and in recipes passed down within families. Every year the Old Town Festival brings back traditional know-how in food, crafts and folk art. It draws more than 400,000 visitors.
Phuket became a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2015. It was the first city in Thailand to join the network in this field. Gastronomy adds an estimated USD 3.6 billion a year to the local economy.
The city focuses on food safety, vocational training for young people, and responsible production and consumption of local food resources. Programmes such as Phuket Food Safety and Andaman Kitchen support this work.
/ Climate & gastronomy
Challenges and actions
As an island economy built on fisheries and tourism, Phuket feels climate change directly. Warming seas, coastal erosion and heavier monsoon rains put pressure on marine resources, local farming and the seafood that defines its cuisine.
High visitor numbers also put pressure on the city’s food system. Hotels, restaurants and markets generate large amounts of food waste, and an island has limited room to handle it.
To address these challenges, Phuket works to strengthen a safe and sustainable local food chain. It also builds cooperation with hoteliers, food businesses and research partners, and supports projects that reduce waste and promote local, seasonal ingredients.
