There are many tropical island paradises in the world, but Phuket continues to rate high right up there as one of the very best.

The Thailand's largest island has been a prosperous region since the turn of the last century. Tin was discovered in Phuket in large quantities and it was the visiting Chinese, Indian, Persian and European business men who mined it until it was soon exhausted. It was then replaced by the lucrative rubber trade, which has since over time been replaced by tourism.

A little more than twenty years ago, few people outside of Thailand had never heard of Phuket. There were no hotels or resorts on the island's famous beaches and virtually all roads were little more than dirt tracks. There were also only three flights per week between Bangkok and Phuket. Today, there are wide bodied jets flying between the two, almost on the hour.

Today, Phuket still remains the wealthiest province in Thailand with the highest per capita income and an annual influx of tourists from all over the world that tops one million. The island has learned more towards the development of up-market resorts, such as the Evason Phuket, which can be easily classified as equal to the best in the world.