Phuket – in 1975

Back in the 1970s, Thailand was trying to promote Phuket internationally – especially to the Australian market.

Journalist Ian Hicks of The Sydney Morning Herald spent time in Phuket as a guest of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) – and found his way to Phuket in December 1975.

Excerpts from the article

“The island of Phuket is joined to the mainland by a long, stout bridge but has about it that elusive, entrancing quality of a small Pacific islet in the middle of nowhere.

Having missed my flight from Bangkok (the traffic jams are desperately bad), I was forced to go by overnight bus. Tales of bandits on the road plus the thought of 14 hours on a bus were not encouraging.

But it was a great experience. There was food aboard the bus at the journey’s beginning, more food at a midnight stop and yet more food shortly after dawn at journeys end.

At Phuket, one can stay in hotels in the town, in bungalows by the beach or, as I did, at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel where the price of room ranges from about A$35 to A$150 a night (Comment from editor: 700 to 3000 Baht based on exchange rates from December 1975.).

The area is scattered with more than a dozen perfect beaches, soft, ping sand fringed with palms, calm seas, warm days, cool nights. And seafood good enough to overcome a chauvinist’s belief that the world’s best fish, lobster and oysters are to be found in Sydney.

It is a tourist resort, but the visitor does not feel cut off from the life around him. Phuket town is growing fast with construction cranes signaling a coming tourism boom.

It may be that the area will somehow accept explosive growth while retaining its gentle lotuseating quality. But I fear the days of Phuket as I experienced it are probably numbered.

Better, I suggest, to catch it before success scars its soul and turns it into another tourist ghetto, where only the fortunate can recall the way it used to be.”

Police warning from 1975

In a circular from the then Police Major Kongpol Suwanaraksa, he warned tourists in a circular from 1975:

“Any person exposing himself in public in nudity or engaging in acts is liable for prosecution. Maximum fee is 500 baht.

Any person smoking marijuana or trading in marijuana, smoking pipes or other devices used in marijuana smoking is liable for prosecution. Maximum fine 200 baht. Maximum prison six months.

Any person possessing heroin or heroin compound for trade and distribution is liable for prosecution. Maximum imprisonment five years to life and fine from 50,000 baht to 500,000 baht.”