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People,
Education & Language
|
 The
island’s official population as of December 1998 was 231,206.
Most live in Muang district.
Thirty percent of the island’s
population are Chinese descendants. But they differ from those
in Bangkok because they came from the Hokkien region of China,
who migrated to Phuket during the boom of the tin mining industry
in the 17th – 18th century. Today, the
Chinese are responsible for much of the trade and commerce
in the city. They also represent the strongest culture of
Phuket town.
Equal to the
Chinese descendants is the Thai Muslim community which also
comprises 30 per cent of the island’s population. Muslims
living in southern Thailand are of Malaysian extraction and
arrived at an early date. There is also a small number of
sea gypsies living in a village in Ko Sirey. By far, sea gypsies
are the most interesting original inhabitants of Phuket island
but the intrusion of tourists is impinging on their lifestyle.
With the tourism boom in Phuket
during the last decade, Phuket has attracted people from other
regions to work in the tourism industry, which is now the
largest source of income. So it’s easy for tourists to spot
the local people who can communicate in English.
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