Most visitors to Phuket head straight for the beaches on the western coast and never see the island's actual capital. Their loss. Phuket City (called Phuket Town until 2005) is the most characterful settlement on the island — a compact old town of Sino-Portuguese shophouses, Chinese shrines, and street art, with a food scene that runs circles around the tourist strips.
The old town centers on Thalang Road and the surrounding sois, where restored shophouses in pastel colours now hold cafes, galleries, and guesthouses. The architecture reflects Phuket's tin-mining history: Chinese miners and Portuguese traders built the town in the 19th century, and the hybrid style — Mediterranean arches above Chinese lattice screens — is unlike anything else in Thailand.
The Thavorn Hotel Lobby Museum is a free, quirky collection of old Phuket memorabilia worth a quick stop. For something more substantial, the Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Road does an excellent job tracing the island's Chinese immigrant history.
Every October the city hosts the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, a nine-day Taoist event of Chinese origin featuring street processions, spirit mediums, and extraordinary acts of devotion. It is loud, intense, and not for the squeamish — but it is one of the most striking festivals in Southeast Asia.