In Chinese numerology, the number 8 is lucky for a number of reasons, and a day with so many on the calendar comes around only a couple dozen times per millennium. That makes 8 August 2008 a very auspicious occasion. Even better, this year’s lucky day has a sequence that’s satisfyingly symmetrical: 08/08/08.

The shape of the Chinese character for contentment or happiness brings the number 8 to mind. Side-by-side, two of the characters comprise a popular image in Chinese culture: a representation of “double happiness” that frequently turns up among the Western world as well — at least on the menus of Chinese restaurants.

This year, the lucky day has shaped world events. The Beijing Olympics will open at precisely 8.08 in the evening on 8 August. Domestic affairs also feel the pull of 08/08/08. The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket has targeted Chinese visitors especially with “lucky wedding” packages.

In the spirit of this very lucky day, the staff and contributors of Phuket Post have looked around the island to uncover eight lucky things about Phuket. Though spending time in a tropical paradise is quite fortunate in and of itself, there’re many more reasons to count your lucky stars ... — er, days.

#1 Wonders from the Sea

The Andaman Sea is a body of water to the southeast of the Bay of Bengal, south of Myanmar, west of Thailand and east of the Andaman Islands. Part of the Indian Ocean, it covers an area of 797,700 square kilometres. With a very long coastline and a tropical climate, it is blessed with coral reefs that serve as habitat and breeding grounds for an immense variety of sea life. These reefs are thought to be the best-preserved in the Indian Ocean and, like other reefs around the world, are one of the most biologically diverse habitats in the world. They’re host to an extraordinary variety of marine plants and animals. Unfortunately, they are also one of the world’s most fragile and endangered ecosystems.

Apart from spectacular fringing reefs, the Andaman Sea also boasts a 320 kilometre-long barrier reef on its west side. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are volcanic islands, arising from a submerged mountain chain that follows the southward extension of the continental shelf. Much of the wildlife on these islands is endemic, including over 100 species of birds. The Nicobar green imperial pigeon and the Nicobar emerald dove live here. The Andaman Sea is famed, too, for nesting turtles. And the saltwater crocodile. There’re plenty of other striking marine mammals, including the dugong, the finless porpoise and Blainville’s beaked whale.

Phuket, the pearl of the Andaman Sea, is very lucky to be so fortunately placed. The diving here is among the best to be found anywhere on the planet. Colourful shoals of many different species of fish can keep divers returning to the same reefs time and time again. Sporting some 39 small islands around its perimeter, Phuket has crystal clear blue water and constant temperatures that make the island a year-round destination for divers and sun worshipers from all over the world. Not only does the water provide a playground for sailors, water sport enthusiasts and divers, the reefs also provide food and employment and even minerals for the pharmaceutical industry. Whether you immerse yourself in it or just lie prostrate and inert on its fringes the Andaman Sea is a rich resource that we are indeed lucky to be able to share. It needs, therefore, to be nurtured and cared for by all its users. Long may our luck continue.

— Michael McLeavy

#2 Dinner Treats for Breakfast

Phuket is a great place to find various kinds of local foods inspired by Chinese cuisine. At some point in their family histories, almost all longtime local people have Chinese ancestors. But in Phuket, the locals have changed Chinese food customs to suit their own tastes, which means you can get great foods any time of day. For a real treat, try a typical local breakfast: dim sum and kanom jin at a restaurant on Phuket. In other places, they’re only served for lunch or dinner.

Dim sum is a kind of streamed dumpling with meat, seafood or vegetable filling, and it’s served with a dip of sweet-and-sour sauce. It comes in various small bowls and is taken with Chinese tea. Kanom jin is rice noodles cooked with one of several kinds of curry. It usually comes with fresh local vegetables as a side dish. Kanom jin is widely known across Thailand, but only in the south will you find it served for breakfast. Phuketians always eat kanom jin with boiled eggs, tod man pla (Thai fish cakes) or hor mok (steamed fish curry).

Don’t just fixate on the taste. Part of the allure is eating dim sum or kanom jin at a venue that represents Phuket’s finest traditions. The local people will usually provide a cozy atmosphere, with many locals coming and going from street vendors as they walk during their morning exercise or stopping at restaurants to discuss news and the national situation. Adults, especially grandmas and grandpas, will take children out for dim sum or kanom jin.

Breakfast restaurants usually open really early in the morning, around 5.00 am.

— Witchureerat Kunprom

#3 A Reverent Festival

By the numbers, the annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket is an oddball for a list of lucky 8s. Always conducted during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, it begins on the first day and ends on the ninth, continuing for nine days and nine nights, and honours nine Buddhist deities and nine celestial bodies. It typically begins on 9 September, which is just as well for Chinese numerology as 8 August — the number 9 is lucky, too.

During the festival you’ll see people dressed in white because it’s a symbol of cleanliness and purity. They strictly follow Buddhist precepts and rituals, not eating meat or anything made from meat and not consuming pungent vegetables, like garlic, onions. Also, they’ll refrain from smoking tobacco and drinking liquor. The festival begins with the flying of yellow flags marked in red with the Chinese character kim jae, or “start”.

The festival has spread to other provinces in Thailand, but Phuket originated it. It was born in Nai Thu, the present-day Kathu community. Chinese people have been in Phuket since the Ayutthaya period, trading with Holland, France and England. Most of Phuket’s Chinese influence traces to the early 18th century, during a boom in exploitation of the region’s natural resources.

Chinese people back then believed in many deities, and during one good year, an opera came to perform. Unfortunately, an epidemic shortly afterward killed many and left others hurt. The opera company led the people in celebrating a vegetarian festival, which ended the epidemic and restored the ill to health. The people came to believe that the vegetarian festival can help the community to live better and free from epidemics, and the tradition has lived on for more than 100 years.

Each day of the festival has some kind of Chinese ceremony, and the last day has one to end bad fortune. Many people look forward to this day since the ancient Chinese beliefs continue. Finally, deities are invited to return to heaven in the evening, and the festival comes to a close for another year.

— Thanawat Kingthong

#4 Unique Cultural Icons

Western stereotypical assumptions of Thai khatoeys would have you believe that Thai men going under the knife and having gender-reconstructive surgery usually end up working the wee hours in Thailand’s infamous sex industry. Or as cabaret dancers in one of the many shows across Thailand.

It is true, of course, that there are large factions of khatoeys who work in these areas, and the Soi Bangla mob may have an unsavory reputation at that. The scene there is worth a look if you’re passing, but don’t anger them. They’re volatile! In stark contrast to the Bangla mob. The ladyboys of Bangkok are revered as beautiful iconic Thai exports, performing worldwide to gawking crowds who exclaim, “That can’t be a man, can it, dear?”
If you’re lucky, you may be able to observe khatoeys in everyday Phuket life, with not a stage, frock or “Raining Men” soundtrack in sight. I myself view in wonder the acceptance Thais have for khatoeys in varying professions in Thailand. My six-foot leggy hairdresser, Tik, takes endless pleasure in regurgitating anecdotal feminist tales while trimming my hair. Tik, aka Than, which is his male name.

Khatoeys can be found in any manner of profession in Phuket, from receptionist to bank teller, from waitress to sportswoman. Even in my teaching days, I had two 15-year-old khatoeys in my class. They received no ridicule from their fellow students over their make-up or mannerisms.

Thai tolerance and acceptance in today’s current social climate stems from Buddhist teachings that any kind of permanence should be avoided. Whether your gender inclination is male, female or male/female, it matters not to the majority of Thai society. As socially accepted as the khatoeys are in Thailand, in legal matters khatoeys will have to use their gender at birth for official documentation and proceedings.

— Fraser Morton

#5 Honks for Respect — and Safety

As luck would have it, motorists negotiating the treacherous Patong Hill bound for Kathu find themselves presented with an opportunity to secure safe passage over this well known crash hotspot with a mere “honk-honk” of their horns. The critical moment is while passing the Chinese shrine nestled at the crest of the hill. Local Thais and farrang residents have learned to expect the obligatory symphony of a hundred horns wailing simultaneously and pass by the honk spot unfazed by the mayhem. For a stark contrast, witness a Patong Hill virgin ascending to the summit on a 100cc scooter. The shrine lays in wait. Watch them wrench in manic fear as they’re blasted by horns from the flow of cars, motorcycles and dump trucks thundering over the hill.

If you are still languishing in Patong Hill virginity and wondering what all this honk-honk talk is about, then take a trip up to see Tuao Kong Chinese Temple. Phuket residents pay their respects in an unorthodox but wonderfully Phuketian manner.
The honking is an offering of acknowledgment, respect and luck that passers use as a substitute for a wai, the famed Thai gesture of respect. Thankfully, motorists adapted wai-ing to honking. Other landmarks in Phuket, such as the Heroines Monument (see below) attract full-on wai’s and not honks. The precarious location of Tuao Kong prevents this, and even stopping to try and visit the temple is a bit of an ordeal.

No parking, crosswalk or pavements to aid your entrance to this quaint little temple. But if you are brave enough to stop, as many do, then it’s well worth a nosey inside to light some incense, offer fruit and even let off some firecrackers. Just don’t expect to be completely alone in your prayers. The honk-honk brigade outside will make sure you know you’re not the only one looking for luck.

— F.M.

#6 Protection by Heroines

The Two Heroines Monument sits smack-dab on the main highway leading to the Sarasin Bridge out of Phuket. Whether entering or exiting Phuket, you can to pay homage to these local icons. My first encounter with the Two Heroines Monument was two years ago. I’d just rolled into Phuket, jumped in a mini bus and was hurtling down the main highway, Pha Klok Road, en route to Phuket City. Riding shotgun in the bus, my heart was in my throat as our driver took his hands off the wheel, clasped them together to his head and made a wai to respect the figurines perched high on top of the roundabout in front of us — all the while still hurtling toward the upcoming roundabout at breakneck speed.

Curiosity at my driver’s behaviour led me to question a couple of fellow expats that night, and they educated me of the importance of the monument and the two women it honours.

The unveiling of the the Two Heroines Monument in 1967 signalled a historic day in Phuket and a proud day for its residents. The monument is comprised of two life-size statues depicting Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sri Soontorn, two women who were instrumental in the defeat of the Burmese army in 1785. Adorning men’s army uniforms, hiding their long hair and leading an army of women disguised as re-enforcement troops from Bangkok, the two were able to hold the advancing Burmese army at bay and eventually send it fleeing back across the border.

Today the monument represents an integral part of Phuket’s heritage. For locals, the monument embodies the tenacity and courage of these heroines and the undiluted love and loyalty they honoured their people with. They are literally the heroines of all of Phuket, and they’re held in the highest regard among Thais.

Next time you pass bye do as the locals do. Wai to pay homage, and in return some luck may pass your way.

— F.M.

#7 Unique Architecture

For most visitors, the clear blue sky and white sand beaches are the most impressive things about Phuket. The island surely isn’t Rome, with millennia of magnificent building achievements, but the unique local Sino-Portuguese style is well-worth a second thought. It’s a great way to learn about Phuket civilization of the past, and it shows off plenty of local culture and tradition.

The Sino-Portuguese style mixes European and Chinese styles of the Renaissance and the neo-classical age of the 18th century. Though brought by European colonists, the style was adopted by Chinese Hokkien people who came to Phuket for tin mining, and they kept using the style until only recently. The architecture is found on both stand-alone houses and shophouses, and it’s most prevalent in the traditional areas of the island, like the heart of Phuket City down Talang Road, Krabi Road, Dibuk Road and Phang Nga Road.

The mansions or houses in this style were built by tin mine owners, and they show off the wealth that the industry brought for some residents. Sino-Portuguese shophouses located in the downtown shopping district have an elegant style, with rows of pillars on the first floor, an arcade space for people to walk along and stay out of the rain, which comes almost all year long. These houses are very simple, with long and narrow footprints of roughly five-by-fifty metres. They’re often passed down from generation to generation.

For a good look, take a walk along Talang Road and through Soi Rommanee where the buildings were reconstructed. It’ll take you back to the 18th century when Phuket flourished in the mining era — and you don’t have to pay for a time machine!
To remember this historic part of Phuket, the province annually celebrates the Old Phuket Town Festival around the time of Chinese New Year. It’s filled with light and sound, and it really gives a great sense of the wonders of Phuket.

— W.K.

#8 Speedy Sailing Vessels

Lucky to be surrounded by tropical waters as it is, Phuket would be expected to have a strong marine industry, and it does. What you may be surprised to learn if you do not live here, or even if you do, is that Phuket has its own locally designed class of yachts that are world leaders.

The Firefly 8.5 Sport Catamarans built by Latitude 8 Yachts are often seen racing around the local waters and further afield. They even have their own world championship which this year was won in the final race by the narrowest of margins by Henry Kaye — lucky man.

And if you cannot believe then number of links there are between Fireflys and Chinese luck then guess how many of them have been built. Yep, you got it: 8. There has to be something in this numerology thing.

If you do not know which ones these are, they are the brightly coloured hulls with vivid colours on their sails. They literally fly when the wind is right. Designed to operate best in the local waters around Phuket, their twin-hull design allows for exciting racing often at high speeds — something not for the faint-hearted. Crews are often welcome, so jump on if you get the chance, then hold on to your hat and your nerves. The next opportunity will be at the King’s Cup in December this year where once again their colourful design will brighten up the azure blue waters around Phuket.

— Richard Valentine