Phuket Thai Hua School Museum, Phuket

Located on the Krabi road in Phuket is the Thai Hua Museum. Formerly known as the Thai Hua School founded in 1911, the building was the oldest Chinese-language school. In 2002, the Alumni Association decided to convert it into a community museum. When the school shifted to new premises in 2005, the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture decided to covert the building into an art gallery. Finally, in 2010, the building was finally converted into the Thai Hua Museum.

This “Sino-Portugese” style building also has a hint of European and Chinese architectural styles. The work of the tin miners, the life of merchants, the conversion of the Phuket town into a powerful trading center are some of the events recounted in the museum that depicts the history of the Chinese residing in Phuket. The museum is spread over two floors where the ground has displays aspects of Thai-Chinese culture like clothing, food, etc. The tales of the arrival of the Chinese into the town and the organization of the community are some of the events covered in the second floor. The museum also has a wide collection of books on Chinese history and culture, Chinese Dictionary, etc. Some of the rooms in the building have the school desks and photos of the students who studied in the Thai Hua School. This developing museum is a worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood.