Dibuk Road

Dibuk Road in the old days used to be a residential area for wealthy Chinese people. Thalang Road used to be a business area. During the tin mining era this name was given to the road. "Dibuk" is "tin" in Thai language.

On the corner you can see an iconic old building repainted in stunning bright green and white colour. This impressive building was initially the former headquarter of the Kian Nguan Mining Company when tin mining was Phuket’s primary industry. Then it became a lapidary shop. This is an artisan who forms minerals or gemstones into decorative items. Today this is a private office.

On the other side of the street corner there are images of King Rama the Ninth in the form of street art on the walls of buildings. Groups of young artists in Phuket created these paintings for of His Majesty the King.

Phuket’s tin mining industry began as long ago as sixteenth century. Prior to this time, the Portuguese had occupied Malacca, which was the trade center for their Asian operations, and in year 1583 they opened a tin warehouse in the Thalang district of Phuket. By the end of nineteenth century, Phuket has became very wealthy city.