Local temples - Ket Ho and Kathu

The Kathu area of Phuket, which lies (roughly) between Phuket City and Patong Beach was the old tin mining capital of Phuket - it was tin (along with rubber, fishing, coconuts, palm oil and more) that made Phuket a relatively wealthy province of Thailand long before any tourists arrived. The tin boom started in the 18th century, bringing many Chinese workers to Phuket, which accounts for the large Chinese-Thai population that you see today (very different to surrounding provinces). The whole area is covered in ponds and lakes, all of which are former tin mines.



There are a number of Chinese shrines in the area such as Kathu shrine and Sam Kong Shrine, and also some Wats (Buddhist temples). On Sunday we had a look at Ket-Ho temple (located at Ket Ho junction near the Prince of Songkhla University), and later in the afternoon, visited Kathu temple on the edge of Kathu village. I have driven by the Ket Ho temple a thousand times. It's on the bus route from Phuket Town to Patong, up a slight hill. Like many local temples, it was quiet and uncrowded (only us there), save for a number of noisy dogs. I don't believe the temple has anything spectacular to offer, but I just like local temples.







The afternoon light was just right as we dropped into Kathu temple later the same day. A golden light that brings out the best in just about everything. The main temple building was closed up, so we just walked around the grounds until the sunlight faded. The windows of the temple are decorated with pictures from the story of the Buddha's life, and much of the temple was covered in intricate patterns made from coloured glass and tiles. One monk was busy sweeping the leaves, another was tending to a little garden outside the monks rooms, another was reading the local paper. A very peaceful place. And believe it or not, just 10 minutes drive from Patong.









The village of Kathu and the area around Ket Ho retains a very local feel despite the proximity to Patong. Well worth a drive around on the scooter. Aside from the temples, there is a large daily market in Kathu, just near the "Caltex" junction. You can also visit Kathu Waterfall or the nearby Bungy Jump or Cableski.