In the 17th century, the Dutch, the English, and from the 1680s the French, competed with each other for trade with the island of Phuket (the island was named Junk Ceylon at that time), which was valued as a very rich source of tin. In September 1680, a ship from the French East India Company visited Phuket and left with a full cargo of tin. In 1681 or 1682, the Siamese king Narai, who was seeking to reduce Dutch and English influence, named Governor of Phuket the French medical missionary Brother René Charbonneau, a member of the Siam mission of the Société des Missions Etrangères. Charbonneau held the position of Governor until 1685.^[2]

In 1685, king Narai confirmed the French tin monopoly in Phuket to a French ambassador, the Chevalier de Chaumont.^[3] Chaumont's former maître d'hôtel Sieur de Billy was named governor of the island.^[4] The French were expelled from Siam in 1688 however, following the 1688 Siamese revolution. On April 10, 1689, the French general Desfarges led an expedition to re-capture the island of Phuket in an attempt to restore some sort of French control in Siam.^[5] The occupation of the island led nowhere, and Desfarges returned to Pondicherry in January 1690

The Burmese attacked Phuket in 1785. Captain Francis Light, a British East India Company captain passing by the island, sent word to the local administration that he had observed Burmese forces preparing to attack. Than Phu Ying Chan, the wife of the recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook(คุณมุก) then assembled what forces they could. After a month-long siege, the Burmese were forced to retreat March 13, 1785. The two women became local heroines, receiving the honorary titles Thao Thep Krasatri and Thao Si Sunthon from King Rama I. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), Phuket became the administrative center of the tin-producing southern provinces. In 1933 Monthon Phuket (มณฑลภูเก็ต)was dissolved and Phuket became a province by itself. Old names of the island include Ko Thalang.^{[clarification needed]}

Whether you're into majestic temples or buzzing markets, Lonely Planet's Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Greater Mekong will help you go with the flow By Nick Ray

Writer: Nick Ray

Position: Reporter

Published: 27/09/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: Brunch

PEOPLE AND CULTURE Towering mountains and flat plains - the contrasting landscapes of the Mekong region have attracted a divergent group of people over the centuries. Discover the diversity of the Mekong with a visit to some of the minority regions and experience their culture.

Xishuangbanna, Yunnan

The original Dai (Thai) kingdom, the land of "Twelve Thousand Rice Fields" is a little slice of Southeast Asia in China. Penetrate the jungle to discover a cultural microcosm that is unlike anywhere else in the Middle Kingdom.

Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia

Translating as "Meeting of the Hills", this place is a world apart from lowland Cambodia and a blissful escape from the heat of the plains. The landscape includes a seductive blend of pine forests, dense jungle and hidden waterfalls, and provides a home to the Phnong people, famous for their elephant rearing.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Undisputed capital of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is a cultural hub that acts as a gateway to surrounding mountain retreats. It is a city of classic Lanna temples where you can learn Thai cookery, Buddhist meditation and traditional Thai massage.

Luang Nam Tha, Laos

VIETNAM, CAMBODIA, LAOS AND THE GREATER MEKONG: 925 baht from all good bookshops.

Laos is an ethnic melting pot with anywhere between 49 and 132 tribal groups, depending on who you listen to. Luang Nam Tha is home to nearly 40 of these groups and acts as a gateway to the award-winning, community-based ecotourism project of Nam Ha.

Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Where the Mekong's epic journey comes to an end, it splits into nine dragons that give us the Vietnamese name of Cuu Long. Explore the delta on two wheels or go with the flow on a traditional boat. Get up close and personal with local life courtesy of a traditional homestay.

Beach Retreats

The Mekong is not the only well known water in the region - both Vietnam and Cambodia boast lengthy and beautiful coastlines. Vietnam might have been late to the beach party in this region, but it was worth the wait. With more than 3,400km of coastline, there are infinite stretches of powdery sand, hidden coves, lovely lagoons and tropical islands. Cambodia's coast is less developed and offers opportunities for aspiring Robinson Crusoes.

Mui Ne, Vietnam

Set on a seductive swathe of sand, Mui Ne, with its swaying palms and towering dunes, is an absolute charmer. Be pummelled on the beach by a masseur or pummelled by the waves with some watersports. Mui Ne blends action and inertia to perfection.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

King of the Cambodian beaches, the headland is ringed by squeaky white sands, and offshore lie countless tropical islands with barely a beach hut in sight. Try Otres Beach for romance, Sokha Beach for luxury or Koh Rong for an escape.

Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Simply the most beautiful island in Vietnam, Phu Quoc is liberally sprinkled with picture-perfect, white-sand beaches and cloaked in dense, impenetrable jungle. Long Beach is sophisticated, Ong Lan Beach romantic and Bai Sao simply irresistible.

Kep, Cambodia

The original beach resort in Cambodia, the French founded this coastal retreat in 1908 as Kep-sur-Mer. Devastated by war, it has resurrected itself in recent years with boutique resorts, succulent seafood and palm-fringed islands.

China Beach, Vietnam

Okay, so we are using artistic licence with the name, but call it My Khe to the north and Cua Dai to the south, it's all just one long, luscious stretch of sand. Try surfing off the shores of Danang or pamper yourself at the resorts near Hoi An.

2008 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.

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visit http://www.lonelyplanet.com.

This is an edited extract from Lonely Planet's Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Greater Mekong , 2nd edition by Nick Ray, et al, Lonely Planet Publications, 2009.

Often promoted as the gateway to Europe, the Netherlands’s largest metropolis has always been one of the continent’s most progressive and cosmopolitan capitals, and nothing much has changed since the city first came to glory as a trading center in the 17th century. You can still relive that Golden Age. Stroll, boat, or bike along the city’s canals, lined with gabled houses, to experience one of Europe’s best preserved, photogenic, and intact historic city centers, or visit the Dutch master paintings in the Rijksmuseum. But don’t stop there. Always looking ahead, and reinventing itself, Amsterdam has recently emerged as a 21st-century style center. How to sample the city’s purely contemporary side? Run through the theme boutiques and galleries of the western canal ring, dine at one of the city’s creative global kitchens, catch a contemporary dance performance at the Muziektheater, or visit the revitalized East Docklands area, which offers a study in sleek contemporary architecture and smart urban planning.

Read My Amsterdam by Chris Ewan