But lately, its food scene has become just as much of a draw. It was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2015 and has evolved over the past decade with a set of fine-dining destinations.

Phuket is one of the biggest travel destinations in the world. In 2022, 9 million tourists visited Thailand’s largest island (down from 15 million in 2018) in search of white-sand beaches, clear ...