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Thailand is a very safe place for kids of all ages. The Thai people
love children and are quite protective of them, no matter what their
nationality. They do like to touch kids, squeezing their arms gently
or stroking their hair, especially if your child is blonde, but
it is done with the kindest of intentions. However, this can be
a bit unnerving for children from the west who aren't used to this
kind of attention from strangers.
Food for kids
 Phuket
has all the familiar fast food outlets, KFC, McDonalds, Pizza
Hut, and most hotels serve western cuisine, but your kids might
enjoy trying some Thai food. Lots of the vendor foods, which are
generally safe, are perfect for kids: sausages (big hot dogs)
on a stick, barbecued or fried chicken and sticky rice, fresh
fruit, dishes of shaved ice flavoured with syrups, battered, deep-fried
bananas, sweetened rice and coconut mixtures in bamboo leaves,
custards or crisp cakes drizzled with caramelized sugar, and a
wide variety of drinks from sodas to fresh fruit juices would
also appeal to the most discerning of young palates.
Activities for kids
 In
the Hotels
Most of the major hotels have a kid's club with facilities and
activities geared to kids staying in the hotel. Camp Laguna at
the Laguna Phuket offers day adventure activities for 8-18 year
olds and is open to children staying at other hotels. Activities
range from windsurfing, to T-shirt painting.
Outside the Hotels
Many activities in Phuket can be enjoyed by both adults and children
- e.g.., local sightseeing tours and snorkelling trips, ten pin
bowling, water skiing and mini golf.
Kids, especially the older ones, will enjoy many of the local
sightseeing tours. Phang Nga Bay with its stunning limestone scenery,
includes an exiting trip on a local longtail boat through the
mangroves, while the Phi Phi island tours have some great snorkelling
in shallow water. Specialist eco-tours
are available both on the island, and in Khao Sok National Park
and nearby Phang Nga. You can take an adventure tours for the
day or stay overnight in the forest. Eco-tours offer a variety
of activities including rafting, kayaking,
elephant riding, trekking and bird watching. For private tours
on the water - Coral Seekers - a local company offer family outings
to local islands with snorkelling, lunch and beach hopping. For
more information on local tours and destinations click
here.
 Phuket
is a great place to learn a new skill, especially in the water.
Children over 12, can take a PADI dive course and learn to dive
in Phuket's 28C warm water. East of Patong is a water-ski centre
which offers instruction in both water skiing and wakeboarding
to both adults and children. PADI courses with licensed instructors
operate year round and are great value for money.
Summer Schools:
Dulwich International College runs a summer school for about 2
weeks every year in July with sports activities and training,
games, artand crafts. Check the Dulwich school website for details.
Age Specific Activities
Ages 4 - 8
Phuket offers lots of activities for families with younger children,
including:
- The Phuket Zoo off Chao Fa Road East which offers close-up
encounters with animals from S.E Asia, as well as crocodile
shows and tigers who will pose for a photo with you.
- The Butterfly Garden and Aquarium just north of Phuket Town.
- Elephant rides at Siam Safari or Adventure Safaris.
- The Snake Show at the Phuket Shooting Range in Chalong.
- Indoor playgrounds with rides at the major hypermarkets on
the edge of Phuket town. Big C Supecentre and Tesco/Lotus upstairs
next to the food market.
Ages 8 - 12
- Mini golf at Dino Park (mini golf with a dinosaur theme -
good for the evening) in Kata/Karon.
- Paintball at The Phuket Shooting Range in Chalong.
- Rent mountain bikes at Mike's Bikes in Chalong, the Bike Shop
in Phuket. Many hotels also have bikes for hire.
- Go-Kart Speedway in Patong.
- Horseriding at the Phuket Riding Club in Chalong or Phuket
Laguna Riding Club in the north of Phuket.
- Gibbon Rehabilitation Project at Khao Phrae Thaew National
Forest.
- Marine Biological Centre at Cape Panwa.
- Cable water ski-ing at Kathu Water-ski Park.
- Phuket FantaSea cultural theme show at Kamala Beach.
Ages 12 - 16
- Hiking or trekking with a variety of eco-tour companies like
Adventure Safaris or Jungle Tours.
- Ten-pin bowling at Ocean Shopping Plaza, or Big C Supercentre
in Phuket Town, or Ocean Bowl Patong.
- Video arcades at Ocean Shopping Plaza or the top floor of
Big C Superstore, located west of Phuket Town towards Patong.
- Rock climbing and abseiling at Camp Laguna, Laguna Phuket
Resort.
- Snorkelling.
- Sea Canoeing at various venues in Phang Nga Bay. (See tours)
- Cable water skiing and wakeboarding at Phuket Water Ski in
Kathu.
- Scuba diving and PADI certification, for kids aged 12+.
- Big game fishing.
- Bungy-jumping at Tarzans Jungle Bungy Jump for those aged
13+.
- Sunsail offers 5-day courses in sailing, but kids must be
accompanied by an older family member.
- Phuket FantaSea cultural theme show at Kamala Beach.
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