Phuket (/ˌpuːˈkɛt/; Thai: ภูเก็ต, [pʰūː.kèt] ^ⓘ, Malay: Bukit or Tongkah) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands off its coast. Phuket lies off the west coast of mainland Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Island is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga province to the north. The next nearest province is Krabi, to the east across Phang Nga Bay.

Phuket province, encompassing an area of 547 km² (211 sq mi), ranks as the second-smallest province in Thailand. Its size is about two-thirds the size of Singapore. Historically, Phuket Island was situated on a major trading route between India and China. This strategic location led to its frequent mention of foreign ships in the logs, including those from Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and England. Despite this attention from various European powers, Phuket was never colonized by any European nation.

Economically, the province's wealth was initially derived from tin and rubber production. Recently, Phuket has transitioned to tourism as its primary source of income. More than 100,000 foreigners are estimated to have settled in Phuket.

The name "Phuket" (of which the digraph ph represents an aspirated /pʰ/) is derived from the corruption of the word Bukit (Jawi: بوکيت‎) in Malay which means "hill", as this is what the island appears like from a distance. With its geographical location in the Malay Peninsula, Phuket was historically inhabited by the Austronesian Malays, before it was settled by the Thais due to southward expansions of Siamese kingdoms, most recently the Rattanakosin Kingdom.

Phuket was formerly known as Thalang (ถลาง Tha-Laang), which is also derived from the old Malay Telong (Jawi: تلوڠ‎) which means "cape". The northern district of the province, which was the location of the old capital, still uses this name. In Western sources and navigation charts, it was known as Junk Ceylon (a corruption of the Malay Tanjung Salang; Jawi: تنجوڠ سالڠ‎; i.e., "Cape Salang").

Fernão Mendes Pinto, a Portuguese explorer, arrived in Siam in 1545. His travel accounts provide insights into various parts of the country, including a detailed description of ports in the southern part of the Kingdom. Pinto's records are among the earliest European accounts to mention Phuket, which he referred to as Junk Ceylon a name used by the Portuguese in their maps. This designation appears seven times in his writings. According to Pinto, Junk Ceylon was a significant port of call for trading vessels, where they often stopped for supplies and provisions.

However, Pinto noted that during the mid-16th century, the island's prominence was in decline. This downturn was attributed to the presence of pirates and the challenging sea conditions, which made the area less favorable for merchant vessels. In addition to Phuket, Pinto's accounts also include references to other important port cities of the time, such as Patani and Ligor, the latter being the present-day Nakhon Si Thammarat.

During the 17th century, Junk Ceylon (now known as Phuket) was a focal point of international trade, particularly for its tin resources. The Dutch and English, and later the French after the 1680s, competed for trading opportunities on the island. In September 1680, the French East India Company's ship arrived at the island and departed with a cargo full of tin.