Tin Mining In Phuket

Phuket is a major source of tin in the sixteenth century during the Ayutthaya period. It was also during this period that the first Europeans arrived on Phuket. Due to Phuket’s abundant supply of tin and its importance as a trading port, the economy continued to prosper. Tin mining in Phuket begain in 1526, and in 1626 the Dutch took over but were expelled from the island as people of Thalang rose up against them. In 1685, permission was give to French traders to operate a trading post in Thalang but was terminated a few years later. A British Captain named Francis Light who was good friends with the Governor, started a tin trading station at Baan Tha Reua, later in 1809 tin minerals were discovered in Baan Ket-Ho, now called Kathu. They started trading with nearby ports, Penang and Malacca which made the tin mining industry more successful and large numbers of Chinese tin miners to Phuket. In the beginning, Chinese family immigrants would only pan tin from streams using simple tools, later on they progressed to to "Open-Cut" mining, which involved blowing up in the side of hills and or drilling which required used lots of workers and little technology. There were around 100 workers at the Mhuang Harb mine mining over a wide area. When the technology improved, the Gravel Pump came along, and then came the Hydraulic mining which to was cheap to use but expensive when building weirs and piping systems.

Phuket was introduced to the first Tin Dredger, a Bucket Tin Dredger by Captain Edward Thomas Miles. He started dredging in Tunka Bay as as company called Tungka Harbour Company which made a massive impact on the mining industry. Mining can now be done even on the sea and many companies started their mining in Phuket and Phangna