Laguna Phuket is about to launch its annual Summer Family Festival, with a new twist – families can now star in their own professionally-produced Hollywood-style motorbike tour of Phuket.

Need a boat that can go anywhere? Anywhere there’s plenty of water? Actually, not so much a boat – more of a small ship. Across the Pacific? Easy. Penguin watching at the South Pole? Sure, why not? We have just the boat for you – and it’s in Phuket.

Sign up for a belly dancing course at the Royal Phuket Marina.

Japanese musician and resident of Phuket, Tetsuo Suse, has scored a countrywide first for the island with his new microbubble spa. In fact, he may have scored a world first with the two microbubble steam rooms he’s installed at his MB House spa, which opened in January.

Phamon Samphanthamit – better known to his friends as Mon, is the guy you need to know when your spouse runs from the bathroom shrieking “Snake! Snake!” – a not uncommon occurrence; after all, paradise is well known for harbouring at least one snake…

Probably the most successful movie in terms of drawing tourists to Phuket was The Beach, the 2000 Leonardo di Caprio backpacker adventure movie. Phang Nga Rd in Phuket Town stood in for Khao San Rd in Bangkok, and Maya Bay on Phi Phi Lay Island was The Beach.

The Observer was invited to the official opening today of the shiny new Splash Jungle water park at West Sands, next to Mai Khao Beach and the airport. We hired a guinea pig to test out the rides. Here’s his report on the Big 5 rides.

The Mind Centre, due to open next year in Phuket, will offer meditation with practical aims – but it will be much, much more than that.

When the sophistication and pace of Phuket, its five-star resorts, its highways, its faaabulous homes, its gogo-bars and tailor’s touts all begin to seem a bit much, a bit unreal, it’s probably time to sample the Thailand that people encountered on arriving in Phuket in the 1980s.

A few months ago, Patrick Cotter, Phuket’s “Mr Rugby” was bemoaning the lack of local official support for the game in Phuket. Today he’s beaming with delight after the signing of a memorandum of understanding that will see an international-standard rugby academy set up in Phuket and a world-class pitch made available for the game.