Phuket province
19th–20th centuries

During the reign of King Chulalongkorn, also known as Rama V, from 1 October 1868 to 23 October 1910, Phuket was designated as the administrative center for the tin-producing southern provinces of Siam (now Thailand). King Chulalongkorn's tenure is noted for the modernization of the nation, encompassing governmental and social reforms, as well as negotiations involving territorial concessions to the British and French. Amid the pressures of Western expansionism during this period, King Chulalongkorn’s leadership is credited with maintaining Siam's sovereignty, averting colonization.

In 1876, there was a significant uprising among Chinese laborers working in the tin mines of Phuket and its neighboring provinces. The unrest was reportedly influenced by the declining prices of tin and the government's stringent fiscal policies at the time.

Phuket underwent another administrative change in 1933 when Monthon Phuket (มณฑลภูเก็ต) was dissolved, leading to Phuket’s establishment as a separate province.
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