Phuket Heroines Monument

Heroines Monument is a fantastic statue of two sisters whose bravery and guile helped defeat the invading Burmese soldiers in 1785. The monument is located on Thepkrassitree Road, which is the arterial road that bisects the whole of Phuket Island.

After hearing the Burmese attackers were en route (to kidnap some of the population and take them back to the homeland to work as slaves), from Francis Light a passing sea captain, the two sisters, Kunying Jan and Mook, led the army of battlers who gathered together to drive out the Burmese after a month long attack. The Burmese soldiers were sent to Phuket to retaliate after their expulsion from the Ayuthaya region near Bangkok by King Taksin in 1767.

The two sisters gathered the troops of local women, dressed them up in soldier's uniforms and ordered them towards the Burmese. This brave attempt at scaring the insurgents with power in numbers worked. The Burmese retreated, so Phuket, with its long history of being torn between Malaysia and Thailand, was safe again. King Rama I was thoroughly impressed at the act of bravery and valor of the two sisters, that he granted them the noble titles of Thao Thep Kasatri and Thao Sri Sunthon. These names are usually reserved for royalty, but in this instance the siblings were the saviors of the southern regions of Thailand from being overthrown, not just Phuket.

With the event being such a notable one in Phuket's and indeed Thailand's history, there is an annual festival held to remember the two brave sisters. Held in March 13th (the day the Burmese were ousted), there are a fantastic array of parties held across the island. With mountains of food stalls, firecrackers, music and dancing, it is a great sign of remembrance and a time to never forget what unity and tenacity keeps Phuket together.