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Smiling and happy the people of Phuket contribute much to her reputation as one of the world's best loved holiday destinations. With an approximate number of 200,000, the Phuket population is considered to be one of the most tolerant and easy-going societies in the world. Perhaps the most important ethnic group amongst the population of Phuket is the Thais who have moved on to Phuket from their original homes in the mainland. Coming a close second are the Chinese who migrated to Phuket to work at the tin mines to which Phuket owes much of her industrial fame. The Chinese account for almost 35% of the entirety of the population of Phuket. The Muslims who had originally arrived into the town from Malaysia also account largely to the Phuket population. However, the most important ethnic groups amongst the population of Phuket are the Sea Gypsies, traditionally regarded as nomadic tribes of people who traveled from coast to coast in search of fish and other natural resources. When the resources of a certain area were exhausted, the group would move on to a different coast, in order to carry out their activities. Consisting of many sub-groups, the Sea Nomads still proudly hold on to their ethnicity and rich heritage even today. Today, with the advent of time, many of these apparently differing ethnic groups have intermarried and incorporated into the culture of Phuket many influences that have today given birth to a more heterogeneous culture, which can serve as a model for many of the societies of the modern world.
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