China Inn Cafe & Restaurant

If you enter the front room at 20 Thalang Road in Phuket you may be tempted to sit down in the lovely red sofa there and stare in wonder at the beautiful Chinese artifacts, figurines, lacquer work, textiles and fabrics… but don’t. This is because the sofa, a ‘Thairalia’ seasoned hardwood goose and duck feather-filled marvel, is for sale.

Still, you’re more than welcome to walk through this long shop-house to the backyard restaurant, where there are several table-and-chair sets, and take a pew.

Welcome to China Inn Café & Restaurant, a beautifully restored example of what people can do with a rundown old building if they possess dedication, patience and an unswervable vision.

The restaurant stands in the heart of Phuket’s old town; a place brimming with history and tradition. This is where Phuket’s heart of commerce beat over 100 years ago when tin was in great demand and Chinese labourers flooded in from both north and south to fill the labour shortage on the island.