The Memory at On On Hotel

Located along Phang Nga Road in Phuket Old Town and formerly known as On On Hotel (in Chinese, ‘un un’ means ‘happiness for all visitors’), it went through a complete renovation in 2012 and 2013. Rather than the dingy and depressing hotel it represents in the movie, it's now an attractive and chic place.

In 1929 – when On On Hotel first opened – the main industry in Phuket was tin mining. The area of Kathu, a few kilometres west from Phuket Town, was one gigantic tin mine, with hundreds of Chinese migrants digging to excavate the metal. In Phuket Town, Ta Pan Hin was the port from where the tin was exported to all around the world, mostly aboard European ships. The grandfather of the current owner, a tin baron and trader, had the idea to set up accommodation for other traders coming to Phuket Town. The first On On Hotel had 5 rooms which cost approximately 80 satang (not even one baht) a night!