Soi Romanee, an old narrow side-street in Thailand’s southern island resort province of Phuket, has been ranked the world’s 19th most beautiful street by Seasia.Stats, a news website from Southeast Asia.
The website posted the rankings of “The World’s 20 Most Beautiful Streets” on its Facebook page on June 11.
Soi Romanee is renowned for its old colonial-style buildings with Sino-Portuguese architecture, creatively adorned with vibrant colours, said acting government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Friday, adding that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is very pleased with the recognition.
Located in the historical centre of Phuket Old Town in Muang district, Soi Romanee is a short street with a long and colourful history. Today, it is home to souvenir shops, elegant ice cream parlours and small but posh guesthouses.
In the past, this side-street served as the red-light district of Phuket, where ones would find brothels, opium dens, gambling houses and other similar entertainment venues, many of which now stand as ruins.
Numerous structures have been renovated and transformed into coffee shops, souvenir shops and guesthouses, while some still serve as residences, making it a vibrant and enjoyable place to visit.
The top five streets on the list are as follows: 1. Symi Harbour of Livadia, Greece; 2. Acorn Street of Boston, the United States; 3. Bo-Kaap of Cape Town, South Africa; 4. Callejoin El Asri of Chefchaouen, Morocco; and 5. Rua Luis de Camoes of Agueda, Portugal.