History & Location

The premises of Hotel Midtown Ratsada was originally a steel workshop for equipment and machinery used in tin mining operations. The workshop continued to be used during World War II with the Japanese Military also making use of the site. 

As the mining industry slowed down over the years, the workshop was finally closed down in the 1980s and was converted into a series of commercial buildings. The area was known as “Ratsada Centre”. The design of the buildings itself were built in a sino-portuguese mixed with colonial style architecture - of which the original architecture remains the same today. At the time of its completion, the project won several awards with being one of the winning establishments of the Siam Sathapat awards in 1982, bestowed by her majesty Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Princess Theparat Rajasuda, The Princess Royal. 

Then, in 1985, “Ratsada Centre” took on a new chapter. Several of the buildings were converted into one, and the site became “Phuket Shopping Centre”, the first shopping mall in Phuket with an escalator. For many years, Phuket Shopping Centre became the heart of Phuket Old Town. Even today, many of the older locals still tell the stories of their experiences in the shopping mall with excitement. From their amazement and delight by using an escalator for the first time, to “everything is 1 THB sales” causing huge commotions with police having to decree the ban of such sales due to mass hysteria, and even special ‘instalment payment plans’ that allowed people to buy their very first Levi denim jeans or ‘scholl shoes’ which were the most popular and in-trend fashion at the time. There were festivals and parades that were arranged by the shopping mall which took place around the town as well. Phuket Shopping Centre was truly a phenomenon of its time. Over the years, with the tourism and expat market growing stronger, the shopping mall was converted to serviced apartments known as “Phuket Centre Apartment” in 2008 and continued to run until late 2020. 

Now, we start again a new chapter, with Hotel Midtown Ratsada. We hope to embody and continue the memories of this place as the heart of Phuket Old Town, thus ‘Midtown’, as well as paying homage to our location and roots of ‘Ratsada’ from Ratsada centre and Ratsada road. Our hotel story and concept is embedded with the rich history of Phuket of which we wish to illustrate to you during your stay with us here.