Phuket is an island of gigantic proportions, and it is impossible to move around on foot. Tourists are forced to think in advance how to move - bus, taxi, motorbike or tuk-tuk - everything is mixed up like ingredients in a burger, only instead of taste - the connection between cities and attractions.
Here is a list of transport facilities in Phuket.
How to get from the airport
Taxi transfer
The best way to get from the airport is to book a taxi in advance. The cost of such a trip starts from 1000 THB (for example, a trip to Patong, about 45 km, will cost about 1300-1500 baht).
Buses from Phuket Airport
From the airport, you can get to various points on the island on a budget by city buses. Buses stop at the terminal - right on the street opposite the entrance. If you arrived at the international terminal, follow the signs for about 200 meters.
- Phuket Airport - Phuket Town
The air-conditioned bus on this route is convenient for those who live in the Nai Yang area and want to get to Phuket Town or visit the Big C, Lotus's, Central Festival shopping centers. The fare to the final station is 100 baht. If you plan to get off earlier, check the price with the conductor. - Phuket Airport - Patong
There is an air-conditioned bus or minivan with a route announced as "airport - Patong - Karon - Kata". The final stop in Patong is near the Bangkok Bank branch on Phang Muang Sai Kor Street. The cost of a trip to the final stop is 150 baht, and for other destinations, check with the driver. Please note that the route does not pass by Nai Yang Beach, but goes through the Muang Mai area. For intercity trips (e.g. to Khao Lak, Phang Nga, Krabi), use the bus to the stop in Muang Mai. - Phuket Airport – Rawai (Smart Bus)
This Smart Bus runs from the airport via all the main beaches – Nai Yang, Bang Tao, Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon, Kata – to Rawai. The fare is 100 baht, payment is possible in cash or via QR-code Prompt Pay. The schedule is several trips per day; you can track the location of the bus on the official website phuketsmartbus.com . - Bus from the airport to the city center
The bus from the airport to the center of Phuket Town is here, operating daily at intervals of 1.5 hours. The price is only 100 baht. This bus will not only take you to the city, it will also allow you to look where the Phuket Outlet, the Heroines Monument or the Thalang area are located.
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Smart Bus
Smart Bus runs from the airport to Rawai Beach, passing through all the main beaches. There is no cash payment. You need to buy a reusable transport card directly from the driver. The price of this card is 300 baht: 100 baht for the card itself and another 200 baht balance. The price of the trip varies depending on the distance - somewhere around 50 baht, somewhere up to 170 baht. And here's a bonus: children under 7 can travel for free if they show a document. In general, this method is not the cheapest, but it is comfortable and practical for traveling around the island.
City buses
Buses in Phuket have their own peculiarities. Unlike the strict lines of Bangkok, everything here pulsates, as if the rules were made up in a hurry. Locals and tourists, trying to save on taxis or car rentals, choose these multi-colored cars - pink, blue, as if taken from some street carnival.
No timetables – forget about routine. Stops are on demand: you press a button on the inside or even on the roof, and the bus stops as if it had been woken up. Routes? Well, they are as confusing as a maze, where every move can lead you to an unexpected stop – in the city center or somewhere near the beach. The conductor shouts, you ask for directions, and the ride turns into something resembling an impromptu adventure.
These buses are not just a means of transportation, they are a culture, an element of local color. They look like converted trucks with an open entrance, as if specially designed to attract attention. Sometimes the ride causes a storm of emotions: you are driving through the center of Phuket, then suddenly you find yourself in a coastal area, where everything is mixed up and it is impossible to predict where they will take you next.
So, what can you expect? From the bright pink buses to the blue buses that race along the coast, connecting the main beaches with Phuket Town, each trip is like a spontaneous adventure, where logic and order give way to chaos and fun. So, if you decide to go, be prepared for every new turn in the route to be a challenge, and every bell at the stop is a signal that everything here is done differently, unpredictably and, of course, with fire.
Blue buses
Blue buses connect the main beaches with Phuket Town. The price is from 25 to 50 THB. They start running at 6:00 and until 18:00, exactly every 15 minutes. The main routes - here is a list that will immediately scatter you to different corners, but still connect the beaches with the city.
- Patong - Phuket Town
Cost: 30 THB; the bus passes by the Makro hypermarket and the Central Festival shopping centre. - Karon and Kata – Phuket Town
Cost: 40 THB; the route connects neighboring beaches, stopping at each for 30 minutes, and also passes through the Central Festival and Villa Market shopping centers; duration is at least an hour. - Nai Harn and Rawai – Phuket Town
Cost: 30 THB; the route takes about one and a half hours. - Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao – Phuket Town
Cost: 40 THB; the route passes through Super Chip hypermarket and takes one and a half hours. - Chalong - Phuket Town
Allows tourists to reach attractions such as the Big Buddha. - Kathu and Thalang – Phuket Town
Connects the center of the island with remote areas of the coast.
Pink buses
Pink buses run on routes within Phuket Town. The fare is 15 THB, tickets can be bought from the driver or at the ticket office. Buses operate from 6:00 to 19:00 with an interval of 15 minutes. The main routes are:
- From Big C Phuket to Phuket Vocational College
- From Super Chip Hypermarket to Mai Mummuang Market
- From Bus Terminal 2 to Phuket Town Central Market via Bus Terminal 1
(Sometimes the driver continues the route to the beaches for an additional fee of 500 THB)
Taxi in Phuket
Taxi in Phuket is a separate topic, and here the choice depends on your preferences and budget. Let's consider the main options.
iDrive is probably the cheapest and, accordingly, the most popular taxi in Phuket. You can pay for the order in cash at the end of the trip. When ordering online, it is displayed immediately, so if you order via Wi-Fi and you will not have Internet on the road, then take a screenshot. If you suddenly have questions, just show it.
Bolt also operates in Phuket and is the second most used service.
Grab is less popular due to its higher average cost.
Taxi Meter is a regular taxi with brightly colored cars that have checkers. Everything here should work according to the meter, but it should be discussed in advance. If you agree on the meter, then the price starts from about 35 baht for boarding plus about 5 baht per kilometer. However, drivers often quote an amount twice as high, and then you can try to bargain - although, frankly speaking, taxi drivers in Phuket are still the winners. Due to its specifics, this type of taxi is in the least demand.
Official and illegal taxis
Official taxis are usually equipped with meters, and the fare is calculated according to them - on average 100 baht for the call plus 35-40 baht for each mile of the journey. Illegal taxis are private drivers who disguise themselves as official ones. The price is agreed upon in advance, but often turns out to be no cheaper, and sometimes even higher, especially if you say that you urgently need to get somewhere.
Examples for reference: a trip from Karon to Patong can cost 260-320 THB, from Patong to Town - 430-550 THB, and from Nai Harn or Rawai to the airport - 1100-1400 THB.
In practice, many people find the GRAB app the most convenient option – everything is immediately visible, understandable, and the prices are reasonable. Taxi drivers, especially in remote tourist areas, can be uncooperative and greedy, so choosing a payment method and agreement is an important point when traveling around the island.
Russian speaking taxi in Phuket
Taxi City offers transfers and trips around the island. With their help, you can book excursions or plan your own route.
Taxi-Online Phuket
VKontakte group: vk.com/onlinephu
Services: SHA+ transfers, airport pick-up, excursions and individual trips.
Knock-knock
Tuk-tuks in Phuket are modern micro-trucks, painted as if by order: red, blue, yellow, green – choose any that you come across. Capacity? About 4-8 people, if the company is large, then feel free to get in – this is the calling card of the island, a kind of poster with its color.
But the main thing is the price. The driver, as a rule, will not agree to give you a ride for less than 400-800 THB, even if you just want to move from one beach to another. For a couple, this amount can be a blow to the wallet, but for a group where someone knows how to bargain, a tuk-tuk can be a good solution. The price is negotiable and ranges from 300 to 1000 THB, so it all depends on the situation and your negotiating skills.
Externally, tuk-tuks are something special: bright fluorescent lighting, music that thunders in the evenings, and all these effects to attract the eye. To stop the car, just knock on the roof of the cabin - such a simple signal, and the driver will understand everything. Interestingly, in Phuket tuk-tuks are usually four-wheeled, not three-wheeled, as elsewhere - and can carry up to 5 passengers, so the capacity is slightly different.
And one more thing – tuk-tuks can be used not only for a quick ride over a short distance, but also for renting for the whole day. The average rental price is about 200 baht per hour. This can be advantageous for those who need to move around the island constantly, although, of course, the prices can be higher if you can’t bargain. As a result, when you see these cars driving along the streets with dynamic music and bright lights, you will understand that this is not just transport, but a whole driving force of local color, capable of giving a dose of adrenaline and unpredictable emotions in one trip.
Mototaxi
Mototaxi – or as the locals call them, “motosai” – is a way that blows up the standard idea of travel, but it’s not for everyone, because if you have luggage with you, it’s already an extreme quest.
It seems that wherever you go, they themselves jump out onto the streets, not only where tourists crowd: near shopping centers, train stations, beaches - everywhere they offer their services. Drivers - bright vests on them, like beacons, distinguish them from ordinary motorcyclists, which makes them instantly recognizable.
Price – here’s where the surprise lies: motorcycle taxis are considerably cheaper than car taxis, but tourists are often charged twice as much as locals. That’s why it’s important to find out the price before you go, and if necessary, bargain boldly. Prices usually start at 25 baht, plus 2–5 baht per kilometer after the first two kilometers. On your first day, you’ll see moped riders in bright vests, and you’ll understand that this is a fast and popular way to get around – where a regular taxi might charge 500–600 baht, motorcycle taxis will set you back around 150–200 baht, and a short trip within the area can cost only around 50 baht.
Mobility is another advantage: when a car gets stuck in a traffic jam, motorcycle taxis easily bypass the jams, using sidewalks or special lanes - such freedom! But, of course, everything is not without risks: safety always comes first, so be sure to wear a helmet, hold on tight to the handles or the driver, and if you don't want the speed to be crazy, warn in advance.
There are also plenty of companies renting out motorbikes in Phuket. If you decide to stay on the island for a long time, renting a motorbike is a practical option: about 200 baht per day or about 3,000 baht per month.
Water transport
Water transport in Phuket is not a bus service, but a completely different story. There is no central water system between the districts, but on almost every beach you can stumble upon a Thai boat - a longtail, roomy, for 8-10 people, which is rented by agreement, depending on the mood of the boatman, the number of passengers, the season and, possibly, the vagaries of the weather. For example, on Bang Tao Beach, you can arrange an hour-long snorkeling trip near the nearest nameless island - the cost is about 1,500 THB, and often this amount already includes masks, life jackets, fins - everything as a set. But on the Koh Sir pier - for a 4-5 hour trip along the island, the price starts at 3,500 THB, and here the situation is different.
Moving on to the eastern side of Phuket, there are several large marinas and piers with regular ferries to neighbouring islands, and private boatmen offering their services. Prices vary widely, from 40 THB for a seat on a boat to the nearest island to 1,500 THB for a ferry to more distant destinations, depending on the distance and perhaps how well you bargain.