Turquoise water, soft white sand, Pampering resorts and parties until the wee hours of the night, or the morning... you will find all this and more in one of the most beautiful islands of Thailand, the island of Phuket. It is also one of the most visited points of interest in the entire country and a destination that many tend to return to again and again. Young, old too families with children, all of them find in Phuket a perfect place to relax for a few days, or more, a place that offers a wonderful atmosphere, charming views and a real time out, just when you need it!
Phuket It is the largest island in Thailand, and its area is estimated at about 543 square kilometers. It is home to over 300,000 inhabitants and its capital is Phuket City. As befits a large and highly touristic city, Phuket offers a variety of convenient and efficient means of transportation, available to locals and vacationers.
Accommodation in Phuket Scattered throughout the island and so are the places of entertainment, but the most popular of them are located in the coastal area Patong (Patong Beach), which is in the western part of Phuket. Despite its vast area (cf to other islands in Thailand), it is relatively easy to get around, although there are many who choose to focus, during their stay on the island, in one place, near the resort where they are staying, and move less from place to place. Others, who choose to take advantage of their stay on the island and get to know almost all the points of interest on it and the various beaches, use the means of transportation offered by the island, and as mentioned, there are quite a few of them and relatively very accessible.
Means of transportation in Phuket
For those who want to explore the island, and not stay in just one place, several options are offered. You can rent a car From one of the known car rental companies (you can do this in advance, or when you arrive on the island itself) or rent a motorcycle (assuming you have the relevant license). A local bus is also a convenient and efficient solution, although less suitable if you are planning a stay on the island with small children. There is also a special bus for tourists (a blue bus), an open bus that mainly passes through Phuket City and stops at its main resorts, and of course - taxis and tuk-tuks, aka the means of transportation most associated with Thailand, the likes of which you will see almost everywhere.
Tuktuk and taxis
Phuket's tuktuks, as well as taxis, are a great means of transportation, and also much more convenient compared to renting a car, which can be a real hassle (especially during busy hours, and also when you are less familiar with the island). The taxis, which travel around the island, are marked as a Taxi Meter, on an illuminated sign and to stop them you have to signal them with your hand. Most taxi drivers in Phuket (and in Thailand in general) speak English and can easily find their way to the various attractions and resorts you want to go to.
Make sure in advance that the taxi driver activates the meter before setting off, and if it hasn't, ask it to run. Some taxi drivers, who work with private companies, do not use a meter. Instead, you will be offered a fixed price before the trip. In many cases you can bargain.
Keep in mind that a ride in such a taxi, at a fixed price, will usually cost more than a ride in a metered taxi.
For those who want to get from Phuket International Airport to any destination on the island, limousines (at a fixed fare) and metered taxis are offered.
As for the tuktuks in Phuket, these are not the same tuktuks with three wheels, as you will see quite a few in bangkok, for example, if in mini trucks, which are usually painted bright red or yellow. Some of them also have a powerful sound system and colored lights, which were placed in the passenger cabin. This is the most common means of transportation in Phuket, and while wandering around, you will see dozens of tuktuks usually parked outside Phuket's prominent attractions and resorts.
The downside is that it is one of the most expensive means of transportation on the island, so a short trip on it can reach a relatively high price compared to any other transportation solution. If you chose to get on a tuktuk, specify your destination in advance and try to negotiate the price. Also make sure that the price given to you is for an individual or a group.
pay attention: Due to the mountainous terrain of the island and its winding roads, a long trip by tuk tuk is not so comfortable, and the cost will be high. If you still want to experiment, for the sake of the experience, choose to do it for short distances.
Local bus
Phuket's local buses focus, for the most part, on the most popular beaches on the island, such as Patong, Kata, Karon and Rawai. While traveling in them is not the fastest or along the most beautiful views, it is definitely the cheapest to get from the city itself to the beaches. The Phuket Local Bus Station can be found in the old part of Phuket, on Ranong Road.
There are several different companies that operate these buses, and each of them has different arrangements and a different style. Some of the buses are big blue, and some are other colors. Traveling in them allows passengers to get to know the real Phuket better, to enjoy the pleasant breeze of the island and also to see interesting and beautiful areas of it.
Important Information: There is no specific schedule for these buses and it is accepted that all buses stop at any point they visit, provided that this point is along the route. Most of the buses operate along the entire route and every day, where usually the waiting time between lines ranges from 20 minutes to half an hour.
To get accurate information about the stations, the stops and any other important details, you are advised to contact the staff of the place where you are staying. This way you will receive the most up-to-date information that will help you properly plan your stay on the island and get from point to point.
A bus collects from/to the airport
It is very likely that you will arrive in Phuket by flight. If this is the case, to get from the airport to any other point around the island, you can use a pickup bus, which leaves directly from Phuket International Airport. It is a yellow bus, with Airport Bus written on it in large letters. Traveling from the airport to the central bus station of Phuket city takes close to two hours.
If you want to get from Phuket City to the airport, you can find the bus at stop number 7, line 1, near the Royal Phuket City Hotel. There is no need to buy travel tickets in advance. You buy them directly on the bus itself. If you are looking for the bus at the airport to continue with it to the city, you must go outside the airport itself and head towards the parking lot.
See here all the details about the Phuket Airport Bus:
Motorcycle/scooter rental
Renting a motorbike is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get around the island. The small scooters are simple and very easy to operate, and in the hours of stress and congestion on the roads, they will take you from place to place very quickly. With also the cheapest means of transportation, so if your budget is not that high, this is the perfect solution!
At the same time, renting motorcycles in Phuket can also be dangerous, similar to riding a motorcycle anywhere else in the world, especially for unskilled/experienced drivers. If this is your first experience, take your time, and start in the first stage with relatively short trips and in less crowded and busy places. You will find the motorcycle rental shops in Phuket in many places on the island, especially near the main resorts and the popular beaches.
The most requested scooter in Phuket is the Honda Click, 125 cc and it is very easy to operate. The price of renting such a scooter for a day starts at 200 baht per day, while in the peak season (November to April) the price can even rise to 250 baht. The more you rent the scooter For a longer period, the daily rental cost will be lower.
Phuket is the largest of the Thai islands, although compared to other places in the world it is not very large. Getting around it is not difficult at all and is available to anyone.
In Phuket there are a variety of options to get from place to place - tuk tuk, taxi, rental car, motorcycle / scooter and even a private driver. It all depends on the budget and the time you have at your disposal.
Depends on how much you want to travel around the island. If you don't intend to sit in one place and sunbathe all day, you should definitely consider renting a car in Phuket.
There is a reasonable bus service in Phuket, and this is the cheapest option of all to get around the island. It should be taken into account that traveling in them is not always comfortable and takes longer than the other means of transportation.
