Getting there and away

Air

Located near the island's northern tip, Phuket International Airport is 32 km from Phuket Town and 40 km from Patong Beach. The airport is served by more than 20 international carriers. There are regular flights to most of east Asia's major cities including Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul as well as to Perth and Sydney in Australia. The domestic carriers Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways have routes linking Phuket with Pattaya, Ko Samui, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. Budget carriers like Air Asia and Tiger Air also fly to Bangkok, and there's a flight almost every hour.

As soon as you've cleared immigration and near the airport's exit you'll be assaulted by taxi drivers. The metered taxis have vanished, and fare is now a fixed amount depending on your destination. Large signs clearly display the going rate, but be sure to confirm it with your driver to avoid any surprises. At the time of research fares were 400B to Phuket Town, 500B to Kamala, 550B to Patong, and 650B to Kata or Karon.

A shared mini-van service runs from the airport to Phuket Town, Patong, Kata, and Karon. It's slower than a taxi, but a better value for solo travellers. The fare is paid before you board (remember to hold on to the ticket), and the rate is 100B to Phuket, 150B to Patong, and 180B to Kata or Karon. These vans sometimes stop at a travel agency where passengers will be instructed to unload so they can tell an English-speaking employee their destination. If you hesitate in answering which beach and hotel you plan to stay at, they'll make a recommendation (i.e. a hotel that pays commission) and do their best to sell you a tour package. If you don't have a booking anywhere, it's easier to lie than to explain your free-wheeling travel philosophy.

The govt-run airport bus is the cheapest option, but so slow that travel time is nearly 60 minutes. It runs between 5:30 and 20:45 and it's 60-90 minutes between buses. At the airport, the bus stop is to the left of the taxi stands and it terminates at the Phuket Town bus station. The fare is 85B. Unlike the mini-van service, the official airport bus also plies the route back to the airport but, unless you're staying in Phuket Town, it isn't very convenient.

Airport Bus Phuket: http://www.airportbusphuket.com (076) 232 371

Bus

Since there are no trains in this neck of the woods, Phuket is all about the buses. Long-distance public buses arrive and depart from the central bus station in Phuket Town. Second class buses have air-con and first class buses have air-con and a bathroom. VIP buses offer a lot more leg room and, for overnight trips, worth the extra baht. Second class buses make frequent stops to pick up passengers who wait on the roadside and, for this reason, VIP and first-class buses are sometimes significantly faster.

Sample destinations include:
Bangkok (2nd class): Departs at 6:00, 6:30, 8:25. 10:55, 12:35, 14:15, 16:20, 17:30. 18:15, 19:00, 19:30, costing 487 - 539B and taking 12 hours (14 hours if via Ranong)
Bangkok (1st class): Departs at 7:00, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, costing 652 - 693B and taking 12 hours.
Bangkok (24 seat VIP): Departs at 7:30,16:00.17:20, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, costing 970 - 1,045B and taking 10 hours.

Hat Yai (2nd class): Departs at 5:15, 6:40, 7:45, 8:45, 10:20, 11:45, 13:30, 15:40, 17:30, 20:30, costing 281B and taking 7-8 hours.
Hat Yai (1st class): Departs at 7:30, 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 19:30, 21:00, 21:30, costing 358B and taking 7-8 hours.
Hat Yai (VIP): Departs at 21:45, costing 545B and taking 6 hours.

Krabi (2nd class): Departs at 10:50, 12:50, 14:30, taking 3-4 hours and costing 113B.
Krabi (1st class): Departs at 6:00, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 17:00, 18:30, taking 3-4 hours and costing 155B.

Sungai Kolok (1st class): Departs at 6:00, 8:00, 20:00, costing 579B and taking 11 hours.

Surat Thani (1st class): Departs at 7:30, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:30, 14:00, 15:30, costing 195 - 200B (410B w/ ferry to Ko Samui, 540B w/ ferry to Ko Pha Ngan), taking 4 hours + ferry time.

Takua Pa: Departs at 06.20, 07.40, 09.00, 12.20, 11.40,13.00,15.00, 16.00, 17.00, 18.00 costing 70B and taking 3 hours.

Trang (2nd class): Departs at 6:20, 7:15, 9:15, 9:45, 11:15, 12:20, 13:20, 14:20, 15:20, costing 200B, taking 5 hours.
Trang (1st class): Departs at 7:00, 9:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00. 18:30, costing 257B, taking 5 hours.

Other

Songtheaws to the Beach
Songthaews form the basis of the Phuket's public transportation system. They're large, battered trucks with benches in the back (the word songthaew literally means 'two boards') and, while not the fastest or most comfortable way to get around, they're an affordable and reliable ride during the day. The 'songthaew station' is in Phuket town along Ranong Rd. and each songthaew's fare and destination is clearly marked in English. The songthaews run in a loop from Phuket town to their destination and back. They stop anywhere along the route to pick up or drop off passengers. Push the buzzer on the ceiling to get the songthaew to stop -- be sure to pay attention during the trip for landmarks as the driver won't necessarily stop at the beach if no one else is getting off there.

Songthaews do not run from beach to beach, so a songthaew trip from Patong to nearby Kamala or Karon beach must be via Phuket Town. Songthaews depart roughly every 30 minutes, but the driver will wait longer if there aren't enough passengers to make the trip worthwhile. Once the last songthaew departs you're at the mercy of Phuket's taxi drivers.

Sample fares include:
Ao Chalong: Departs between 08:00 and 17:30, costs 20B.
Karon, Kata and Kata Noi: Departs between 07:30 and 18:00, costs 30B.
Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao: Departs between 07:00 and 17:00, costs 30-40B.
Patong: Departs between 08:00 and 18:00, costs 25B.
Rawai, Nai Harn: Departs between 07:00 and 17:30,costs 30-35B.

So, it should never cost more than 60-70B to get from beach to beach in Phuket during day-light hours. All you have to do is take a songthaew to Phuket Town, and catch another to the beach you're headed for. Convenient, eh?

Beach to Beach Travel
One of Phuket's unpleasantries is dealing with the drivers of the tuk-tuks and taxis. The TAT publishes a list of taxi fares between beaches, which the drivers completely disregard. Tuk-tuk drivers in Patong are particularly ruthless, often asking triple this rate. The fare will depend on the time, the weather, and the driver's mood, but even under the best conditions you'll have to bargain fiercely to get anything close to a fair price. Some beaches have taxi stands with posted rates that tend to be slightly more realistic, but still try to negotiate a discount from these prices. Sample fares:

Phuket Town to Patong: 300 - 400B
Phuket Town to Rawai: 400B
Phuket Town to Airport: 600B
Phuket Town to JW Marriot @ Mai Khao: 700B
Patong to Karon: 250 - 300B
Patong to Kamala: 250 - 300B
Patong to Naiharn: 600B

Most of Phuket's towns and beaches are small enough to be explored by foot. Otherwise, motorcycle taxis are cheaper than tuk-tuks for in-town trips and shouldn't cost more than 50B. Tuk-tuks in Patong are known to charge a 100B minimum even if you're only going a couple blocks!