Phuket has a fairly extensive transportation network. It's no wonder: it takes a day to get around Thailand's largest island. You can't get around it on foot, so you'll need transportation. You can get around Phuket by bus, cab, rented motorcycle or tuk-tuk.
City Buses
The most common public transportation in Phuket is the bus. It can be one of two types: a long pickup truck (called a songteo) or the traditional bus, but without windows.
Besides this, buses in Phuket can be blue (if the transport runs along the coast to the main beaches) or pink (for flights around Phuket Town). A separate kind of blue-colored bus is the Phuket Smart Bus.
Blue Buses
The fare on the blue buses ranges from 25 to 50 THB. Payment is made in person to the driver at the beginning or middle of the journey. Often the driver will stop the transportation to personally sell the fares.
Rays run from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 15-minute intervals. The terminus of the blue buses is located in Phuket Town near the central market. A fairly long transportation stop is located near the old bus station on Ranong Road. Drivers can stay there for up to half an hour to pick up more passengers.
Blue bus routes have the following disadvantages:
- Most flights connect only the nearest beaches (e.g. Karon and Kata or Bang Tao and Surin), which can be traveled on foot;
- Patong is only connected to the center of Phuket. It is not possible to reach other beaches from it;
- Transportation is very slow as the driver's income depends solely on the number of passengers collected.
The most popular routes are:
- Patong to Phuket Town - for 30 THB, running every half hour. On the way, the bus passes Macro Hypermarket and Central Festival Shopping Center;
- Karon and Kata - Phuket Town - for 40 THB. The flight connects two neighboring beaches, stopping at each of them for half an hour, as well as TC Central Festival and Villa Market. The trip is at least an hour long;
- Nai Harn and Rawai to Phuket Town - for 30 THB, lasting about an hour and a half;
- Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao - Phuket Town - for 40 THB, taking one and a half hours. The flight passes through the Super Chip hypermarket;
- Chalong to Phuket Town - Favorite because it allows tourists to reach the island's main attractions, such as the Big Buddha;
- Kathu and Talang - Phuket Town - uniting the center of the island and the most remote parts of the coast.
Pink Buses
The fare for the pink colored buses that run around Phuket Town is 15 THB. You can buy tickets for the pink bus either from the driver or at the many ticket offices around town.
Rays start from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm. The operating interval for this transportation is 15 minutes. You don't have to wait for an official stop to get off the bus, you can simply press a button inside the cabin.
The following routes are the main ones:
- From Big C Phuket Shopping Center to Vocational College Phuket;
- From Super Chip Hypermarket to Mai Mummuang Market;
- From Bus Terminal 2 to Phuket Town Center Market via Bus Terminal 1 (the flight is sometimes continued by the driver himself to the beaches for 500 THB).
Phuket Smart Bus
The most comprehensive route around Phuket is the Phuket Smart Bus costing between THB 50 and 170 depending on the distance to be covered. The flight was launched in early 2018 and connects the local airport and the entire coastline. The Smart Bus runs from 6:00 to 20:15.
Taxis
The fastest and most comfortable mode of transportation in Phuket is a cab, especially for companies of three people or more. The peculiarity of local cab services is fixed prices. Even in case of serviceable meters, it is not customary here to turn them on.
Transfers to the Airport by Taxi
The best transfer to the local airport is also a cab, pre-booked on a special website. Cab services offer minivans for transportation from 4 to 19 people.
Taxis are especially beneficial for tourists who don't speak English well: the driver meets his crew at the airport or at the hotel with a special sign. The cost of a booked car starts at 1,000 THB.
Motobike Taxi
A popular form of public transportation in Phuket is also a motorcycle cab. Motorcycle cab stands can be found near shopping malls, and the fare for this mode of transportation is fixed. For example, you can travel from Chalong to Tesco Lotus for 150 THB.
Numerous travel advice books recommend using this mode of transportation in Phuket also because cab drivers in nimble cars can successfully avoid the numerous traffic jams.
Tuk-tuk
Another popular form of public transportation in Phuket is the small cabs called tuk-tuks. This original mode of transportation is a pickup truck with the rear end converted to carry passengers.
The price of a tuk-tuk fare is negotiable, but it's not insignificant: from 300 to 1000 THB. So don't forget to bargain!
If you need to get off, just tap on the roof of the driver's cab.
Motorbike
There are many companies offering motorcycle rentals in Phuket. For those tourists who are on the island for a long time, it is more practical to rent this mode of transportation. The average cost is 200 THB for a day's use and 3000 THB for a month's rental.
When staying on the island for an extended period of time, it's best to use all modes of transportation at least once. First, it allows you to form your own impression of Phuket's public transportation. In addition, glassless buses, brightly colored local cabs, and exotic tuk-tuks are all part of the unique Thai flavor.
