Getting Around Phuket Province

Phuket Province has firmly established itself as one of the most visited locations in Thailand. Visitors from all over the world flock to the area to enjoy the island’s popular beaches and eccentric nightlife, and use it as a base to explore the nearby islands on the Andaman Sea.

Although an island, it’s the country’s biggest and isn’t very walkable in the sense that you can get around solely on foot. When we stayed in Phuket in February, we sampled all of the different kinds of transportation options, both public and private, that are offered in the province to be able to explore what the area has to offer.

Is it okay to haggle the price of transport?

In short, yes. Feel free to negotiate prices with privatised journeys such as tuk tuks or taxis, as they will give you the highest price first. However, learn how to haggle in a respectful way, and keep in mind that the service is a livelihood for your driver, so although you don’t want to get overcharged, don’t be cheap about it. For public transport, especially the likes of the local buses like the songthaew, don’t bother as they are so inexpensive. Additionally, the smart buses won’t haggle with you. If you aren’t willing to pay the 100 thb to take the journey, wait for a songthaew to pass.

Keep in mind that it’s common to agree on a price beforehand, and we absolutely recommend you do this. Being confrontational isn’t really the Thai way, so once you’ve agreed on a price and have used the service, honour it.

Private Transport

As we mentioned above, always agree to a set price before you get in a privatised vehicle so that you know what is expected before you head off. Although it’s usually more common to pay after you reach your destination, the driver may ask for it first.

Remember in Thailand that paying by cash is the norm, so have the expectation that your driver or hire company will only accept cash. If you’re opting for a tuk tuk, also try and break up your bills before paying. The ATMs will only give you 1000 thb bills, but many drivers won’t accept these, especially if it’s for a journey that’s only about 100-200 thb. If you’re in a pinch, buy something from one of the chain stores like 7 Eleven or Big C, that can give you the appropriate change.

Without further ado, below are the most common types of private transport you’ll see around Phuket:

Rent a Motorbike/ Scooter

You’ll notice motorbikes and scooters are arguably the most popular way to get around Thailand in general. Locals and tourists alike take to them as they are relatively inexpensive to rent, easy to get around on, and can be parked almost anywhere.

If you do want to have the experience of getting around on a motorbike, be sure to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) before you visit, as this will be required alongside your full licence to rent one. Although some companies don’t enforce this, find one that does, as riding a bike without an IDP is against Thai law and may result in a hefty fine if you do get pulled over. Also make sure to book with a company that offers a comprehensive insurance policy. Thailand is known for road accidents (we unfortunately witnessed multiple ourselves in the one week we were in Phuket), so ride with care, and ensure you have this insurance.

Ride in a tuk-tuk

You’ll notice the small open-air little vehicles lining the streets of most of the beaches and towns within Phuket. The tuk-tuks are extremely convenient to catch and the most popular if you aren’t self-driving.

They can be quite pricey depending on where you’re headed in comparison with public transit, so do haggle with the driver, and better yet, connect with others who seem to be heading in the same direction to split the cost. You can be expected to be charged a couple hundred thai baht for beach hopping down the west, and about double this to get from Old Town to Patong.

Private car or taxi

As with anywhere in the world, there are also private cars and taxis, a decent option if you’re travelling with luggage, or travelling a long distance on a very hot day, as most are air conditioned. These will be lined up along with the Tuk Tuks, and will be the most expensive way to get around Phuket.

Use your hotel’s shuttle service

Another privatised option for getting around is via your hotel’s shuttle, which many resorts within Phuket offer. Usually, it’s the most convenient way to get from the airport to your accommodation, especially if you’re travelling with a lot of luggage, and this can be pre-arranged with your accomodation beforehand. Speak to your reception to see if they offer a similar service, or offer services to go to nearby areas.

Our resort in Kalim offered a complimentary shuttle into Patong whenever we needed it, and offered pickup as well if we called reception. We found this a really great service option, and highly recommend getting accomodation that offers something similar, using this as a factor when choosing where to book.

Book a longtail boat

Lastly, you can also choose to get around Phuket by boat, which will offer tours to nearby beaches or islands via the sea.

The most common way you’ll see is by longtail, although there are some speedboats that offer the service as well. All along the west coast, you’ll notice the boats moored in the beaches and bays and will usually offer half day or full day trips to the nearby beaches to the south or north. These can be a good way to see the island in a different way, but can be one of the pricer options, so be prepared to negotiate or share the cost with other travellers.

Public Transport

A big fan of public transport, we’re always on the hunt to try and discover the different options wherever we find ourselves. In Thailand, I think the part we’ve found most unique about catching public transport is the fact that you can flag them down wherever you are, collecting you from the side of any road as long as it’s not out of their way. This being said, start with the bus stops as they’re the most dependable, but know that if you do see one before you get there, that you can wave it down.

Like we mentioned above, cash is the norm especially for the likes of public transport. Since the costs are so minimal, have the exact change on you, many of the bus drivers won’t have change to give you, so always carry 20 thb notes and 10 thb coins if you’re taking a Songthaews, and a 100 thb note if you’re opting for the Smart Bus. More on both of these options below:

Where to catch public transport in Phuket

For Phuket, look out for the local bus stops, and familiarise yourself for the times they stop running (usually, it’s about 4pm-5pm depending on where you are). In Patong, the major hubs are Bagla Tourist Police Box on Patong Beach Road if you’re headed north (the road that runs parallel to the beachfront and is a one-way), or the PEA if you’re headed south. In Karon, it’ll be at the Karon Circle, sit at the stop in whichever direction you’re headed. In Phuket Old Town, the bus terminal that brings you west is situated on Ranong Road to the west of the Suriyadej Traffic Circle.

Songthaew

Sometimes referred to as the local bus or shared taxi, and found throughout Thailand, songthaews are the cheapest way to get around. In Phuket, they are long, open-aired buses with two main rows of seating along the back, and are typically blue.

These buses usually pass by local bus stations every 30 minutes, but be patient as this isn’t always the case. They operate on an irregular basis and can’t be relied upon in a traditional sense, so don’t opt for this option if you’re on any kind of timetable. Be ready to sit near a stop and wait, or flag one down when you do see one pass, which is one of the best features of the Songthaews, they can pick you up or drop you off wherever you’d like en route.

When you get on, there will either be someone riding in the back that will take your fare, or the bus driver may stop intermittently to collect the fare. Like we mentioned above, have the exact change on you, it’s typically 15-30 thb per person.

Smart Bus

The Smart bus is an awesome and affordable option of getting up and down the west coast of Phuket. We used the smart bus option a few times to beach hop down the coast as they are more reasonable than tuk tuks or taxis, are air conditioned and offer wifi, and more reliable than songthaews as they operate on a set timetable.

Check out their website for an updated timetable, and the locations they stop at (you’ll find this is normally at the normal bus stops). Like the songthaews, they also will pull over outside of a bus stop, as long as it’s on their route when you flag them down. If you are relying on their timetable, make sure to get to the bus stop at least 10 minutes early as they sometimes come early/ late and keep going.

One thing to note about the Smart bus is that no matter if you’re headed from the airport all the way to Rawai, or just going from Patong to Karon, it’s a flat fare of 100 thb per ride. This also means that even if you’re planning on multiple stops, every new time you get on the bus, you’ll be required to pay the 100 thb - don’t haggle with this.

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Phuket is certainly an interesting place to visit in Thailand, and although it sometimes does live up to the reputation of being crowded, it offers a great base for exploring the best of the Andaman.

Happy travels,
Sam + Steve

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