Getting around in Phuket
Phuket Transport Guide
Oct 28, 2015 By: Jermaine Reefs
Phuket is the biggest of Thailand's many islands, with a surprising amount of the land being jungle-covered hills. This means that a lot of the points of interest are widely spaced and getting from one to the other can be a challenge for the freshly-arrived tourist. One of the most commonly asked questions, therefore, is 'how do I get around Phuket?'
The first thing to consider is the sort of distances we're talking about. For example, the distance between the cultural heart of the island - Phuket Town - and the world-famous nightlife of Patong's Bangla Road is approximately 15km. At best, that's about a 30-minute ride on a motorbike. At worst, it's a hour or two on a bus in heavy traffic.
Each method of getting around in Phuket has its advantages and disadvantages. The key is finding the means which best suit your needs.
Public Transport
Bus
Known locally as a songtaew (which is the Thai for "two benches" and describes the arrangement of passenger seating in the back), these are generally blue in colour, but vary in shape. Some are basically what the rest of the world would identify as a bus while others are roughly-modified trucks. They run at regular intervals between the central bus station in Phuket Town and the major resort towns around the island. There are no designated stops, no clear schedule, no windows and no air conditioning.
Pros
- Extremely cheap - generally no more than 20 baht for the whole trip.
- Popular with locals.
Cons
- Slow - it takes anything up to two hours to get from Patong to Phuket Town.
- Only travel between Phuket Town and other destinations, so all journeys have to go via Phuket Town. If you wanted to go from Kata to Patong, for example, you would still need to go Kata - Phuket Town - Patong...roughly a four-hour journey.
- Uncomfortable - hard wooden seating and no climate control.
Minibus
Generally a lot faster and more comfortable than their big blue cousins, these small buses are not noticeably more expensive. On the downside, they make up for this by often stopping at a local travel agency to attempt to sell you tours and hotel rooms. This is mostly just annoying and time-consuming. While they do benefit from softer seating and climate control, they are also frequently overloaded, making them sometimes just as uncomfortable as the songtaews.
Pros
- More comfortable (to a point).
- Fairly cheap.
- Fast.
Cons
- Usually stop to try to sell you something.
- Overcrowded.
Tuk Tuk
With the island being so hilly, the well-known three-wheeled tuk tuk design favoured in Bangkok would be no use at getting around in Phuket. Instead, the name is carried by a four-wheel modified mini truck. As with their better-known brothers in Bangkok, however, tuk tuks are not the most comfortable of transports, making them a poor choice for the long drives around the island. They are also renowned for attempting to scam their passengers.
Pros
- A fun experience.
- Direct - they go where you want to go instead of following a set route.
Cons
- Increasingly expensive.
- Uncomfortable for long journeys.
- No climate control.
Taxi
A taxi is just a taxi. There's nothing particularly unusual about it in Phuket, other than their vividly bright colours and the fact that their rooftop sign says "Taxi-Meter". Curiously enough, drivers in Phuket don't actually use the meter that much. The standard fare is 50 baht for the first two kilometres and 7 baht for every kilometre after that, but long-distance journeys (as most in Phuket are) are usually charged at a flat rate.
Pros
- Private.
- Comfortable.
- Fast and direct.
Cons
- Expensive.
- Not always easy to find.
- Some (particularly those found at the airport) will try to sell you stuff like the minivans do.
Motorbike Taxi
As with the taxis, this is exactly what it sounds like - a taxi where the mode of transport is a motorbike instead of a car. Generally nothing more than a moped, these are the fastest and most direct of the public transport options, but also the most uncomfortable, even over quite short distances. Trying to use one of these for anything more than a trip from one end of a small town to the other will be a decision you very quickly regret.
Pros
- Fast and direct.
- Fairly priced (assuming you bargain a little).
Cons
- Extremely uncomfortable.
- No capacity for luggage.
- Only carries one passenger at a time.
Private Transport
Rental
You can either rent a car or a motorcycle. Both, inevitably, have advantages and disadvantages: The car is considerably safer and more comfortable while the motorbike is much faster, being able to dodge through or around a lot of the traffic, which usually makes getting around in Phuket a very slow process. In either case, you have the independence of having your own transport, making it easy to get to or from any point of interest. You also have the risk of being pulled over and fined at one of the many police checkpoints if you do not have a Thai or proper international driving license. Thai roads are also infamously dangerous - particularly for drivers new to the island - and an accident can be expensive. At best, it'll cost you the price of repairing or replacing the vehicle. At worst, it could cost your life.
Pros
- Fast and direct.
- Independent, removing the need to explain your needs to a third party.
- Comfortable.
Cons
- Risky, verging on dangerous.
- Requires some skill at navigating to reach your destination.
Tour Bus
Arranging a tour in advance is often a good way to make the most out of a holiday in Phuket. You will be able to enjoy some of the best-known sights of the island as well as a few of the lesser-known highlights without having the trouble of trying to plan it for yourself. Generally favouring the same vehicles as the minivan drivers use, these drivers do not stop to try to sell you a hotel room or a tour because they just collected you from your hotel to take you on a tour. They will get you where you want to go directly, quickly, safely and comfortably. Since they are not attempting to scrape up every last possible baht they can find, they are also rarely filled beyond their normal capacity.
Pros
- Fast and direct.
- Comfortable.
- Will wait at each location to take you to the next.
- Convenient.
- The driver already knows where they are going, removing the need to explain or to bargain.
Cons
- Need to be pre-booked.
- Limited independence and flexibility.
Other ways you could describe this mode of transport would be 'limousine' or 'chauffeur driven car', both of which have such luxury connotations that they seem beyond the means of ordinary folks. However, while this is certainly a more expensive option than renting a car to drive yourself, it is not just for royalty and it comes with all of the advantages of both the tour bus and the self-drive. Unlike the tour, you are not stuck on a strict course - you are as independent as if you were driving yourself. Tell the driver where you want to go and they will take you there and then wait to take you wherever you want to go next. At the same time, you don't have to know the exact route yourself, so it requires no skill at navigating. The driver charges by the day instead of the distance, so you don't even have to bargain the price down. Most importantly, the driver knows the roads and how to drive them, making it considerably safer.
Pros
- Private.
- Fast and direct.
- Flexible and independent.
- Safe and comfortable.
- Will wait at each location to take you to the next.
Cons
- Need to explain where you want to go, which might be tougher with more obscure destinations.
- Expensive.
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