How To Reach Phuket

Thailand’s largest island Phuket lies on the west coast of the country in the Andaman Sea. Blessed with shimmering beaches, mountainous landscapes and rainforests, Phuket beckons visitors to enjoy these and other captivating tiny islands nearby that can be visited from the exciting base of Phuket. Although flying directly to Phuket is possible from many cities around the world, there are a few options for others. Discover the different ways of reaching Phuket.

Getting to Phuket by Air

Phuket Island is served by one airport, the Phuket International Airport in Thalang District, which is the second largest Airport in Thailand. It has 02 terminals; the International Terminal is for passengers arriving/departing on international flights from/to other countries with scheduled flights during the week. Similarly, the Domestic Terminal is for passengers arriving/departing on domestic flights from/to other cities in Thailand, these domestic flights may have more than one flight a day to certain domestic cities in Thailand. The flying time of domestic flights ranges from 45 minutes to about 90 minutes considering the city used.

International Terminal – Flights from the following cities arrive at this terminal. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Seam Reap, Dubai, Doha, Melbourne, Sydney, Moscow, Beijing, Moscow etc. Please note that these cities are subject to change as required by operating airlines, this can be checked at the time of making the reservation.

Domestic Terminal - Flights arriving from other cities in Thailand land at this terminal, such as flights coming from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Koh Samui, Bangkok Don Muang etc. Passengers from the USA/Canada often arrive on a direct flight to Bangkok and use a domestic flight to Phuket arriving at this terminal. This is because they are keen to make the most of their time on the island to explore the attractions across Phuket.

Airport to the Phuket City/Hotel

From Phuket airport to your hotel or place of stay can be easily covered using the following options.

Airport Bus/Smart Bus – Both these are cheap and convenient; however, the duration of the trip will be at least one and a half hours as there will be many stops on the way for alighting visitors.

Taxi Service – Although this service is more expensive than going by bus to your hotel, most visitors using hotels like Avadina Hills by Anantara opt for this service as they can get to the place of stay faster and can enjoy Phuket even on the day of arrival. There are metered taxis available for hire at the airport which makes it quite convenient.

Getting to Phuket by Bus

This is used by visitors who have already arrived in the Capital City, of Bangkok. Bus services are available from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok to arrive in Phuket, the journey takes about 14 hours.

These air-conditioned buses from Bangkok offer a comfortable ride to Phuket with a short stop on the way for refreshments and are fitted with toilets. The luxury air-conditioned buses with wider seats for which the fare is more expensive also include the cost of refreshments in the fare.

Getting to Phuket by Rail

This is another option for visitors already in Bangkok. Since there is no direct rail service from Bangkok to Phuket, visitors must travel partly by train and the rest of the way by bus.

Take the train to Surat Thani railway station and take a bus from there. A combined ticket can be bought for this purpose. The entire journey will take about 12 hours.

This is an experience enjoyed by some visitors as it affords them a chance to see the beautiful countryside you pass through if a daytime train is taken.

Getting about in Phuket

Using Tuk-tuks is fast, easy and cheap, make sure you agree on the fare before the ride commences as they are not metered. Some intrepid visitors even hire a scooter to get about during their holiday in Phuket.

If you are keen on island hopping to explore the uninhabited islands of Koh Phi Phi etc., ferry service or motorboats are the best.