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By
Coach : Both air-conditioned and non air–conditioned
buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok daily.
Southern Bus Terminal Tel. (02) 4347192, 4345557-8,
Phuket Central Company Tel. (02) 4355019, Phuket Travel
Tel. (02) 4355018, Phuket Bus Terminal Tel. (076)
211480.
By
Air : Thai Airways International operates
flights to Phuket daily. The travel time is 1 hour
20 minutes. Contact TG office in Bangkok Tel. (02)
2800060, 6282000 for flight schedule and reservation.
Cilck to Domestic Flight
By
Sea : The Deep Sea Port (Port of Phuket)
at Puket is visited by both cargo and cruise ship
from Thailand and from abroad. Contact your travel
agent for information about the many different ships
that stop at Phuket.
Travel Around
Once
here, getting around Phuket is case of either doing
it the easy way, or doing it the adventurous way.
If staying in one of the island's epicentres like
Patong or Kata, getting around is a breeze. Most hotels
are within close proximity to the beach, entertainment,
restaurants, shopping and activity centres, which
makes getting round on foot the best option. In less
populated spots, or if you want to explore locations
around the island, you have the choice of having your
hotel arrange transport in the form of a taxi, hirecar
or tuk-tuk, or taking the local transportation.
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Tuk
Tuk
For trips of any duration at any time of day, a tuk
tuk or small taxi truck is often the most efficient.
State your destination and agree on the price before
setting off! A trip within a beach area or town shouldn't
cost more than 50 Baht, but for trips further afield,
anything up to 400 Baht can be expected - depending
on the distance, the weather and your bargaining skills!
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Song
Taew
If heading off to other beaches and
sites during the day, you also have the option of
a local songthaew or bus.
There is a daytime bus service (songthew) to most
parts of the island. All the busses run in a loop
from Phuket town to the destination and then back
to Phuket town again. The bus terminal in Phuket town
is at the food market (talad sod) they park along
this one way road. If you are planning to go with
the bus then all you got to do is locate the right
bus (all of them have signs on their destination)
and enter the bus.
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The
buses run until 6 a clock in the evening and start in
the morning. This is a much safer way to travel around
the island then the Tuk-Tuk is and at the same time
very sheep way to travel. You get to see allot from
the bus and can stop it at any time to get of!
There are no bus stops in Phuket! All you need to do
is go to the road where the bus passes and wave with
your hand when it comes. You climb on and the bus continues
the trip. You pay either to the driver or to the "money
collector" when he comes and the price is around
15-25 THB / person depending on destination.
Traveling by bus to and from Phuket is cheap and a good
way to travel. Some of the bus trips is day time and
offers you a chance to see the country. Take a look
at our bus list and find out where to go.
Local
bus fare in Phuket
Songtaew (local bus) fare, depart from market on Ranong
road. The buses leave daily every 30 minutes from 07.00
- 17.00 Hours. Departure times are subject to change
without notice!
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Destination |
Bus
fare
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Bangtao
Beach |
20 |
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Bang
Rong |
20 |
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Chalong
Bay |
15 |
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Friendship
Beach |
20 |
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Ka
Cape |
20 |
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Kamala
Beach |
25 |
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Karon
Beach |
20 |
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Kata
Beach |
20 |
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Kathu
District |
10 |
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Makham
Bay and Aquarium |
20 |
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Naiharn
Beach |
25 |
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Naiyang
Beach |
30 |
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Patong
Beach |
15 |
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Rawai
Beach |
20 |
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Sarasin
Bridge |
20 |
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Surin
Beach |
20 |
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Thalang
District |
15 |
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The
local buses
(painted bright blue for easy recognition) will have
their destination written in English on the outside
of the bus and run regularly between the hours of
7.00 am and 6.00pm. There are no designated bus stops,
which means you have to flag them down in the middle
of the street.
In most populated areas, your best chance of catching
a bus are to go to the main thoroughfare - sooner
or later one will come along. In Patong, your best
spot for flagging one down is along Phra Baramee Road
outside the tourist police box. In Phuket town, head
for the fresh markets on Ranong Road (opposite Thai
airways office) where you will |
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find Songtaews waiting to go to destinations all around
the island. Standard cost for trips to/from Phuket Town
to/from locations such as Patong, Surin and Kamala are
approximately 15-20 Baht, and you shouldn't take one
if you are in a hurry to get where you want to go.
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Hire Cars and Motorbikes
Private cars, jeeps and small motorbikes can be hired
from most major hotels, and from private dealers off
the street. If you really want to explore, having
your own vehicle is the best way to go. It's important
to check that full insurance coverage is included
and that you have the appropriate licenses at hand
in case of accident. Note that motorcycle hire is
extremely risky as insurance is usually not included
- regardless of what you are told. You don't want
to find yourself liable for damages and medical bills
or
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worse.
A Thai or an international car license is mandatory
for the purposes of claiming successfully for insurance
in case of accident with a vehicle.
For serious bike enthusiasts, the area around Patong
offers lots to enjoy. Cruise out of the town on smooth
roads that bank and curve around lush green mountains
looking out over the Andaman Sea and visit some of the
smaller areas outside the main tourist strip. There
are bike shops in Patong that specialise in road cruisers
and dirt bikes for those who want something more challenging
than the traditional Honda Dream favoured by most tourists
and locals alike. Check out the shops along Rat-U-Thit
Road at Patong Beach. A word of warning - needless to
say those who ride motorcycles should take extreme care
when riding the roads in Thailand. Not only is there
an extreme disregard for traffic regulations which leads
to unexpected and dangerous behaviour on the roads,
but during the rainy season, bike riders often come
to grief when damp roads become slippery to ride on
due to oil spill build-ups. It is therefore recommended
that the inexperienced rider elect the safety of a standard
vehicle as the means for enjoying touring around Patong
and elsewhere on the island.
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Motorcycle
Taxis
During the day and night, groups of motorcyclists
can be seen lurking on street corners or cruising
the streets wearing coloured vests and trying to get
your attention. These are the motorcycle taxi drivers
who will take you anywhere around town for a fee.
Again the price can vary depending on the distance
you want to travel and your bargaining skills. Not
the safest mode of transport but can be convenient.
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Car Rental
car and Jeep are readily available for rental and it's
one of the beat way to see Phuket and the surroinding
area on your own. Make sure that insurance coverage
is included as it is the driver's responsibility to
pay all damages in case of an accident.
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