In this article, I will help you to look at the best ways to get to Karon from various locations in Phuket like the airport, the old town, and Patong. I also share with you the best ways to get around this beautiful beach town in Phuket.
Phuket is a top travel hotspot in Thailand, so you’ll find no shortage of transportation options to get there and explore the island. Karon is the second most popular tourist town in Phuket, so you can easily get to and get around town with all kinds of transportations.
I rented a scooter to explore the island, but when I needed another option, I usually went with ride-hailing apps like Grab, Bolt, or InDrive. These services are widely available in Phuket, especially in tourist areas like Karon.
Other common modes of transport are traditional taxis, tuk tuk, local buses, and songthaew pick up trucks are also available in Karon. You just need to negotiate the price before using these transports.
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4 Popular Ways to get to Karon
1. Riding share services (Grab, InDrive, Bolt)
Using riding share services like Grab are becoming popular means of transport in South East Asia, including Thailand and Phuket.
Similar to Uber in the western countries, you can order a taxi ride and food from Grab Apps. Additionally, you order a Grab Bike, which is a great way to experience local ways of getting around.
In addition to Grab, other taxi apps like InDrive and Bolt are also popular in Phuket. They are often offered cheaper deals than in Grab. They don’t have motorbike taxi services though.
Both Bolt and Grab have payment options for either cash or card. InDrive only offers cash options. You pay directly cash for the driver. I usually use InDrive because I usually get the best deals from this app. Just make sure to have enough cash with you to pay the driver.
2. Traditional Taxi
If you don’t want to use technology to order the taxi ride, you can use a traditional taxi. It is best to use a metered taxi (usually yellow and red). This taxi is available in popular tourist areas like Karon, Kata, and Patong. If you use these taxis, make sure the driver turns on the meter before you start the ride.
3. Local Buses
There are several bus routes connecting Karon with various locations in Phuket. The Smart bus connects Karon with the Airport and some popular beach towns like Kata, Rawai, Kamala, Surin, and Patong. You can also take local blue songthaew buses from Karon to Phuket Old Town.
Taking the local bus is an affordable way to get to Karon. It’s also a great way to experience how locals get around.
4. Renting a scooter/ car
Renting a scooter or a car gives you the freedom to explore the island at your own pace. If you are experienced with driving and have a valid license, you can consider renting a private scooter or a car. The rent is quite cheap, only 250-300 baht/ per day for a scooter.
Take a note that Phuket has mountainous terrain, so the road has lots of up, down, and sharp turns. Make sure that you are familiar with the road conditions to drive.
From Phuket International Airport
Karon is located around 46km south of Phuket International Airport. It will take around 1 to 2 hours to travel between the airport and your hotel in Karon.
A tip: If you need to get from Karon to the airport, make sure to allow extra time, as if the traffic is heavy, you might miss the flight.
To get from Phuket airport to Karon, you can use a metered taxi, Grab, or smart bus. The taxi usually cost from 800 baht to 1200 baht. You can easily find the taxi stand and Grab areas sign at the airport.
If you are on a budget, you can take the smart bus ride from Phuket airport to Karon. It is cheap, only costing 100 baht per ride. The bus has several stops along the Karon Beach Road including the stop at the Karon Circle, and Karon Stadium. The bus runs daily from 8.15 am to 11.30 pm.
From Phuket Old Town
Phuket Old Town is located around 16km east of Karon. It will take around 25 minutes to one hour to get from the old town to Karon depending on traffic. You can travel between these two towns by metered taxi, Grab, Bolt, InDrive, or local blue bus.
The taxi between Phuket Old Town and Karon is around 500-600 baht. If you take the bus, it will be much cheaper, only around 50 baht per ride.
You can catch the bus at Central Market on Ranong Road in Phuket Old Town. The bus runs every 30 minutes from 7am to 6pm. Drivers usually wait for the vehicle to fill up before leaving.
From Patong
Patong is around 10km north of Karon. The taxi ride will take between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on traffic and your starting and ending location.
It is easy to take a taxi, Grab, InDrive, Bolt, and tuk tuk from Patong to Karon. The taxi ride will cost from 250-350 Baht. For cheaper options, you can take the smart bus from the airport to Rawai which passes both Patong and Karon.
The bus ride is only 100 baht. The bus runs every hour daily. You can find the bus stop near Jungceylon Shopping Mall in Patong. The bus passes Karon Stadium and Karon Circle on Karon Beach Road.
From Kata
Kata is a neighboring beach of Karon, located just south of Karon. If you stay in the South Karon area, you can walk to Kata easily. Otherwise, you can use short tuk tuk, and Grab taxi ride with a very reasonable price. They probably cost around 100 baht depending on your location in each area.
The Smart Bus passes both Kata and Karon, but they are very close to each other, so it is not worth waiting for the bus. The bus ride is 100 baht, and you can take a private taxi for the same amount of money.
From Nai Harn
Nai Harn is a quiet beach located 9km south of Karon. It will typically take 15-20 minutes to travel between these two beach towns. The easiest way to get from Nai Harn to Karon is by private taxi, Grab, Bolt, or InDriver. There is no direct bus on this route. The taxi ride is around 250-300 baht.
From Bang Rong Pier
Bang Rong Pier is a popular arrival point if you arrive in Phuket from Koh Yao Yai or Koh Yao Noi. Bang Rong Pier is around 40km north east of Karon. There is no direct bus between Bang Rong Pier and Karon. The best way to reach Karon from Bang Rong Pier is by taxi, Grab, Bolt, and InDrive.
You can request the taxi ride from one of the riding share apps or book the taxi at the taxi stand at the pier. You can probably get a better deal by using the apps.
How to Get Around Karon
Walking
Karon is a relatively small area. The beach is around 3km long. The village stretches along the length of the beach. The distance from the beach road to Patak road is around 1km. These are two main roads in Karon.
You can easily get around Karon on foot. Lots of tourist amenities are concentrated on the beach road and the area between the Karon Circle and Karon Temple. If you are tired of walking or want to avoid the heat, there are plenty of tuk tuk and rising share service options to support you.
Grab, Bolt, InDrive, metered taxi
Using these riding share services is a convenient way to get around Karon. They are easy to order just by a click from the app on your phone. There are plenty of drivers in Karon, so you won’t have to wait too long to get a ride.
Tuk tuk/ songthaews
For a short distance like within Karon, or from Karon to nearby beaches like Kata and Kata Noi, you can consider using local forms of transport like tuk tuk or songthaews. Always agree on the fare upfront to avoid surprises at the end.
So you have it, my brief guide on how to get to and get around Karon. As a popular tourist town in Phuket, you can easily get around with all kinds of transport including Grab, Bolt, InDrive, tuktuk, songthaews, and scooter.