In this article, I will help you to look at how to get to Patong from various locations around Phuket such as the airport, the old town, and other beach towns like Karon, Kata, and Kamala. I will also share some best ways to get around Patong.
As you might know, Patong is the most popular beach town in Phuket, so the traffic is often very heavy. If you need to get to the pier or the airport, I recommend allowing extra time to avoid any delays.
There are all kinds of transport options in Patong, and Phuket in general, but the taxi price is usually more expensive than other parts of Thailand.
It is easy to get riding share services like Grab, Bolt, and InDrive. These are my go-to modes of transport when I’m not on a scooter or walking. They are easy to request a ride from Apps on the phone and I don’t have to hustle the price with the driver.
Traditional transports like regular taxis, local buses, songthaew pick up trucks, and tuk tuk are also widely available in Patong. You can consider renting a scooter or a car, which offers more freedom to explore Patong and the island.
See more:
4 Popular Ways to get to Patong
1. Riding share services: Grab, Bolt, InDrive
Grab, Bolt, and InDrive are popular riding share services in Patong. Many people prefer using these apps to get around the island because they’re easy to use and help avoid the hassle of negotiating with drivers.
I prefer using InDrive because it is usually cheaper than other Apps like Grab and Bolt. The downside is that InDrive only accepts cash, which can be inconvenient for those who don’t have any on hand.
My ride from Phuket Old Town to Patong cost around 400 baht and between Patong and Phuket International Airport around 750 baht. I also noticed that the prices vary with each request, depending on traffic conditions.
2. Regular taxi
If you don’t use technology, you can easily use the regular taxi to get to Patong from various locations in Phuket. You need to make sure to agree on the price before getting into the taxi, or choose a metered taxi instead.
3. Buses
There are several buses connecting Patong with the airport, the old town, and some other beach towns along the west coast. This is the cheap way to get to Patong.
The smart bus from Phuket Airport to Patong is just around 100 baht. These bus routes also take you to other popular places such as Karon, Kata, Kamala, Surin, and Rawai.
The local songthaews bus buses connect Patong and Phuket Old Town for just 50 baht. If you are on a budget, this is a great way to get to Patong from the old town.
4. Renting a scooter
I rented a scooter for a few days to get around Phuket. I found that this is the most affordable and flexible way to explore not only Patong but also Phuket as the whole.
The price is 250-300 baht per day. Make sure that you have experience driving a scooter. The island has steep hills, sharp curves, and a lot of police on the roads.
From Phuket International Airport
The distance from Patong to Phuket International Airport is around 35km. The taxi ride is around 45 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. You can get from Phuket Airport to Patong by regular taxi, airport limousine services, buses, and Grab.
The taxi ride ranges from 700-1000 baht. The Smart bus is just 100 baht. The bus runs everyday from 6.15am to 11.30pm from the airport. The bus stop at Jungceylon shopping mall in Patong. If you are on a budget, taking the smart bus is a good choice.
From Phuket Old Town
Phuket Old town is around 13km away from Patong. The taxi ride will take from 30 to 60 minutes. You can take riding share services such as Grab, Bolt, and InDrive, as well as local buses to get from the old town to Patong Beach.
I took an InDrive taxi from the old town to Phuket and it cost me around 400 baht. The bus is around 50 baht. You can take the local blue songthaew bus at Central market on Ranong Road, or the smart bus from Phuket bus terminal 1 to Patong.
From Kata
Kata Beach is located just 9km south of Patong Beach. It takes around 15-20 minutes to get from Kata to Patong. You can travel between these two places by taxi, Grab, Bolt, InDrive, or smart bus.
Taxis and riding share services will cost around 300-400 baht. The smart bus connecting Rawai and Phuket airport passing Kata and Patong.
You can take the smart bus to get from Kata to Patong. The bus ticket is 100 baht pay direct for the bus driver on cash. The bus stops are on Kata Road at Kata Palm and Kata Night Plaza in Kata and on the Beach Road at Bangla Police Station in Patong.
From Karon
Karon is located just south of Patong, around 8km away. The time travel between these two beach towns is around 10-20 minutes depending on traffic. As usual, you can use a regular taxi, InDrive, Bolt, Grab, or smart bus to get from Karon to Patong.
The taxi will cost around 250-350 baht one way. The bus is 100 baht for any destination. The bus stops at Karon Circle and Karon Stadium along the beach road of Karon and near Bangla Police station in Patong.
From Nai Harn
Nai Harn is a secluded beach town located 17km south of Patong. It will take around 30-45 minutes to get from Nai Harn to Patong depending on the traffic. There are no direct buses connecting these two beach towns.
The only way to travel from Nai Harn to Patong is by taxi. You might be able to order riding share series like Grab, Bolt, and InDrive. The taxi price is around 500-700 baht.
For cheaper options but require more transportations, you can consider taking a taxi to the nearby Rawai (3km away), then using the smart bus to get to Patong.
From Bang Tao
Bang Tao is an upscale beach town located 20km north of Patong. It will take 35-60 minutes to travel between these two towns. You can use a taxi, and Grab/ Bolt/ InDrive to get from Bang Tao to Patong. The taxi price ranges from 600-800 baht.
You can also take the Smart Bus ride for only 100 baht. The bus stops can be found at Lotus Cherngtalay and Cherngtalay School in Bang Bao and multiple locations on the Ratuthit Road in Patong. It passes popular hotels and famous malls like Indigo Patong, Jungcelon, and Holiday Inn Resort.
From Kamala
Kamala is located around 9km north of Patong. This is a popular destination for families and surfing. It will take around 15–30 minutes to get from Kamala to Patong depending on traffic conditions. You can take a taxi, Grab, InDrive, Bolt, or smart bus to travel between Kamala and Patong.
The taxi will cost around 300-400 baht. For a more affordable option, you can consider taking the smart bus ride, which costs only 100 baht. The bus stop can be found at multiple locations on Road 4030 in Kamala such as at Intercontinental, Kamala Muslim Cemetery, Phuket Fantasea, and Big C Kamala.
From Bang Rong Pier
Bang Rong Pier is a popular pier for people arriving from Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi. It is located around 35km north east of Patong. The ride is 45-100 minutes.
There is no bus connection between Bang Rong and Patong. The only way to travel between these two destinations is by taxi. You can find a taxi counter at the port. The taxi ride from Bang Rong to Patong is similar to the ride from the airport to Patong, around 800-1200 baht.
How to Get Around Patong
1. Walking
Patong town is a relatively small area, including around 4 major roads running parallel to each other. These include the Beach Road, Ratuthit Road, 4055 Road, and NaNai Road.
The distance from the southern end to the northern end of Patong is around 3km, the distance from the beach road to Nanai Road is around 1km.
Most major attractions are located within walking distance from each other, so you can easily get around on foot. Places like Jungcelon Mall, Bangla Walking Street, and Banzaan Night Market are very close to each other.
If you are tired from the heat or don’t like walking, there are plenty of motorbike taxi options from Grab Bike and Tuk tuk to help you get around.
2. Tuk Tuk, traditional taxi, Grab, Bolt, InDrive
As the most popular tourist town in Phuket, Patong has all transportation options for tourists. You can easily get around by riding share services like InDrive, Bolt, and grab. Traditional transport like tuk tuk and the yellow taxi are widely available in Patong.
3. Rent a scooter
I rented a scooter to explore Patong and Phuket, and I absolutely loved the experience. It is cheap and gives me lots of freedom to go anywhere I want to go. If you are experienced, you can consider renting a scooter to get around Patong.
There you have it, my suggestions on some transportation options to get to Patong and get around. You can consider renting a scooter to explore this party beach town for flexibility. Otherwise, there are plenty of local taxis and riding share services such as Grab, InDrive, and Bolt to get around.