I had fun time exploring Phuket on my motorbike. In this article, I will give you some recommendations of how to get to Phuket from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and from neary destinations such as Koh Yao, Koh Phi Phi, and Krabi.
Phuket is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. It is famous for its stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, rich culture, and luxury resorts. As the largest island in Thailand, Phuket offers a variety of activities for all preferences.
Phuket is easily accessible by road, air, and water. It has an international airport with connections from many countries in the world. Additionally, there is a bridge in the north connecting this island with mainland Thailand, making it easy to reach by car. Lastly, if you are from nearby islands like Koh yao and Phi Phi, you can get to Phuket by boat.
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Phuket airport is located on the north west coast of the island. Rassada Pier is one of the main piers in Thailand located on the west coast, close to Phuket Old town. It has two bus terminals 1 and 2, both located in Phuket Town.
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How to get to Phuket from Bangkok
Bangkok To Phuket by air
Taking a flight from Bangkok to Phuket is the fastest way to reach Phuket from Bangkok. The journey is around 1.5 hours. From the airport, you can get to your hotel in popular places like Patong, Karon, Kata, or Phuket Town within around 1 hour depending on your destination and traffic conditions.
You can easily book a flight from either Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don Muang Airport. You can find cheap flights with low-cost airlines such as NokAir or AirAsia from Don Muang.
Bangkok to Phuket by bus
The bus ride from Bangkok to Phuket is around 15 hours. Buses depart from various locations in Bangkok such as Mo Chit Bus Station, Southern Bus Station, and near Khao San Road. It will often terminate at Bus Terminal 2 in Phuket Town.
You can consider taking the night bus, leaving Bangkok in the evening and arriving in Phuket in the morning. Have a look at the bus schedule and book tickets online on 12go.asia.
Bangkok to Phuket by train + Bus
There are no train stations in Phuket. The closest train station is in Surat Thani. Surat Thani Train Station is located around 200 km away from Phuket. If you love traveling by train, You can consider taking a train from Krung Thep Aphiwat Station to Surat Thani Train Station and a bus to get to Phuket.
The train ride between Bangkok and Surat Thani is around 10-15 hours. I recommend booking a 2nd class sleeper AC train for your comfort. The class 3 hard seat fan only is cheaper but is very uncomfortable for the long train. You can try class 3 on short train rides such as from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi.
It is approximately a 6-hour bus ride from Surat Thani train station to Phuket Bus Terminal 2. You can book bus tickets with Phantip Travel or 465 Surat Thani Phuket Transport. They have many trips during the day.
How to get to Phuket from Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai To Phuket by air
Taking a direct flight is the quickest way to get to Phuket from Chiang Mai. The journey is around 2 hours. You can go low-cost airlines such as Thai AirAsia or Thai Vietjet, which offer direct flights. There are also many other airlines that offer this route but require transit in Bangkok.
You can easily travel from Chiang Mai airport to the old town and popular areas such as Nimman, by private taxi or Uber-like app like Grab. It is similar when traveling from Phuket airport to your hotel in Phuket. You can use a taxi, shared minivan, or bus to get to your hotel.
Chiang Mai To Phuket by bus
Taking the bus is the most economical way to travel from Chiang Mai to Phuket. The bus journey is usually 1 day. GreenBus service this route. It has 1 trip per day, departing at 3pm at Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 and arriving at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 at 3pm next day.
You can book tickets at the Green Bus website, at the bus terminal, or online. You can use Grab to get from your hotel in Old Town to Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3, and another Grab to travel from Phuket Bus Terminal 2 to your hotel on the island.
There are songthaew and tuk tuk at the bus station of each city but remember negotiating the price before getting in the vehicle.
Chiang Mai To Phuket by train + bus
Traveling by train from Chiang Mai to Phuket is possible but it involves booking separate tickets for different transports. You need to take a train from Chiang Mai train station to get to Krung Thep Aphiwat terminal, then get off there , and change to another train to Surat Thani Train Station, and finally take a bus from there to get to Phuket Bus Terminal 2.
You need to book 2 train tickets and a bus ticket. You can book these tickets at each station. If you book it in advance, you need to align the time well.
The train ride from Chiang Mai to Bangkok is around 12 hours, then another 12 hours from Bangkok to Surat Thani, and 6 more hours on the bus to get to Phuket bus terminal.
I personally think taking the bus is much better than taking the train to travel from Chiang Mai to Phuket. You sit on one bus and no need to worry about changing transportation.
How to get to Phuket from Pattaya
Pattaya to Phuket by air
There are direct flights between U Tapao, Rayong airport in Pattaya to Phuket Airport. The journey is around 1 hour 40 minutes. You can book your flight ticket with Bangkok Airways. They have 1 trip per day, departing at 1pm.
There is around 1 hour travel from your hotel in Pattaya to U Tapao airport, as well as another 1 hour to travel from Phuket airport to your hotel in Phuket. You can easily book private transfer, shared minivan, and use riding shared services such as grab, bolt, or InDrive.
Pattaya to Phuket by bus
If you are traveling on a budget, taking the bus is a great idea to reach Phuket from Pattay. The bus ride is around 20 hours. Some bus companies offer direct buses, while others require a self-transfer at Bangkok’s Mochit Bus Station.
I recommend booking a travel agency that offers direct bus service for your convenience. 465 Surat Thani Phuket Transport and Montanatip offer this option. Otherwise, you can get to Pattaya North Bus Station by bus to Mo Chit Station in Bangkok, then another bus to get to Phuket.
How to get to Phuket from Krabi, Ao Nang, and Railay
You can get from Krabi Town and Ao Nang to Phuket either by water or by land. There are speed boats as well as buses to connect these two popular destinations in South Thailand.
If you decide to travel overland, the bus ride is around 3 hours. By water, the ferry ride takes around 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the type of boat – either a ferry or a speedboat.
If you stay in Krabi Town, it can be easier to get to Krabi Bus Terminal to get the bus to Phuket Bus terminal 2. Krabi Bus Terminal located in Krabi Town. You can also get to Klong Jilad Pier to take a boat to Phuket.
If you stay in Ao Nang, you can easily get to Nopparat Thara Pier to get to Bang Rong Pier in Phuket. If you stay in Railay Beach, you can easily walk to Floating Pier East Railay to take a boat to Phuket.
Many travel agencies offer pick up at your hotel in Ao Nang, Krabi Town, or Krabi Bus Station, and drop off at your hotel in Phuket. I recommend booking a combo ticket, so you don’t need extra transport between the bus stations/ piers and your hotel in each city.
There are airports in Krabi and Phuket, but there are no direct flights between these two airports. It normally needs a transfer in Bangkok and the duration is around 6 hours.
How to get to Phuket from Koh Yao Yai and Noi
It is only a 30 minutes to 1 hour boat ride from Koh Yao Yai to Phuket. There are many trips during the day. You can book tickets with Green Planet, Koh Yao Sun Smile, and Suwimol Speedboat. The ticket can be bought at the pier or book online.
Boats usually depart from either Chong Lard Pier or Klong Hia Pier on Koh Ya. It arrived at Bang Rong Pier, Thiensin Pier, Laem Hin Pier on Phuket. I was at Bang Rong Pier and able to use InDrive to get to my hotel in Phuket Town. InDrive is similar to Grab but always offers the best price.
The boat ride from Koh Yao Noi to Phuket is also similar in duration between Koh Yao Yai and Phuket, around 30-60 minutes. It departs from Manoh Pier Koh Yao Noi and arrives at various piers in Phuket, mainly Bang Rong Pier.
How to get to Phuket from Koh Phi Phi
It is around 1-2 hour boat ride from Koh Phi Phi to Phuket. The boat departs at TonSai Pier on Koh Phi Phi and arrives at Rassada Pier on Phuket. There are many travel agencies at Ton Sai Pier where you can buy tickets in person. Otherwise, you can check the schedule and buy a ticket here.
Best ways to get around Phuket
Walking
You can easily explore Phuket Old Town and each beach town area on foot. It is just harder to travel from beach to beach by walking.
In Phuket Old Town, you can explore lots of restaurants, bars, shops, and night markets on foot. Most tourist amenities are located within a small area on popular roads such as Thalang Road, Phang Nga Road, Dibuk Road.
In Patong, if you stay in the central area, you can easily walk to Banzaan Fresh Market, Jungceylon Mall, Patong Beach, and Bangla Walking Street.
Other popular beach towns such as Kata, Karon, Kamala, and Rawai all have its central areas, where you can find lots of restaurants, and shops located within walking distance apart. You’ll also be a short walk away from the beaches.
Exploring Phuket on a motorbike
Renting a motorbike is one of the best ways to explore Phuket, but it also comes with many risks. The motorbike gives you freedom to explore many places on the island at your own pace. It is also cheaper than taking a guided tour and hiring a private driver.
The road in Phuket is generally in good condition, but there are many roads that are steep and winding, especially the road on the west coast. So, you need to make sure that you are an experienced driver to plan to ride a motorbike in Phuket. A valid license and insurance is also needed to be able to drive.
Additionally, some parts are very busy, especially in the peak hour. Driving a motorbike sometimes can beat the traffic, but it can also get stressful when the roads are crowded.
There are also many Police check points on the island. During my stay in Patong, I saw a police checkpoint in Patong, Karon, and on the way to Kamala Beach.
I recommend looking for reputable rental shops. Don’t just pop in any shops that you see on the road. Check their reviews on Google first then decide.
I rented my motorbike at Chai Motorbike Rental in Phuket Old town. The bike is in good condition, it can go up the Big Budha and all around the island. The renting process is quick and easy. I paid 3000 baht as a deposit and 250 baht per day. If you are around the old town, you can look at this shop.
Exploring Phuket on guided tour
If you don’t plan to rent a scooter or a motorbike, you can consider taking a guided tour. You can find lots of tours from Phuket and around Phuket. You can take the “Around the island Tour” to see some highlights of Phuket. They include Big Bidhha, Karon VIewpoint, and Chalong Temple.
You can take an elephant sanctuary tour, a day trip to Koh Phi Phi & Khai Island, or Jame Bond island. You can see lots of local tour agencies with all kinds of tours all around the island. I recommend shopping around to find the best deals.
Using Taxi, songthaew, and Uber-like apps like Grab, InDrive, and Bolt
As a popular tourist destination in Thailand, Phuket offers all types of transportation. If you use a taxi or songthaew, be sure to agree on price with the driver before getting in the car. You can check the price on apps such as Grab, InDrive, or Bolt first to know how much it roughly costs, then bargain with the taxi driver.
If you don’t like to Bargain, I recommend using Uber-like services like InDrive, Grab, and Bolt. I recommend using Grab for motorbike taxis. If you need a car, check availability and price on both these three apps to find the best one.
I usually have good deals with InDrive. It is less popular than Grab or Bolt, but it was always better priced than these two.
These are my suggestions on how to get to Phuhet from various locations in Thailand. This island is easily accessible by air, road, and water. It is also easy to get around with lots of different transports such as Motorbike, private taxi, and riding shared services such as Grab, Bolt, and InDrive.