Phuket Airport Transport, Hotels, Tours and More
There are a couple of things that you should know because without them, your holiday budget can disappear faster than your sunscreen. I have been to Phuket almost 40 times. Every year it changes. Some people love it, some hate it. But one thing is clear: it is still one of the most visited islands in Thailand.
Once you arrive at the airport, you have to walk until you reach the place where you have all kinds of transportation. The options are a lot. You have taxis, minibuses, and the smart bus, as well as every kind of transportation that can take you from the airport to the city.
You are going to see a lot of options, including taxis and minibuses. All these things are available before you go out. You can see a bus from 180 Thai Baht and a car from 200 Thai Baht. The prices do not change even in the low season.
My first advice to you is: do not follow any random taxi driver. Second, do not take the minibuses. Why? Because the minibuses have lots of stops along the way. You are going to waste a lot of time. Along the way, they are going to stop at an office where they will try to sell you tour packages. That is why I avoid the minibuses. They are a waste of time and money.
If you have lots of luggage, it is better to take a taxi, especially if you are a family. If you want to take a taxi, take the public taxi. You walk to the public taxi stand and from there you take the taxi. In Phuket, taxis are not like Bangkok. They are not on the meter; they are a fixed price. Ask the price and tell them where you are going, such as Patong, Kata, or Karon, and you are going to know how much you are going to pay once you arrive there. That is it. No hidden fees and no surprises.
The third option is the best option. If you are a light traveler and do not have lots of luggage, then take the smart bus. This bus starts from 8:00 a.m. in the morning until 11:30 p.m. After that, you cannot take it. Every hour you have a bus and it is only 100 Thai Baht. You can also take a day pass, which will cost you around 300 Thai Baht. You can use the bus all day, hop on and off, and it is comfortable. You even have Wi-Fi inside. If you are going to take the bus, take into consideration that it takes between one and a half and two hours, sometimes more because of the traffic, not because of the distance.
Phuket Hotel Booking Mistakes to Avoid
Now that you know about the best ways of transportation from the airport to the city, let us talk about the hotels because there are lots of mistakes that you can make if you do not know the small details.
It is up to what kind of hotel you want to stay in once you are in Phuket. You want luxury? You want to pay a lot? You want a budget option? You want to save? Or do you want something in between? All the styles and all the budgets are available in Phuket.
You have to be careful while you are booking your hotel. Surely, you have to check what kind of hotel room you are booking. Take a picture and take notes because once you come to Phuket, especially in the high season, if your room is not available, then they are going to change your room. You might get a better one, and most probably you are going to get a worse one.
Check the room, check the style, and check what kind of room you are booking. Once you pay, take pictures, and once you are here, compare it so that you are going to stay in the same room that you booked online. This happens a lot, especially in the high season. Be careful. You do not want to get downgraded, even if you might be lucky and get upgraded.
Screenshot your bookings. Sometimes the room category magically changes, especially in the high season. If you have booked a balcony sea view, do not accept a garden wall view.
Another important thing about the hotels is the location. Location is very important in Phuket. If you are staying around the nightlife, especially in Patong, around Bangla Road, then that is a big problem if you are not into nightlife. If you are here to relax and have quiet nights, avoid staying around Bangla Road. Try to choose your hotel away from this area. Unless you are looking to party and have fun, then it is the perfect spot. Choosing the right area is more important than choosing which hotel you are going to stay in, because once you stay in the wrong hotel, then it is a disaster.
Booking Phuket Tours and Checking Prices
Visiting Phuket and not doing the tours is not a complete visit to Phuket Island. Your mission will be to book tours once you arrive on the island. The question is what tours to do and how much to pay.
There are lots of tour operators wherever you go in Phuket, so you are going to see them everywhere. My advice is: do not book from the hotel because usually the hotel takes a commission. You can walk around on the main road or on the beach, and you are going to see all these tour operators.
You have to know the range of prices in the low season and the high season. In the high season, the tours can be between 2,000 and 3,000 Thai Baht. In the low season, the tours can be between 1,200 and 1,500 Thai Baht.
You have to ask all the details while you are booking your tours in Phuket. For example, if you are booking a Phi Phi Island tour, you have to ask if the entrance for the national park is included or not. Ask what time it starts in the morning and what is included in the price.
Patong Beach Swimming Safety
Patong Beach is nicer and cleaner, and you have spaces to relax, swim, sit, and have activities. There are lots of activities, including jet skiing and parasailing.
Be careful. The only person responsible for your safety is you. If you want to do an activity, ask for the safety instructions. Concerning the price, always negotiate because here at Patong Beach, the prices are crazy. Ask the price, ask the details, and follow the safety instructions before you do any activity in Patong Beach.
If you see a sign that says not to swim, do not swim because it is dangerous to swim in that zone. Always swim in the areas and spaces where you are permitted to swim. If you do not follow this instruction, you can put your life in danger and also put other people’s lives in danger.
Phuket Motorbike Rental and Safety Tips
There are lots of taxis, tuk-tuks, motorbikes, and different types of transportation once you are in Phuket, especially in the touristic areas around Patong. If you want to use the best kind of transportation, try to download the Grab application and order the transportation you like from this application. The prices are affordable and you are going to pay as much as you have to pay.
If you are going to take tuk-tuks, taxis, or motorbikes from the street, always bargain because they are overpriced, especially the tuk-tuks. A motorbike ride in Patong will cost you around 100 Thai Baht. The tuk-tuks are super expensive, especially at night. A tuk-tuk from Bangla Road for a ride of only three to four minutes can cost around 200 to 400 Thai Baht. Be careful because that is totally a scam.
If you want to explore the island and rent a motorbike, keep a helmet on your head while you are driving and have the driving licence. The tourist police will usually stop foreigners who are not doing the right things while they are driving motorbikes in Phuket, Pattaya, or any tourist island.
The prices are cheap, but be careful about having all the documents, wearing the helmet, and checking the motorbike before you rent it so that you will not pay extra prices once you give back the motorbike.
Eating Local Food and Seafood in Phuket
There are lots of restaurants and lots of options if you are going to eat in Phuket, but it is very important to know where to eat and what kind of restaurants to choose. Some restaurants overcharge and have lots of service charges, while in some restaurants the prices are the same as you see on the menu.
Usually, the local food and the Thai food are very cheap, while seafood is a little bit expensive, especially around Patong. If you want to eat seafood, you have to go away from Patong. You can take a taxi, a tuk-tuk, or any kind of transportation and head to Kata or Karon. There are lots of seafood markets where the prices are very cheap and fresh.
If you are going to eat normal food, Thai food, or international food, the options are a lot. Thai food is very cheap, but international food is expensive in Patong, especially if you are eating in very nice, fancy restaurants. If you want to save money, the options are a lot, but if you want fancy restaurants, the prices are a little bit high, especially in the areas where there are lots of tourists.
Shopping in Phuket Malls
Phuket is not the best place for shopping in Thailand. But if you are obliged to shop in Phuket, then definitely try the malls, not the ones that you see along the way, because most of the items are overpriced even if you are going to bargain.
If you want to shop in Phuket, try Jungceylon and, at the opposite side, Central. They are next to each other. Once you enter inside, there are lots of promotional items, and you can also find original items with very good prices.
Exchanging money in Phuket is not a big deal because most of the exchange shops and most of the places in Phuket give you good rates. Check the prices in some of the exchange places in Phuket. Once you check and see that they are almost the same prices and rates, then you can exchange wherever you want. They open until late at night, so if you are partying and are out of cash, you can exchange it.
Patong Nightlife and Bangla Road
Nightlife in Patong, especially Bangla Walking Street, is a crazy place, and the prices depend on what you will do. If you want to have fun, then definitely you are going to spend around 3,000 Thai Baht on average per night.
If you want to come and enjoy Phuket in the high season, you can see how the pubs and bars are fully packed. It is fun, but it is not a perfect place for nightlife for everyone, especially in the high season.
Leaving Phuket and Planning Domestic Flight Connections
If you are going to take domestic flights in Thailand, always consider the time. If you have another connecting flight after your domestic flight, especially an international flight, domestic flights in Thailand are often delayed. Keep in mind that if you have a connecting international flight, you should give yourself at least three hours between the flights.
