Your Travel Guide to Thailand
All information & tips to prepare your trip in Thailand
All you need to know to visit Phuket
Southern Thailand
920 km from Bangkok
Province of Phuket
Thai prononciation : Pouguette
Travel guide to go and visit Phuket
Phuket island is the biggest island of Thailand and was one of the most affected by the December 2004 tsunami. It was also the fastest to recover so that today except the evacuation signs on the road in case of another tsunami, there remains no trace of the disaster.Big tourist destination, Phuket is the most visited island of the country. It has many skills to offer: a warm blue sea, a long beach, very agitated nightlife with a multitude of bars and clubs, a beautiful nature if you go a little inside the land. The views of the forest and the turquoise waters from the mountain's tops are gorgeous.
Patong Beach is the most popular area Too popular if you like tranquility. here is the largest concentration of hotels, massage parlors, restaurants and bars... Be careful, if the city offers very famous spas, avoid parlors who solicit clients on the sidewalks, you might have some funny surprises.
If you want to discover authentic Thailand and not live among the tourists, Patong is probably not for you. If you do not like crowded places too. Prefer Hat Kata, Hat Kamala, Hat Nai Thon, Hat Nai Yang or Hat Karon calmer or Rawai and Ao Bang Thao ( more expensive ). From Phuket you can discover Phang Nga Bay just in the North of Phuket. Its coastline beautiful coastline.
To see all optiosn to get around in Phuket, read our dedicated paragraph about getting around in Phuket.
Accommodations in Phuket
In Phuket, the price of the rooms is higher than in many places in Thailand but decreases during the low season (May to October). The room rates also reach a peak between December and January, the highest period in tourism in Phuket. Patong is the most popular and also the most lively area in Phuket, especially at night. There are hotels of all categories and a few guesthouses. Then come Karon and Kata very crowded too. The other beaches, including Rawai and Chalong, are quieter. Note that if you are in transit to Koh Phi Phi, or simply want to explore Phuket town, there are of course hotels and guest houses in the city. These are the cheapest on the island.Find accommodation in Phuket
My recommandations
Practical information about Phuket
Phuket has no train station but it has an airport with many international flights. A bus trip from Bangkok to phuket takes around 12 hours (you can book your tickets online here at the bootom of the page) but plane tickets are not that much more expensive, especially when Nok Air offers promotional fares (at least once a month, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, we share their promotions)How to go to Phuket ?
Phuket is not accessible by train but has an airport with international flights and direct domestic flights from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Pattaya. Many buses also regularly come Sai Tai Mai, Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal (you can book tickets online here) while others connect Krabi to Phuket every hour. Formulas bus + boat from Koh Samui also exist.How to get around in Phuket ?
Taxis with meters like you see everywhere in Bangkok are rare in Phuket, especially at the beaches. They are replaced by small vans, usually red Daitsu, which offer abnormally high prices compared to what is practiced elsewhere in the country. Needless to say, the solo traveler will not find what they are looking for. If you are traveling with several people, the pill goes down better, the price of the trip does not depend on the number of passengers. There is a price scale according to the destinations, so it is complicated to negotiate all the drivers who have agreed to practice these prices. This is where car ordering apps with driver like InDRIVE, Grab or BOLT come in. The price of the trip is calculated by the application and therefore there is no abuse. Otherwise, there are also motorbike taxis, quite rare in tourist areas, whose prices are a little lower.
Fortunately, there is also a local bus system whose frequency varies depending on the line but is around one every half hour. These old blue buses serve three routes: Phuket Town - Patong (route 1814 price 30 THB), Puket Town - Karon - Kata (route 8359 -price 35 THB), Phuket Town - Bang Tao- Surin Beach - Kamala (route 1812 it passes in front of Bus Terminal number 2, the one that serves most destinations), Phuket Town - Rawai - Nairan and Phuket - Chalong Beach. In town, everyone stops at the market and usually (sometimes, they save this stop) at Bus Terminal number 1 (the one for local and short-distance buses).
To reach the beaches from Phuket airport, a new, very practical, although somewhat slow, bus system was set up in March 2018, otherwise there are minivans that are cheaper than taxis. The Airport Bus also connects Phuket Town (Bus Terminal No. 1) to the airport. It is also possible to order a vehicle via the GRAB smartphone application which is the equivalent of UBER and often offers cheaper rides than Phuket taxis. There is also an application called ''Hello Phuket Service''.
Festivals in Phuket ?
Here is a list of the main festivals taking place every year in Phuket. I mention their dates as soon as they are official on Thai Festivals page.
Chinese New Year in Phuket Town
This festival generally takes place in the month of February
Wat Chalong Temple Fair
This festival generally takes place in the month of February
Phuket Bike Week
This festival generally takes place in the month of April
Kathu Street Culture Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of July
Phuket Street Food Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of September
Phuket Vegetarian Festival
This festival generally takes place in the month of October
Colorful Phuket Countdown
This festival generally takes place in the month of December
Must-visits in Phuket
Phuket Big Buddha
วัดพระใหญ่
Phang Nga Bay
อ่าวพังงา
James Bond Island
เขาตะปู
Old Town
เมือง จังหวัดภูเก็ต
Similan Isands
เกาะสิมิลัน
Koh Surin islands
เกาะสุรินทร์
Koh Surin islands
เกาะสุรินทร์
Samet Nangshe Viewpoint
จุดชมวิวเสม็ดนางชี
Koh Yao Noi island
เกาะยาวน้อยOther places to see in Phuket
Koh Panyee Island
the island and its mainly floating village is very touristy. It welcomes all tourists visiting the bay and the James Bond Island, but when everyone is gone, it's a amazing place. You can rent a bungalow to enjoy the unique atmosphere before and after the arrival of tourist groups.
Promthep Cape
at the southern end of Phuket, the area offers a magnificent view of Andaman Sea especially valuable for sunset.
Phuket Elephant Sactuary
This elephant sanctuary is one of the most respectful in Thailand. By going there, you will live a beautiful encounter with elephants while being sure to not involuntarily participate in their abuse. This is one of the two elephant sanctuaries I recommend in Phuket.
Weather & climate in
Phuket has a tropical monsoon climate. Due to its proximity to the equator, during the year temperatures do not vary much. Phuket has a dry season from December to March and a wet season the rest of the year. However, Phuket has precipitation even during its dry season. The most rainy months are September and October.The best months to come to Phuket are December and especially January and February. From May to the end of October, there are very regular heavy showers. It is especially not recommended to come to Phuket in September and October, the monsoon is strong at that time of the year on the Andaman coast.
How to ask in Thai to go to Phuket ?
I want to go to Phuket / Yak paï ti Pouguette.Where is Phuket ? / Pouguette you ti naï ?
All COVID-19 restrictions for coming to Thailand lifted from October 1 !
We have been waiting for it for months, hoping it will happen on July 1, but it will finally be October 1, 2022, when Thailand will lift the last COVID restrictions to enter the country. From this date, it will no longer be necessary to show...