How to Get to Phuket from Bangkok

Discover Phuket

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and its most visited province, sitting in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. It is connected to the mainland by two bridges over the Sarasin Channel — technically an island but in practice easily driveable from the north. The island covers 543 square kilometres, and the difference between its various beaches and districts is significant enough that where you stay shapes your entire experience of it. How far is Phuket from me?

The west coast holds the famous beaches: Patong is the busiest and most commercial, with a nightlife strip along Bangla Road that runs all night; Kata and Karon immediately south are calmer and better for families; Kamala and Surin further north attract a wealthier crowd with beach clubs and long-stay villa rentals. The north of the island, around Mai Khao, has the quietest stretches of sand and is where most of the luxury resorts sit, close enough to the airport that you don’t need to cross the whole island. The east coast is largely mangrove and fishing villages — less photogenic but genuinely Thai.

Old Phuket Town, the island’s historic commercial centre inland from the east coast, is the part most visitors miss and arguably the best part of Phuket proper. The old town is built in Sino-Portuguese style — a distinctive architectural blend that arrived with Chinese traders in the 19th century during the tin-mining boom. Shophouses painted in soft blues and yellows line streets that have barely changed in 100 years. Talang Road and Thalang Road have the best concentration of colonial-era buildings, independent cafés, and street food stalls.

Phuket’s real draw for many visitors is what surrounds it rather than the island itself. Phang Nga Bay, 40 kilometres to the northeast, is one of the most dramatic seascapes in Southeast Asia — limestone karsts rising vertically from flat green water, with the cave-riddled Ko Tapu (‘James Bond Island’) made famous by The Man with the Golden Gun. The Phi Phi Islands, 48 kilometres to the southeast, are reachable by speedboat in 45 minutes or ferry in 2 hours. Ko Phi Phi Don has accommodation and bars; Ko Phi Phi Leh is the uninhabited island with Maya Bay, made famous by ‘The Beach.’ Both are day-trip standards from Phuket.

The best time to visit is November through April, when the southwest monsoon has passed and the Andaman side is calm and clear. May through October brings heavy rain and rough seas — some beach clubs close, most boats to the outer islands stop running, and a few resorts drop prices sharply. The east coast (Koh Samui side) has the opposite weather pattern, making Samui a viable alternative during Phuket’s wet season. If you’re planning a diving or snorkelling trip, the water visibility is at its best from December through April, when you can see 20–30 metres on good days around Shark Point and Anemone Reef.