How to get from Bangkok to Phuket - by plane, bus, car and train
The distance from Bangkok to Phuket is about 840 km, which can be covered by car in 11 hours if you go along the road number 410. This is without taking into account traffic jams, stops and wild elephants on the highway :) Since the car is not the most attractive way to travel after a long flight, below I will tell you three main options on how to get from Bangkok to Phuket. However, if you plan to spend the night in Bangkok (for example, in a budget Nasa vegas), and you like to drive, then the car is a good option.
The content of the article
Plane from Bangkok to Phuket
Two airports in Bangkok
Bangkok has two main airports that serve civilian aircraft..
- The first is the country's main international airport, Suvanabhumi (Suvarnabhumi). This is where you arrive if you were unable to purchase tickets with a direct flight from Russia to Phuket.
- The second airport is called Dong Mueang (Dong Mueang), flights of low-cost airlines are concentrated here, which are engaged in both international and domestic passenger transportation.
You can fly from Bangkok to Phuket from both airports, but flights will be very different in price. Thai International Airways and Bangkok Airways fly from Suvanabhumi, whose services can hardly be called inexpensive. A one-way flight will be about 4 thousand baht, and a round-trip ticket will cost about 7 thousand baht per person.
Low-cost airlines AirAsia, NokAir, Orient Thai, etc. operate in Dong Muang, that is, airlines with low prices. The cost of a one-way flight will be, on average, 1.5 thousand baht, and a round-trip ticket will cost about 3 - 3.5 thousand baht per person.
I advise you to view tickets and compare prices on Aviasales.ru and Skyscanner.ru, we regularly use them.
The main advice for those who are going to fly from Bangkok to Phuket with low-cost airlines is to book tickets in advance. Not in two or three days, but in two or three weeks, or even a month. Advance booking dramatically affects the cost of the ticket. And the main problem is not even that you will double pay when buying tickets on the day of departure, but that they may simply not be available..
From Phuket Airport to the Beach
You will arrive at Phuket airport, regardless of the departure airport, there is only one, located in the north of the island. The closest is to go to Nai Yang beach, in general, you can say nearby (5 minutes), but it is not very popular. To the rest, it takes from 30-60 minutes on average, depending on where you need to. More about how to get there from the airport to the beach, read the link. Well Phuket beaches overview might come in handy.
Rates from Phuket Airport to the Beach
Bus from Bangkok to Phuket
How to buy a bus ticket online
The only site that allows us to buy bus tickets over the Internet is 12Go.asia. Almost all bus companies are present at it, so there will be a choice. But there are not all directions, only popular ones. However, Phuket is very popular, so there will be more than.
Flights Bangkok-Phuket>
Payment by credit card or PayPal, electronic ticket, very convenient!
Travel times and classes
If your budget is not designed for air travel, but there is a lot of time, then I recommend paying attention to a more budgetary way to get from Bangkok to Phuket - buses. There are two bus stations in Bangkok, quite remote from the country's main airport, from where buses leave for Phuket. About buses in Tae I have a separate post to get an idea.
The trip from Bangkok to Phuket by bus takes about 12 hours, and the ticket price ranges from 600 to 1,000 baht per person, depending on the chosen level of service on the bus: VIP, 1st or 2nd class. And we still once went by bus from Pattaya to Phuket. The road is the same, but it takes a little longer than it took from Bangkok.
Inside the passenger compartment of the VIP-32 class bus, 4 seats in a row
Two bus stations
The Southern Bus Terminal or in Thai Sai Thai Mai is located on the opposite end of Bangkok from Suvarnabhumi and from here there are flights to the southern provinces of the Kingdom of Thailand, and the main tourist places of the south: Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Krabi and Phuket.
From the Yuzhny bus station, the first bus leaves at 5 o'clock in the morning, and the last one - around half past nine in the evening. Most flights start between 17:00 and 20:00 hours, so that passengers sleep on the way..
South Bus Station (Sai Tai Mai)
South Bus Station (Sai Tai Mai)
South Bus Station (in Thai, buses go south from here. We need a new Sai Tai Mai. Ticket offices on the 3rd floor.
More details.
Southern Bus Station (in Thai, buses go south from here. We need a new Sai Tai Mai. Ticket offices on the 3rd floor..
Northern Bus Terminal / Mo chit is located in the north of the city near Chatuchak Market, a 15-minute walk from BTS Mo Chit station. Basically, buses leave from it in the direction of the northern regions of Thailand: Isaan, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. However, there are several flights to the southern resorts of Thailand, including Phuket..
There are only three flights from the Northern Bus Station - morning at 7:30, and two evening, at 18:30 and 18:40.
North Bus Station (Mo Chit)
North Bus Station (Mo Chit)
North Bus Station Mo Chit or Mor Chit. From here, buses most often go north, but there are also southern directions..
More details.
North Bus Station Mo Chit or Mor Chit. From here, buses most often go north, but there are also southern directions. More details.
Train + bus
How to buy a train ticket online
You can buy a combined train / bus ticket either at the ticket office of the railway station upon arrival, or at some travel agency on a Bangkok street. Of course, the agency will withhold a small commission. Previously, railway tickets could be bought online on the official website of railway roads, but the shop was closed.
The only place where you can buy tickets online right now is at 12Go.asia. Payment by credit card or PayPal.
Railway tickets Bangkok-Phuket>
The bus ticket is electronic, the original must be obtained for the train, either at the agency's office (several points), or by mail. Unfortunately, Thai Railways does not support e-ticketing.
Movement scheme
Phuket has no railway connection, as well as the neighboring province of Phuket, Krabi. So, the journey from Bangkok to Phuket will be combined - first you have to get to the city of Surat Thani, change to a bus there, and take it to Phuket itself. For me, this option is not very convenient, too long, I would rather go by bus right away. Separately about railway roads I have a post.
Since there will be two transport, you will have to buy two tickets: for the train and for the bus. You can do this separately: first, a train ticket at the railway station, then, upon arrival in Surttani, a bus ticket. But it is better to take a combined ticket in advance. It is good to travel with a combo ticket for two reasons:
- firstly, you are sent at such a time that the train and bus are clearly docked by the time of arrival,
- secondly, the staff of the railway helps you with a transfer, preventing you from getting lost and being late.
The road from Bangkok to Phuket will take from 8.5 to 11 hours, the fare will be from 300 to 1.5 thousand baht, depending on the selected class of service and travel scheme.
Air-conditioned second class like our reserved seat
Train station in Bangkok
The main railway station in Bangkok, Hua Lampong, is located in the city center, not far from Chinatown. It can be reached by the MRT underground metro, the final station of the metro is also called Hua Lampong..
To be more confident that you will board the train you need at the right time, I recommend taking care of buying a ticket in advance, especially if you want to save money and go in 3rd class. It is very likely that there will be no tickets if you suddenly decide to buy them on the day of departure. Schedule of the southern direction on the site. I also remind you that you cannot buy a ticket on the Thai Railways website, only at the box office.
Hua Lamphong Railway Station
Hua Lamphong Railway Station
Train station in the heart of Bangkok
Train station in the heart of Bangkok
By rented car
This option was announced at the very beginning of the article, not just for beauty. At Suvarnaphumi Airport there is a whole sector with counters of companies that provide rental services. If you are seriously considering an auto-mileage from Bangkok to Phuket as a way to travel, then it is better to choose and pay for a car in advance, online. Otherwise, you will have to drive what will be in the garage of the distributor at the time of your contact (if anything at all). Your ordered car is delivered to the arrivals area, it is convenient. More about car rental in Thailand via the Internet.
The car must be booked through Economybookings. Immediately on one site you will see offers from all major international distributors. The price will be lower than directly, plus they can also give full insurance free of charge. I take it myself only through this intermediary.
Rent a car with a discount>
You can get from Bangkok to Phuket in one day, but only if you do not have small children, and you yourself are a trucker by profession, and you are not afraid of a ten-hour drive on the highway after a ten-hour flight (and in the case of a flight with a transfer, there will be all 15 hours). It is more relevant to rent a car in such a way as to relax for a couple of days in Bangkok after the flight, and then just slowly move towards Phuket, stopping along the way to interesting places in the Kingdom of Thailand.
For example, Mountain bats, Sam Roy Yot National Park, or Khao Sok National Park.
The rental price starts from 500 baht per day, plus gasoline for 780 kilometers, plus a deposit of a deductible (5-10 thousand baht), which is then returned. Last but not least, when you drop off your car elsewhere, some companies charge a return fee. But, for example, Hertz does not charge anything if you take the car for a period of 5 days or more.
By car Bangkok-Phuket, car from Hertz
P.S. If you would like to inquire about short term accommodation options in Phuket, I have selection of good hotels, were based on ratings and reviews. In general, the choice of hotels in Phuket is huge, it remains only to open RoomGuru and choose what you like.