Phuket Thailand Travel Guide - Tours & Hotels

List of Phuket Hotels Resort

 Phuket Information

Phuket ,pronounced "Poo-get", is Thailand's largest island and also its second smallest province. It is 48 km in length, 21 km at its widest, and is located in Southern Thailand, on the west-facing Andaman Sea coastline, suspended from the southern tip of Phang Nga Province by a pair of short but substantial road bridges.

Phuket Town is the administrative centre of Phuket Province, and the island's main population centre.

Phuket enjoys great popularity as a travel destination. Most beaches are on the west coast, with Phuket Town to the south-east and the airport in the north.

Climate 
Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The high season is generally considered to be from November to May. During the summer monsoon season, mornings and afternoons are still sunny and clear, but it tends to rain in the evenings and water clarity goes down. Locals consider May to October the "cool" season, and the weather is quite tolerable, much more so than in the tourism centers around the Gulf coast. It's comparable to Florida's summer weather in temperature and intensity of rain storms: 25-33 deg C, flying clouds, short and thunderous rainfalls in the afternoons and evenings. Surfing is possible off the western beaches.

Beaches

Particularly in the monsoon season, there are strong currents on many of the beaches and drownings are a depressingly common occurrence. Heed the warning flags on popular beaches and play it safe if off the beaten track. It is important to note that, while many tourists who flock to the beaches of Phuket are European, nudity is viewed as highly offensive to Thais. It is very rude to go topless to beaches. Thais are generally non-confrontational, but it is always best to be respectful while treading on another's home country.

The major beaches from north to south are:

• Bang Tao - long, very quiet beach
• Surin Beach - an up-and-coming destination
• Laem Singh Beach - small bay with stunning views, between Kamala Beach and Surin Beach
• Kamala Beach - a quieter beach to the north of Patong
• Patong Beach - the largest beach resort, known for its nightlife
• Karon Beach - a quieter beach to the south of Patong
• Kata Yai Beach - busy, clean tourist beach with good surf
• Kata Noi Beach - quieter sister of Kata Yai
• Ao Chalong - home to Phuket's most popular yacht anchorage
• Rawai Beach - set off point for lots of local islands, popular with locals for eating on the beach

  How to get here

  The island has an international airport and is also directly connected to the mainland by a bridge, so it's possible to arrive by air, road, or sea.

  By plane

  Airport 
  The compact Phuket International Airport (IATA: HKT) (ICAO: VTSP) is located in the north of the island, and is Thailand's second largest hub.

  International departure tax is 500 baht (700 baht after 1/1/07), payable in cash (there are several ATMs at the airport). Departure tax for domestic flights is included in the ticket.

  Airport transfers

  • Limousine (blue) taxis from the airport are expensive, costing 500-600 baht to Patong Beach or Phuket Town
  • Metered (yellow) taxis (available outside the car park gates) cost 300+ baht
  • Minibus services (basically door-to-door share taxis) charge 100-200 baht per seat. One realworld example is from airport to Chalong to 6 persons was 1100 baht and there was not possibility to lower it easily.
  • Airport shuttle bus service (6:30-20:30, every 30 minutes) to Phuket Town bus station costs 52 baht; local buses run from there to all the major beaches until around 18:00

  Flights 
  There are very frequent flights to/from Bangkok as well as direct flights to many other airports in the region, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and direct charters to Europe and Australia in the high season.

  Domestic

  Several domestic discount airlines fly here, including Air Asia and Nok Air - tickets from Bangkok can cost under 1000 baht one-way if booked well in advance, or around 2000 baht (including taxes) if bought on the day.

  Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on direct flights between Phuket and U-Tapao (Pattaya / Sattahip) and Ko Samui.

  Destination Air Shuttle offers direct seaplane transfers (some of which operate seasonally) between Phuket and Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi, Krabi, Ranong, Trang, the Similan Islands, and other popular Andaman coast destinations.

  International

  AirAsia has a direct flights from/to Kuala Lumpur.

  Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia Airways provide very affordable tickets from/to Singapore. Other low cost direct connections include Hong Kong, Macao, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

  By train 
  The nearest train station is about 3 hours away, at Surat Thani.

  By bus 
  Buses to mainland destinations including Bangkok, Chumphon, Hat Yai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun, Sungai Kolok and Surat Thani use the BKS terminal off Thanon Phang Nga in Phuket Town.

  The most reliable buses from Bangkok are those from the Southern (Sai Tai Mai) Bus Terminal. The dodgy Khao San Road operations (which have a bad reputation for theft, and often turn out to include a "surprise" transfer to a minibus at Surat Thani) are best avoided.

  By boat 
  Ferry services connect from Rassada Port in Phuket Town to Ko Phi Phi and on to Krabi on the mainland twice a day, taking 90 minutes and costing 350/650 baht one-way/return, for each leg. It's usually a pleasant ride, but can be rather bumpy when it's windy.

  There are also boats to Ko Racha (2 hours), the Similan Islands (9+ hours) and other islands in the high season only. Boats and yachts can be chartered at Chalong Pier, the Boot Lagoon and the Yacht Haven.

  It's possible to visit Phuket by cruise ship. For cruises from Singapore, try Star Cruises
  
  Accommodation

  Phuket is an island with a huge variety of accommodation options, from small hostel style accommodation around Patong beach, to 5 star resorts with their own private beachfront.  If you came to Phuket to relax, try not to stay too close to Patong Beach, as you’ll be continuously bothered by tuk tuk drivers, massage ladies, and suit merchants.  There are many affordable family friendly options along any of the beaches on the west coast, allowing you to pamper yourself, or relax and enjoy the beautiful Thai scenery.

  
  

  Source : http://tourthai.org/phuket-thailand/