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Getting around Phuket
The map
shows the routes of the major highways on the island. Going from Patong
to Phuket Town takes about twenty minutes, and in less than an hour you
can reach just about any point on the island. The main roads on Phuket
are generally in good condition and well marked with signs in both Thai
and English. The mountainous terrain limits the number of roads that cross
the island east to west so at times you will be taking a roundabout trip
to your destination.
Thais are taught from childhood to maintain jai yen (cool heart), public
displays of anger are rather rare and generally do not  achieve
the desired effect. As you attempt to travel around the island, or anywhere
in Thailand, you will undoubtedly be given ample opportunities to develop
this skill for yourself. Thailand may be known as the "land of smiles",
but trying to cross the street anywhere in the kingdom even at a marked
crosswalk is literally taking your life in your hands. Thais may pride
themselves on their polite behavior but while observing them attempt to
operate motor vehicles, polite is unlikely to be the first adjective that
comes to mind. On display daily are an array of driving skills, or lack
thereof, that would logically conclude with the driver being admitted
to an asylum, or being cremated. In a quirk of nature it seems those who
operate a motor vehicle like an idiot, or while drunk, or ‘hopped
up’ on amphetamines usually kill or injure the innocent. None of
the above types of drivers are an endangered species on the island and
to observe them in there natural habitat just walk outside on any street,
you will not have to wait long. Fleeing the scene of an accident when
at fault has become almost expected behavior throughout the kingdom. While
driving (or walking) the unwritten rule of the road is the bigger and
or more expensive vehicle always has the right-of-way, and can drive on
whatever side of the road that pleases them. My intention is not to scare
you, but to remind you that traveling in a foreign country can be as perilous
as it is pleasurable.
The warm balmy climate, the natural beauty of the island,
and the winding mountain roads, all make Phuket a natural for cruising
around on a motorbike. Motorbikes are the most common mode of transportation
on the island. Motorbikes are also the most common cause of serious injury
and death on the island. No statistics are available as to the number
of motorbike injuries sustained by visitors to Phuket but the number is
substantial. Insurance is not available on any rental motorbike. If it
is damaged or stolen you will have to pay it’s for replacement plus
any property damage or injuries caused to others. Phuket has and at times
enforces a motorbike helmet law. The helmets available here are more for
decoration then a serious safety device, but the fine for a driver without
one is 500 baht. In Patong on the corner of Soi Bangla and Rat-u-Thit
Road starting around 6pm and continuing to about 8pm the local police
collect a little ’tea-money’ from motorbike riders without helmets.
This money trap is so well known that motorbike taxis line up early to
ferry you down and back to the police station to pay your fine. One cheap
source of entertainment is to stand on the corner and marvel at the astonishing
number of local Thais who although know about this blatant "rip-off"
masquerading as traffic enforcement; but get caught without a helmet anyway.
The daily rental rate for the small motorbikes like the ‘Honda Dream’
is 100-150 baht. The larger bikes rent for 300-500 baht, but in both cases
the locals will be quite happy to charge the uninformed more.
Motorcycle drivers dressed in a green or maroon vests
are providing a short trip taxi service. They are at times the fastest
and cheapest way to get around. Simply wave one to a stop and ask for
the fare to your destination.
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 There
is a daytime bus service (songthaew) to most parts of the island. Songthaew
(means two rows) which refers to the two wooden benches that run down
each side of this colorful wooden-body public transport vehicle. All buses
run on a loop route between a beach location like Patong and back to the
songthaew stop on Ranong Road in Phuket Town. The bus fare between Patong
and Phuket Town is 15 Baht, and the travel time is about thirty minutes.
It is unfortunate they do not circle the island on the new ring road or
travel from beach to beach, for example to travel from Patong seven kilometers
south to Karon beach you must first take the songthaew 15 kilometers to
Phuket Town transfer to another songthaew and ride approximately 20 kilometers
to Karon Beach. Any effort to improve the bus service and or extend the
hours of operation is violently opposed by the tuk-tuk (taxi) drivers
who insist the competition will cut into there business. Compared with
tuk-tuks a songthaew is generally a safer ride, with fewer hassles, from
a driver who is more likely to be sane and sober, and at a fraction of
the price of a tuk-tuk. Stiff competition indeed. One option is renting
a songthaew with a driver by the day for touring the island or going on
a beach Safari, the rate is quite reasonable when split among even a small
group.
To arrange for the rental of a Songthaew tear out the
following page, fill in the information, and ask someone at the front
desk of your hotel to telephone the songthaew company (They do not speak
English very well so you will need the assistance of someone who speaks
Thai).
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 (tuk-tuks)
the notorious three-wheeled smoke-belching variety are now extinct on
Phuket. They have been replaced with small red vans with open sides. The
drivers have for the most part been allowed to nuture their nefarious
reputations and continue to represent the largest source of complaints
by visitors to the Tourist Police. The drivers fiercely fight any attempt
to make them use meters. Generally tuk-tuk drivers (Mafia) show there
displeasure at ant attempt to control them by blocking one or more major
highways on the island. The authorities immediately buckle in the face
of this pressure and rescind to offending requirement, leaving both residents
and visitors to the island with a woefully inadequate, unruly, unsafe,
and overpriced transportation service. Many tuk-tuk drivers like to double
as travel agents - Don’t Do It!. They
will normally only take you to a place that will pay them an additional
commission over and above what they overcharge you for the ride in the
first place. Contrary to conventional wisdom, taxis (tuk-tuks) are not
a good source of information unless you enjoy being
taken for a ride.
 The
standard rate for a ride from one point in Patong to another is 20 Baht,
from Patong to Phuket is 150 Baht, from Patong to Karen Beach is 100 Baht,
and from Patong to the airport (a forty five minute ride) is 450 Baht.
A rainy day, a late night trip, a navy ship in port, or just about any
other reason is an excuse to charge more but if you know the basics you
should be able to negotiate a reasonable rate. The rate paid is by the
distance traveled not by the number of passengers. If the driver wants
to charge by the person wave him on and catch another.
Tuk Tuks are plentiful in Patong and Phuket Town but
travel to many areas in the north or south part of the island may require
you to negotiate a round trip rate because finding a tuk- tuk for the
return trip may be difficult. It is generally not difficult to negotiate
a rate with a tuk-tuk driver that has him sleeping in the parking lot
while you walk around the national park, dine at a seafood restaurant,
or watch the sunset at Cape Promthep. Start at 100 to120 Baht per hour
depending on the distance to be traveled and be prepared to pay 150 Baht
per hour.
In Patong at least half of the tuk-tuk drivers are polite,
honest, and hardworking. Tuk-tuks that are driving around looking for
customers are generally a better bet than the ones (perched like a vulture)
waiting for you outside hotels and restaurants. The polite way to stop
a songthaew or tuk-tuk on the street is to hold your arm out in front
of you, palm down and make a up and down motion.
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 Cars
and jeeps can be rented at numerous locations around the island. A valid
international driver’s license or a state license from one’s
own country is all that is required. Rates begin at 700 baht per day with
unlimited mileage. You pay for the gasoline. Most major hotels are serviced
by Hertz and Avis car rental companies. The most expensive place to rent
a car is at the airport. If a vehicle is rented at one location and dropped
off at another, there is a usually a 200 baht charge. Private owners of
jeeps parked along beach roads in Patong and Karen Beach charge 800-1000
baht per day not including gasoline. The price includes first class insurance
which covers both parties.When renting a vehicle, be aware that you are
liable for all damages to the vehicle, read the fine print. Make sure
you car is insured for accidents caused by another party that then flees
the scene of the accident. Virtually all of the areas of the island you
are likely to visit are accessible with an ordinary 2-wheel drive vehicle.
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 The
ubiquitous longtail boat is found wherever there is water in southern
Thailand. The current version with the motor mounted on the back is just
the latest modification on this ancient but quite seaworthy craft. Often
called the workhorse of the Andaman Sea, longtails are used in to provide
a number of marine services. While not as flashy or fast as modern speedboats,
a voyage in a longtail boat is an interesting experience and a great way
to take short sightseeing trips. The one serious disadvantage of the longtail
is the almost complete lack of safety equipment such as lifejackets. Longtails
are not advisable while traveling with small children or non-swimmers.
Rental prices average 400 baht per hour for a short trips and up to 1000
baht for an entire day.
Provide what has to be the ultimate method for sightseeing
and taking photographs of Phuket and the surrounding areas. Helicopter
service is provided by two companies Southern Flying Group at Tel: 247-237/9
and Southern Helicopter Service Tel: 216-389. There are no scheduled flights
at this time, so you must call and arrange for a charter.
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