Phuket airport to Patong, Kata and Karon: the first real expense
Article updated: 2026-09-21
Best rate USD · Phuket: 33.13 — Mamy Exchange (Koh Kaew) · Sep 20, 08:58 → Details
Phuket’s airport sits at the far north of the island. The beaches most visitors are heading for — Patong, Kata, Karon — are 30–40 km south, and there is no train, no rail link and nothing that could be called a metro. The ride to the hotel is the first real expense of the holiday, and depending on which door you walk out of, it costs anything from a coffee to a dinner for four.
Allow 45–75 minutes to Patong, more at the end of the afternoon and considerably more in the rain.
The options, cheapest first
The airport Smart Bus. A bus runs down the west coast from the airport, stopping near the main beaches, roughly hourly, for about 100–200 baht depending on how far you go. It is slow — it stops everywhere — and the stop may be a walk from your hotel, but it is honest and it is the cheapest way south. Best for one person with a backpack in daylight.
Shared minibus. Sold from counters in the terminal at roughly 150–250 baht per person. The catch is in the word shared: the van waits until it is full, then drops everyone in turn, so a forty-minute drive can become ninety minutes. Fine if you are alone and not in a hurry; not the choice for a family who have been travelling for twenty hours.
The official taxi counters. Metered and fixed-fare counters inside the terminal quote roughly 800–1,000 baht to Patong. The fixed-fare board at the counter is the price; read it, and add tolls or an airport fee if the board says so. This is the reliable middle option for anyone who did not book anything: the number is posted, the driver is registered, and there is no negotiation.
Ride-hail apps. Typically 600–900 baht to Patong, so cheaper than the counter, but the airport has rules about where app drivers can pick up, which means a walk to a designated point and some standing around while the driver finds you. Works well if you have data on landing and are travelling light.
A pre-booked private transfer. Roughly 700–1,100 baht, agreed when you book, with a named driver waiting at arrivals. The price is in the same band as the counter and the apps, and what the booking buys is the removal of every variable: no queue, no pickup-point hunt, no wait for a van to fill, a child seat if you asked for one. For two or more people, or for anyone landing at night, this is usually the answer.
Meet-and-greet services. A step above the plain transfer: someone meets you inside the terminal, walks you through the first hour — SIM card, cash, questions about the area — and hands you to the driver. It costs more, and for a first visit with children or elderly parents the extra is often worth it. For a returning visitor it is not.
| Option | Rough cost to Patong | Time | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Bus | 100–200 baht | 90 min+ | Slow, hourly, walk from stop |
| Shared minibus | 150–250 baht per person | Variable | Waits to fill, drops in turn |
| Taxi counter | 800–1,000 baht | 45–75 min | Check the board for extras |
| Ride-hail app | 600–900 baht | 45–75 min | Pickup-point rules |
| Pre-booked transfer | 700–1,100 baht | 45–75 min | Book before you fly |
All figures are approximate and change with the season; check the current price.
The kerb
Between the doors and the official counters there is a layer of people offering rides at prices well above the counter. The rule that applies at every Thai airport applies with particular force here: walk past anyone who approaches you inside the building and go to a counter with a posted price, or to the driver holding your name.
Money at Phuket airport
The exchange counters in the arrivals hall are among the worst rates in the country. Several per cent below a good Bangkok counter, and worse than Phuket’s own town shops. The island’s money changers are fewer than Bangkok’s and their rates run a little below the capital’s, but they are still far ahead of the terminal. The shops that publish their rates are tracked on the Phuket page, and what the airport counters are quoting is on the Phuket airport page, so you can see the gap before you decide.
The plan follows from that:
- Change the taxi fare and no more at the airport, or nothing at all if the transfer is prepaid and you have a card for dinner.
- Bring baht from the mainland if Phuket is not your first stop. Bangkok’s rates are better than anything on the island, and carrying a week’s cash across is a saving of a few per cent on the lot.
- Use a town changer for the rest, in Patong or Phuket Town, the next morning.
- If you must use an ATM, remember the flat 220 baht fee per withdrawal on foreign cards and take one large withdrawal rather than several small ones.
Who should book before flying
- Two or more people with luggage. The per-head price of a fixed-fare car is already below the shared minibus once you count the time.
- Anyone landing after about nine in the evening, when the bus has stopped and the van counters are quiet.
- Families with small children, and anyone who wants a child seat.
- First-time visitors who would rather be met than manage the first hour alone.
Solo travellers in daylight with one bag take the bus or an app, change the smallest useful amount at the terminal, and put the difference toward the boat trip.