How To Get Around Phuket - 5 Of The Best Ways

You may be wondering how to get around Phuket during your travels in this amazing place… especially if you haven’t been here before. And, as a first time traveler it can get confusing. Plus, you’ll want to explore Phuket as the beaches are magnificent.

Well, you’ll be pleased to know that there are many options available in Phuket. So, whether you’re on a tight budget or are willing to spend more to have extra comfort… there are a variety of vehicles that you can access. Plus, there’s interesting transport to experience how the locals live.

So, in this We Drink Eat Travel blog, we’ll outline how to get around Phuket… and highlight 5 of the best options to choose from. Plus, we’ll also give you some awesome tips… to help make your travels easier when you travel around Phuket.

First up is this common and convenient transport option…

Grab in Phuket

Grab is a popular choice for many tourists and locals alike… not only in Thailand, but in many countries throughout Asia. The Grab app has been in operation for over a decade. Grab is also more than an app to help people get around.

Depending on which country you’re in… you can use app for grocery deliveries, shopping and more.

Gone are the days when we would hail normal taxis. And, a couple of the main reasons we prefer Grab over using a standard taxi is:

Fares are usually cheaper.
We know upfront what the expected fare will be.
We are less likely to get scammed.

Now, you do need to know that in most cases… fees such as tolls are not part of the fare quote. So, if that concerns you… remember that you may need to factor in additional budget for tolls. Yet, for us, when traveling around Phuket… we didn’t encounter any toll fees even from Phuket airport.

One of the awesome things about the Grab app is that it’s easy and convenient to use. Plus, there are different transport options you can choose from. For example, you can get a standard car, motorbike, taxi, VIP taxi, or an SUV.

Also, if you’re not fussy about car type and you just want the closest vehicle… you can choose the convenient JustGrab option.

Bonus is, sometimes there are bonus offers or special discounts that you can take advantage of… that help make your fare cheaper.

While we do use Grab a lot around Asia… we did find that we didn’t use it as much in Phuket. So, keep reading as you’ll discover some key reasons why.

Bolt Phuket

While Grab is the dominant ride share service… one of the other ride share apps that we did use was Bolt Phuket. Now, you may have already heard of it or even used it on your travels around the world. We have found that it’s not so common in Asia. Yet, it was available in Phuket.

And, Bolt is a good option… especially if you’re having issues booking a suitable Grab driver. Plus, one of the major positives we found… was that often it would be cheaper than Grab.

Like Grab, Bolt has a variety of transport options to choose from. And, these include taxi, economy car for lower cost, as well as vans. What you need to know about the taxi option, which is similar to Grab… is that the fare is not fixed, so that a fare guide is given. Take a look at the pic below to see what we mean…

Now, Bolt isn’t as big in comparison to Grab here. Thus, there is less driver availability especially during peak times.

For example, we were making a booking with Bolt around 6pm. And, when we were looking at the app… it was showing that it was going to take the driver around 20 minutes to get to us. That didn’t bother us as we were at a bar in Karon, and we didn’t have any commitments. Thus, another drink was in order while we were waiting!

Most of the time we weren’t in a rush to get anywhere. So, we did use Bolt more than Grab in Phuket. Whereas in Bangkok, we made use of Grab more.

When you’re looking at which transport options to choose from… one of the convenient features is you can see your arrival time, for your chosen destination. Of course this is an estimate, as traffic conditions can vary along your journey.

Also, after making the booking, you can monitor your driver and follow them on the app. This is handy. So, then you can see approximately how long it will take for them to arrive for pick up. This is also a feature with the Grab app.

Oh, and we have to tell you… we did get an exceptional deal when we were getting a ride from Phuket airport to Kamala Beach. We had been researching prior to arriving in Phuket airport… that the fare would be around 700 baht for a private car and driver, for 2 people. Now, that’s about USD $20.10, 18.30 Euros or 15.80 GBP.

Lately on our travels in Asia, we have been booking Grab cars for our airport transfers. So, on this occasion we thought we would try it at Phuket airport. Yet, when we were comparing fares with Bolt… Grab was ridiculously expensive!

Then, when we did a search with Bolt, the fare was only 439 baht! So, that’s about a 60% saving. What’s more amazing is, if we had chosen the Economy Bolt car… the price would’ve been 332 baht. Crazy cheap, right?!

Yet, if you’re keen to pre-book a driver to have your name on a placard… then the ride share apps are not for you!

Now, you do need to know that with Bolt Phuket, you can only pay by cash. Yet, it sure is a great option to get around.

inDriver Phuket

After not having been to Phuket for many years, it was interesting to find lots of changes. And, one of those was ANOTHER ride share company had come onto the scene! So, this one is inDrive, or some call it inDriver. This is definitely a great ride sharing app that you should add to your to your device.

So, our opinion is that it’s not as easy to use in comparison to Grab or Bolt, but only marginally. One of the interesting features of this app is that you can negotiate the price! More on that later.

Similar to the other ride share services… there are various transport options to choose from. Yet, like Bolt, you can only pay in cash. It also shows you the approximate distance to your destination… as well as the approximate travel time for your convenience.

There is something weird that did happen a couple of times, when we were using the InDriver Phuket app. And, after the driver would accept the fare, of say 110 baht… we found that a few of them would write in the chat messaging requesting. Then, they would be requesting a higher fare, for example 150 baht!

Now, first up we weren’t sure if this was part of the process… even though the driver did accept the original fare. So, we did negotiate down to 120 baht and the driver did agree to it. Strange. Yet, on other occasions we didn’t negotiate and the driver would still accept the original fare.

So, that makes me wonder that will some of the drivers cancel on you… if the negotiations don’t go their way? Something to consider if you need to get to your destination by a certain time.

During peak time, we found that it usually wasn’t worth checking out inDriver… as the fares would be much higher than Bolt, for example. Yet, outside of peak times it is worth checking out.

Songthaew Phuket

Here’s another popular public transport option in Phuket for locals especially. While there are variations in songthaews throughout Thailand… the blue songthaews are big people movers here. They would fit about double the amount of people than a “standard” songthaew.

Can you find the driver??? Don’t worry, he is alive!

As with this type of public transport, the price is cheap to use. For example, to get from Kata Beach to Phuket Town, the price is only 40 baht per person… that’s about USD $1.15, 1.05 Euros or GBP 0.95. And, this helps you to cover a distance of around 15km.

Whereas, in comparison to say using Grab, depending on the time of day and type of transport… it could cost anywhere between 400 baht and 7000 baht! A MASSIVE difference.

Yet, of course, there’s a big difference in the comfortability of the ride too. Air conditioning in a private car, sharing with no-one… versus natural air conditioning and the wind blowing through your hair. Oh, and you’ll be sharing the ride with some new found friends.

Plus, the songthaew does make stops along the way and some at random too. Yet, with a private ride share car service, you go direct to your destination. So, if you’re wanting to get to a specific place by a particular time… a songthaew may not be the best option for you.

Even so, you’d have to agree that it sure is a different way to travel around Phuket… and to experience life like the locals. Be adventurous and try it once!

Tuk Tuk Phuket

Last, but not least on our top ways for how to get around Phuket is… the iconic tuk tuk.

Now, this usually is a fun way to travel around Phuket, let alone Thailand. And, depending on your driver, you could have a thrilling ride with music blaring… or it could be relaxing ride and a safe pace.

The tuk tuks here are different to the ones in Bangkok, for example, yet they’re still fun.

Regardless of the ride you get, in most cases you will need to barter your price. It’s a great opportunity to sharpen up your negotiating skills… before you hit the markets!

We’ve found that some of the drivers will double the price if they know you’re a tourist. Yet, with some knowledge, you can negotiate down.

Now, here’s an awesome travel tip and secret that we use… to work out how much to negotiate down to.

So, remember all the other ride share options I was describing earlier? Use the fare quotes from those ride share apps as a guide. Smart, right?

Now, in many cases you’ll find that the tuk tuks will still be more expensive. Yet, having a ride in a tuk tuk is all part of the fun and adventure when traveling around Phuket and Thailand.

In Summary – 5 Ways on How to Get Around Phuket Thailand

There you have it, 5 different ways for getting around Phuket.

It was interesting to discover that Phuket has 3 ride share app options… which includes private transport with your own driver. So, whether you choose Grab, Bolt or InDrive… you could snap up some very cheap fares for a private ride.

Plus, you can travel without anyone else, in the comfort of air conditioning. And, there won’t be multiple stops along the way to your destination… thus making it efficient.

Now, if you still want a private ride but with a twist, then there’s always the iconic tuk tuk. So, they are a little different than the ones you may see in other parts of Thailand. Yet, it’s still similar… as there are many of those little tuk tuks on hand, that can zip around the island.

Remember, in most cases you’ll need to negotiate the price. And, if you’re not sure what to negotiate, check earlier in the travel blog for an awesome tip.

And, finally, the other top transport option is the local people mover… a songthaew. While the ride may not be as comfortable as having your own private vehicle… it sure is the cheapest option.

Yes, you will need to share with other people… and you’ll need to factor in that the songthaew will make multiple stops along its travel route. Yet, while you’re there you may as well try it out to see how the locals live. All part of the fun of traveling!

Regardless of which transport option you choose… we hope you have an amazing time in beautiful Thailand. Make sure you check out our other travel blogs about Thailand, and in particular Phuket too. The beaches here truly are spectacular.

ENJOY!