Hired Boats and Ferry Boats

Hired Boats : A relatively cheap and worthwhile alternative for groups.  Chalong Bay and Rawai Beach are the main springboards to the outlying islands. You can hire one of the long –tail  boats owned and run by villagers or a speed boat run by private operators. Fee varies on duration of trip, number of passengers, type of boat and service. Speed boats offer more comfort and amenities such as drinks, fruit, cold towels and diving gear, and so are good for long trips. Most long-tail boats are not equipped with lift vests or diving equipment and thus are a lot cheaper and more practical for shorter rides.

Ferry Boats : Ferry Boats run between Phuket and inhabited outer islands. The small number of boats limit daily trips to only a few.

Getting Around Phuket

Unless you are renting a car , you can get around easily by minibus, within the downtown area , to the beach or to outer districts. Some of the satellite islands are served by ferries. Tour operators provide transports to the major island attractions, but non-group travelers can also arrange boat trips.

Getting around Down Town Phuket

Motorcycle Taxis : These charge 10-40 baht depending on distance . These two-wheeled taxis are gathered at the Fountain Circle Market, Night Market , Bus station, in front of Robinson Department Store and at government  offices such as the Provincial Hall, post offices, Phuket Electricit Office, etc. Longer service costs the same as Tuk - Tuk but hourly service at 80-100 baht an hour can also be arranged.

Tuk Tuk : A ride fare depends on distance , number of passengers and time spent .

 

 

 

To the Beach  and Outlying Districts

Rent a Car  : If you drive, renting a car is probably the most convenient choice as same areas are not served by bus and waiting for a minibus can take the joy out of the trip. Renting  is easy ; private rental cars are readily found is every beach area and major rental companies operate in most resorts. When renting private vehicles from the side of the road be aware the few of these vehicles have insurance and this can prove disastrous in the event of an accident. Chauffeured service is available for those unsure of their driving skils or lacking a valid license. Or you can book on line here now !

Rent a Motocycle :  Motorcycle, big and small, can be rented all over the island and are a popular choice for many tourists. Zipping around with the breeze in your hair is tempting for amyone but do be careful, the hospitals here see a never ending stream of foreigners arriving with skin missing from arms and legs, or sometimes worse. The accident rate on Phuket is one of the highest in Thailand, with 90% of road accidents involving motocycles!

          Note that Thai law requires the driver to carry a valid license at all times and all riders to wear helmets – even though most Thais ( including the police ! ) ignore the regulations. Also motocycle lights must be turned on at all times, including during the daytime! The police occasionally enforce all these laws, so be ware.

          The real danger in Phuket is this :NONE of the motorcycle rented here have insurance. If you rent one and cause dam age you will be held fully responsible, with some greedy on owners charging significantly  more than the real cost of the damage. Be extremely cautious!

Song – Taews ( Local minibus ): There are few bused on Phuket and  the main form of transport from beach to town is the ‘song  taew ‘; a truck converted to carry passengers in the back on two long benches. They are usually colorful with a sign on front showing where they are going. There vehicles leave from a set stop by the fresh produce market ( Down Town Market )  in Phuket Town, reaching every major beach area on the island. They run approximately every hour but there are on fixed schedules, and they run when there are sufficient passengers. When leaving the beach areas to head back to town they usually cruise slowly around the streets picking up passengers. Song-taews are slow but cheap with the fare from Phuket town to Patong now set a just 25 THB per person!

 

Local Bus Timetable

Destination	Town to Beach	Fee       ( Baht )	Beach to Town	Fee         ( Baht )
Bangtao  Beach	7.00 am -5.00 pm	25	6.00 am – 4.00 pm	35
Surin  Beach	7.00 am -5.00 pm	25	6.00 am – 4.00 pm	35
Kamala  Beach	7.00 am -5.00 pm	30	6.00 am – 4.00 pm	40
Kata  Beach	7.30 am -6.00 pm	25	5.30 am – 4.30 pm	40
Karon  Beach	7.30 am -6.00 pm	25	5.30 am – 4.30 pm	40
Kathu  District	7.30 am -5.00 pm	15	6.20 am – 3.30 pm	25
Patong  Beach	8.00 am -6.00 pm	20	7.30 am – 5.30 pm	30
Makham  Bay	8.00 am -5.00 pm	20	7.00 am – 3.30 pm	30
Chalong  Bay	8.00 am -5.30 pm	20	6.00 am – 5.30 pm	30
Rawai  Beach	6.50 am -5.30 pm	25	6.00 am – 4.30 pm	40
Naiharn Beach	7.00 am -6.05 pm	30	6.45 am – 6.05 pm	45
Sarasin Bridge	6.00 am -6.00 pm	30	6.00 am – 3.00 pm	40
Bang Rong Pier	8.30 am -4.00 pm	30	7.00 am – 4.00 pm	30
Por Bay Pier	8.30 am -4.00 pm	30	6.00 am – 4.00 pm	30

 

 

Immigration to launch fast-track entry for tourists

Tourists arriving at Phuket Airport are well-accustomed to long waits at the immigration-clearance counters. Photo: Gazette file

 

The Commissioner of the Thai Immigration Bureau has announced that a new automated entry system will be installed at all airports in the country, including Phuket. The system will allow passengers to enter the country without having to endure long immigration lines.

The technology, called “Advance Passenger Processing” system, or “APP”, will be installed at all international airports in Thailand within two years, Lt Gen Wiboon Bangphamai told a meeting of Asean immigration chiefs at the Hilton Hotel Phuket Acadia Resort and Spa yesterday.

“The APP system will shorten the immigration clearance process. The system will allow people to just walk through without having to stop to get a stamp [in their passports] or other details checked,” he said.

“The APP system is not ready to use at the moment. We still have to settle the agreement with AoT [Airports of Thailand] about an extra fee that may have to be charged when the system is in place.”

“We proposed a fee of 80 baht per passenger, but that was rejected. So we will offer to make the fee about 40 or 50 baht per passenger,” he added.

The APP system will also be used to check departing international passengers bound for Thailand to see if their names are on the Thai Immigration blacklist. If they happen to be on the blacklist, or are wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant in Thailand, the person who first notices such details could report them to local police for possible arrest, he said.

 

An artist's impression of the immigration arrivals queue after the expansion project at the airport is complete. Image: AOT

Assistant Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police Jate Mongkolhutthi, who chaired the conference, told the Phuket Gazette that issues discussed by the international assembly of immigration chiefs included streamlining immigration procedures, increasing mobility of people in the Asean region, overseas terrorism and human trafficking.

“It’s not that we don’t already have the system [enabling immigration officials to perform their tasks effectively]. We do, but what we have is not good enough,” Lt Gen Jate said.

“The Asean Economic Community (AEC) will take effect in 2015. That means many more people are expected to travel to and from Thailand. Therefore, it is necessary for all Asean countries to be able to exchange information with each other,” he explained.

“We want to develop the system because there will be a lot of people coming to Thailand. We don’t know who will be coming through our region; that is why we want to develop a proper system in order to avoid any problems that might arise.”

“Our worst fear is that criminals or terrorists will come to conduct activities or use this region to hide out. Even though there are not that many cases at the moment, we don't want to take a chance,” Gen Jate said

Phuket International Airport (HKT)

 

Phuket International Airport  is an airport serving Phuket Province of Thailand. It is located in the north of Phuket Island, 32 kilometres (17 nautical miles) from the centre of Phuket City. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket Island is a popular resort destination. It is the second busiest airport in Thailand in terms of passengers (but not cargo), after Suvarnabhumi Airport in the Bangkok metropolitan area. Nowadays, 38 airlines are on service and more than 2,900,000 passengers, 27,000 flights and 28,500 tons of cargo are handled at this airport.

 

 

Located at longitude 98 18' 45" and latitude 08 06' 38", 82 feet above sea level, Phuket International Airport is 32 kms. from downtown Phuket.

 

PhuketReal Time Flight Departures  

Phuket Real Time Flight Arrivals

Who Needs To Apply For A Visa To Thailand ?

• Passport holders of countries that do not appear on the lists below are required to obtain a visa before entering Thailand.
• Passport holders of any nationalities who are planning to stay in Thailand as tourists for longer than limit periods given below must obtain a tourist visa before entering Thailand.
• Travellers entering Thailand for purposes other than tourism need a visa of specific type, such as a non-immigrant visa.

 

Visa Tourist

Visa-Free for 3 months

Visa-Free for 1 month

Visa on Arrival

Visa Retiring in Thailand

Airports in Thailand

Bangkok       :  Don Muang Airport  ( DMK )

Bangkok       :  Suvarnabhumi Airport ( BKK )

Chiang Mai  :  Chiang Mai International Airport ( CNX )

Chiang Rai   :  Chiang Rai  Airport ( CEI )

Phuket         :  Phuket International Airport ( HKT )

Koh Samui  :  Koh Samui Airport ( USM )

Krabi            :  Krabi Airport ( KBV )

Hat Yai        :  Hai Yai Airport (HDY )

Thailand

 

Capital : Bangkok              
Population  :  63.600.000
Currency : 1 Baht = 100 Stangs
Area : 513.115 km²
Official language : Thai

How to greet to Thai people : 
Thai people will greet you by saying “Sawasdee”. You should then repeat this back to them to acknowledge the greeting.