How to get from Bangkok to Phuket?

Bangkok is among one of the most visited cities in the world and probably #1 tourist destination in the south Asia. Bangkok is not only famous for its nightlife, business activities but also for street food and temples. City of Angels are another name of Bangkok. Since Bangkok is a capital of the Thailand and very  hectic, so it’s a good decision to head off to Phuket for some time. Bangkok to Phuket distance is about 840 km which is considerable great distance.

Luckily, several options are available to get Phuket from Bangkok. Some of them required long journey and some demand for good budget and compromise on comfortability .I’ve conducted research and listed below are ways to get Phuket from Bangkok. Each means of transporting comes with some gain and drawback so seriously look into them carefully before taking final decision.

Bangkok to Phuket  by Train

Let be honest, if you’re assuming to move from Bangkok to Phuket by train, call off this idea right now. There is absolutely NO direct train goes to Phuket from Bangkok. Having said that, you can still make use of trains to get to Phuket. All you need to do is, take a train from Hua Lamphong Train Station, Bangkok and jump off at Surat Thani (235 km from Phuket). Hua Lamphong Train Station located close to the river in Bangkok at the edge of Bangkok’s Chinatown district and you can reach there by MRT (metro). Once you leave at Surat Thani, grab a bus to Phuket. Every day 14 bus operates between Surat Thani and Phuket in both directions. First coach departure at 5:00 am.

I will strongly recommend you secure Train No#43 which get away from Bangkok train station in morning at 8:05 and take between 8-9 hours to reach Surat Thani.Else you can consider overnight train which comes with sleeping bed that will save your accomodation cost also your day time . Let me make it clear, the merged trip (from Bangkok to Phuket by train + bus) requires 13-16 hours, and the ticket including both forms of transport costs from $35 (read below in details). Actually, Bangkok to Surat Thani train trip duration is about 5-6 hours and Surat Thani to Phuket bus require at least eight hours.

First-Class

There are few trains which has first-class. 1st-class comes with locking personal air-conditioned 2-berth compartment with washbasin.

Second-class

This calls is further divided into two sections. Either you have to choice fan sleeper or air-con sleeper carriages. You should get air condition carriage as the fan carriage has an open window so outside noise can make your trip terrible.

Third-class

This is least comfortable calls and  has hard bench seats for setting. No air-condition and no fan.Be ready to encounter an uncomfortable trip.

Bangkok to Phuket  by Bus

If you have decided to travel from Bangkok to Phuket by bus, head over to the southern bus station, Sai Tai Mai, in Thonburi from where you can get a bus to Phuket. Many bus operators work between Bangkok to Phuket. The most extensively used buses between Bangkok to Phuket are the public BKS buses and they charge around 700 Baht. If you ask me which bus service you should use my vote will go to VIP buses because VIP buses has more comfortable seats than public bus and also have AC and TV. In addition, No big difference in fare (1050 Baht).

Take my advice and STAY AWAY those bus services who are situated on Khao San Road as they’re well-known for undesirable service and many of them have installed thief on their buses who will STEAL your luggage or miss your items in transit. Moreover, when you leave your bus must review your items and if driver don’t give you much time to take his picture so in case of trouble you can chase him.

Bangkok to Phuket  by Flights

Getting Bangkok to Phuket by flights is by far the easiest and expensive option. By air whole journey will take around one and half hours. If you can afford and don’t want to have a long road trip getting by flight fits to you. The great things operate over 50 flights per day from Bangkok to Phuket which means you have several airlines so you can expect  competitive flight rates. My own research shows that NOK air, tiger air, Orient Air and Thai lion air are low-cost airlines following air Asia and Bangkok airways. Another thing is these low-cost flight operators  tend to use Bangkok Don Muang Airport expect Bangkok airways, which use Suvarnabhumi Airport. One side ticket prices from Bangkok to Phuket varies. Book your ticket to one month before your trip to get the best best fare.

Bangkok to Phuket By car

This is another way to access Phuket from Bangkok. Getting Bangkok to Phuket by car is an ideal option for couples and family.  Bangkok to Phuket by taxi, transfer will set you back around $300, and its estimated time-span is 10 hours.Alternatively, if you have an International driving license you also hire a car from any Bangkok car rental companies and drive yourself. Some companies will let park the car at their points in Phuket at small fee which could be a great deal if you don’t want to return to Bangkok by road.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Wish You happy  Phuket trip.  If you traveling to Phuket with kids, here is the list of things you can do Phuket.