How to benefit from travelling on Phuket public transport

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

When foreign visitors ask me the best way to travel around Phuket and how Phuket public transport operates, or why the bus driver goes so slowly, it’s not easy to explain. But this true story as told to me by a friend and recounted, almost verbatim, should give you a  good insight.

It’s an amusing story which could be useful to those not familiar with Thailand.

Getting around Phuket

Before I begin the story, you should know the best way to travel around Phuket depends on whatever activity you are planning.

The island has a population over 400,000 and covers an area of 543 square kilometres. The furthest point North is Sarasin Bridge, and South is Promthep Cape. The distance by road is 62 kilometres which takes about an hour by car, depending on the traffic.

The favoured method of transport for most residents is a small motorbike, like a Honda Click, which can be rented for as little as 60 Baht a day if you are staying a month or more. That’s all I use when I am in Phuket in the dry season between January and June.

A word of warning! Don’t risk it, unless you are a proficient motorcyclist. The roads are dangerous and so are the drivers.

If you want to see the island, getting around Phuket in a hired car (600 Baht a day) is the best bet.

Phuket Public Transport

Phuket Public Transport consists of traditional private taxis (Taxi-Meter), the Phuket Public Bus, the focus of my friend’s story, a smaller pick-up bus version, the Smart Bus which travels up the West Coast from Rawai to Phuket International Airport, and an open-sided mini-cab which is more like a mobile night-club than a mode of transport.

The mini-cab blasts out loud music, has disco style flashing lights . If there is one nearby, you won’t miss it, but use them only for short tripsand as they are bone-shakers and could damage your eardrums. You are unlikely to find the traditional three-wheel Tuk-Tuk in Phuket.

The Journey begins

“I took a Phuket public bus this morning. Let me tell you about my journey from Naiharn to Phuket Town which began outside the mosque on Wiset Road before Chalong Circle.”

A Friend

It seemed like a good idea to get a motorbike taxi from Wiset Road to the bus terminus at Naiharn Beach. Even though I was travelling in the opposite direction, it was busy and I would be sure of a seat when the bus started its journey. I knew how full they can get.

The motorbike taxi driver was bemused. Why was I travelling eight kilometres in the opposite direction. Why would I do that to catch the bus which came right past where I was standing when he collected me?

There was method in my madness as you will see.

The Only Passenger

When I arrived at the terminus. I was the only passenger at the start of the journey, at Naiharn Beach. My plan was working already.

The driver set off at a snail’s pace, which was normal. Infuriating at first, but when you have taken a Phuket public bus a few times you get used to it. Before we reached Rawai pier, a few kilometres, the driver had picked up enough passengers to fill the bus.

The Bus Driver improvises

When the two rows of fixed seats were full he stopped and jumped off the bus. He disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a long bench. I don’t know where he found it but he put it in between the two full rows of passengers.

By the time we reached my original starting point, at the mosque, the third seat was full. He had to pass many people waiting for the bus on the roadside because it was full.

Imagine if I had waited at the mosque. I would still be there now. I was pleased I made the right decision.

Feeling like a time traveller

The Driver’s ingenuity was astounding. I was used to these trips but this was something quite different. Ten people got off the bus just before we reached Chalong Circle. So, the driver went round the circle and drove back down Wiset Road past the mosque. What was he doing?

I worked it out in a flash. He was going back to pick up some of the people he passed in Wiset Road so he could fill the bus again. What might happen if some of them got off before Chalong Circle, remained a mystery, as it didn’t happen.

In the time it took me to get to Phuket Town that day, I could have walked quicker and had lunch on the way.

My Phuket Public Transport idea

Now here’s an idea for Phuket public bus drivers. If you want a full bus at all times, run a shuttle service from one stop to another covering about 5kms maximum. All the drivers operate like relay runners zipping up and down the road. But instead of passing the baton to each other they pass passengers.

Thailand public transport is amazing

If you live in Thailand, after a few years you’ll think nothing is unusual. I have experienced dozens of incidents and strange happenings that I now accept as normal.

But there are still things that amaze me. Like the Maeklong railway market in Bangkok. If I tried to explain this you would not believe me and probably stop reading. So just watch this video and smile for the rest of the day.

Final Thoughts

My friend is a Thai lady who has travelled all her life on Phuket public transport. If what happened that day surprised her enough to recount the events to me, I could only imagine how a foreign tourist would react.