Linda Marie Travel

To get from Phuket Airport to Karon Beach, you have options. How to decide what option is best for you depends on time, money, and a sense of adventure.

There are 5 options to get you from Phuket airport to Karon beach. Time and money trade-offs, and your sense of adventure. I caught the Phuket Smart Bus this year, last year I took a taxi, other options are pre-booking a private driver, or a hotel transfer, or hiring a car or motorbike to self-drive. 

How to get from Phuket airport to Karon beach? 

You have five options, some need to be pre-booked, some you can take up when you arrive.

How do YOU decide which option to take from the airport to Karon Beach?  

It’s a trade off between time – money – convenience…..and sense of adventure for a journey.

Most time effective and convenient 

It is most time effective and convenient to have a private driver or hotel transfer, with a direct pick up, even with your name on a sign! And a direct route to your hotel door, but most expensive, it may be the best option for you.

It is time effective and convenient to use a taxi,  direct route to your hotel. A taxi is cheaper than a hotel transfer and private driver, but more expensive than a bus, it may be the best option for you.

Most cost effective and the some adventure

The bus is the cheapest, but it takes the most time, and is not convenient. To use the bus you need to walk to the bus stop, it runs to a limited timetable, wait until the bus leaves next, take a longer route through towns you don’t want to stop in, walk from the bus stop to your hotel. It is cheapest, and has the richest experience, adventure, journey. The journey is longer so you see more along the way, the journey is shared with other people which makes it more interesting… it may be the best option for you. 

Most adventure 

Hiring a car or motorbike is expensive, and it depends how long you are staying, where you want to go, and if you are happy and confident to go on the adventure of driving in a different country, on south-east Asia roads, it may be the best option for you.

What time are you arriving at the airport? 

If you have not pre-booked a pickup, then depending on what time you have landed at the airport, the buses may not be running, and the car/bike hire kiosk may be closed, so taxi may be your only option.  

In 2023, when I arrived at Phuket airport, my original plan was to get the bus, however my plane was delayed 6 hours, and I arrived at the Phuket airport 1:30am.  The bus was not running at that time! I had to get a taxi. 

In 2024, when my flight arrived on time at 8:30pm into Phuket airport, I knew the buses were still running, so I went for the bus experience. 

Phuket Airport to Karon Beach on the Bus to Save Money

See my experience in 2024 when I caught the Phuket Smart Bus from Phuket Airport to Karon Beach, on YouTube.

I caught the Phuket Smart Bus from the airport to Karon Beach to save money and to go on an adventure, to check it out, and to try something different.   My plane landed at 8:30pm, and I reached the P3 smart bus stop at 9:20pm. I paid the driver, put my bag on and waited 25 minutes before we left the terminal at 9:45pm. They told us it would take 1 hour to Patong, and then 10 minutes to Karon Beach. Well, the traffic jams in Patong were crazy, it actually took closer to 2  hours to get to Patong bus stop, then only 10 minutes to Karon.  

I got off the bus at Karon circle and walked a few minutes to my hotel. I arrived at my hotel at about midnight, I was very tired and very hungry. I didn’t buy food to take on the bus, I didn’t eat on the plane so was quiet very hungry.  Other people did bring snacks onto the bus and I wish I had of done that. So I advise you to. I did have a bottle of water, and that got me through the trip, but I didn’t want to drink too much as there are no toilets on the bus!!  

It was an adventure travelling through traffic jams in Patong, I got to see alot of what was going on out the window, I am happy I am not staying in Patong, too busy and crazy for me.  

In the video below, I talk about my adventure, and compare the options for getting from Phuket airport to Karon Beach.  

How to get a taxi from Phuket airport to Karon Beach ? 

Taxi’s are available 24 hours at Phuket airport

1.  When you come out of customs, the sign will tell you to turn to the right-hand side to get a taxi,  and for private drivers, car hire, exits 1-5 
2. Go to a taxi kiosk stand, they have a sheet of paper with standard list of prices of where you want to go.   In December 2023, the price to go to Karon Beach was 1000 Thai Baht.  
3. Tell them where you want to go, pay the price, get a ticket and go outside to the taxis 
4. Someone will look at your ticket, and grab a taxi and put you in it 
5. Tell the driver where you want to go 
6. The driver will drive the most direct route to your hotel, right to the door, no more to pay 

How to get a bus from Phuket airport to Karon Beach ? 

Busses are only available from about 8am to 10 or 11 pm, check the latest timetable on the Phuket smart bus website. 

1. When you come out of customs, the sign will tell you to turn to the left-hand side for public bus, exits 6 and 7  
2. Walk and follow the signs for public bus, it is about 400 metres walk, and it is at the Domestic airport terminal 
3. The signs will say Public bus, and Domestic terminal…keep walking 
4. Leave the international terminal through exit 6 or 7 
5. Keep walking and following signs… 
6. Someone will ask you, “bus?”, because they see you coming and you look like a tourist looking for a bus, and you say “YES!” with a big smile 
7. That someone will ask you where are you going? Tell them Karon Beach and they will take you to the P3 bus.   There are other buses that go to other areas of Phuket. The P3 bus goes to Patong, Karon and Kata 
8. The driver will confirm where you want to go, pay the driver cash, 100 Baht  and you get a ticket 
9. Put your bag in the bus, get in the bus, and wait until the next scheduled time it is leaving….once per hour 
10. Wait  
11. Bus leaves… and they will tell you it takes 1 hour to Patong and then 15 minutes to Karon Beach 
12. The bus may get stuck in crazy traffic jams in Patong, you will see lots out the window, and it may take 2 hours instead of 1 hour….but you will see lots  
13. Think of all the money you are saving 
14. Don’t think about how tired and hungry you are 
15. Yell out to the driver when you near the Karon bus stop that you want, close to your hotel, and get off the bus 
16. Walk to your hotel 

How to get a private driver pickup from Phuket airport to Karon Beach ?

Generally, you prebook a private driver or a private transfer from the airport to your hotel, before you travel. 

1. When you come out of customs, the sign will tell you to turn to the right-hand side for private drivers, car hire, and taxi exits 1-5 
2. As you walk out into the arrivals hall, there will be many drivers standing there with a sign, which has the name of the person they are there to pick up and drive. 
3. Find the sign with your name on it 
4. Say hello, confirm who you are… and follow them to their car 

Where is Phuket Airport?

FAQ Phuket Airport Smart Bus

Where can I find out more information about the Phuket Smart Bus? 

Go to the Phuket smart bus website for maps, routes, timetables and more information 

Where does the Phuket Smart Bus go? 

The bus goes from the Phuket airport to all major towns along the west coast of Phuket to Rawai. Towns include Thalang , Cherngtalay , Laguna , Surin , Kamala , Patong , Karon , Kata , Phromthep cape and Rawai. 

Is it safe on the Phuket Smart Bus? 

Yes, I felt safe on the smart bus, it is used by tourists, and they just want to be safe too 

Is the Phuket Smart Bus airconditioned? 

Yes the Phuket Smart Bus is airconditioned 

How much does the Phuket Smart Bus cost? 

The Phuket Smart Bus costs 100 Thai Baht per ride, no matter where you are going 

Do I have to prebook a ticket for the Phuket Smart bus? 

No, you can’t prebook the Phuket Smart Bus, pay the driver cash when you get on 

How often does the Phuket airport Smart Bus run? 

The Phuket airport smart bus leaves the airport once an hour.  Note that you may have to wait up to an hour for the next bus. 

What times does the Phuket airport Smart Bus run? 

Check the timetables on the Phuket Smart Bus website, as they are subject to change over time. Generally they are running from  8am to 10 or 11 pm, check the latest timetable on the Phuket smart bus website. 

The P3 Patong-Karon-Kata bus timetable in December 2024, bus was running from 7:45 am to 10:30PM, once an hour. 

Can I catch the Phuket airport Smart Bus to the airport from my hotel? 

Yes you can, just walk to the nearest bus stop and check the timetable there. Allow plenty of time, as the bus may take longer than you expect in peak traffic times.  

Can you catch the Phuket Smart bus when you are over the age of 50 and not a backpacker? 

Yes you can! I did!   

Can you catch the Phuket Smart bus when you are travelling solo? 

Yes you can! I did!   

Happy Travelling and ENJOY the journey!

Linda