Palm among transport links with Phuket, belongs to airlines, both domestic and international. international communication. In today’s article I would like a little tell about the main air port of this one of the largest Islands of Thailand – Phuket International Airport (Phuket International Airport).
The content of the article
- 1 Phuket Airport
- 1.1 How to fly to Phuket
- 1.2 Online display of departure and arrival in Phuket
- 1.3 Domestic Terminal
- 1.4 International Terminal
- 2 Airport Services
- 2.1 Currency exchange and ATMs
- 2.2 Simcard at the airport
- 2.3 VAT refund or VAT refund
- 3 How to get from Phuket airport to the hotel
- 3.1 City bus and minibus
- 3.2 Transfer via the Internet
- 3.3 Taxi on the spot
- 3.4 Rent a car
- 4 Where is Phuket airport located
Contents
Phuket Airport
The airport consists of local and international terminals located in two different buildings. Domestic terminal has two floors and until 2016 regularly took both home and international flights. Since 2016, a separate, international terminal has been opened on four floors, after which tourists and airport workers Phuket breathed more freely.
How to fly to Phuket
According to statistics, Phuket Airport is the second airport Thailand in terms of total passenger traffic. Land here direct flights from countries like Malaysia, Singapore, China, Japan, Australia, Russia, France, Switzerland and many, many others. Also charters come here too. You can always look for tickets to you need the dates on Aviasales and Skyscanner, who is more like it, but as a rule, they show almost the same prices. Remember that most often tickets to Bangkok are cheaper, so consider flying to Bangkok too.
Online display of departure and arrival in Phuket
Below is an online scoreboard with arrivals and departures by flights. The information on the scoreboard is displayed in real time. and you can always see which flight is expected, which delayed and so on.
Domestic Terminal
The old, internal terminal consists of two floors and serves home airline flights. The second is the passenger departure area, first floor – arrival zone.
First floor of the internal terminal – arrival zone
Second floor of the internal terminal – departure area
Arrivals of passengers occur on the first floor of Domestic terminal. Having received your luggage, you almost immediately go outside. Before the exit will be a very small room where the racks are located sales of SIM cards, offices of international distributors (they also have in the international terminal), ATMs and luggage storage.
Out on the street, you will immediately see racks with minibuses and taxis, as well as private taxi drivers who offer their services. Here same bus stop. Details on how to get to your hotel, in the second part of the post.
Registration for departure of passengers is most often on the second floor of the terminal (in the same office the airlines on the third floor), but some flights are registered in a separate side building on the first floor. Before you go to the terminal, you have to go through the scanner and the metal detector frame, or on the first floor, or on the second. Immediately on the second you can bring a taxi, and on the first the floor will need to enter the wrong door arriving passengers, and in the side building. The terminal is small, there is no normal waiting room for arriving passengers. Little explained confusingly, but there it will not be difficult to understand there.
On the second floor you will find cafes, coffee shops, shops with various souvenirs. After passing through passport control duty-free will not, and there will be a number of shops with so-so assortment and a couple of stalls with snacks.
Baggage Storage and Mail at Domestic Terminal, 80 baht / day
View from the parking lot to the extension terminal
By the way, if suddenly there is such an opportunity that your baggage upon arrival suddenly will not appear, you must immediately contact appropriate rack and fill in the necessary documents. AT application you will provide your personal data and the planned place residence on the island, and describe the luggage. After that you will hand over a copy of this application, from where you will go to the hotel, where and you will wait for the decision of the fate of your things.
International Terminal (International Terminal)
Phuket International Airport’s terminal is built and launched in 2016 It is located next to Domestic terminal, so between they do not have a transport connection, you can walk for 5-10 minutes. At the time of my visit in 2017 there were not yet fully completed all work, so I had to bypass the construction zone through the parking lot. How to finish, the path will be even shorter. It will also be possible transfers all sorts of racks between terminals and visually everything may differ from my photos.
The international terminal consists of four floors:
Floors of Phuket International Terminal
Ground floor – arrival zone
Second floor – passport control and airline offices
Third Floor – Departure Area
Fourth floor – shops and restaurants
To enter the building of the international terminal you need to go through the frame on the first floor. Then you can follow to the desired floor. On the first floor stands are located with the sale of SIM cards, racks international car dealers, currency exchange offices and ATMs. On the second floor there is a 7-eleven minimarket, which can be accessed from the ground floor with street on the escalator.
On the street near the exit from the terminal you will see racks with minibuses and taxis, prices are exactly the same as those of the local terminal airlines, no matter where to go. Details how to get there to your hotel, in the second part of the post.
View from the parking at the international terminal
Airport Services
Currency exchange and ATMs
With regards to the local currency, then you exchange your money for baht You can, both on the beach and immediately at the exit from the airport in any from terminals. True, it is better that these blood dollars would be or euro (what better money to take with you). Russian ruble not exchanged everywhere and not always, and more often at an unfavorable course. Also, do not rush to part with the whole amount at once. (especially if it is not in rubles), if necessary, it is possible do at any time, because difference in exchange in one place or another not significant.
Also here you can withdraw money at any ATM. it absolutely no difference where to do, here at the airport or later on your beach. The bank also does not matter, well, only if You do not have a Thai bank card. How to withdraw money I already wrote in this article.
ATMs and currency exchange offices, domestic / international
Simcard at the airport
It is best to take the sim card of the local Thai operator immediately in airport, so as not to look for it later in the offices of operators and minimarkets. So you will immediately leave the airport with 4G internet, which is several times cheaper than from the Russian operator in roaming.
Especially there is no difference what operator to take, they are all about are the same, both in coverage and in tariffs. There are only 3 of them, but I I usually use DTAC for many years now. They somehow tariffs clearer something.
Buy in advance via the Internet local Thai sim card on the site Klook and get 4G internet for 8 days for 131 baht instead of 299 baht Your sim card will be waiting for you right at the airport in kiosk / Dtac. This is just a gift, there are no such prices anywhere else. The tariff is more than enough for instant messengers, browsing websites, google maps etc. Here is a detailed instruction just in case.
Order sim card DTAC 2 times cheaper →
VAT refund or VAT refund
At Phuket Airport, you can return the tax on purchases before departure. (Vat = 7%) committed in Thailand. The amount of purchases must be more 5000 baht Previously, when making a purchase in the store It is necessary to issue a paper for tax refund, coming up with your check, which will be the seal Vat Refund. The truth is there not in all stores, and the amount of purchases for paper registration should one time be at least 2000 baht.
Also purchases must be made no more than 60 days before departure from thailand. I wrote about it in more detail in this article VAT refunds in Thailand – save on purchases.
How to get from Phuket airport to the hotel
The most important question that most passengers care about arriving on holiday in Phuket – how to get from Phuket airport to your destination, for example, to your hotel in Phuket. there is several options for different wallets:
- City bus and minibus
- Internet transfer
- Taxi
- Car rental
City bus and minibus
The most budget option of transporting tourists is urban the bus, since the fare in it is 100 baht with person But there is one significant city bus lack of – the bus does not run at night, and indeed flights from there is not much of it. You also need to understand that the bus will bring you to city, in Phuket Town at the Old Bus Terminal, not to your hotel. Thats there is in Phuket Town you will need to change to a minibus and ride her.
There is also a bus from the airport to Patong Kata Beach. Cost 120 baht.
A more convenient way to get to the hotel is minibus / minibus (in our minibus). Minibass always stand near the exit of the arrivals hall, and the pleasure it will cost about 150-200 baht depending on the distance of your beach. A bit more expensive than by bus, but more comfortable and faster. According to the latest data, minibars go from 7 am to about 10 evenings
Minibas at Phuket Airport, Domestic Terminal
Rack with minibuses and taxis, international terminal
Bus Schedules from Phuket Airport to Patong Kata
Bus schedule from Phuket Airport to Phuket Town
Internet transfer
Anyone who wants a minimum of gestures, can advance through Internet, while still at home, order a transfer to Kiwitaxi. You will be met in the arrivals hall with a sign, they will take the luggage, put them in the car and will be taken to the right place. The method is good because no there is no need to think about anything, which is important for those who rides for the first time and will be tired after the flight. At prices about as much as on the street.
Transfer to hotel in Phuket →
I already went to the transfer from this company and stayed with them completely satisfied. As promised, met and without delay was taken to the hotel. Here is my review of Kiwitaxi. You can ask yourself in the form below. I I took to Patong, but you can choose other beaches: Kamala, Karon, Kata, Nai Harn and so on. By the way, hotels also sometimes offer transfers, but as a rule, they are more expensive.
Taxi on the spot
If you have not ordered a transfer, then at your service the most common in these cases, transport – taxi. You can take it in place. But keep in mind that taxis here are of two kinds, in depending on the method of payment:
– Fixed charge (limousine service) – Payment by meter (taxi meter)
The price difference between them is small, about 200-300 baht, considering that here you are not Bangkok and even driving on the meter goes significantly more expensive than the capital. And the trouble is that the car park Taxi-meter is short and the waiting time can be delayed. I’m how many times flew to Phuket, only once left the counter. Plus, when driving over the counter, you will have to pay and airport tax of 150 baht.
For example, the road to Patong by taxi-meter will cost you about 600 baht: 400-500 baht over the counter and 150 baht airport collection The fixed price is somewhere from 800 baht. But again, after at midnight the check-in counter at the taxi-meter closes and, accordingly, does not work. In general, recently on the counter it is almost impossible to leave, it is better to count on a fixed fee, and negotiate it on the spot. The only problem, The taxi driver can call the price from the ceiling, seeing your perplexity.
Cost of fixed rate:
Nai Harn – 1100 baht Kata, Kata Noi, Karon, Rawai, Cape Panwa – 1000 Baht Patong, Chalong – 800 Baht Phuket Town, Katu – 700 Baht Kamala – 750 baht. Lagoon, Bang Tao, Surin – 700 baht. Knighton – 650 baht Nai Yang,
The further the beach, the more expensive (my review of all the beaches of Phuket). The price of a regular taxi, which fit 1-3 people. If the car will large, where you can and 5-8 people sit down, then multiply the price by two.
There is also another option to take a taxi, put the application Grabtaxi, register in it and upon arrival call a taxi through him (as a taximeter, and with a fixed payment). In the application you need to specify where you are going and where. The only nuance – the application does not know all the addresses, but an arbitrary point (just somewhere) to choose will not work, so sometimes you have to choose point somewhere nearby. It is also advisable to indicate your Thai number. phone when registering because taxi drivers almost always call after receiving the order to find out where to go. By the way, it’s easier for them answer, something like “follow GPS” or just “GPS”, because otherwise it is often not explained language barrier. If not It turns out to call a taximeter, then try to call a fix, it happens that that the taximeter is either far, or all are busy (there are few of them). application Not quite convenient in my opinion, but you can use it.
Taxi fare in Phuket
Taxi fare in Phuket
Car rental
A good way to deliver tourists to the hotel, in my opinion, is car hire. But this is if you are an active person and You will then go somewhere, and not just lie on the beach. Read my detailed post – how to rent a car in Thailand.
Best to book through a trusted broker. Economybookings, it will be almost 2 times cheaper through it, apparently due to sales. Checked personally and more than once! Himself always just like that book. Plus, they immediately collected on one site offers from all international distributors will not have to iterate through sites one by one.
Phuket Car Hire with Discount →
Arrive and immediately at the airport you will be waiting for the car. I’m in Lately, always take a car, not a bike, with a wheelbarrow much more comfort and freedom, you can go anywhere and not depend from taxi: to the hotel, to the neighboring town, yes anywhere. Offices There are distributors at the local airport terminal and international, no matter where to go, parking is common, since terminals are very close by.
Car rental racks, domestic / international
Where is Phuket Airport
It is located in the north of the island on the west side, only 32 km. from the center of the city of the same name – Phuket Town. Moreover, this northern part of the island is not the most popular among tourists. But the beaches are there, the nearest beach where you can rent a hotel and swim Nai Yang. And also there is a piece of beach right near the airport where planes take off over your head.
If you want to know about housing options for a short time on Phuket, I have a personal review of hotels. But in general, the choice of housing in Phuket is presented on any budget, it remains only open RoomGuru and choose what you like.
Life hacking 1 – how to buy a good insurance
Choosing insurance is now unrealistically difficult, therefore, to help everyone travelers, I make a rating. To do this, constantly monitor forums, I study insurance contracts and use insurance by myself.
Insurance Rating
Life hacking 2 – how to find a hotel 20% cheaper
First, choose a hotel on Booking. They have a good base offers, but the prices are NOT the best! The same hotel is often possible find 20% cheaper in other systems through the RoomGuru service.
Discount hotels
