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Did
you know!
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That: Southern
Thailand has been inhabited since the early days of mankind by ancient tribes
who settled and or adapted their lifestyles to the local environment. Who
arrived first and who pushed out or assimilated who has kept archaeologists
occupied for a long time, and promises to keep them working for a good while
to come.
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From our
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Travelers Guide to Phuket
Getting
Around
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Introduction
The map shows the routes
of the major highways on the island. Going from Patong to
Phuket Town takes about twenty minutes, and in less than
an hour you can reach just about any point on the island.
The main roads on Phuket are generally in good condition
and well marked with signs in both Thai and English. The
mountainous terrain limits the number of roads that cross
the island east to west so at times you will be taking a
roundabout trip to your destination.
Thais are taught from childhood to maintain jai yen (cool
heart), public displays of anger are rather rare and
generally do not achieve the desired effect. As you
attempt to travel around the island, or anywhere in
Thailand, you will undoubtedly be given ample
opportunities to develop this skill for yourself.
Thailand may be known as the "land of smiles",
but trying to cross the street anywhere in the kingdom
even at a marked crosswalk is literally taking your life
in your hands. Thais may pride themselves on their polite
behavior but while observing them attempt to operate
motor vehicles, polite is unlikely to be the first
adjective that comes to mind. On display daily are an
array of driving skills, or lack thereof, that would
logically conclude with the driver being admitted to an
asylum, or being cremated. In a quirk of nature it seems
those who operate a motor vehicle like an idiot, or while
drunk, or ‘hopped up’ on amphetamines usually
kill or injure the innocent. None of the above types of
drivers are an endangered species on the island and to
observe them in there natural habitat just walk outside
on any street, you will not have to wait long. Fleeing
the scene of an accident when at fault has become almost
expected behavior throughout the kingdom. While driving
(or walking) the unwritten rule of the road is the bigger
and or more expensive vehicle always has the
right-of-way, and can drive on whatever side of the road
that pleases them. My intention is not to scare you, but
to remind you that traveling in a foreign country can be
as perilous as it is pleasurable.
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Motorbikes
The warm balmy climate,
the natural beauty of the island, and the winding
mountain roads, all make Phuket a natural for cruising
around on a motorbike. Motorbikes are the most common
mode of transportation on the island. Motorbikes are also
the most common cause of serious injury and death on the
island. No statistics are available as to the number of
motorbike injuries sustained by visitors to Phuket but
the number is substantial. Insurance is not available on
any rental motorbike. If it is damaged or stolen you will
have to pay it’s for replacement plus any property
damage or injuries caused to others. Phuket has and at
times enforces a motorbike helmet law. The helmets
available here are more for decoration then a serious
safety device, but the fine for a driver without one is
500 baht. In Patong on the corner of Soi Bangla and Rat-u-Thit Road starting around 6pm and continuing to
about 8pm the local police collect a little
’tea-money’ from motorbike riders without
helmets. This money trap is so well known that motorbike
taxis line up early to ferry you down and back to the
police station to pay your fine. One cheap source of
entertainment is to stand on the corner and marvel at the
astonishing number of local Thais who although know about
this blatant "rip-off" masquerading as traffic
enforcement; but get caught without a helmet
anyway. The daily rental rate for the small
motorbikes like the ‘Honda Dream’ is 100-150 baht. The larger bikes rent for 300-500
baht, but in both
cases the locals will be quite happy to charge the
uninformed more.
Motorcycle drivers
dressed in a green or maroon vests are providing a short
trip taxi service. They are at times the fastest and
cheapest way to get around. Simply wave one to a stop and
ask for the fare to your destination.
*********Warning**********
The down side of transporting yourselves around on these bikes
is that the traffic is starting to get pretty heavy now, especially in
Patong and Phuket town. The trafffic is also quite wild with many Thai's
having no or only the smallest amount of road sence so be careful.
*********Warning**********
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Bus
There is a daytime bus service
(songthaew) to most parts of the island. Songthaew (means
two rows) which refers to the two wooden benches that run
down each side of this colorful wooden-body public
transport vehicle. All buses run on a loop route between
a beach location like Patong and back to the songthaew
stop on Ranong Road in Phuket Town. The bus fare between
Patong and Phuket Town is 15 Baht, and the travel time is
about thirty minutes. It is unfortunate they do not
circle the island on the new ring road or travel from
beach to beach, for example to travel from Patong seven
kilometers south to Karon beach you must first take the
songthaew 15 kilometers to Phuket Town transfer to
another songthaew and ride approximately 20 kilometers to
Karon Beach. Any effort to improve the bus service and or
extend the hours of operation is violently opposed by the
tuk-tuk (taxi) drivers who insist the competition will
cut into there business. Compared with tuk-tuks a
songthaew is generally a safer ride, with fewer hassles,
from a driver who is more likely to be sane and sober,
and at a fraction of the price of a tuk-tuk. Stiff
competition indeed. One option is renting a songthaew
with a driver by the day for touring the island or going
on a beach Safari, the rate is quite reasonable when
split among even a small group.
To arrange for the
rental of a Songthaew tear out the following page, fill
in the information, and ask someone at the front desk of
your hotel to telephone the songthaew company (They do
not speak English very well so you will need the
assistance of someone who speaks Thai).
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Taxi
(tuk-tuks) the notorious
three-wheeled smoke-belching variety are now extinct on Phuket. They have been replaced with small red vans with
open sides. The drivers have for the most part been
allowed to nuture their nefarious reputations and
continue to represent the largest source of complaints by
visitors to the Tourist Police. The drivers fiercely
fight any attempt to make them use meters. Generally
tuk-tuk drivers (Mafia) show there displeasure at ant
attempt to control them by blocking one or more major
highways on the island. The authorities immediately
buckle in the face of this pressure and rescind to
offending requirement, leaving both residents and
visitors to the island with a woefully inadequate,
unruly, unsafe, and overpriced transportation service.
Many tuk-tuk drivers like to double as travel agents - Don’t
Do It!. They will normally only take you to a place
that will pay them an additional commission over and
above what they overcharge you for the ride in the first
place. Contrary to conventional wisdom, taxis (tuk-tuks)
are not a good source of information unless you enjoy being
taken for a ride.
The standard rate for a
ride from one point in Patong to another is 20 Baht, from
Patong to Phuket is 150 Baht, from Patong to Karen Beach
is 100 Baht, and from Patong to the airport (a forty five
minute ride) is 450 Baht. A rainy day, a late night trip,
a navy ship in port, or just about any other reason is an
excuse to charge more but if you know the basics you
should be able to negotiate a reasonable rate. The rate
paid is by the distance traveled not by the number of
passengers. If the driver wants to charge by the person
wave him on and catch another.
Tuk Tuks are plentiful
in Patong and Phuket Town but travel to many areas in the
north or south part of the island may require you to
negotiate a round trip rate because finding a tuk- tuk
for the return trip may be difficult. It is generally not
difficult to negotiate a rate with a tuk-tuk driver that
has him sleeping in the parking lot while you walk around
the national park, dine at a seafood restaurant, or watch
the sunset at Cape Promthep. Start at 100 to120 Baht per
hour depending on the distance to be traveled and be
prepared to pay 150 Baht per hour.
In Patong at least half
of the tuk-tuk drivers are polite, honest, and
hardworking. Tuk-tuks that are driving around looking for
customers are generally a better bet than the ones
(perched like a vulture) waiting for you outside hotels
and restaurants. The polite way to stop a songthaew or
tuk-tuk on the street is to hold your arm out in front of
you, palm down and make a up and down motion.
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Basic
Fares Around Phuket
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| Tuktuk inside
Patong Beach |
20
Baht per person |
| Tuktuk to Kata
Beach |
150
Baht per vehicle |
| Tuktuk to
Airport |
400-500
Baht per vehicle |
| Tuktuk to
Phuket Town |
200
Baht per vehicle |
| Motorcycle
Taxi in Patong Beach |
10
Baht per person |
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Car Rental
Cars and jeeps can be
rented at numerous locations around the island. A valid
international driver’s license or a state license
from one’s own country is all that is required.
Rates begin at 700 baht per day with unlimited mileage.
You pay for the gasoline. Most major hotels are serviced
by Hertz and Avis car rental companies. The most
expensive place to rent a car is at the airport. If a
vehicle is rented at one location and dropped off at
another, there is a usually a 200 baht charge. Private
owners of jeeps parked along beach roads in Patong and
Karen Beach charge 800-1000 baht per day not including
gasoline. The price includes first class insurance which
covers both parties.When renting a vehicle, be aware that
you are liable for all damages to the vehicle, read the
fine print. Make sure you car is insured for accidents
caused by another party that then flees the scene of the
accident. Virtually all of the areas of the island you
are likely to visit are accessible with an ordinary
2-wheel drive vehicle.
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Long Tail Boat
The ubiquitous longtail boat is
found wherever there is water in southern Thailand. The
current version with the motor mounted on the back is
just the latest modification on this ancient but quite
seaworthy craft. Often called the workhorse of the
Andaman Sea, longtails are used in to provide a number of
marine services. While not as flashy or fast as modern
speedboats, a voyage in a longtail boat is an interesting
experience and a great way to take short sightseeing
trips. The one serious disadvantage of the longtail is
the almost complete lack of safety equipment such as
lifejackets. Longtails are not advisable while traveling
with small children or non-swimmers. Rental prices
average 400 baht per hour for a short trips and up to
1000 baht for an entire day.
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