Phuket International Airport (HKT)

Why go

Unless you come by road or boat, this is where your trip starts. What matters is the choice you make outside the terminal: the beaches are a long drive south.

What you will find

Phuket International Airport (HKT) is at Mai Khao, at the northern tip of the island, about 32 km north of Phuket Town. It has an international and a domestic terminal.

By road, Patong is about 40 to 50 minutes away outside rush hour; according to one 2026 guide, the drive can take 30 to 45 minutes longer between 4 and 7 pm.

Getting there

Counters in the arrivals hall, after customs, sell fixed-price taxis: 2026 guides quote about 700 to 800 baht to Patong for a sedan, but there is no official price list online, so check at the counter. Grab may pick up at designated zones shown in the app; Bolt could not, as of March 2026.

The Phuket Smart Bus runs down the west coast to Rawai for a flat 100 baht (November 2026), from in front of exit 3 of the domestic terminal, about an hour and a half to Patong. An orange public bus goes to Phuket Town for 100 baht, about every hour from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm.

Before you go

Fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) in the three days before you arrive, on tdac.immigration.go.th only: it is free, and sites that charge for it are not official.

The Smart Bus stops on the main road, not at hotels, and sources disagree on its timetable: check phuketsmartbus.com. Metered taxis add a 100-baht airport fee.