Practical guide
Khao Lak to Phuket
Seventy-five kilometers south to the airport, and a little farther to everything else
For a Flight, Book a Car. For Phuket Town, the Bus Works.
Khao Lak to Phuket is a road trip south down Highway 4 and over the Sarasin Bridge onto the island, about 75 km to the airport and about 100 km to Phuket Town, Patong and Rassada pier. There's no taxi rank or ride-hailing to count on in Khao Lak, so the reliable way to the airport is a car your hotel books the night before, about ฿1,500–1,800 for 80 to 100 minutes, or a pre-booked transfer.
Check live Khao Lak → Phuket times and seats on 12Go
If you're heading to Phuket Town instead, the local bus you flag down on the main road runs about every two hours to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 for ฿120–140, and shared vans cover Phuket Town and Patong for ฿600–1,050. For a flight I wouldn't use either. Leave Khao Lak three and a half to four hours before departure, because the airport wants you there two hours early and a missed flight costs far more than the car.
Arriving in Phuket
Where to stay in Phuket
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Key Facts
It's about 75 km to the airport and 100 km to Phuket Town
From Nang Thong, the airport is 75 km, the Old Town about 100 km, Rassada pier 103 km and Patong 105 km. Allow 80 to 100 minutes to the airport and about two hours to the rest.
A car to the airport costs about ฿1,500–1,800
Hotels and local firms quote about ฿1,500 for a car with up to three people and ฿1,700 for a van. Book the night before, because taxis on the street are scarce, especially early.
The local bus is ฿120–140 and stops on the highway
Flag it down on the main road. It runs from Ranong to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 about every two hours from about 06:00 to 17:00 and takes about two hours.
Shared vans cost ฿600–1,050
Ten-seat vans leave Khao Lak at about 08:00, 14:00 and 18:30 for Phuket and Patong, and some sell seats to the airport from about ฿560.
Leave 3.5 to 4 hours before a flight
The airport asks you to be there two hours before departure, and the drive is up to 100 minutes, plus slack for traffic on the bridge.
The last boat to Phi Phi leaves Rassada at 15:30
Rassada pier is about two hours from Khao Lak. The last ferry is 15:00 and the last speedboat 15:30, so a mid-morning car makes it easily.
Every Way From Khao Lak to Phuket, Compared
| Option | Goes to | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or transfer, booked ahead | Anywhere, door to door | 80–100 minutes to the airport, about 2 hours to the rest | About ฿1,500–1,800 to the airport, more to Patong or Phuket Town |
| Local bus, flagged on the main roadSeats on 12Go | Phuket Bus Terminal 2, via the highway outside the airport | About 2 hours | ฿120–140 |
| Shared van (10 seats)Seats on 12Go | Phuket Town, Patong, some to the airport | About 2 to 3 hours with drop-offs | ฿600–1,050; airport seats from about ฿560 |
Distances from OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap from Nang Thong; the bus from Thailandee's timetable and travelers' fares; the vans from 12Go's board, which includes a booking fee; car fares from Khao Lak firms and resorts. The drive time to the airport is the forward guide's.
Bookable departures · refreshed daily
Khao Lak → Phuket: departure times you can book now
Every departure currently on sale through 12Go for this route, by class. Fares are the spread across the classes shown; the exact price for a seat and date is on the booking page.
Minivan
| Class | Departures |
|---|---|
| Shared Van 10 Pax | 08:00, 14:00, 18:30 |
| Van + Speedboat (Koh Yao Sun Smile) | 14:00 |
Times and fares as sold on 12Go, refreshed daily. Services sold only locally — ordinary trains, weekend excursion trains, walk-up pier tickets — are not listed; see the table above for those. Sponsored link: we may earn a commission when you book, at no extra cost to you.
Khao Lak → Phuket
Check the vans and buses from Khao Lak to Phuket
12Go lists the shared vans to Phuket Town and Patong and the buses south with live seats and e-tickets. Its prices include a booking fee.
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To Phuket Airport for a Flight
Book a car. Ask your hotel the night before, or pre-book a transfer, and you'll pay about ฿1,500 for a car with up to three people or ฿1,700 for a van, with the driver at your door at the time you choose. It's about 75 km and 80 to 100 minutes, depending on where in Khao Lak you start and the traffic on the Sarasin Bridge.
The airport asks you to be there two hours before your flight, so leave Khao Lak three and a half to four hours before departure. For an early flight that means a pickup before dawn, which only a booked car will do.
The bus is a false economy for a flight. The first ones leave Bang Niang at about 06:20 and Nang Thong at 06:25 and reach the highway stop outside the airport in about 1 hour 50, but they drop you on the main road, not at the terminal, and you still need a ride from there. It works for an afternoon flight with hours of slack and very little luggage, and that's all.
The Bus to Phuket Town
The cheap way to Phuket Town is the local bus that runs from Ranong down Highway 4 to Phuket Bus Terminal 2. There's no terminal in Khao Lak; wait on the main road on the side for traffic heading south and wave it down. Buses come about every two hours from about 06:00 to 17:00, take about two hours and cost ฿120–140, paid on board.
Bus Terminal 2 is on the north side of Phuket Town. From there, a taxi or a Grab takes you to the Old Town or Rassada pier, and to Patong over the hill.
Arriving in Phuket
Top-Ranked Hotels in Phuket
The top of my ranked list of the 10 best hotels in Phuket. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#2SAii Laguna Phuket4.7 (5,335 reviews)
A beachfront resort on Bang Tao Beach offering a relaxed lagoon setting within the Laguna Phuket complex.
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#3Banyan Tree Phuket4.8 (4,448 reviews)
Award-winning luxury resort in Phuket's north, known for private pool villas and an exceptional spa.
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#4Kalima Resort & Spa4.7 (4,782 reviews)
A hillside Patong resort with infinity pool, spa, artificial beach, and highly praised staff and dining.
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Shared Vans to Phuket Town and Patong
Ten-seat shared vans leave Khao Lak at about 08:00, 14:00 and 18:30, for ฿600–1,050 to Phuket and ฿750–950 to Patong, about three hours with the drop-offs. Many collect from hotels, so they suit anyone with luggage who doesn't want to stand on the highway. Some operators sell seats to the airport from about ฿560 as well.
On to Phi Phi From Rassada
If you're heading from Khao Lak to Koh Phi Phi, the boats leave from Rassada pier, about 103 km and two hours away. Ferries and speedboats run from 08:30, the last ferry at 15:00 and the last speedboat at 15:30, so a car that leaves Khao Lak mid-morning makes the early afternoon boats with time to spare. Book the car to Rassada rather than the airport; it's on the other side of the island.
A Day Trip From Khao Lak to Phuket
Phuket's Old Town is about 100 km away, roughly two hours each way, so a day trip is possible but long. Hire a car and driver for the day, leave by 08:00, and keep to one part of the island, the Old Town's shophouses, Sunday market and cafés, or a beach on the west coast, rather than trying to see both. If you want more of Phuket than that, it's worth a night or two instead.
More on Khao Lak and Phuket
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Khao Lak to Phuket.
About 75 km by road from Nang Thong, 80 to 100 minutes by car. Phuket Town, Rassada pier and Patong are about 100 to 105 km, roughly two hours.
About ฿1,500 for a car with up to three people and ฿1,700 for a van, booked through your hotel or a local firm the night before. Pre-booked transfers cost about the same.
Yes. The local bus from Ranong to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 passes through Khao Lak about every two hours from about 06:00 to 17:00. Flag it down on the main road; it costs ฿120–140 and takes about two hours.
Three and a half to four hours before departure. The drive is up to 100 minutes, and the airport asks you to arrive two hours before your flight.
No. It stops on the highway outside the airport, about 1 hour 50 from Khao Lak, and you need a ride from there to the terminal. For a flight, take a car.
By car, about 105 km and two hours, or by shared van for ฿750–950, about three hours with drop-offs. The bus goes to Phuket Bus Terminal 2, from where it's a taxi over the hill.
Yes. Take a car to Rassada pier, about two hours, and the ferry or speedboat from there. The last ferry leaves at 15:00 and the last speedboat at 15:30.
It's long, about two hours each way. With a car and driver and an early start, the Old Town or one west-coast beach makes a good day; for more than that, stay a night.
Where to stay in Phuket
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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