Travel to Phuket: Where to Stay, When to Go and How to Get Around

The Phuket Smart Bus from the airport can be tracked live online. A HelloRoam Phuket eSIM set up before you fly lets you check where that bus is, book a ride or open your hotel's map pin while you wait for your bags.

Six places to base yourself, from the airport beaches to Old Town

One bus line ties most of these bases together. Phuket Smart Bus Route 1 runs from the airport south through Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata to Rawai. A hotel near one of its stops cuts down on taxi rides.

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Old Town suits a short stay or a rainy day. Tin built it. Phuket's tin deposits drew Hokkien Chinese settlers and then European mining companies in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says Chinese and Portuguese styles meet in its shop-houses. Start at the Thai Hua Museum on Krabi Road, a former Chinese-language school with English-labeled exhibits on the tin and opium trade.

Then eat your way through the side streets. Our list of Thai dishes worth ordering tells you what to look for on the menus.

December through March is Phuket's driest stretch

The averages below come from the Thai Meteorological Department, published through the World Meteorological Organization's weather service. The dry months are also the most predictable: February averages just 3.0 rain days. From May through October, every month averages more than 9 inches of rain, and September is the wettest at 15.2 inches over 22.8 rain days.

Heat won't decide your dates. Highs stay between 88°F and 93°F all year, and nights average 75°F or warmer. Rain is what changes, and it brings the sea with it: every yearly marine park closure in the next section falls between mid-May and mid-October.

If Phuket is one stop on a longer trip, compare Thailand's weather month by month before you lock in dates for the rest of the country.

Marine parks near Phuket close on fixed dates every year

Thailand's national parks close some sites every year, often because rainy-season weather makes them unsafe, and the break also gives nature time to recover, TAT says. The Department of National Parks' closure list, dated January 7, 2026, sets these yearly windows for Andaman Sea parks near Phuket:

Ask any tour operator which islands its boat actually lands on before you pay, especially for trips sold in August or September. The list also tells visitors that each park sets its own entry rules, so check TAT's park closure notice and the park itself closer to your dates.

Buses, vans and taxis connect the airport to the beaches

Airports of Thailand, which runs HKT, lists four public options besides pre-booked airport shuttles and rental cars. They are the Airport Bus to Phuket Town, the Airport Bus Express to Patong, the Phuket Smart Bus down the west coast and public vans to Patong, Kata and Karon.

Smart Bus prices come from the operator's fare page. At the airport itself, the State Department advises using only public transportation from the official pick-up area, a car from the limousine counters or a car your hotel sends.

Phuket OneMap, built by Phuket City Development Co. with local agencies, shows six bus lines with live positions and timetables in your phone's browser, with no app to download. TAT notes that the buses don't run around the clock, so check the last departure before a late dinner or an early flight.

Think twice before renting a scooter. Traffic drives on the left, helmets are required by law and the State Department says crashes involving motorcycles can be deadly. It also warns that some motorbike, jet ski and car rental companies hold customers' passports until they pay for real or invented damage, so never leave yours as a deposit.

US passports now get 30 visa-free days in Thailand

Thailand's visa-free stay for US tourists is now 30 days, effective September 15, 2026, according to the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington. The State Department's Thailand page, last updated August 20, 2026, still says US tourists staying fewer than 60 days don't need a visa. Go by the embassy's newer notice, and recheck both pages the week before you fly.

Have these ready for arrival:

• A passport with six months left. The State Department strongly recommends at least six months of validity beyond your arrival date to avoid being refused entry.
• Proof of funds. The embassy says visa-exempt visitors must have 20,000 baht per person, or 40,000 baht per family, in cash or the equivalent.
• An onward or return ticket. Thai immigration officers or airline staff may ask for it, along with proof that you can support yourself, the State Department says.
• A TDAC. All non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within 3 days before arrival. It isn't a visa, and the official TDAC site states that no fees are required.
• Your medicine, in its original packaging. The State Department says you can bring up to a 30-day supply with your doctor's prescription, and it warns that some US prescription drugs are illegal in Thailand.

Once you're in, the State Department recommends carrying a copy of your passport's photo page, on paper or on your phone, to help avoid detention by Thai immigration police.

Thailand is at Level 1, but Phuket's sea and roads need care

Thailand is at Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions in the State Department's travel advisory, updated in July 2026. The two areas it flags for increased caution, the Thai-Cambodian border region and the far-southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, don't include Phuket.

Canada's government is more cautious. Its advice, last updated September 22, 2026, tells Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution across Thailand because of political tensions and demonstrations. Its terrorism section also notes that Thai authorities defused devices in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga in June 2025.

Day to day, official advice for visitors to Phuket comes back to the water, the roads and a few scams:

• Swim only where the flags allow. Canada names Phuket among the places where riptides can be strong and says not to swim when a red flag is up. The UK adds that lifeguards work designated beaches and that jellyfish come close to shore, especially from May to October.
• Expect heavy traffic. The State Department says traffic accidents are common in Thailand and lists Phuket among the cities where traffic can be heavy.
• Check bar prices before you order. The State Department describes venues that add huge drink charges or unadvertised cover charges and threaten violence if you don't pay.

Save these numbers before you go: Tourist Police 1155, police 191 and emergency medical services 1669. The US Embassy in Bangkok answers at +66 2 205 4049. Advisory levels can change, so reread the State Department's page before you leave.

Thailand's rules on vapes, cannabis and alcohol trip up visitors

• Leave the vape at home. Thailand bans importing, owning or using e-cigarettes and vaporizers. Canada warns of heavy fines or jail terms of up to 10 years, and the UK says there are no exceptions for tourists.
• Skip cannabis flower. It became a controlled substance on June 23, 2025. TAT says tourists may not use, buy, carry or transport it without a prescription from a licensed practitioner in Thailand, and shops offering it for smoking may be operating outside the law.
• Buy alcohol between 11:00 AM and midnight. That has been the general sales window since May 29, 2026, TAT says. Sales may also be restricted during elections and major religious days. The legal drinking age is 20, and drinking is restricted at temples, gas stations, public parks and public transport areas.
• Don't light up on the sand. Canada says a smoking ban covers several Thai beaches, punishable by a 100,000-baht fine and up to a year in prison.
• Show respect for the monarchy. The State Department says a critical or defamatory comment about the royal family can bring up to 15 years in prison per offense. Even purposely tearing a Thai banknote, which carries the King's image, may count.
• Think before posting an angry review. Thailand's defamation laws can punish a negative review on a public website, the State Department warns.

Viewpoints, a night market and a free Old Town bus fill the days between beaches

• Promthep Cape: Phuket's southern tip, between Nai Harn and Rawai. TAT calls it one of the island's most photographed spots, and on a clear day you can see Ko Phi Phi, Ko Racha Yai and Ko Racha Noi from the lighthouse terrace. TAT singles out sunset as a popular time to visit.
• Windmill Viewpoint: a few minutes' drive from Promthep Cape, looking down on Ya Nui Beach on one side and Nai Harn bay on the other.
• Karon Viewpoint: on the hillside off the coast road, just south of Kata Noi, with Kata Noi, Kata and Karon beaches in one view. Its Thai name, Khao Sam Hat, means "the hill of the three beaches."
• Mai Khao Beach: watch planes pass overhead on their approach to HKT. Airports of Thailand points out that what you see depends on the weather, the wind and runway use that day.
• Old Town by Dragon Line: hop off the loop bus to explore the Old Town's streets, markets and museums.
• Chillva Market: a night market near Old Town with street food, live music and shops in shipping containers, open Monday to Saturday from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
• Samet Nangshe Viewpoint: the longer outing, in neighboring Phang Nga, just under 50 miles (80 km) and around two hours' drive from Patong. TAT says the view east over Phang Nga Bay's islands is especially striking at sunrise.

Staying connected in Phuket on AIS, dtac and TrueMove H

A HelloRoam eSIM for Phuket is a data plan that sits next to your US line. Your number stays on for calls and texts through your own carrier, at its rates for use abroad. The Thailand plans behind the eSIM connect through AIS, dtac or TrueMove H, depending on the plan.

Before you buy, check that your phone supports eSIM. Then install it at home over Wi-Fi with our step-by-step eSIM setup guide. The plan starts when your phone first connects to a local network after landing.

Data earns its keep on Phuket in small ways. Ride apps need a connection at the curb, and the State Department advises against joining unknown open Wi-Fi networks. If you'd rather use your US carrier's data in Thailand, see how an eSIM compares with roaming.

You may not need a plan at all if you're spending a week at one resort with good Wi-Fi and the hotel books your transfers. For a trip with buses, boats and day trips, estimate your trip's data use before you pick a plan size.