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Getting around
Phuket
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.
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.
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 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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 (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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 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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 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.
Provide what has to be the ultimate method for
sightseeing and taking photographs of Phuket and the surrounding
areas. Helicopter service is provided by two companies Southern
Flying Group at Tel: 247-237/9 and Southern Helicopter Service Tel:
216-389. There are no scheduled flights at this time, so you must
call and arrange for a charter.
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