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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Phuket
ภูเก็ต
Go to Phuket for beaches and island trips, in the dry season; pick your beach first because the island is large and traffic is slow.
Phuket is Thailand's largest island, linked to the mainland by bridge, with an international airport and beaches along its west coast. Patong is the busiest resort area, while Kata, Karon and the north are quieter. Phuket Town has Sino-Portuguese shophouses and local food.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- ภูเก็ต
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season, calm seas)
- Avoid
- May–Oct (monsoon, rough seas and rip currents)
- Stay
- 3–5 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Tourist Police (English) 1155 · Ambulance and rescue 1669 · Fire 199 · Disaster hotline (DDPM) 1784
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
Get in
By air
- HKT · Phuket International
- North of the island; taxi, minibus or airport bus to resorts
Get around
Taxis and ride-hailing are pricey; agree on fares or use the meter. Rental scooters are common but accident risk is high and insurance often excludes unlicensed riders.
See and do
Known for
- Patong and Kata beaches
- Old Phuket Town
- Big Buddha
- Island tours to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay
Sleep
- Kata / Karon
- Family-friendly beaches with a quieter feel than Patong.
- Phuket Town
- Local food, cafes and shophouse streets; away from the beach.
- Patong
- Busiest beach with the most nightlife; noisy.
Language
Thai is tonal and written in its own script; English works in hotels, malls and tourist areas, much less in the north-east and small towns. Polite particles (khrap for men, kha for women) go a long way.
- Ask hotels for their address card in Thai script.
- LINE is the messaging app of Thai businesses.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Rip currents in monsoon season are dangerous: obey red flags.
- Agree taxi and tuk-tuk fares before you go.
- Motorbike accidents are frequent; check that your insurance covers riding.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Phuket yet. Suggested stay: 3–5 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Patong and Kata beaches
- Old Phuket Town
- Big Buddha
- Island tours to Phi Phi and Phang Nga Bay
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand: www.tourismthailand.org/
- Wikivoyage — Phuket: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Phuket
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/phuket). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.