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Transport

Taxis, scooters, cars, airports and transfers between cities.

16 guides

Guide Which licence you need in Thailand: Russian, international and Thai A visitor needs a national licence with the right category together with an International Driving Permit (IDP) of the 1968 model, or a Thai licence. Car and motorcycle licences in Thailand are separate and do not replace each other (Section 43 of the Motor Vehicle Act), and under Thailand's reservation to the Vienna Convention a scooter counts as a motorcycle. Driving without a licence is punished by a fine of up to THB 1,000 or up to a month in prison (Section 64), and insurance may not pay after an accident. The Russian foreign ministry's consular portal says plainly that a Russian licence alone cannot be used to drive in Thailand. If you live in Thailand permanently you need a Thai licence: temporary ones are issued for 2 years, and the DLT service guide lists a fee of THB 205 for a car and THB 105 for a motorcycle (as of October 2026).
Guide Getting from Phuket airport to your hotel: bus, taxi or your own vehicle From Phuket airport (HKT) the Phuket Smart Bus runs to the west-coast beaches for 100 baht, a minivan limousine at Entrance 1 costs 650-1,000 baht per car depending on the area, and Grab and Bolt show the price in the app before you book (as of October 2026). Patong is 37.3 km away, about 43 minutes without traffic. You can pick up a rental car at the airport desks or order a vehicle with hotel delivery from our catalogue.
Guide How to get around Phuket: bike, car, taxi or transfer In Phuket people get around by motorbike, rental car or app taxi. A bike needs category A on your licence plus an international driving permit (IDP) or a Thai motorcycle licence, a car needs category B. A helmet is required for the rider and the passenger, with a fine of up to 2,000 baht. Grab and Bolt need no licence and show the price before the ride, and the Smart Bus between beaches costs 100 baht (as of October 2026). Rentals in our catalogue start at 3 days, and we show the monthly price with a date.
Guide Taxis, Grab and Bolt in Phuket: when they beat renting Grab and Bolt operate in Phuket, and the apps show the fare before you book, so they are more predictable than a tuk-tuk. A taxi needs no licence and no deposit, which is the main difference from renting a bike or a car. The Phuket Smart Bus between west-coast beaches and from the airport costs 100 baht (as of October 2026). Fares, pickup points and ordering rules are in the full guide to taxis in Phuket.
Guide How to choose and check a bike in Phuket: safety, deposit, traffic rules When choosing a bike in Phuket, start with your licence and experience: category A is required, a small amount of practice is enough for an automatic scooter, and a manual motorcycle or sportbike needs confident riding. At handover film the bike from every side, check the brakes, lights and tyres, and agree on a cash deposit instead of leaving your passport. Per the terms of our rental partner, bikes are not insured against theft and accidents, so check your travel policy. A helmet is required for the rider and the passenger, with a fine of up to 2,000 baht (as of October 2026).
Guide Bike, car or taxi in Phuket: which to choose and what it costs A bike suits you if you are one or two people, ride every day and hold category A, but the risk is higher and our partner offers no insurance for bikes. A car is for families, three or more people, long trips and the rainy season, and it needs category B and an IDP. Taxis and Grab need no licence or deposit and show the price before the ride, and the Smart Bus between beaches costs 100 baht (as of October 2026). Both kinds of rental need an IDP together with your national licence.
Guide Find your vehicle in Phuket in five questions The finder applies what law and safety decide first: your licence (no category A, no bike; no category B, no car), manual-gearbox experience and the number of passengers. Points then cover what you need, the term and your monthly budget. The result is three models from the rental catalogue, each with a reason and a dated price. Your answers are not sent anywhere: the calculation runs in your browser.
Guide Scooter, motorbike and car rental in Phuket The catalogue lists scooters, motorcycles, sportbikes and cars from our rental partner in Phuket. We show the monthly price with the date of the partner's listing, and models without a recent price say "price on request". Rentals start at 3 days, the deposit is refundable and delivery to your hotel costs extra. A bike needs category A and an IDP, a car needs category B.
Question How to get from Bangkok to Pattaya Pattaya is about 143 km by road from central Bangkok, and Central Pattaya is 122 km from the Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal, about 1.5 hours by car without traffic (OSRM routes). The bus is the cheapest fast option: 144 baht from Ekkamai, 155 baht from Mo Chit 2 and 135-158 baht from Suvarnabhumi, about 2 hours on the road (Roong Reuang Coach, October 2026). Train 283 leaves Hua Lamphong at 06:55 every day, takes 3 hours 39 minutes and costs 31 baht (State Railway of Thailand).
Question How to get from Phuket Airport to Khao Lak and how long it takes Phuket Airport (HKT) to Khao Lak is 70-79 km by road and 65-75 minutes without traffic, depending on the beach: 69.7 km to Khao Lak village and 75.7 km to Nang Thong Beach on OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap data. From Patong or Phuket Old Town it is about 100 km and an hour and a half. The easy way is by car, either a booked transfer, an airport taxi or Grab, and you should agree the fare before you set off. The Phuket Smart Bus does not go to Khao Lak, and we found no official long-distance bus timetable as of October 2026.
Question Which licence you need to ride a scooter in Thailand A car-only licence does not cover a scooter in Thailand: Thai rules treat car and motorcycle licences as separate documents with separate tests (Department of Land Transport, DLT). Visitors need a motorcycle category on their home licence and their International Driving Permit (IDP), or a Thai motorcycle licence. Thailand is party to both the 1949 Geneva and 1968 Vienna road traffic conventions that underpin IDPs. Riding without the right category can void travel insurance after a crash, so check your policy exclusions.
Guide What you need to rent a car in Phuket To rent a car in Phuket you need your national licence with a car category (B) plus an International Driving Permit (IDP), or a Thai licence. Without an IDP the police and insurers can refuse: Article 41 of the 1968 Vienna Convention (ratified by Thailand on 1 May 2020, in force since 1 May 2021) obliges states to recognise Annex 6 licences, but roadside checks and insurance terms rely on the IDP. Every car carries compulsory insurance under a 1992 law, which pays victims' medical costs up to 80,000 baht per person but nothing towards repairs, so buy damage cover separately. According to AOT, 9 rental companies have desks at Phuket Airport (HKT), including Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Europcar (October 2026). Thailand drives on the left, and speeding costs up to 4,000 baht.
Guide Driving or riding a scooter in Thailand without getting fined Thailand drives on the left and you can drive on your own licence, with the right category, together with an International Driving Permit (IDP), or on a Thai licence; a scooter needs a motorcycle category. Amendments to the Land Traffic Act in force since 5 September 2022 raised fines to as much as 4,000 baht for speeding and running a red light, and 2,000 baht for no helmet or seat belt, with belts now required in every seat. The alcohol limit is 50 mg per 100 ml of blood (0.05%), but only 20 mg (0.02%) if you are under 20, hold a provisional licence, have no licence or a suspended or revoked one, or hold a licence for a vehicle type that does not cover the one you drive; drink driving carries up to 1 year in prison and/or a fine of 5,000-20,000 baht. All figures are from the legal texts as of October 2026.
Guide How to get a taxi in Phuket without overpaying Grab and Bolt both operate across Phuket, and inDrive is available in Thailand. The apps show the fare before you book, which makes them more predictable than a tuk-tuk, where the price is agreed on the street. Bolt offers five categories on the island, from Economy to Van, and the same trip costs different amounts in each. Along the west coast beaches and to the airport, the Phuket Smart Bus charges a flat 100 baht (October 2026).
Guide Which airport to choose for Pattaya: U-Tapao or Suvarnabhumi Pattaya has no airport inside the city: the nearest is U-Tapao (UTP) in Rayong province, its terminal 43 km or about 44 minutes by road from Central Pattaya without traffic. From U-Tapao the Suvarnabhumi Burapha minibus charges 150 baht to Big C in South Pattaya with three departures a day, and Loma Pattaya Taxi runs around the clock. Most visitors land at Suvarnabhumi (BKK), 122 km from Central Pattaya, where Roong Reuang Coach buses cost 135 baht to Pattaya bus station and 158 baht to Jomtien, taking about 2 hours (October 2026).
Guide How to get from Phuket Airport to your hotel Phuket International Airport (HKT) is in the far north of the island: Patong is 37 km and about 43 minutes away without traffic, Kata and Rawai 46-47 km and about an hour. The cheapest ride is the Phuket Smart Bus at a flat 100 baht, leaving the airport from 08:15 to 23:30. Official airport counters charge 800 baht for a private minivan to Patong and 900-1,000 baht to Rawai or Kata (October 2026). The Airport Bus express also runs to Karon and Kata. Grab picks up at Entrance 1 in the arrivals area.