How to get from Bangkok to Phuket

You can get from Bangkok to Phuket by plane, by bus or by car, but there is no train to the island. Below are timetables and fares from carriers and aggregators, checked on 19 October 2026, road distances from OSRM routing, and an honest note wherever we could not find a firm figure.

All options in one table

Do not simply add up plane, train and bus fares for the same day: each seller adds its own fee, and low-cost airlines charge for baggage separately.

By plane from Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang

This is the fastest option and not much dearer than the bus. In AirAsia MOVE listings on 19 October 2026, direct flights to Phuket are operated by Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Thai Vietjet and Bangkok Airways, with a flight time of 1 h 20 min to 1 h 40 min.

• One-way fare, October to January. Usually 1,150-1,700 baht (about 84 of the 100 calendar dates): Thai Lion Air from Don Mueang 1,149-1,640 baht, Thai Vietjet from Suvarnabhumi 1,329-1,480 baht, Thai AirAsia 1,392-1,675 baht. These are the lowest fares on specific dates, taken on the evening of 19 October: fares change through the day, and your day may cost more
• New Year dates. In the AirAsia MOVE calendar, 26-30 December is usually 2,650-3,190 baht (from Don Mueang 2,933 baht on 26-29 December and 3,187 baht on 30 December, from Suvarnabhumi 2,653 baht on 26-27 December), and 31 December is back to 1,554-1,675 baht
• Thai Airways. On the airline’s official page a Bangkok to Phuket return ticket starts from 4,760 baht for October to January (search over the last 48 hours, taxes included), so it costs more than the low-cost carriers
• Baggage. Check at booking whether it is included: the AirAsia MOVE listing does not show it
• Check against carrier sites. The Thai Lion Air (Cloudflare check), Thai Vietjet (access denied) and Bangkok Airways (bot protection) pages did not open in automated mode on 19 October 2026, so the fares above come from AirAsia MOVE and are not checked against these carriers’ sites
• Thai AirAsia at Suvarnabhumi. Since 1 October 2026 the airline flies from Suvarnabhumi again, with 5 flights a day to Phuket and 2 to Krabi, and Don Mueang remains its main base (AirAsia Newsroom)

If you land at Suvarnabhumi on an international flight and your domestic flight leaves from Don Mueang, the airports are 40 km and about 50 minutes apart by road without traffic (OSRM). A single ticket, or a generous gap between two separate tickets, is safer.

By bus from Bangkok to Phuket

The bus takes all night or close to a full day, but you skip the airport and it is the cheapest option. According to 12go (an aggregator that resells carrier tickets), on 22 October 2026 the cheapest ticket is Transport Co. from 869 baht: the bus from Mo Chit takes about 14 hours to Phuket Bus Terminal 2, with the first departure at 06:45 and 6 departures in all. We could not check this against the carrier’s own ticket site (tcl99web.transport.co.th): the search returned no timetable in automated mode on 19 October 2026, so the price and trips come from 12go only. An evening bus from Khao San at 19:00 with a minivan transfer arrives around 12:00 the next day, 17 hours in total, for 1,377-1,630 baht.

The road distance from Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 is 830 km, about 10.5 hours without traffic by OSRM. The bus takes longer than the routing estimate: there are stops on the way, and some departures involve a transfer. What to keep in mind:

• Where you end up. The last stop is usually Phuket Bus Terminal 2, and you still need a Smart Bus, taxi or Grab to the beach. In a 12go review dated 10 August 2026 a passenger writes that a ticket “to Patong” ended at the bus terminal, where they were offered a 100-baht ride
• Transfers. Some trips on 12go are labelled “bus and van”, with a change at Surat Thani. This comes from customer reviews, not from a carrier timetable
• Air conditioning. In 12go reviews from 2026 passengers say the bus is very cold, so bring a jumper

Phuket Smart Bus does not go to the mainland: its timetable on the operator’s site lists only routes on the island.

Train and bus

There is no direct train to Phuket. The SRT station list has no stations in Phuket or Phang Nga, and the nearest one is Surat Thani. The SRT timetable from Krung Thep Aphiwat station, 644 km, taken from the SRT site on 19 October 2026 (four of the eleven trains):

The SRT fare range depends on carriage class. From Surat Thani to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 it is 218 km by road and about 3.5 hours without traffic (OSRM), so the train plus a transfer takes longer than the direct bus. It suits people who want to sleep in a carriage and do not mind changing. For the other trains, see the SRT site.

Taxi and private car

According to 12go, a private transfer from Bangkok to Phuket starts from 9,200 baht per car, over 830-850 km and about 10.5-11 hours at the wheel without traffic. It makes sense for a group of 3-4 with a lot of luggage rather than for a solo traveller. Compare: four flight tickets at 1,200-1,700 baht come to 4,800-6,800 baht, which is noticeably less.

For car hire and rules for foreigners, see the guide to car rental in Phuket.

How far: road distances

Calculated by the OSRM router on OpenStreetMap data, without traffic, stops or transfers.

After you arrive

From Phuket Airport to your hotel there are the Smart Bus, minivans, Grab and Bolt. Details and fares are in the Phuket Airport guide and in the airport transfer comparison. If you are flying to Phuket from Russia, every route option is collected in how to get to Phuket. Further along the Andaman coast: Phuket to Krabi and Phuket to Koh Samui.

Found an error or outdated fact? Tell the editors, we will fix it and update the check date.