How to get around Phuket: bike, car, taxi or transfer

Bike, car or taxi: how to choose

The choice depends on four things: how many of you there are, how long you stay, which licence you hold and how much you want to spend. A short version is below, and the full table with prices and rules is in bike, car or taxi.

• Scooter or motorcycle: one or two of you, a stay from a week to several months, category A. The most flexible way around the island and the riskiest: you need a helmet, experience and attention on left-hand traffic
• Car: a family, three or more people, long trips and the rainy season. Category B and an IDP are needed, and compulsory insurance covers harm to people, not car repairs
• App taxi: no licence, a few trips a week, evenings out. The price is shown before you book and no deposit is needed. How to order and avoid overpaying is in the guide to taxis in Phuket
• Bus and transfer: arrival day and trips between beaches. The Smart Bus costs 100 baht, and a minivan from the airport costs 650-1,000 baht per car depending on the area

If you are not sure, take the five-question finder: it takes your licence, term, budget and passengers into account and explains why it suggests these models.

Which licence and documents you need

A bike needs category A on your national licence plus an IDP, or a Thai motorcycle licence. Category B is not enough for a scooter, and this is the most common mistake tourists make. A car needs category B. Our rental partner also asks for a passport with a valid visa or entry stamp. Details and a table by category are in which licence a scooter needs and Thailand traffic rules.

Bike safety: three rules

• A helmet is worn by both the rider and the passenger: fine up to 2,000 baht
• The alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, and 0.2 g/l for drivers without a licence or with the wrong category: it is safer not to drink at all
• Traffic keeps left, and the riskiest spots are right turns, U-turns and roundabouts

What to check at handover, how the deposit works and how a scooter differs from a big bike are in how to choose and check a bike.

Where the catalogue and prices come from

The assortment and rental terms come from our rental partner in Phuket. We calculate the monthly price from the partner’s terms and include our service in it: checking availability, confirming the price and deposit, and liaising with the partner. Every price has the date of the partner’s listing, and we do not show an outdated price but write “price on request”. We do not publish the partner’s contacts: your request comes to the Thaipedia team and we reply during business hours. You sign the rental contract with the partner, not with Thaipedia. We take your request and pass it to the partner. Before paying, ask for a written contract with the repair price list, deposit terms and insurance terms.