Phuket Local Bus

Phuket Local Bus Station

Phuket Island's public transport is limited to a radial network linking Phuket Town to the island's most popular beaches and a few bus lines running within the city centre. Although a few buses leave from Bus Terminal 1 on Phang Nga Road, most of them operate, and all stop, from the Local Bus Station on Ranong Road in the heart of Old Phuket Town, just next to the Phuket Town Market and opposite Thai Airways Office. A governmental and some private companies that have their own arrangements and style, manage these routes. Some routes feature big blue buses, but most lines are operated with large songthaews not air-conditioned, converted pick-up trucks serving as buses. These exotic and colored buses are called 'Songthaew', which means two rows in Thai, due to two rows of seats on the rear of the buses. Governmental company uses pink songthaews for running within the centre of Phuket Town, while private companies use blue songthaews and buses to ensure transfers between Phuket Town and most of the island's beaches. Fare is 10 baht for pink buses and around 25 to 40 baht for blue buses, depending on distance. Conductor sells tickets and here are no set stops, people can board every on safe spots. Most of these local bus services operate at half-hour intervals between 07:00 and 18:00. The three pink lines running within Phuket Town ensure the link between city's main streets and the three Phuket's bus terminals, including the farthest Bus Terminal 2 located on Thepkasatri Road, the main road leading off the city. The blue lines connect Phuket Town to Kathu, Patong, Kata-Karon, Chalong Bay, Rawai-Nai Han, Cape Panwa and Phuket Aquarium, Mai Khao, Surin and Kamala. There is no bus that goes from beach to beach, except from Rawai to Nai Harn, Kata to Karon and Surin to Kamala and just because they share the same route.