Phuket Arrival Guide

Phuket International Airport · Thailand · International Arrivals = Terminal 1, ground floor

✓ Hand-verified 14 Sep 2026 · Hot & humid year-round: 27–33 °C · driest and calmest Nov–Apr

Phuket is an island, and that changes everything about arrivals: distances are longer, taxis cost more, and the beach you want may be an hour from the runway. This guide sorts your first two hours — the TDAC form, every real transport option with honest prices, where the ATMs and SIM counters are — then points you at the viewpoints, old town streets and seafood that make the island unforgettable.

BEFORE IMMIGRATION: TDAC arrival card

Mandatory — and FREE OF CHARGE — at tdac.immigration.go.th (within 72 hrs before arrival). Keep the confirmation QR.

⚠ Beware fake sites that charge fees — the official arrival card is FREE OF CHARGE.

Official site (copy this exactly): https://tdac.immigration.go.th

Visa note: U.S. passports: visa-free, 60 days* (*cut to 30 approved, not yet in force — check before flying). Extension +30 days, ฿1,900.

Your First 2 Hours, Step by Step

Immigration — 20–60 min · passport + TDAC QR
Baggage — check carousel screens
Customs — Green Channel = walk out
SIM — counters in arrivals hall
Cash — ATM in arrivals hall
Go — Smart Bus: Exit 3 · taxi: official counter

Emergency Numbers in Phuket

1155	Tourist Police (English, 24/7)
191	Police
199	Fire
1669	Ambulance
1196	Marine Police
076 254 425	Bangkok Hospital Phuket (24-hr, English)

Embassies (lost passport, 24-hr lines)

United States	+66-2-205-4000 — U.S. Embassy Bangkok (24-hr; lost passport) — Phuket consular help via Bangkok
United Kingdom	+66-2-305-8333 — British Embassy Bangkok — Phuket consular help via Bangkok
Australia	+66-2-344-6300 — Australian Embassy Bangkok — Phuket consular help via Bangkok

Other nationalities: find your embassy at embassy.goabroad.com. Save these numbers offline before you fly.

Getting From Phuket International Airport Into the City

Phuket Smart BusCHEAPEST฿100 flat ≈ $3

To Patong, Karon, Kata. Every 60–90 min, 07:00–20:30. From Domestic Terminal Exit 3 (opp. Café Amazon) — from Intl: free inter-terminal shuttle or 10-min walk.

Shared MinivanDOOR-TO-DOOR฿150–200 ≈ $4.50–6

To Patong area hotels. Leaves when full (15–30 min wait). Counter inside arrivals; ~60–90 min ride.

Metered TaxiEASIEST฿800–1,000 ≈ $24–30

Official counter, 24/7: meter + ฿100 airport surcharge. ~45–60 min to Patong. Ignore touts inside the terminal.

Grab (app)฿750–1,250

Pickup at DOMESTIC terminal ground floor — exit arrivals, walk 200 m right. Needs data: SIM first or airport WiFi.

🌙 after ~20:30: taxi or Grab only

Money in Phuket

1 USD ≈ ฿33.5 (Sep 26)

฿100 ≈ $3฿200 ≈ $6฿500 ≈ $15฿1,000 ≈ $30

Cards: malls, hotels, bigger restaurants. Cash: beach stalls, markets, tuk-tuks, songthaews. Skip airport exchange counters — ATMs give better rates (fee ≈ ฿220; always pick “without conversion”). Tipping: not expected — round up, or ฿20–50 at restaurants.

Phone, WiFi & SIM

Airport WiFi: Free WiFi now: “@AirportTrueFreeWiFi” — email sign-in, 2-hr sessions. Ignore look-alike names.

Tourist SIM: Tourist SIM in arrivals (AIS / dtac / True): 8 days ≈ ฿299–399. Cheaper: eSIM online ฿200–300, or 7-Eleven SIM in town.

Apps to install before you fly: Get 4 apps: Grab · Bolt (cheaper returns) · Google Maps · Google Translate (download Thai offline).

8 Phrases That Open Doors

Hello	Sa-wat-dee (krap/ka)	สวัสดี
Thank you	Khop khun (krap/ka)	ขอบคุณ
How much?	Tao rai?	เท่าไหร่
Not spicy	Mai pet	ไม่เผ็ด
Where is the toilet?	Hong nam yoo tee nai?	ห้องน้ำอยู่ที่ไหน
Sorry / excuse me	Kho thot	ขอโทษ
Delicious!	Aroi!	อร่อย
The bill, please	Check bin (krap/ka)	เช็คบิล

men add “krap” · women add “ka” — and if pronunciation fails, point at the local script on your printed card.

Top 5 Must-Go Places in Phuket

1. Big Buddhaพระใหญ่

45-m white-marble Buddha on a hilltop — island-wide views, free entry. Reopened Mar 2026.

FREE · ≈ 6:30–18:30 · cover shoulders & knees · 083 556 2242

Taxi/Grab up the hill (steep road) · Ignore “closed” reports on Google. · Open in Google Maps

2. Wat Chalongวัดฉลอง

Phuket's most important Buddhist temple — golden chedi with a Buddha relic.

FREE · Daily 7:00–17:00 · 20 min from Old Town

Dress modestly · combine with Big Buddha on the same trip. · Open in Google Maps

3. Old Town & Sunday Walking Streetเมืองเก่าภูเก็ต

Candy-colored Sino-Portuguese shophouses, cafés, street art. Sunday market on Thalang Rd.

FREE · Walking street: Sundays 16:00–22:00 · Naka Market Sat–Sun

Songthaew or Grab from Patong ≈ ฿400–600. · Open in Google Maps

4. Patong Beach & Bangla Roadหาดป่าตอง

The island's famous 3-km beach by day; neon nightlife strip after dark.

FREE beach · loungers ≈ ฿100–200 · best sunsets on the west coast

Keep valuables out of sight in crowds. · Open in Google Maps

5. Phi Phi Islands Day Tripเกาะพีพี

Postcard lagoons + Maya Bay + viewpoint hike. Speedboat day tour from Phuket.

Tours ≈ ฿1,200–1,800 incl. lunch · book via hotel or Klook

National-park fee ≈ ฿400 cash · seasick pills advised May–Oct. · Open in Google Maps

Top 5 Must-Eat Dishes in Phuket

1. Hokkien Mee	หมี่ฮกเกี้ยน	฿60–100	Phuket's stir-fried yellow noodles · Mee Ton Poe, Old Town
2. Massaman Curry	แกงมัสมั่น	฿80–150	mild, peanut-rich southern curry · with rice
3. Tom Yum Goong	ต้มยำกุ้ง	฿80–150	hot-sour shrimp soup · say “mai pet” for mild
4. Kanom Jeen	ขนมจีนภูเก็ต	฿40–80	breakfast rice noodles + curry buffet · Old Town shops
5. Mango Sticky Rice	ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง	฿80–150	coconut rice + ripe mango · night markets

Beware: ALWAYS BEWARE: jet-ski “damage” scams (never rent one), un-metered taxis and touts inside the terminal, pickpockets in Patong crowds. Full Thailand safety guidelines → safety guide

Good to know: May–Oct surf: swim ONLY between the red-yellow flags. Grab/Bolt pickups are at the domestic terminal. Google wrongly shows Big Buddha “permanently closed” — it reopened 3 Mar 2026. No cash departure fee at the airport — the passenger service charge is already inside your ticket price.

Local tips: Rideshare trick: exit arrivals, walk 200 m right to the domestic terminal — that is the Grab/Bolt pickup zone. · Going back to the airport: Smart Bus runs till ≈ 20:30; Bolt/InDrive are often cheapest for returns.

Sources & Verification

Hand-verified on 14 Sep 2026 against official airport, metro, government and attraction sources, including:

Official arrival form: tdac.immigration.go.th (always free)
Travel safety guidelines: U.S. State Department — Thailand
Exchange rate used: 1 USD ≈ ฿33.5 (Sep 26)

Prices and rules change — always check before you travel. Spot something that has changed? Tell us and we'll fix it — travellers' corrections make the next card better.

Take Phuket With You — On Paper

Everything in this guide, condensed onto one printable A4 card that folds to pocket size — with your flight and hotel filled in, and a QR code back to this page. Works with a dead phone. Free forever.

Get My Free Phuket Card →
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Compiled from public sources, verified 14 Sep 2026. Prices, rules and hours change without notice — check before you go. Not legal, visa or safety advice; not affiliated with AOT or the Thai government. Ads are paid placements; no endorsement implied.