Get to Phuket


AIR



Air Thai operates nearly a dozen daily flights form Bangkok. The direct flight takes and hour and 25 minutes, but some flights stop in Hat Yai for half and hour. There are also regular flights to and from Hat Yai.

Bangkok Airways flies between Samui Island and Phuket Island twice daily (once a week in June and September).

Angle Airlines recently introduced flights to Phuket Island from Bangkok and Singapore. Angle’s office is at Phuket international Airport.

THAI flies between Phuket Island and several international destinations, including Penang, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Sydney. Other international airlines with offices in Phuket are: Malaysia Airline, Silk Air, Singapore Airlines and China Airlines.

Southern Helicopter service at the airport charters a seven passenger helicopter. The service covers all of Phuket Island and Ao Phang Nga beach, including Phi Phi Island. Southern Flying Group does small aero plane charters.

BUS



All direct air-conditioner buses from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal make the journey overnight, leaving at approximately half-hourly intervals between 5.30pm and 7pm and arriving about fourteen hours later. Most air-conditioner buses from Phuket to Bangkok also make the journey overnight, though there are a few departures during the morning. There is no train service to Phuket, but if you can’t face taking the bus all the way from Bangkok, a more comfortable (and less nerve-wracking) alternative would be to book an overnight sleeper train to Surat Thani, about 290km east of Phuket, and take a bus from there to Phuket (about six hours). There are fourteen buses a day between Surat Thani and Phuket, all traveling via Khao Sok, Takua Pa and Khao Lak; and six private minibuses a day from Phuket to Surat Thani. Takua Pa is a useful interchange for local services to Khuraburi and Ranong, though there are four direct buses a day between Ranong and Phuket. As for points further south : seventeen buses a day run between Krabi and Phuket, via Phang Nga, and there are also frequent services to and form Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Hat Yai.

Boat



If you’re coming to Phuket form Phi Phi Island or Lanta Island, the quickest and most scenic option is to take the boat. During peak season, up to four ferries a day make the trip to and from Phi Phi Island, taking between ninety minutes and two and a half hours and docking at the deep-sea port on Phuket’s southeast coast; during low season, there’s at least one ferry a day in both directions. Travelers from Lanta Island have to change boats on Phi Phi Island. Minibuses meet the ferries in Phuket and charge 100B per person for transfer to Phuket town and the major west-coast beaches, or 150B to the airport.



By: Moonoi

About the Author:



Phuket Nightlife Going Through Changes


Phuket nightlife takes on many different forms. Phuket is one of Thailand's top destinations and as such there is a diverse range of nightspots on the island. Although Phuket nightlife is not quite on the same level as in Bangkok, that doesn't mean that you won't be able to find somewhere to have fun.

Phuket nightlife is at its most lively in Patong. You'll either love Patong or you'll hate it. The bars are loud, the clubs are obnoxious and the streets are crowded. That being said, Patong is cheap and the bars and clubs stay open later than in other parts of Phuket.

Patong is famous for its nightlife. The center of the action is found on Soi Bangla, which is a hive of go-go bars, discos and stage shows. This is Phuket nightlife at its most seedy, but it can be a lot of fun if you go in the right frame of mind.

Generally speaking, the bars and clubs in Patong churn out hip hop and dance music hits. It can all be a bit predictable, so don't go expecting anything special.

Patong is also known for its girls. Yes, it's true, there are countless bar girls and sex shows in Patong, but the people of Patong make no effort to conceal these facts. Patong is what it is and it's best not to take the whole place too seriously.

Perhaps the most fun that can be had in Phuket is at some of the local clubs. Phuket nightlife is at its most authentic in the small Thai clubs, where you can check out some of the local bands. Phuket Town is probably the best place to sample some Thai-style clubbing.

Also in Phuket Town there are lots of pubs and beer bars and much less of the seedy side of Phuket nightlife.

There are plenty of other areas where you can go and party, but usually they aren't as busy and entertaining as in Patong or Phuket Town. There are a few exceptions scattered around the island in places such as Surin, Kata-Karon and Nai Harn.

The only area that Phuket really lacks anything in terms of nightlife is serious clubbing. There are a few Phuket clubs where you can hear cutting-edge music, but these are few and far between. However, it is possible to catch electro, techno, breaks, house and more in some Phuket clubs and bars.

Phuket could be a major clubbing destination in Southeast Asia, but the island has a long way to go before it can start competing with the likes of Singapore and KL.

For now, Phuket nightlife has enough depth to keep people entertained, but you feel as if there is more to come. The shining beacon of Phuket nightlife is that there is a great live-music scene around the island. There are lots of bands who can rattle out everything from rock and indie to jazz and blues. If you can get into it, there is a top indie scene in Phuket. Pick up some CDs in a local store to get a feel for the music.

This author can be found at Phuket Vogue, where he writes about Phuket nightlife and various other topics.



By: Prabhat786

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i m a programmer



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