transportation in phuket?
Hi, I would like to know if it is easy to drive around in Phuket or to take public transport eg buses etc.. heard from people that tuk-tuks are quite expensive there..
Puket Tuk-Tuk drivers are among the most irritating people on the planet. They want to force you to make a tour, if you just want to go to a department store. They also try to charge tourists as much as they can, often 10 times the usual charge for Thais. And on top of that they want to take you to expensive souvenir shops (where you pay 30% more than Thais), because they get a commission for every tourist they bring to the shop.
What they should do (and indeed do for Thai people) is let you jump on and off the tuk-tuk for a basic fee of 10 or 20 Baht.
My advice therefore is to take the bus on Phuket island. There are lots of bus services (wooden, antique looking and open buses mostly) to bring you many places on the island. Don’t forget to ask when the bus will return, to be sure to get home.
In Phuket Town you will find two bus services (line 1 and line 2) that tour around the town and that come to the main shopping areas. And within the places on Phuket Island you can easily walk. These places are not large.
Andaman News Tuesday 25 November 2008: 8 items