Phuket International Airport
Phuket International Airport, IATA code HKT, is the airport that serving the Phuket Province in Thailand. It is located in the north of island, 32 km from the center of Phuket Town, the provincial capital, about 30-45 minutes by taxi, and 50 km from the beach in the far south of the island, Nai Harn Beach. The airport has an important role in the tourism industry of Thailand, in fact Phuket is one of most popular destinations of Kingdom, for its beautiful beaches and countless seaside resort. The Phuket Airport is the third busiest airport in Thailand, in terms of passengers, after the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in Bangkok. This international airport has set a record of 12.9 million arrivals and departures in 2015, an increase of 12.8 percent from 2014. The airport has three terminals: Terminal 1 is used for international flights, Terminal 2 for domestic flights and Terminal X, opened in February 2014, for the charter flights. Due to record-setting passenger numbers, the airport has undergone a expansion and renovation. The technical tests were carried out in May, and the new terminal will soon be officially opened to the service. The capacity of the new international terminal will increase the airport's capacity of five million passengers per year. A new multi-storey car park already completed will serve the new structure.
12.9M
PASSENGER
85.000
FLIGHTS
37,000t
CARGO HANDLED
Outside of the airport there are buses, taxis, limousine and minivans that will carry to your final destination, many hotels provide direct transport. Buses leave in front of arrival terminals and arrive at the old Bus Terminal 1 in Phuket Town, on Phang Nga Road, note that they do not stop at the new Terminal 2, on Thepkasatri Road. Fare is 100 baht, a journey of about one hour and twenty minutes. The timetable is: from the airport at 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 14:30, 16:00, 18:30, 20:00, to the airport at 07:00, 08:00, 10:30, 13:00, 14:30, 16:30, 18:30. Please note that travel times are very approximate, the traffic is often chaotic on the main road to Phuket Town. The times often exceed the hour and a half, this means that buses are often late in starting and arrivals. From Phuket Airport to reach the seaside resort or hotel of your holiday you will have to use the taxi, limousine or minivan services. The cost of service vary according to distance, and depending on the time of year, high or low season. Approximately the cost of Taxi Meter, usually Toyota Vios, from the airport up to Patong is 600-800 THB, 700-900 THB for the beaches of Kata and Karon. The kiosk of the Taxi is immediately outside the arrivals terminal. The limousines, which in practice are only cars newer and larger with greater cubic capacity, cost a couple of hundred THB more of Taxi. Limousines can be booked inside terminals, near the baggage claim, expressly ask for limousine service and take the receipt of payment, to be delivered to the driver. Minivans, or minibus, have a cost ranging from 200 to 300 THB, depending on the destination and the seasonal period. These vehicles, 9 seats, have a substantial defect: the travelling with other passengers that not will go to same destination, hotel or beaches, accordingly to reach your hotel in Kata, for example, you risk to spend the double of time required. Drivers also have a habit of stopping in various offices of tour operators, to convince you to buy tour packages, for take commissions, or to make hotel reservations for the other passengers. Often these annoying pauses last long and, consequently, the journey can last several hours.
