Phuket travel guide — The fullest guide for a budget trip to Phutket, Thailand

Located to the south of Thailand, Phuket is a destination not to be missed, especially if you love the beach and ocean. If you choose one of these islands for their vacation is too great. To help you get the perfect trip, Living Nomads has synthesized all experience for Phuket trip in this article. Let’s explore the beautiful island through our Phuket travel guide — Phuket on a budget: Tips to save budget for a Phuket trip.

Phuket traveling costs

The cost of moving

Phuket International Airport (HKT) is the main gateway to reach the island for the majority of domestic and foreign tourists. Each year, having more than 14 million visitors come to Phuket through 46 airlines from over the world. You can choose to depart from Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat airport or Noi Bai) or combined to Thailand, then depart from other airports such as Bangkok.

If you choose to fly directly from Vietnam, with about 6607 baht to 7079 baht you can fly directly to Phuket roundtrip. Or you can also find the promotions of airlines to find the “soft” price. One other way is combined with tourism Bangkok and fly from Bangkok to Phuket. With this approach and choose the cheaper cost airlines as Nok Air or Air Asia, you just lose less than 1 million and 1-hour flight to fly to Phuket.

In case you do not interest in moving by aircraft, rail buses and systems are always ready to take you travel from Bangkok to Phuket. If selecting bus, you can go straight to the center of Phuket Hua Lam Phong station Bangkok with the cheapest class is the between 600-700 baht and 12 hours to move. In case you travel by train, you will take the same time and 1,000 baht per ticket but you can go to Sura Thani only, then you have to take the bus to Phuket.

To have a cheap cost experience, you can choose to move in the city by tuk-tuk, songthaew or taxi. Costs for moving in the city are not too expensive and convenience for exploring you can choose to rent car for about 1000 – 1500 baht per day/unit (rates can be changed in vary time)

The cost of accommodation

If you are thinking about Phuket, this really is a great destination with dozens of beaches around the island and the island’s resorts. If coming to a strange place, one advice is to choose the caliber resorts. Reducing the risk, and the risk you have to pay more than services you used, which also happen in cheap motels. Typically, the price per night in mid-range motels in Phuket will not exceed 300 baht – 500 baht.

Phuket travel guide: Where to stay in Phuket?

Phuket offers about 120,000 accommodations along the beaches. In almost all of the resorts and hotels, the accommodation is priced at 4,000 to 16,500 baht per twin share (breakfast included).

Below are some best cheap, budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

The Marina Phuket Hotel (Address: 240/9 Phangmuang Sai Kor Road, Patong, Kathu Patong Beach 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 345 888), 4-star hotel with room rates from $31/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

La Vintage Resort (Former Poppa Palace Hotel) (Address: 14,16 Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Rd., Soi1, Patong Beach Kathu Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 345 522), 3-star hotel with room rates from $23/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Banthai Beach Resort & Spa (Address: 94 Thawewong Rd, Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 340 850), 4-star hotel with room rates from $58/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Burasari Resort (Address: 18/110 Ruamjai Road Tambon Patong, Amphur Kathu Phuket Chang Wat Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 292 929), 4-star hotel with room rates from $64/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Amari Phuket (Address: 2 Meun-Ngern Road Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 340 106), 4-star hotel with room rates from $125/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Katathani Phuket Beach Resort (Address: 14 Kata Noi Road, Karon, Muang, Phuket 83100, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 318 350), 5-star hotel with room rates from $104/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa (Address: 6/2 Moo6, Kamala, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 618 217), 5-star hotel with room rates from $61/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Chanalai Garden Resort, Kata Beach, Phuket (Address: Kata Beach, 247 Kata Rd, Tambon Karon, Amphur Muang, Chang Wat Phuket 83100, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 285 211), 4-star hotel with room rates from $41/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

The Shore At Katathani (Address: 14 Kata Noi Road, Tambon Karon, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83100, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 318 350), 4-star hotel with room rates from $367/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Mandarava Resort and Spa (Address: Karon Beach, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83110, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 681 800), 5-star hotel with room rates from $93/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach (Address: 99 Muen-Ngoen Road Tri-Trang Beach, Patong Patong Phuket, Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 335 300), 5-star hotel with room rates from $102/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Deevana Patong Resort & Spa (Address: 43/2 Raj-U-Thid, 200 Pee Rd, Pa Tong, Kathu District, Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 317 179), 4-star hotel with room rates from $56/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Baan Laimai Beach Resort & Spa (Address: 66 Thawewong Rd, Tambon Patong, Amphoe Kathu, Chang Wat Phuket 83150, Thailand / Phone: +66 76 342 621), 4-star hotel with room rates from $65/night. (Check rates and reviews on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa (Agoda, Booking)
• The Marina Phuket Hotel (Agoda, Booking)
• Avista Grande Phuket Karon – MGallery Hotel Collection (Agoda, Booking)
• Holiday Inn Resort Phuket, an IHG Hotel (Agoda, Booking)
• Grand Mercure Phuket Patong (Agoda, Booking)
• DoubleTree by Hilton Phuket Banthai Resort (SHA Extra Plus Certified) (Agoda, Booking)
• Mandarava Resort and Spa (Agoda, Booking)

You can also find, check rates, availability & booking for Phuket hotels on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

The cost of eating

If you are not a person too picky eating or prefer to experiment with luxury dishes, the prices for meals in Phuket is not too 200-300 baht. Depending on the accommodation area in order to stay or eat, the price may be cheaper if you choose the center area instead to eat at the beach. Similarly, Bangkok, street food is also one of the things you should not miss.

Tips to save budget

Enjoying street cuisine

The most notable experience to save the budget for a cheap Phuket is enjoyed street cuisine. Whether you are at the beach or inside the inner area, do not miss the street food. Although seafood and some dishes can be more expensive than Bangkok area a bit, but overall price is quite cheap compared to other restaurants, resorts, and bars at the beach.

Noting about water problems

One other note is that if you select to visit the islands, you should carefully review the terms of drinking water. If not, you can bring your water. A small bottle of water will help you through thirst and not waste money to buy water along the trip.

Booking tickets for entertainment

With a multitude of activities and entertainment, you should make plan firstly for games which you will join in Phuket. By this way, you will reduce the wasting of money on the games seem attractive but very expensive when buying tickets on the spot. Additionally, you can choose to buy tickets online before to avoid queues overcrowded or overpriced when buying on the spot.

Phuket travel guide: The experience can not miss for a self-trip to Phuket

Phi Phi Islands

To come here, having an advice for you is to choose speedboat. Vehicles will also give you the opportunity to watch the beautiful coast when coming here. Phi Phi owns the beaches, beautiful beaches in southern Thailand including Maya Bay, famous by the film “The Beach”, as well as Viking Cave and Monkey Beach. You should also enjoy a buffet meal here, usually has both Western and local dishes, occasionally there will be a few cuisine in some countries.

Koh Panyee

Koh Panyee is a small island. Most are giant limestone cliffs, vertical. Hundreds of huts, tents, restaurants, and houses where the villagers lived. All create a unique architectural ensemble and is.

Samet Nangshe Viewpoint

Samet Nangshe is really a wonderful place if you want to enjoy the panoramic view of Phang Nga. Located on a hilltop just 30 minutes drive from Phuket, this place gives you stunning limestone islands in Phang Nga Bay. And this is also one of the places to watch the peaceful nature or even a brilliant starry sky.

Phang Nga Bay

One of the reasons to visit Phang Nga Bay is stunning limestone mountains emerging from the clear water and turquoise. James Bond and Koh Panyee just two of the famous places in this bay. To experience the perfect time here, make a boat trip from the north of Phuket. A leisurely day trip through the beautiful limestone islands, occasionally stopping to enjoy the quiet beach, that is a way to enjoy life.

Joining the night activities

As well as other locations in Thailand, nightlife creates an entirely new Phuket. The bars, the Ladyboy girls on the long line of “Soi” (sugar) as Seadragon, Freedom, Crocodile, … You will feel like you lost in a gala dinner extremely, extremely noisy.

Entertainment activities in Bangla road

This is the most famous nightlife of Phuket. If you’ve come here, do not hesitate to spend a night immersed in busy streets with the bustling atmosphere in all seasons Bangla. It also has a network of bars, cafes and attractive eating shops where you and your team can play day and night.

Phuket Fantasea

Not only full of spectacular performances, Phuket FantaSea is also a theme park with the works of Thai culture. You can come here to look – watch – listen and enjoy the unique art of Phuket.

Discovering the traditional markets

The buildings which are decorated carefully. The temporary bazaar, colorful flea market? All create a comfortable and fun shopping space. You can find small souvenirs, hunting in bulk or simply find delectable dishes in any bazaar in Phuket

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