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Finally there is a way to get around the thieving tuk tuk and taxi drivers in Phuket. Don't tell me they are not, working out when I was there the fare was 4 times higher than equivalent distance in Australia.
Anyway a service has been running for a few years called SmartBus,(its blue and white)leaves right at the end of the domestic terminal, air-conditioned, modern, with intelligent polite drivers, who will basically drop you anywhere along the route if you can explain where you are going. Thai helps but I assume most of them can read Thai. So just have a place on the main route near where you are staying and they generally drop there if its a bit far from the registered bus stops. 170 that to all the beaches including Rawai, but not Naiharn.
Probably as a concession to the taxi mafia it leaves in the most far away spot from International, and even the support staff at the information will try to direct you to shuttles. Mostly Thai workers and Chinese, Indos etc. onboard, often I am the only faring onboard
Generally I have found they go faster than it says on there timetables too.
Good thing there is two cards you can purchase to get cheaper fares if just beach hopping. Forgot the names but a bit of research will find them. The card. you can use in restaurants etc is the best deal as you can top up and basically use for your whole stay. The card brings the minimum cash fare of 170 baht down to 50 baht kata to Karon, and I think the same to Patong.
There are two apps you can download to track the bus, I found ViaBus to be the most accurate, posted location of the bus quite well. Used to wait till it was about 10 minutes away and walk to the stop.
Takes the scenic route to the airport, for me a plus cause I like looking at all the beaches on the way out.
Designated pick up stops which show up on the map and you can track your walk to them. Runs basically every hour.
Damn sight better than paying 700-900 baht for a taxi or tuk tuk from Kata to Patong etc.
Anyway a service has been running for a few years called SmartBus,(its blue and white)leaves right at the end of the domestic terminal, air-conditioned, modern, with intelligent polite drivers, who will basically drop you anywhere along the route if you can explain where you are going. Thai helps but I assume most of them can read Thai. So just have a place on the main route near where you are staying and they generally drop there if its a bit far from the registered bus stops. 170 that to all the beaches including Rawai, but not Naiharn.
Probably as a concession to the taxi mafia it leaves in the most far away spot from International, and even the support staff at the information will try to direct you to shuttles. Mostly Thai workers and Chinese, Indos etc. onboard, often I am the only faring onboard
Generally I have found they go faster than it says on there timetables too.
Good thing there is two cards you can purchase to get cheaper fares if just beach hopping. Forgot the names but a bit of research will find them. The card. you can use in restaurants etc is the best deal as you can top up and basically use for your whole stay. The card brings the minimum cash fare of 170 baht down to 50 baht kata to Karon, and I think the same to Patong.
There are two apps you can download to track the bus, I found ViaBus to be the most accurate, posted location of the bus quite well. Used to wait till it was about 10 minutes away and walk to the stop.
Takes the scenic route to the airport, for me a plus cause I like looking at all the beaches on the way out.
Designated pick up stops which show up on the map and you can track your walk to them. Runs basically every hour.
Damn sight better than paying 700-900 baht for a taxi or tuk tuk from Kata to Patong etc.
never went into a bar not my scene. Massage girls were real fun, didn't seem to chase the bucks too much, except for one place seaside of bottom road not far from Burger King or Maccers. Between two alright joints but they take you down the alley a bit. The bitch I got started moaning about money the. moment I got in there, just lay down 200 baht and walked out after less than 5. mins. She bitched and moaned and glared at me every time I walked past after that
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