Phuket airport facilities

Phuket airport facilities

Phuket airport guide and tips

Phuket is for sure in the top 3 tourist destinations in Thailand. The best way to get there is via a flight. Phuket Island has only one airport at Phuket airport. Let’s find here all the tips about Phuket airport facilities!

Hence you need to be away from what to expect there as well know how the airport looks. In this guide, you shall find all about Phuket Airport, ranging from departures, shopping Centres, and restaurants to how to get from Phuket airport to your hotel.

Phuket International Airport serves Thailand’s Phuket Province as an international airport.

It is 32 kilometers (20 mi) from the center of Phuket Town, in the north of Phuket Island.

The airport is essential in the tourism industry in Thailand, as Phuket Island is a popular destination for the resort.

Top 42 Things to Do in Phuket

After Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Phuket International airport is also, year by year, steady Thailand’s third busiest airport in terms of passengers. In 2016, the airport set a record of 15.1 million arrivals and departures, up 17.8% from 2015.

For most visitors to Phuket Island, Phuket International Airport is the main port of arrival. It is one of the busiest passenger and freight volumes in Thailand. Every year, more than 16 million passengers travel from 37 destinations. Approximately 100,000 flights annually touch down on its single runway from about 50 airlines.

The positioning of the airport is one of Thailand’s most spectacular, directly behind Mai Khao Beach. The incoming aircraft fly over the beach just before they land during the high season. Northbound flights fly through the magnificent Phang Nga Bay as they take off, offering a completely different view of the fantastic landscape.

There are two separate terminals at Phuket Airport International, the domestic tourist terminal and the international terminal. For a while, the International Terminal has been in service. Massive extensions have been made, and despite a hard start and long queues at the opening, many of the past issues (for example the parking problems the and crowded areas) have been solved.

Phuket airport departures

Phuket Airport is quite compact and easy to navigate when it comes to going home or continuing your travels. It makes it easier to get to your door, but it also means fewer duty-free shops are open. There’s a major duty-free shopping mall near Phuket Town for more options.

Before boarding your flight, you can buy goods at tax-free prices and collect them at the airport. There are restaurants and exchanges of cash in the Departures Room.

It is possible to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before an international flight’s departure time, or 1 hour before a domestic flight. Given the small size of Phuket Airport, you might be able to cut that down a bit. Nonetheless, first consulting with your airline is advisable. It can take 40 minutes or as long as an hour or more to get from Patong to the airport due to traffic.

Phuket airport shopping

Phuket airport facilities Phuket airport guide and tips

There are several shops on the main terminal’s second (departure) floor. These include a small boutique of swimwear, convenience store, and other public area stores. There are more stores, including some jewelry stalls and local products for sale, in the domestic departure lounge.

Phuket airport duty-free

Close Phuket International Airport, King Power Phuket, is a duty-free shopping center. In a duty-free shop, specialize in just what you would think. It’s a novel concept that gives you more time and choice but at the same prices. King Power is one of the most successful duty-free businesses in Thailand, and it’s not hard to see why. Besides holding the monopoly for such services in Thailand, their range of commodities is very impressive.

This covers high-end clothing brands such as Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, and Pierre Cardin, top-class watches such as Omega, Rolex, and Longines, as well as Clinique, Estée Lauder, and MAC cosmetics. At its many outlets, you can also find an impressive array of Thai crafts and souvenirs.

King Power Phuket is situated on Chao Fah Tawan Tok Road, about 4.2 km southwest of Phuket City, a complex of 48,000 square meters.

This Sino-Portuguese patterned mall gives you plenty of time (and space) to shop at your leisure, try out for size clothes, and choose from a much wider array of products.

  • If you purchase from King Power Phuket, you can only collect them in a duty-free environment at Phuket International Airport after passport control.
  • You will need to confirm that you’re on holiday in Phuket, as well as provide specifics of when you’re going to pick up your goods to make a purchase, so be sure to bring your passport with you.
  • You can arrange to pick them from the King Power selection counter at the airport before boarding your flight after making your purchases. The hours of opening are from 9.30 am to 9.30 pm every day.

Phuket airport lounge

If you are regularly using economy class flights at Phuket Airport, you can also access the following airport lounges because you can always purchase a day pass, annual membership, or pay at the door.

Coral Beach Lounge

Coral Beach Lounge at Phuket Airport is located Terminal 1, Airside, Domestic Departures, next to Gate 6.

Services & Facilities

  • Air Conditioning
  • Beverages (Alcohol – $)
  • Beverages (Soft Drinks)
  • Disabled Access
  • Flight Information Monitor
  • Newspapers / Magazines
  • Television
  • WiFi

The lounge does not have any sleep facilities, and the lounge is open 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM. Guest access can buy for US$ 32 per visit.

Coral Executive Lounge (Domestic)

Coral Executive Lounge at Phuket Airport (Domestic Terminal) is located Domestic Terminal, Airside, 3rd Floor, near Gate 8. Accessible to passengers on Domestic departure flights only.

Services & Facilities

  • Air Conditioning
  • Beverages (non-alcoholic)
  • Disabled Access
  • Neck and Shoulder Massage (free) 
  • Newspapers/Magazines
  • WiFi

The lounge does not have any sleep facilities. The lounge is open 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM.

Coral Executive Lounge (International)

Coral Executive Lounge at Phuket Airport (International Terminal), in Terminal 1 International, Airside, International Departure, 4th Floor. Accessible to passengers on International departure flights from Terminal 1 only.

Services & Facilities

  • Air Conditioning
  • Beverages (alcohol)
  • Beverages (non-alcoholic)
  • Children’s Play Area
  • Disabled Access
  • Flight Display Monitors
  • Internet / WiFi
  • Neck and Shoulder Massage (free – one per adult)
  • Newspapers/Magazines
  • Premium Food
  • Showers ($)
  • Snacks
  • Spa Services ($)
  • Telephones
  • Televisions

The lounge does not have any sleep facilities. The lounge is open 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Daily).

If you want to be granted a seat, during your significant layover, or before a flight, you can purchase a onetime lounge pass. Lounge passes can be obtained by any traveler regardless of airline or class of service.

Coral Premium Departure Lounge

Coral Premium Departure at Phuket Airport (International Terminal, is located on Terminal 1 International, Airside, International Departure, 3rd Floor, near Gate 11.

Services & Facilities

  • Air Conditioning
  • Beverages (alcohol – premium)
  • Beverages (non-alcoholic)
  • Disabled Access
  • Flight Information Monitors
  • Newspapers/Magazines
  • Spa Services 
  • Telephones
  • Televisions
  • WiFi

The lounge does not have any sleep facilities. The lounge is open 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM every day.

Phuket airport code

Phuket International Airport serves Thailand’s Phuket Province as an international airport. Its IATA airport code, also known as an IATA location identifier, IATA station code, or simply a location identifier is HKT. In contrast, its ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-letter airport code designating aerodromes worldwide is VTSP.

Phuket airport food

Located on the 3rd floor, Thai Airways International restaurant serves Thai and European food. Snack bars can also be found in different areas of the terminal.

The menu’s dishes include a wide range of local food choices such as Stir-fried Phuket yellow fresh noodles as well as Western breakfast options such as cornflakes, croissants, and fresh fruits.

With a western breakfast costing US$ 3.50 and most other dishes on the menu going for about the same or if the not lower price, it’s well priced too.

Where to stay near Phuket airport

The best hotels in Phuket Airport are among the island’s most beautiful resorts, with excellent amenities and exquisite luxury in elegant surroundings.

They offer the shortest time between coming to Phuket and starting to enjoy your vacation. It’s not necessary to take an hour’s drive first, unlike hotels in Patong, Kata, or Kamala.

Close Phuket Airport, the area around these best-selling hotels are which breathtaking. The airport is straddling the boundary between the beaches of Nai Yang and Mai Khao–beautiful both. Nai Yang Beach houses a small national park, which gives it a quiet, rustic feel.

Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa

If you’re staying at Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa or at the Nai Yang Beach in Sa Khu, you’ll always be nearby the beach, a 1-minute drive from Nai Yang Beach, and a 7-minute drive from Mai Khao Beach.

Highlights include free newspapers in the lobby, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. The hotel has 2756 square feet (256 square meters) of facilities, including conference space. On-site, there is free valet parking.

The Slate, once a private paradise for Indigo Pearl

The Private Pool Villas offers a truly unique experience. The ultimate in elegance, indulgence, and regeneration, overlooking magical tropical gardens and beautiful ponds, make this place stand out. Each villa will feature luxurious suites, exclusive amenities, a spectacular dining & living area, and an elegant bbq and bar, making it the perfect place to enjoy. Welcome to the epitome of luxury living.

Dewa Phuket Hotel 

Dewa Phuket has managed to reap a lot of benefits from its beachside location, Nai Yang. For starters, there’s beautiful Nai Yang Beach itself – a haven for kitesurfers when it is windy, typically in the rainy season, and it is the perfect place for a usual sunny tropical afternoon beach time.

Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villa 

Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas is situated on the northwestern stretch of Mai Khao Beach on Phuket Island. Mai Khao is the island’s longest beach and is therefore peaceful and almost untouched.

The resort is on 47 acres of land and has a 500-meter long beachfront. The aim of Centara Grand West Sands Resort & Villas is a unique water park with swimming pools, a lazy river, and water slides-a favorite destination for families on the island that offers days of fun and excitement.

The resort has 275 Deluxe Rooms, Luxury Suites, and 3-and4-bedroom Penthouse Pool Suites and Villas with up to 40sqm private pools.

Perennial Resort is a private and quiet hotel complex on Phuket’s northern shore. Situated in an excellent: Nai Yang Beach and Sirinat National Park are both within walking distance of the resort, Splash Jungle Water Amusement Park is a 10-minute drive away, and Phuket International Airport is an a5-minute drive away.

There are also seven non-smoking villas available on the estate. The rooms are fitted with air conditioning, modern design, cable TV, and a security box. There is also a lounge area where visitors can relax on a comfortable sofa.

Nai Yang Beach Resort & Spa 

Nai Yang Beach Resort is a quiet paradise situated at Nai Yang Beach on Phuket’s northwest coast. Nai Yang is perhaps the most picturesque and beautiful beach on the island, very popular with kiteboard enthusiasts and with people looking for an enticing retreat in peace.

The resort has a modern Thai look to it with extensive use of local products and textiles, resulting in clean, up-to-date rooms with plenty of natural light.

The rooms categories include Thai Deluxe Rooms, Thai Deluxe Premium Rooms, Thai Mini-Suites, Turtle Pool Villa, and Thana Grand Pool Villa. All in all, at Nai Yang Beach Resort, there are 168 guestrooms, each enjoying individually controlled air condensation.

Proud Phuket

Proud Phuket is located in a national park, a 1-minute drive from Sirinat National Park, and a6-minute drive from Nai Thon Beach.

The facilities include a computer station, free lobby newspapers, and dry cleaning and laundry services. Visitors can use a roundtrip airport shuttle (available 24 hours a day) and a cruise terminal shuttle for an additional fee.

Coriacea Boutique Resort 

Stay at Coriacea Boutique Resort in Mai Khao; you will be on the beach, a 3-minute walk from Mai Khao Beach, and a 3-minute drive from Splash Jungle Water Park. Dry cleaning/laundry facilities, a 24-hour front desk, and luggage storage are included.

Getting to your hotel from Phuket Airport

Limousine Taxi Services 

A limousine will be your first option to get to your hotel from Phuket Airport. They are crowded with the Arrivals hall, all trying to get your attention. This is the most convenient but also very comfortable option for long-haul travelers. It’s the most expensive, though. This service can be arranged upon arrival, but pre-booking your airport transfer will save you time and energy.

Taxi Meter and taxi services

Several desks in the Arrivals Hall say they are running taxis, but they are, in fact, limo services.

You need to exit the airport building to locate the real metered taxis and look for the “taxi meter” display. Such cars always use their meters, and the tariffs are fairer, unlike the alternatives.

As an airport service charge, you will have to pay an extra 100 baht on top of the meter.

Otherwise, choose from one of the companies stalls outside the arrivals terminal, they will follow standard and regulated prices to each Phuket destination:

Average taxi service price for Taxi (4 seaters)

From Phuket Airport to

  • Kata Beach 750 Thai Baht 
  • Karon Beach 750 Thai Baht
  • Patong Beach 750 Thai Baht
  • Phuket town 650 Thai Baht
  • Rawai 750 850 Thai Baht
  • Nai Harn 750 Thai Baht
  • Chalong 700 Thai Baht
  • Koh Sirae 800 Thai Baht
  • Panwa Beach 900 Thai Baht
  • Kamala 750 Thai Baht
  • Surin Beach 700 Thai Baht
  • Naithorn 750 Thai Baht
  • Nai Yang 400 Thai Baht
  • Mai Khao 500 Thai Baht
  • Bang Tao 600 Thai Baht
  • Layan 600 900 Thai Baht
  • Laguna 600 Thai Baht
  • Ao Por 900 Thai Baht
  • Khao Lak 1600 Thai Baht

Average taxi service price for with SUV (7 seaters)

  • Kata Beach 850 Thai Baht
  • Karon Beach 850 Thai Baht
  • Patong Beach 850 Thai Baht
  • Phuket town 850 Thai Baht
  • Rawai 750 1200 Thai Baht
  • Nai Harn 850 Thai Baht
  • Chalong 800 Thai Baht
  • Koh Sirae 900 Thai Baht
  • Panwa Beach 1000 Thai Baht
  • Kamala 850 Thai Baht
  • Surin Beach 800 Thai Baht
  • Naithorn 850 Thai Baht
  • Nai Yang 550 Thai Baht
  • Mai Khao 700 Thai Baht
  • Bang Tao 850 Thai Baht
  • Layan 600 1000 Thai Baht
  • Laguna 850 Thai Baht
  • Ao Por 900 1200 Thai Baht
  • Khao Lak 1800 Thai Baht

Average taxi service price for with miniVan

Very useful if you are a group of friends or a large family, as it can comfortably accommodate up to 9 persons, mind though if you have many large bags than the space will be fewer.

  • Kata Beach 1000 Thai Baht
  • Karon Beach 1000 Thai Baht
  • Patong Beach 1000 Thai Baht
  • Phuket town 1000 Thai Baht
  • Rawai 750 1200 Thai Baht
  • Nai Harn 1200 Thai Baht
  • Chalong 1000 Thai Baht
  • Koh Sirae 1200 Thai Baht
  • Panwa Beach 1200 Thai Baht
  • Kamala 1000 Thai Baht
  • Surin Beach 1000 Thai Baht
  • Naithorn 900 Thai Baht
  • Nai Yang 700 Thai Baht
  • Mai Khao 900 Thai Baht
  • Bang Tao 1000 Thai Baht
  • Layan 600 1000 Thai Baht
  • Laguna 1000 Thai Baht
  • Ao Por 900 1200 Thai Baht
  • Khao Lak 2000 Thai Baht

Phuket Airport Bus

Phuket Airport has two cheap hourly bus services. The bright orange buses (finally becoming very popular as you can now pay for your route directly on the bus) go to Phuket Bus Terminal 1 in Phuket City, running between 6:30 am and 9:30 pm. Airport exit tickets are available from the register. They cost the bigger bus 90 baht and the minibus 100 baht.

The other service goes to the beaches of Patong, Kata, and Karon. From the northern end of the arrivals terminal, you must turn left walking out of the exit, the cream-colored buses with the blue strip run.

They leave from 7.30 am hourly, and it cost 150 baht for Kata or Karon, to reach Patong about 200 baht.

You can now also purchase the tickets on the bus from the driver.

Minivans

Minivans tickets are available throughout the Arrivals hall from counters. These vehicles are one of the most cost-effective ways to get from Phuket Airport to your hotel. Ticket prices are very low, but traveling is faster than taking the bus and dropping you right at your hotel.

Occasionally minivans stop along the way at travel agencies, where they will try to sell you packages for traveling. The cars can be cramped and quite noisy. If there are a lot of passengers, they may also take a long time to enter your hotel.

Phuket airport facilities
Phuket airport facilities. Terminal exits during the night with very low traffic.

Car Rental

In the Arrivals Hall, there are two car rental counters where you can rent cars from Avis, Alamo, National, and Hertz, among others. Check with your passport and international driving license. There are many more businesses just outside the airport.

How much is a taxi from Phuket Airport to Patong?

The taxi vehicles at Phuket airport are yellow and red, bearing the traditional yellow rooftop sign for the taxi. Taxis are available absolutely at any time of the day.

The average cost of traveling from the airport to Patong is € 23 (875THB), and the maximum journey takes about 50 minutes. At Phuket International Airport, most taxi drivers, along with standard airport taxis, provide fixed-price rides.

The average price for the route from the airport to Patong is € 21 (about 800THB), even considering a single luggage space.

Then convenient and cheap means of transportation is to take a taxi to Patong from Phuket Airport. Although one passenger may find the ride quite pleasant, the vehicles are a little small and may not be able to accommodate more than two passengers with their luggage.

How early do I need to arrive at Phuket Airport?

For an international flight, at least you should be there 2 hours before and for domestic travel 1 hour earlier. Yet traffic has been an additional factor recently, and it can easily add a good 30 minutes! Avoid stress and leave your hotel at 5 pm at rush hour as early as 30 minutes for one extra hour.

How far is Patong Beach from Phuket Airport?

There is a maximum distance of 39 km from Phuket airport to Patong. It usually takes about 50 minutes to complete the trip with a car. Patong is Phuket’s most famous beach resort. Patong is every year the perfect place to party and play with its wide range of activities and nightlife.

We would always suggest avoiding this route during traffic jam time if it is possible!

At night the city has a vibrant nightlife that includes hundreds of pubs, beer bars, and night clubs, of course. The nightlife is focused around Soi Bangla, but there are quiet parts of the city.

How many airports are there in Phuket?

Phuket has only one airport, which is Phuket International Airport. Phuket Airport, also known as Phuket International Airport, is situated 32 km from Phuket City center and ranks as Thailand’s third busiest airport handling more than 16 million passengers annually.

Can you sleep at Phuket Airport?

Phuket airport opens 24 hours a day.

You are free to select your flight early in the morning, ( even better as you will move from hotel to airport in the night time with no traffic), you can also spend the night inside the airport if needed. Nonetheless, a sleeping mask and earplugs are suggested as the lights stay on, and there may be noisy alerts throughout the night.

The third floor is the quietest, particularly next to the airline offices, where some dimmer spots are located.

There is a waiting room with comfortable benches and artificial grass in front of the ground floor where you can relax.

You can also find some VIP lounges between terminals 1 and 2. The only thing is that at night they close. When you want to go to a hotel, the city and the coastal area have several choices.