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Phuket |
| Phuket Island was assumed by geologists to be once part of the mainland in the form of a cape sticking out into the Andaman Sea but millions of years later the cape was gradually eroded by natural forces and finally detached from the main land. The cape was mentioned in a book written around the year 157 by Claudius Ptolemy, a famous Greek philosopher, that to travel to Malay Peninsula by ship, the travellers had to pass a cape known among them as Junk Ceylon. It was located between latitudes 6 N and 8 N which is the present site of Phuket Island. |
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| How to get to Phuket from Bangkok |
By air (1.20 hrs)
Domestic airlines operate several flights daily between Bangkok and Phuket. Some flights go to Phuket via Samui Island with a 40-minute stopover. Check with your travel agent for more details or see for phone numbers of domestic airlines. |
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By bus (about 12 hrs)
Air-conditioned and non air-con buses leave Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal for Phuket several times daily. The trip by air-con bus, normally leaving in the evening, takes about 12 hours. |
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By car (about 12 hrs)
From Bangkok, take Highway No.4 (Phetchakasem Road) through Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani and Phang-nga, then cross the Thep Krasattri Bridge or Sarasin Bridge to Phuket Island. The total distance is 862 kilometres. |
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By rail
There is no direct train service to Phuket. Travellers by train must get off at Phun Phin railway station in Surat Thani and continue by regular bus to Phuket. |
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