Phuket

⚠️ Timetables, opening hours, prices and access conditions may change without notice, for reasons beyond our control (season, weather, decisions by operators, venues or local authorities). Before every trip, check the information with the relevant authorities and service providers. Entry requirements and local rules (reserves, quotas) are subject to the same caveat.

Thailand’s largest island, Phuket is also the easiest to reach: an international airport, a bridge to the mainland and ferries to the whole Andaman Sea archipelago. Beyond lively Patong lie calmer bays such as Kata Noi, Nai Harn and the long, wild beach of Mai Khao. Its Sino-Portuguese Old Town, built by Hokkien traders and tin miners, makes it a foodie stop recognised by UNESCO. And it is the perfect base for trips to Koh Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay, Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe.

Where is Phuket?

Phuket lies in southern Thailand, on the Andaman Sea coast facing the Indian Ocean. Roughly 48 km long and up to 21 km wide, the island covers about 543 km², making it the largest in the country. In the north, the Sarasin Bridge links it to Phang Nga province and the mainland. The west coast is a string of sandy bays open to the sea, from Mai Khao down to Nai Harn, while the mangrove-fringed east coast looks out over Phang Nga Bay and its limestone pinnacles.

The interior is a patchwork of rainforest-covered hills, rubber plantations and coconut groves, with the protected Khao Phra Thaeo forest in the north-east. Phuket Town, the provincial capital, sits in the south-east, close to Rassada Pier where most ferries leave. The south of the island, around Rawai, Chalong and Promthep Cape, is more residential and quieter than the central coast of Patong, Karon and Kata. Together with its offshore islets, the island makes up Phuket province, one of Thailand’s smallest but most visited.

Phuket history and culture

For centuries Phuket lived off tin, mined from the 16th century onwards, which in the 19th century drew thousands of Chinese workers, mostly Hokkien. Their descendants, mixed with the local population, form the Peranakan community known as the Phuket Babas, with close ties to Penang and Malacca; their influence shows in the architecture, festivals and food. Earlier, in 1785, the island withstood a Burmese siege thanks to two sisters, Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Si Sunthon, who had women disguised as soldiers stand on the ramparts of Thalang.

Today Phuket blends Buddhist temples, Chinese shrines and the mosques of southern Thailand’s Muslim communities. The Vegetarian Festival, held every year at the start of the ninth Chinese lunar month, is its most spectacular expression, with processions, firecrackers and purification rites. In August, the Por Tor festival honours ancestors and wandering spirits. Food is the other pillar of this identity: in 2015 Phuket joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, recognising a cuisine shaped by centuries of cultural mixing.

What to see in Phuket

Phuket Old Town is a must: colourful Sino-Portuguese shophouses along Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi roads, the little lane of Soi Rommanee, Chinese shrines, cafés and museums such as the Phuket Thai Hua Museum, housed in a former Chinese school built in 1934. On Sunday evenings Thalang Road becomes a pedestrian street for the Lard Yai market. On Nakkerd Hill, the Big Buddha, a 45-metre statue clad in white Burmese marble, overlooks Chalong Bay, not far from Wat Chalong, the island’s largest temple.

In the south, Promthep Cape is the most famous spot for watching the sun set over the Andaman Sea. In the north-east, the Khao Phra Thaeo forest is home to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project and, on its edge, a sanctuary for retired working elephants where visitors watch the animals without touching them. The Heroines Monument in Thalang recalls the siege of 1785. Finally, Khao Rang hill offers a fine view over Phuket Town and a few restaurants that locals love in the evening.

Beaches, sea and nature

The west coast is where the beaches are: Patong, the busiest, then Karon and Kata, which suit families. For more peace, head to Kata Noi, a small bay framed by hills, Nai Harn, a favourite with residents, or Ya Nui near Promthep Cape. In the north, Nai Yang and Mai Khao belong to Sirinat National Park: long beaches lined with casuarina trees and little development, where planes skim the waves before landing. It is the ideal area if you want peace and quiet close to the airport.

Boat trips from Phuket are endless: Phang Nga Bay and its karst towers, explored by canoe right into the hongs, hidden lagoons inside the islands; Koh Phi Phi and its turquoise water; the Racha islands, Shark Point or the King Cruiser wreck for diving. From mid-October to mid-May, the Similan Islands National Park, closed the rest of the year, can be visited, notably on liveaboard dive trips. During the monsoon the sea can be dangerous on the west coast, so always respect the red flags.

Getting to Phuket and getting around

Phuket International Airport (HKT), at Mai Khao in the north-west of the island, is the third busiest in Thailand. From Paris, Air France runs seasonal non-stop flights in winter; the rest of the year you connect via Bangkok or a hub in the Middle East or Asia, followed by a domestic flight of about 1 hour 20 minutes. By sea, ferries and speedboats mainly leave from Rassada Pier near Phuket Town: allow about 1 hour by speedboat and 2 hours by ferry to Koh Phi Phi, 1.5 to 3 hours to Koh Lanta and about 5 hours to Koh Lipe.

Once there, a rental car is the most practical way to link distant beaches, viewpoints and the Old Town; traffic drives on the left and an International Driving Permit is required alongside your national licence. Scooters are everywhere, but traffic is heavy and accidents are common: wear a helmet and check your insurance. The Phuket Smart Bus links the airport with Rawai along the west-coast beaches, and ride-hailing apps work well. Timetables and rules change often, so check with operators and authorities before you travel.

When to go, budget and entry requirements

Phuket follows the rhythm of the Andaman Sea: the dry season, from November to April, brings calm seas and clear skies, with peak crowds and prices from December to February. From May to October, the south-west monsoon brings showers, swell and red flags on the west coast, but also lower rates and lush greenery. It is hot all year round, with highs around 32 °C. The Vegetarian Festival falls between late September and October, depending on the lunar calendar.

The currency is the Thai baht (THB); ATMs are everywhere but charge a fee on each withdrawal. Phuket is pricier than the Thai average: as a rough guide, a street-food dish costs a few dozen baht, far less than a resort meal. Since 15 September 2026, French and most EU citizens can stay visa-free for 30 days as tourists, with a 30-day extension available on request from immigration. You need a passport valid for six months and must complete the free TDAC digital arrival card within three days before arrival.

Essentials

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Nearby islands: Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe and Koh Samui.

Photo : Wolfgang Holzem, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons