Airport Transfers at Phuket Airport

Q: We desperately need advice on who to contact in Phuket for return transfers from and to the airport to our hotel in Patong Beach. I have seen on the internet that the fee for a single transfer is around 70 Thai baht, and thought that we could ask the hotel to arrange it, but not so! Can you please suggest a company that can help or should we just try to bargain with taxis at the airport? - Linda van den Berg

A: There are a number of ways to get from Phuket Airport to Patong Beach. The low-cost bus service you mention will only get you to Phuket City and then you face the hassle (and haggle with taxis) to get to Patong Beach 20kms away. My advice to you is not to book in advance but to organise your transfer at the counter in the airport terminal, located just after you collect your luggage and before you reach the public arrivals hall. All prices are listed on a large board, with a seat in a minibus costing from 180-250 baht (R45-R60) per person and a private car to Patong Beach seating 3-4 people starting at around 750 baht (R180) per car. You pay at this counter and a representative will accompany you to the car (usually referred to as a limousine). It is a very slick operation. Be aware that some minibus drivers stop off at a travel office midway to Patong where they try to get you to book hotels or tours. Fortunately, the cars normally go directly to your hotel. An alternative is to take one of the metered taxis which line up to the left of the terminal as you exit. This can cost you around 500 baht (R125) to Patong. However, you have to walk the gauntlet of independent taxi drivers to get to the booth and then you may have to haggle with the driver to put the meter on. If you are determined to book in advance, you could ask your hotel to send a car and driver to meet you, but the charge could be 1000-2000 baht (R250-R400). Overall, taking the organised limousine service from inside the terminal is the best bet. Unless you are on a very tight budget, it will be worth the R180 or so it will cost for the 45-minute journey.