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Getting around.
Going from Patong to
Phuket Town takes about twenty minutes, and in less than an hour you can
reach just about any point on the island. The main roads on Phuket are
generally in good condition and well marked with signs in both Thai and
English. The mountainous terrain limits the number of roads that cross
the island east to west so at times you will be taking a roundabout trip
to your destination.
Thais are taught from childhood to maintain jai yen (cool heart), public
displays of anger are rather rare and generally do not achieve the
desired effect. As you attempt to travel around the island, or anywhere
in Thailand, you will undoubtedly be given ample opportunities to
develop this skill for yourself. Thailand may be known as the "land of
smiles", but trying to cross the street anywhere in the kingdom even at
a marked crosswalk is literally taking your life in your hands. Thais
may pride themselves on their polite behavior but while observing them
attempt to operate motor vehicles, polite is unlikely to be the first
adjective that comes to mind. On display daily are an array of driving
skills, or lack thereof, that would logically conclude with the driver
being admitted to an asylum, or being cremated. In a quirk of nature it
seems those who operate a motor vehicle like an idiot, or while drunk,
or ‘hopped up’ on amphetamines usually kill or injure the innocent. None
of the above types of drivers are an endangered species on the island
and to observe them in there natural habitat just walk outside on any
street, you will not have to wait long. Fleeing the scene of an accident
when at fault has become almost expected behavior throughout the
kingdom. While driving (or walking) the unwritten rule of the road is
the bigger and or more expensive vehicle always has the right-of-way,
and can drive on whatever side of the road that pleases them. My
intention is not to scare you, but to remind you that traveling in a
foreign country can be as perilous as it is pleasurable.
The warm balmy climate,
the natural beauty of the island, and the winding mountain roads, all
make Phuket a natural for cruising around on a motorbike. Motorbikes are
the most common mode of transportation on the island. Motorbikes are
also the most common cause of serious injury and death on the island. No
statistics are available as to the number of motorbike injuries
sustained by visitors to Phuket but the number is substantial. Insurance
is not available on any rental motorbike. If it is damaged or stolen you
will have to pay it’s for replacement plus any property damage or
injuries caused to others. Phuket has and at times enforces a motorbike
helmet law. The helmets available here are more for decoration then a
serious safety device, but the fine for a driver without one is 500
baht. In Patong on the corner of Soi Bangla and Rat-u-Thit Road starting
around 6pm and continuing to about 8pm the local police collect a little
’tea-money’ from motorbike riders without helmets. This money trap is so
well known that motorbike taxis line up early to ferry you down and back
to the police station to pay your fine. One cheap source of
entertainment is to stand on the corner and marvel at the astonishing
number of local Thais who although know about this blatant "rip-off"
masquerading as traffic enforcement; but get caught without a helmet
anyway. The daily rental rate for the small motorbikes like the ‘Honda
Dream’ is 100-150 baht. The larger bikes rent for 300-500 baht, but in
both cases the locals will be quite happy to charge the uninformed more.
Motorcycle drivers
dressed in a green or maroon vests are providing a short trip taxi
service. They are at times the fastest and cheapest way to get around.
Simply wave one to a stop and ask for the fare to your destination.
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There
is a daytime bus service (songthaew) to most parts of the island.
Songthaew (means two rows) which refers to the two wooden benches that
run down each side of this colorful wooden-body public transport
vehicle. All buses run on a loop route between a beach location like
Patong and back to the songthaew stop on Ranong Road in Phuket Town. The
bus fare between Patong and Phuket Town is 15 Baht, and the travel time
is about thirty minutes. It is unfortunate they do not circle the island
on the new ring road or travel from beach to beach, for example to
travel from Patong seven kilometers south to Karon beach you must first
take the songthaew 15 kilometers to Phuket Town transfer to another
songthaew and ride approximately 20 kilometers to Karon Beach. Any
effort to improve the bus service and or extend the hours of operation
is violently opposed by the tuk-tuk (taxi) drivers who insist the
competition will cut into there business. Compared with tuk-tuks a
songthaew is generally a safer ride, with fewer hassles, from a driver
who is more likely to be sane and sober, and at a fraction of the price
of a tuk-tuk. Stiff competition indeed. One option is renting a
songthaew with a driver by the day for touring the island or going on a
beach Safari, the rate is quite reasonable when split among even a small
group.
To arrange for the
rental of a Songthaew tear out the following page, fill in the
information, and ask someone at the front desk of your hotel to
telephone the songthaew company (They do not speak English very well so
you will need the assistance of someone who speaks Thai).
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(tuk-tuks) the
notorious three-wheeled smoke-belching variety are now extinct on
Phuket. They have been replaced with small red vans with open sides. The
drivers have for the most part been allowed to nuture their nefarious
reputations and continue to represent the largest source of complaints
by visitors to the Tourist Police. The drivers fiercely fight any
attempt to make them use meters. Generally tuk-tuk drivers (Mafia) show
there displeasure at ant attempt to control them by blocking one or more
major
highways
on the island. The authorities immediately buckle in the face of this
pressure and rescind to offending requirement, leaving both residents
and visitors to the island with a woefully inadequate, unruly, unsafe,
and overpriced transportation service. Many tuk-tuk drivers like to
double as travel agents -
Don’t Do It!.
They will normally only take you to a place that will pay them an
additional commission over and above what they overcharge you for the
ride in the first place. Contrary to conventional wisdom, taxis (tuk-tuks)
are not a good source of information unless you enjoy
being taken for
a ride.
The standard rate for a
ride from one point in Patong to another is 20 Baht, from Patong to
Phuket is 150 Baht, from Patong to Karen Beach is 100 Baht, and from
Patong to the airport (a forty five minute ride) is 450 Baht. A rainy
day, a late night trip, a navy ship in port, or just about any other
reason is an excuse to charge more but if you know the basics you should
be able to negotiate a reasonable rate. The rate paid is by the distance
traveled not by the number of passengers. If the driver wants to charge
by the person wave him on and catch another.
Tuk Tuks are plentiful
in Patong and Phuket Town but travel to many areas in the north or south
part of the island may require you to negotiate a round trip rate
because finding a tuk- tuk for the return trip may be difficult. It is
generally not difficult to negotiate a rate with a tuk-tuk driver that
has him sleeping in the parking lot while you walk around the national
park, dine at a seafood restaurant, or watch the sunset at Cape Promthep.
Start at 100 to120 Baht per hour depending on the distance to be
traveled and be prepared to pay 150 Baht per hour.
In Patong at least half
of the tuk-tuk drivers are polite, honest, and hardworking. Tuk-tuks
that are driving around looking for customers are generally a better bet
than the ones (perched like a vulture) waiting for you outside hotels
and restaurants. The polite way to stop a songthaew or tuk-tuk on the
street is to hold your arm out in front of you, palm down and make a up
and down motion.
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Cars and jeeps can be
rented at numerous locations around the island. A valid international
driver’s license or a state license from one’s own country is all that
is required. Rates begin at 700 baht per day with unlimited mileage. You
pay for the gasoline. Most major hotels are serviced by Hertz and Avis
car rental companies. The most expensive place to rent a car is at the
airport. If a vehicle is rented at one location and dropped off at
another, there is a usually a 200 baht charge. Private owners of jeeps
parked along beach roads in Patong and Karen Beach charge 800-1000 baht
per day not including gasoline.
The price includes first class insurance which covers both parties.When
renting a vehicle, be aware that you are liable for all damages to the
vehicle, read the fine print. Make sure you car is insured for accidents
caused by another party that then flees the scene of the accident.
Virtually all of the areas of the island you are likely to visit are
accessible with an ordinary 2-wheel drive vehicle.
The ubiquitous longtail
boat is found wherever there is water in southern Thailand. The current
version with the motor mounted on the back is just the latest
modification on this ancient but quite seaworthy craft. Often called the
workhorse of the Andaman Sea, longtails are used in to provide a number
of marine services. While not as flashy or fast as modern speedboats, a
voyage in a longtail boat is an interesting experience and a great way
to take short sightseeing trips. The one serious disadvantage of the
longtail is the almost complete lack of safety equipment such as
lifejackets. Longtails are not advisable while traveling with small
children or non-swimmers. Rental prices average 400 baht per hour for a
short trips and up to 1000 baht for an entire day.
Provide what has to be
the ultimate method for sightseeing and taking photographs of Phuket and
the surrounding areas. Helicopter service is provided by two companies
Southern Flying Group at Tel: 247-237/9 and Southern Helicopter Service
Tel: 216-389. There are no scheduled flights at this time, so you must
call and arrange for a charter. > >Back
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