There are three options for travel by public transport from Surat Thani to Phuket:
- 1. public minivan
- 2. private minivan
- 3. public bus
The fastest option takes around 4 hours, and the slowest option takes around 6 hours.
Travel Options from Surat Thani to Phuket
Ticket prices from Surat Thani to Phuket range from 300 to 513 Thai Baht.
| Transport | Ticket | Journey |
| Public Minivan | ฿300 | 4 hours |
| Private Minivan | ฿459 | 4 to 5 hours |
| Public Bus | ฿455 to 474 | 6 hours |
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- Minivan and private bus services terminate at Phuket Bus Terminal 1 which is in the centre of Phuket Town, and the connection point for local services to other parts of Phuket Island, such as Patong Beach.
- Public bus services terminate at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 which is 4 km to the north of Phuket Town.
Option 1: Minivan from Surat Thani to Phuket
In theory this is the quickest option at 4 hours travel time, and a cost of around 300 THB per person. You can turn up and buy a ticket for travel throughout the day at anyone of the many travel agents located on the Talad Mai Road in the centre of Surat Thani.
- Ticket: Around 300 THB
- Journey Time: 4 hours

Whilst this travel option appears to be the quickest, in reality it can end up being slower. The actual time it takes depends upon two things: when the minivan actually leaves the city and what stops it makes on the way. Minivans from Surat Thani often travel around the city picking up clients and before they actually get on with the journey they need to be relatively full. It is not unknown for minibuses to spend over an hour picking people up from various locations around the city before they start the actual journey to their destination. They also sometimes make some very time consuming detours to drop people off.
- Travel Tip: On a good day the minivan option can be the best, if you do not mind the loud music and lack of personal space, on a bad day a minivan journey can be slow and unpleasant.
Option 2: Private Minivan from Surat Thani to Phuket
The reliable Phantip Travel Company has 9 daily departures from their office on Talad Mai Road (between Talad Mai Alley 8 and Talad Mai Alley 10) in Surat Thani city centre to Phuket Town. The cost per person is 425 THB booked in advance on the internet. The journey is scheduled to take 4 hours 30 minutes. The departure times are fixed. The bus stops approximately half way for around 20 minutes, enough time to visit the toilet and eat at the large restaurant where they stop the bus.
- Ticket: 459 THB
- Journey Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Bus Times: from Surat Thani Town to Phuket from with the Phantip Travel Company
| Surat Thani | Phuket |
| 09:00 | 13:30 |
| 10:00 | 14:30 |
| 11:00 | 15:30 |
| 12:00 | 16:30 |
| 13:00 | 17:30 |
| 14:00 | 18:30 |
| 15:00 | 19:30 |
| 16:00 | 20:30 |
| 17:00 | 21:30 |
- Location of the Phantip Travel Office in Surat Thani departure point for the bus to Phuket:
- On Arrival in Phuket: Follow the instructions of the bus driver to leave the bus before you arrive at Phuket Town to connect with low cost minivan connections to the beach resort towns of Patong, Karon, Kata, Kamala and Katathani.
Option 3: Public Bus from Surat Thani to Phuket
The public bus services depart from Surat Thani Talad Kaset 2, which is in the centre of Surat Thani City. The arrival point is Phuket Bus Terminal 2.
- Ticket: 455 to 474 THB
- Journey Time: 6 hours
- Bus Times: from Surat Thani Town to Phuket from with the 465 Surat Thani Phuket Transport
| Surat Thani | Phuket |
| 05:30 | 12:00 |
| 06:40 | 12:40 |
| 08:30 | 14:30 |
| 11:40 | 17:40 |
| 14:00 | 20:00 |
- Location of Surat Thani Talad Kaset 2 Bus Station in Surat Thani:
Route Details from Surat Thani to Phuket
- Distance by road from Surat Thani to Phuket: 236 Kilometres
- Driving time from Surat Thani to Phuket: 3 hours 22 minutes
Location of Phuket Bus Terminal 2
Address: Ratsada, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000.