To get from Surat Thani to Phuket you have three options:
- 1. minivan
- 2. private bus
- 3. public bus
The quickest 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 150 to 330 Thai Baht.
Transport Type | Ticket Price | Travel Time |
Minivan | 250 THB | 4 hrs 00 min |
Private Bus | 330 THB | 4 hrs 30 min |
Public Bus | 150 THB | 6 hrs 30 min |
Buy Tickets from Surat Thani to Phuket
Travel tickets from Surat Thani to Phuket can be purchased online using the search box below.
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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 250 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.
- Cost: Around 250 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 Bus 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 300 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.
- Cost: 330 THB
- Journey Time: 4 hours and 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 is very cheap (around 150 THB person) and reliable, but slow with an average journey time of 6 hours 30 minutes. The public bus is the transport option of choice for the majority of Thai people. You can turn up at the bus station (Surat Thani Transport Station) and buy a ticket shortly before the bus departs. The arrival point is Phuket Town’s Bus Terminal 2.
- Cost: 150 THB
- Journey Time: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- Public Bus departure times:
- 06.00
- 08.00
- 09.00
- 11.00
- 12.00
- 15.00
- Location of Surat Thani Transport 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
- Ratsada, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000