Phuket Airport / FAQ
Everything you need before flying to Phuket: getting to the beaches, transport fares in baht, car rental, parking, terminals and airlines at Phuket Airport (HKT).
Phuket International Airport (HKT) is at the northern tip of the island, in Mai Khao, Thalang district, about 32 km from Phuket Town and 40 km from Patong. GPS coordinates are 8.1131, 98.3167. There is no rail link, so all transfers are by road.
The IATA code for Phuket Airport is HKT and the ICAO code is VTSP. HKT is the code to use for tickets, car rental and transfers to Phuket and the Andaman coast.
Phuket Airport handled 17.2 million passengers in 2024, more than ten million of them international. It is Thailand's third-busiest airport after Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, and the busiest resort airport in the country.
Phuket Airport has two linked terminals: an international terminal opened in 2016 and an older domestic terminal next door. Both are on one level and a short walk apart, run by Airports of Thailand (AoT).
Patong is about 40 km south, roughly 50 minutes by road. A fixed-fare airport taxi costs ฿800 to ฿1,000, a private transfer from about ฿750, and the Phuket Smart Bus ฿100 but slow. There is no direct bus faster than the Smart Bus.
Yes, the Phuket Smart Bus runs from the airport down the west coast to Patong, Karon, Kata and Rawai for a flat ฿100 fare, roughly hourly. It is the cheapest option but takes up to two hours to the southern beaches.
Phuket airport taxis use fixed fares: about ฿800 to ฿900 to Phuket Town, ฿800 to ฿1,000 to Patong, and ฿1,000 to ฿1,200 to Kata or Karon. Metered taxis add a ฿100 airport surcharge. Fares are per car and rise at night.
Yes, several companies have desks in both terminals, from about ฿700 a day in low season, with no-deposit options. You need an International Driving Permit alongside your licence to drive legally in Thailand.
Yes. Foreign drivers in Thailand must carry an International Driving Permit with their national licence. Rental desks and Phuket's frequent police checkpoints can ask for both, and driving without an IDP can void your insurance.
Yes, short-term and daily car parks sit by both terminals, with the first 15 minutes free and a daily cap of about ฿200. Hourly parking is around ฿20 to ฿25. Rates are set by Airports of Thailand.
Yes, Phuket Airport offers free WiFi throughout both terminals, useful to check flights, arrange a transfer or download a boarding pass before security.
Arrive about 2 hours before a domestic flight and 3 hours before an international one at Phuket Airport. In the December to April high season, queues at check-in, security and immigration build quickly.
Phuket is served by Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, Thai Vietjet and Nok Air domestically, plus Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Korean Air and seasonal European charters.
Phuket's high season is November to April, dry and sunny but busy and pricey. The green season, May to October, brings rain and the SW monsoon but lower prices; September is the quietest and cheapest month, including for car rental.
Yes. Mai Khao beach sits right at the threshold of runway 09 at the north end of the airport, and aircraft pass low overhead on approach, a famous plane-spotting spot. Watch from the beach only, as being on the runway is illegal and dangerous.
The currency in Thailand is the baht (THB). Cards are widely accepted in the terminals and ATMs dispense baht, but taxis, the Smart Bus and small shops are often cash only, so carry some baht on arrival.
Did not find your answer? See the car rental, taxi and transfer and parking pages, or go back to the Phuket Airport home page. For official information, check Airports of Thailand.