Phuket Airport to Patong, Karon or Kata: Choose the Right Beach Stop
Company-authored guide. Sources and their check date appear below; no independent or first-hand review is claimed.
On this page
The Phuket Smart Bus costs 100 THB per paying passenger from the airport towards Patong, Karon and Kata. It is a useful choice if its stop is convenient for your hotel and you have time for a coastal bus ride. For example, the published 09:00 airport departure reaches PEA Patong at 10:30, Karon Circle at 10:42 and Kata Palm at 10:57. Add the airport wait and the final walk or ride to your accommodation.
Choose the stop before buying the ride
The airport route continues through Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon and Kata to Rawai. Open your hotel's map pin and compare it with the operator's route and timetable. Ask the hotel which stop serves its entrance; a hotel described as “Kata” may still be an awkward walk with cases.
These are scheduled times for the same 09:00 bus:
| Stop | Arrival | Time on the bus |
|---|---|---|
| PEA Patong | 10:30 | 1 h 30 min |
| Karon Circle | 10:42 | 1 h 42 min |
| Kata Night Plaza | 10:52 | 1 h 52 min |
| Kata Palm | 10:57 | 1 h 57 min |
The timetable is effective from 16 January 2026; other departures can take different times, and traffic can delay a bus. Check the row for the bus you intend to use. The live tracker helps when you are waiting at the stop.
Where to board and how often it runs
Follow signs to Exit 3, Level 1, in the airport's public area, the location given by the airport's Smart Bus information. If your arrivals exit is elsewhere, ask airport staff for the way to this boarding area.
The southbound timetable starts at 08:15, then lists buses every 30 minutes from 09:00 to 22:00, followed by 22:40 and 23:30. Select Airport → Rawai on the timetable. The separate 50-baht Bus Terminal–Patong service does not start at the airport.
For the return, use the northbound timetable: the final bus leaves Rawai at 19:30 and passes the beach stops later. Find your own boarding stop's time rather than treating 19:30 as the last departure everywhere. Timetable and operator's last-bus notice.
What your whole group will pay
| Passengers paying the standard fare | Airport bus, one way |
|---|---|
| One | 100 THB |
| Two | 200 THB |
| Four | 400 THB |
Children under six travel free with a paying adult under the operator's published rule. Add any ride from the beach stop to your hotel before comparing the total with a car for the whole group.
The same payment page lists cash, contactless Visa/Mastercard/JCB and Thai banking-app PromptPay. Have a listed card or cash available if your banking app does not support Thai QR payments. Exact cash is appreciated.
If you land late or have awkward luggage
A 23:00 landing leaves only 30 minutes until the last scheduled bus, before you have cleared immigration or collected bags. Have an alternative ready if you cannot reach Exit 3 in time: save the airport transport information, or arrange a vehicle and keep its meeting instructions offline.
For large or unusual equipment, ask Smart Bus about space before travelling. If the stop-to-hotel walk involves a difficult approach, compare a final local ride with going directly by car. For either vehicle option, give the number and size of cases as well as the passenger count. Our people-and-luggage guide shows which details help a carrier offer something suitable.
GetTransfer Editorial · Sources checked on 24 October 2026. Use the linked airport and operator for current stops, fares and departures.