Phuket International Airport

Phuket International Airport

 
Phuket is Thailand's largest island, a idyllic site for the country's premier international beach resort. Much of the island's charm is that the ocean facing west coast is lined with a series of bays where white sand beaches span between two rocky points. This makes for a series of relatively intimate places rather than one big unbroken stretch of sand lined with high rise hotels and packed with people.

Although it's Thailand's second-busiest airport, Phuket is a far cry from the massive new airport in Bangkok. The terminal is quite small by comparison, and there is as yet still only a single runway. The single terminal building is for the most part just two stories high. Arrivals and check-in for flights are side-by-side on the ground floor, while the departure lounges take up most of the second level.

Services at the airport are adequate, although this is not a place that you'll want to spend much time unless you have to. Transportation to and from this airport is the most expensive in all of Thailand. A taxi here will set you back at least twice as much as the same trip in Bangkok.

For information about what to see and do around Phuket, see the Asia for Visitors guide to Phuket.