Overview
Take a trip to Phuket on your Thailand Vacation
Phuket is the largest island in Southern Thailand and is one of Asia’s most popular beach destinations on trips to Thailand. Surrounded by the Andaman Sea to its west and various bays to its east, Phuket features powdery white beaches, magnificent coves, lush mountains, and hospitable people.
Located approximately 536 miles (863 km) south of Bangkok, Phuket is approximately the size of Singapore, and the province’s borders include other smaller, nearby islands.
Previously named Thalang, Phuket is located on one of the major trading routes between China and India, attracting the competing Dutch, English and French for its tin and rubber resources.
More recently, tourism has prevailed, making Phuket the wealthiest province in Thailand. Even after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, Phuket soon rebuilt, leaving no traces of any damage, and continues to further expand its urbanization by developing more hotels, apartments and houses, attracting both tourists and retirees on Thailand tours.
While Phuket’s west coast features the most popular beach resorts, including Kata, Karon, and Patong (known for its nightlife), its east coast is the gateway to various islands. Visitors on Phuket tours can enjoy a cruise through Phang Nga Bay and observe the many limestone karsts and maybe enjoy a seafood lunch.
The capital town of Phuket, located southeast of the island, has the highest population in the province and is its economic hub. A great place for Thai shopping, Phuket Town features an architectural blend of Chinese, Thai, and Portuguese buildings and shops.
Offering plenty of water sports, golfing, world-class resorts, mountainous beauty, and tropical climates on a Thailand vacation, it is easy to see why Phuket is known as the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’.
While Phuket’s west coast features the most popular beach resorts, including Kata, Karon, and Patong (known for its nightlife), its east coast is the gateway to various islands. Visitors on Phuket tours can enjoy a cruise through Phang Nga Bay and observe the many limestone karsts and maybe enjoy a seafood lunch.
The capital town of Phuket, located southeast of the island, has the highest population in the province and is its economic hub. A great place for Thai shopping, Phuket Town features an architectural blend of Chinese, Thai, and Portuguese buildings and shops.
Offering plenty of water sports, golfing, world-class resorts, mountainous beauty, and tropical climates on a Thailand vacation, it is easy to see why Phuket is known as the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’.
At a Glance
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ThaiCurrency
Thai Baht (THB)What do the experts say?
Thailand is a friendly destination with fun & warm people, great food, and impressive cultural and beach experiences. Simply wandering neighbourhoods, visiting temples, shops & viewpoints, and eating at local restaurants are what I enjoy most when visiting Thailand. The south of Thailand is a special location with beautiful scenery and a seemingly laid back lifestyle, so visiting this area is always a special and memorable experience.
The experience of travelling from island to island on longtail boats in the south of Thailand is something that still resonates with me after many years.
For families, visiting a sustainable community in Koh Yao Yai can bring the trip to life with local interaction. For honeymooners, personalizing memorable experiences with special menus, in-room dining and more can really elevate the experience for Goway guests.
All the people that I met at the hotel, restaurants, and parks were always smiling at me. I can feel that they are grateful to all international tourists. A Thai smile inspires me most and makes me want to revisit.
Wat Chalong - The most important of the 29 budd...
Promthep Cape extending out into the sea
A traditional Thai boat in Chalong Bay
The spectacular architecture of Wat Chalong tem...
Most Popular Time to Travel
Know when to go.
Place
Conditions
Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
PhuketPartly Cloudy
37°C / 99°F
53mm / 2.1"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
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ExcellentBased on 5,160 ReviewsWe recently completed a custom Vietnam tour organized by Goway, and it was everything we asked for and more. We would definitely choose Goway again. The true highlights of our trip, however, were our two guides: Vu Dang and Thien. They truly made our experience unforgettable. Both were incredibly knowledgeable, thoughtful, and kind. Their pride in their Vietnamese heritage shone through in every conversation, making our learning experience both deep and engaging. We learned so much in such a short time, and it was always fascinating. I would highly recommend these two guides to anyone visiting Vietnam!Laura DerbyshireEverything was expertly planned, from the drivers to the hotels to the tours to the flights. We particularly enjoyed Hobart and the animal sanctuary, Adelaide and the trip to Kangaroo Island, Melbourne and the evening tour with dinner and drinks, and Sydney with the private boat cruise of the Harbour. We will definitely use Goway again.SARA WiebeThere were 4 travelers on this trip. All of us were in our late 70's. We started planning this trip 6 months prior to our travel date and had a lot of questions regarding this trip. Our Goway Travel Specialist, Karen Larrota, always answered our questions in a timely and complete manner. We traveled to Quito, Ecuador, the Galapagos, The Sacred Valley in Peru, Machu Picchu, and Cusco in Peru. Not only were the destinations and accommodations excellent, but every tour guide and driver were beyond excellent. The entire trip went smoothly every step of the way, which was amazing given the fact that there were numerous flights and hotels included in our package. We found out that the tour company that Goway used, Condor Travel, checked on us with our guide to make sure we were doing OK which we thought was very nice but also amusing as we are fairly fit older adults. Would also like to mention that we did a cruise thru the Galapagos on the Galapagos Legend which was arranged thru Go Galapagos - Kleintouurs. This portion of our tour was also excellent as were the wildlife guides and staff. We continue to discuss how wonderful this trip was with our family and friends and how wonderful this experience was. Would definately use Goway for our travel needs in the future.DianneAfter spending some time with our agent, we felt that she understood exactly what we had in mind as far as the level of service, etc, we were hoping for. The trip exceeded our expectations. Lori kept us busy(not too busy!) and we had many, many very exciting experiences. Bruce BelshawAylin is an exceptionally proficient advisor. Coordinating my clients simultaneously often feels like herding cats, but she has remained patient and accommodating through every modification and delay. Goway continues to be my go-to for complex itineraries, and they never disappoint.Nick Cron, ACCMahalo Goway Travel for helping in planning our group Japan's trip. Lawrence was very helpful & patient with all the changes & additions we did. Also, mahalo to Natasa who helped planned my Australia trip past November. The planning from transportation to tours to hotels worked very smoothly. I'll continue to use Goway travel for all my International trips. I'll also will recommend to my friends & family to use Goway...MahaloTanya LaguatanMaria Spitman was wonderful to work with. She was very helpful in designing our trip to Japan and equally wonderful when we had to cancel it. I loved the service she gave us.Sandy WarrenMy daughter and I had a wonderful 2 weeks in New Zealand! The country is so beautiful and the people so friendly. Our destination specialist did a great job with planning and organizing the itinerary, choosing our hotels, and organizing transportation. The hotels were absolutely beautiful and we had great views. We felt right at home and found all of the staff to be friendly and accommodating. There were no issues with our itinerary and our excursions we were always on the list. Our transportation was always ready and waiting for us.
We want to thank Goway Travel for their hard work and patience with us in planning this trip. Any changes that needed to be made were communicated timely. We also want to thank you for the beautiful weather during the entire 2 weeks it was perfect every day 😀.
It was a memorable trip that we will never forget and we will think of Goway when we plan our next adventure. Because it was not just a vacation; it was an adventure!Connie WenhardtWe had a great travelling experience with GoWay !
Thank you all involved in organazing our trip!MaiaBrigitta Fuller is Amazing! She was my group coordinator. She understood the assignment and all the nuances I was trying to achieve. The itinerary she curated was fantastic. If you want someone who truly cares about her group and what they are trying to achieve. I will always reach out to Brigitta first for Europe groups. Kathryn Walker
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