Phuket transport

It's easy to get transport in Phuket, and prices are generally fixed, at least for the songthaews and buses.

From the airport, there no longer seems to be a van service, so you have to use taxi, its Bt400 to Phuket town. The taxis are all nice cars, generally Toyota Camrys.

To get around towns you can use the motorbike taxis or songthaews. The motorbike drivers wear numbered vests.

The traditional tuktuks seem to have vanished. They have been replaced by little open vans, mostly red, some are yellow, many are Daihatsu. They are common in Patong and Kata, but are not cheap. At both these places there are loads of men looking for customers and although they have the prices displayed, these prices are far too high. Locals avoid these tuktuks as they are known to be rip off merchants, and it's a good idea to try and bargain even if you are shown a price chart.



tuktuk taxi men



tuktuks at Patong

tuktuks in Phuket town

For longer distances betweens towns, there are a variety of songthaews up to full size buses.

songthaew in Phuket town



Phuket to Kata

There are also taxis. Some you have to negotitate the price, others are meter taxis.

You can rent a bike for Bt150 a day, but this is not recommended if you are not used to riding a bike. It's quite common for tourists to have accidents.

Car and jeep hire is also possible.

This is not for rent but it caught my eye!

See blog Phuket bike accidents.
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© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission

Patong's Jungceylon shopping centre

I was back in Phuket in Sept 2008, having been several times in the past. My previous visit was immediately after the Tsunami Phuket in Dec 2004 . So 4 years later there are of course a lot of changes and new developments. One is this nice shopping centre in the heart of Patong. Robinsons store and Carrefour hypermarket are the anchor tenants.
See Jungceylon

JungCeylon was the name of “Phuket” back in 1511 A.D. when it was a fertile and prosperous port town embraced by the Andaman Sea. The name is now being used again for the Jungceylon project, a world class shopping and entertainment destination that will revive Phuket’s great history and reputation and make it becomes known around the world.

Jungceylon entrance

There are 4 different sections, Silang Boulevard, Phuket Square, The Port, and Sino Phuket.

central area

Sino Phuket

 

The main focal point is a life-sized reproduction of a 20 metre Chinese Junk equipped with a hydraulic catwalk for all sorts of events and shows. At night there is an Amazing Water Fountain Show that features multi-media movies projected onto a high-tech water screen incorporated with light, sound and live performance!

The Port



the junk



Looking from Robinsons -

Carrefour's toilet signs

Silang boulevard

 There is a food court

© Liz Price
No reproduction without permission

Phuket food

I'm in Phuket for the vegetarian food festival which hasn't started yet. In the meantime a gal has to eat, and I LOVE Thai food, so have been pigging out on loads of different things. My stomach is happy but my waistline is groaning.

I love the Thai curries and spicy dishes, and I usually eat at the market or food stalls in Phuket town. However I think the market in Krabi town is actually better for getting the real spicy dishes.

 I love these dishes, close up view -



taro, yam bean etc



Phuket's answer to Starbucks



pumpkins



mobile food



spices for the curries



 This is all vegetarian

And of course I love the sticky cakes. I am addicted to some of those. Thanks to Noel in Thailand for the id's of the cakes.



a dentist's nightmare





soyabean cake



syrupy delights



artificial colours!





 

dried & preserved fruits



cinchow

 Thai Colonel Sanders

And in case you need the dentist after, I've got some dentist signs -

don't ask !!

 © Liz Price
No reproduction without permission