The island has an international airport and is also directly connected to the mainland by a bridge, so it's possible to arrive by air, road, or sea.
By plane
There are very frequent flights to/from Bangkok as well as direct flights to many other airports in the region, including Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, and direct charters to Europe and Australia in the high season.
Airport
The compact Phuket International Airport (IATA: HKT) (ICAO: VTSP) is located in the north of the island, and is Thailand's second largest hub.
International departure tax is 700 baht payable in cash (there are several ATMs at the airport). Departure tax for domestic flights is included in the ticket.
Airport transfers
Limousine (blue) taxis from the airport are expensive, costing 500-600 baht to Patong Beach or Phuket Town
Metered (yellow) taxis (available outside the car park gates) cost 300+ baht
Minibus services (basically door-to-door share taxis) charge 100-200 baht per seat. One realworld example is from airport to Chalong to 6 persons was 1100 baht and there was not possibility to lower it easily.
Airport shuttle bus service (6:30-20:30, every 30 minutes) to Phuket Town bus station costs 52 baht; local buses run from there to all the major beaches until around 18:00
Domestic flights
Several domestic discount airlines fly here, including Air Asia and Nok Air - tickets from Bangkok can cost under 1000 baht one-way if booked well in advance, or around 2000 baht (including taxes) if bought on the day.
Bangkok Airways has a monopoly on direct flights between Phuket and U-Tapao (Pattaya / Sattahip) and Ko Samui.
Destination Air Shuttle offers direct seaplane transfers (some of which operate seasonally) between Phuket and Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi, Krabi, Ranong, Trang, the Similan Islands, and other popular Andaman coast destinations.
International flights
Malaysia - AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines have direct flights from/to Kuala Lumpur. Also, FireFly, a new Malaysia-based low-cost airline, has flights from its Penang hub to and from Phuket.
Singapore - Silk Air has 32 flights a week. Low cost alternatives are AirAsia, Jetstar Asia Airways, and Tiger Airways.
Other low cost direct connections include Hong Kong, Jakarta, Macao, and Seoul.
By train
The nearest train station is about 5 hours away, at Surat Thani, so a few local people and tourist travel to Phuket by train.
By bus
Buses to mainland destinations including Bangkok, Chumphon, Hat Yai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong, Satun, Sungai Kolok and Surat Thani use the BKS terminal off Thanon Phang Nga in Phuket Town.
The most reliable buses from Bangkok are those from the Southern (Sai Tai Mai) Bus Terminal. There are 2 private bus companies, Phuket Travel Tour and Phuket Central Tour and the government firm, Transport Co,Ltd. Khao San Road operations have a bad reputation for theft, often turn out to include a "surprise" transfer to a minibus at Surat Thani, and are best avoided.
From Phuket bus terminal to your final destination, you can take a motorcycle taxi, tuk-tuk, meter-taxi, or bus. A motorcycle taxi into Phuket Town will be about 10-20 baht; to most beaches 100-200 baht (negotiable). A local bus to one of the main beaches will cost around 15-30 baht. It's not unusual for the tuk-tuk drivers at the bus terminal to tell arriving travellers that the local bus service has finished, even though it hasn't.
By boat
Ferry services connect from Rassada Port in Phuket Town to Ko Phi Phi and on to Krabi on the mainland twice a day, taking 90 minutes and costing 350/650 baht one-way/return, for each leg. It's usually a pleasant ride, but can be rather bumpy when it's windy.
There are also boats to Ko Racha (2 hours), the Similan Islands (9+ hours) and other islands in the high season only. Boats and yachts can be chartered at Chalong Pier, the Boot Lagoon and the Yacht Haven.
It's possible to visit Phuket by cruise ship. For cruises from Singapore, try Star Cruises.
