New Phuket Town–Patong bus service launched
Saroj Kueprasertkij


If you're looking to use the bus service, this is the bus you should be looking out for.

PHUKET: -- A new public transport route from Phuket Town to Patong was launched by the Phuket Transportation Office today (Sept 1). The route will be serviced by mini-vans and overseen by the Transport Office.

If you're looking to use the bus service, this is the bus you should be looking out for.

The main purpose of opening the route is to offer more transport options for locals and tourist and also develop the islandʼs public transport system.

“Right now we have six vans in service. The new route will cover about 18kms starting from Phuket Bus Terminal 1 (Phang Nga Rd) and ending at Patong beach opposite the Merlin Hotel (Thaweewong Rd),” said Theerayut Prasertphol, Head of the Phuket Transportation Office.

“It will pass many of the main roads in Phuket Town including Surin Rd and Yaowarat Rd, and also Governor House, Vachira and Bangkok hospitals and the islandʼs main shopping malls. This service will bring more comfort with less cost to passengers,” he added.

The service from the Phuket Bus Terminal 1 will run from 7am to 6pm every day, while the service from Patong to Phuket Town will run between 6am – 5pm.

The charge for using the bus will be B30 for up to half the route (from the bus terminal to Tesco Lotus - Samkong) and any further than Tesco Lotus will be B50.

“Right now busses will run one per hour but this may chnage depending on how popular the service becomes. If we get more passengers, especially during rush hours, we can increase the service to one bus every half hour,” Mr Theerayut said.

Once the bus leaves the bus terminal it will stop at Governor House, Phuket Prison, Phuket Wittayalai School, Vachira Hospital, Bangkok Hospital, Baan Samkong Municipal School and Tesco Lotus Samkong only.

The bus will not stop at any point after Tesco Lotus Samnkong and will only stop at the same locations on the route from Patong to Phuket Town.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/new-phuket-town-patong-bus-service-launched-53907.php


-- Phuket News 2015-09-02

So you will pass Central but can't get out before Lotus....great service - not!

New prison minibus route for a quick escape....

Still no evening service.

Yeah, minivans. Oh brother!

Sounds and looks like the local transport monopoly mafia gave them the thumbs up on this route. No stops further along the route, no going all the way through Kata, Karon, Chalong, back to Phuket Town? Weak to say the least.

Yes i can clearly see the text "Bus service" written on it.....sure tourists can all find it now!

Looks very flash in that green livery, now that the colour scheme has been sorted , what about the driving standards have they also had a clean up.

It just replicates the existing Songteaw route but with fewer stops.

Where's the beach to beach service?

I guess more people would be using the service if it stops at least around the Thung Tong Checkpoint, the Kathu Intersection where it goes trough to Patong before the hill...

will these guys drive like crazy and kill people too? My like is really worth more than $50 baht to me

Will these guys drive like crazy always in a rush, in any kind of weather as other vans do and kill people? The old bus from Patong to Phuket Town was slow and safe at least. I may try new bus one time and if they are crazy drivers never again. Only for tourist who do not have a history of van drivers in Thailand.

Would be quite useful if it went to Bus Terminal 2, the main one, but again that's stepping on the toes of those who monopolise that route.

It just replicates the existing Songteaw route but with fewer stops.

Where's the beach to beach service?

Agree but that will never happen since Taxi mafia is too powerful and have some good friends in uniform and at City Hall ...

I think it's a good start and will be useful for many local people.

Throwing "a crumb" to the tourists, through the media, will not bring back the western tourist market to Phuket.