Tip No. 1: Metered Taxis
The Thai Military have cracked down on Phuket’s overpriced ‘taxi mafia’ since the 2014 coup. Whilst Metered Taxis have been introduced they are still hard to find. Price boards outline maximum rates.
So in order to avoid being overcharged get the phone number of a metered taxi and use that driver throughout your stay.
The best way to get sorted is to take a metered taxi from the airport upon arrival. This is always the easiest place to find metered taxis.
You can find metered taxis 50 metres to the right as you exit arrivals. There is an airport tax of 100B to start with.
The set rates are 50B for the first 2 km and then 12B per kilometre for the next 15km and then 10B per kilometre thereafter.
Tip No. 2: What’s on in Phuket?
You want to pack as much as possible into your holiday and to do this you have to research first and develop a daily plan of activities.
The daily news websites are a great source of information about what’s on in Phuket. The weekly english language Phuket Gazette publishes information on island wide activities including dining and entertainment, plus the latest drama and scandals. You will get an insight to the good, the bad and the ugly in Phuket and what to watch out for.
Another news site is Phuket Wan which means “Sweet Phuket Every Day” and is the first site on the island dedicated especially to tourism, property, restaurants and nightlife, and jobs.
Each weekday, some or all of those important aspects of island life are updated at Phuketwan. Most island residents and visitors or would-be visitors will find the site informative and find a lot of information about what’s on in Phuket.
Another great resource, Phuket News is an excellent source on island life.
They pride themselves on their ability to deliver high quality media services to Thais, Expats and Tourists alike on Phuket. Community-focused news with a large reader contribution and a minimum of 5,000 newspapers printed every week.
Tip No. 3: Tiger Kingdom
During your visit to Phuket you will be handed or pick up a brochure about Phuket’s controversial Tiger Kingdom.
This attraction opened in 2013 and provides hundreds of daily visitors the opportunity to stroke, feed and pose for selfies with domesticated tigers (cubs and full grown tigers).
Concerns of animal welfare and human safety abound with attractions like these. There are constant reports about animal cruelty.
Tip No. 4: Jet Ski Scams
Whilst the Governor of Phuket declared jet skis illegal in 1997 and rebanned in 2014 the actual enforcement has been difficult.If you are hiring a jet ski especially on Hat Patong be very aware of one of the biggest scams on the Island of Phuket.
There are endless stories of unscrupulous jet ski owners who, upon your return, claim that you have caused damage to the jet ski. Damage which was already pre-existing before you hired it.
Be aware things can get very nasty with these operators.
Tourists are often reporting extortion attempts, physical threats and involvement by police who are allegedly often involved with the scam as well.
To avoid these unpleasant encounters, insist on inspecting the craft prior to use, particularly underneath and along the sides.
