This budget section of Phuket 101 blog combines all the tips and hints we gathered along time to help you reduce the cost of your trip. Best hostels, best street food and where to get the best exchange rates once in Phuket, we try to cover as much as we can and keep adding as we explore. Phuket has become an expensive island, but there are many ways to spend a great holiday without spending a fortune.
To get even more ideas, you can join out Phuket 101 community and ask your questions there.
How to use Phuket Smart Bus? [toc] The Phuket Smart Bus is a very comfortable and affordable way to go from beach to beach for a very reasonable price. It is doing pretty well on the islands, and visitors love it. There are several ways to use the many Phuket local bus services. All are cheap and slow, but if you are visiting Phuket with a small budget and if
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What is the Best Way to Go from Phuket Airport to my Hotel? [toc] Phuket Airport Transfers are pretty much hassle-free, and there are many ways to get from the Airport to your hotel, wherever your hotel is. We get daily questions about Phuket Airport Transfers on our Facebook page, and we try to answer them as well as we can. The most popular seems to be the shared mini-bus
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Where to Find Phuket Night Markets [toc] Night markets in Phuket are always fun; from the new Chillva Market to the giant Naka Weekend Market or the Sunday Walking Market in Phuket Town, almost everyone loves to browse the incredible array of things you don't need. Night markets in Phuket are intense, colourful, surprising, fascinating, puzzling, smelly, messy, confusing and overwhelming. But night markets all have one thing in common,
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Where to find Phuket Fresh Markets and what to expect? [toc] Fresh markets in Phuket are always a great way to get close to real, local life with minimal effort. Markets are everywhere around the island, every community and every village has one, small or large, permanent or occasional. Some are daily markets, often open until the end of the afternoon, some are available only certain days of the week.
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Phuket Real Local Restaurants The list of local restaurants in Phuket keeps growing, and it is truly amazing how great local food can be here. No tourist places and no trendy venues here; it's all about local food and only local food! Here are some of the most popular (very) local Thai restaurants in Phuket. They are not fancy, and all are cheap: they don't care about the decor, and
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Where to find the best Seafood in Phuket? [toc] The best seafood in Phuket is mostly in local restaurants, sometimes hard to find and often away from tourist places. Of course, the seafood you will find in Patong, Kata, Karon, and other famous beaches are good, but there is a little more in local restaurants. It's more authentic, fresher, not to mention often cheaper. We are happy to share our
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[toc] Our Old Phuket Town and Old Street Walking Guide will save you time and effort! The historical part of Phuket is not huge but is rich and exciting enough to explore in half a day. On this page, we break it down by streets and describe the main points of interest and significant landmarks. It's easy and fun to explore, even on a rainy day, plus there are plenty
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How to use Phuket Blue Bus (Song Taew) [toc] The Phuket Blue Bus (known as Song Taew) is the oldest and best-known local bus to get from Phuket Town to destinations around Phuket. It often looks more like a wooden truck than a bus as you know it. Those will only take you from Phuket town to a beach or a small set of beaches, but not between beaches. That
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What to Do at Phuket Big Buddha? [toc] The Phuket Big Buddha is a 45-metre-tall white marble statue visible from anywhere in the southern part of Phuket. This impressive landmark is probably at the top of everyone's 'Must-Do in Phuket', and it is indeed a jaw-dropping site, and the panoramic views from up there are breathtaking. Koh Samui always had a very popular Giant Buddha, and it seems that Phuket
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What is Chalong Temple? [toc] Wat Chalong, or Chalong Temple (officially Wat Chai Thararam), is the largest, most revered and most visited Buddhist temple in Phuket. It was built at the beginning of the 19th century, 1837, according to some sources. Chalong Temple is one of the Must-See places in Phuket and the nearby Big Buddha of Phuket, as they are relatively close to each other. Wat Chalong Video
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Amazing Mansions of Old Phuket [toc] If the Old Sino Portuguese Mansions of Old Phuket Town fascinate you, you are in for a treat. There is more to Phuket than just the well-known Thalang Road, where everyone goes on a Phuket exploration. Yes, it's a nice walk and a must-do, but if you too have a passion for old houses, you might want to explore a bit further where some fabulous
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Where to take the best selfies in Phuket? [toc] Photography has become fully part of holidays, and the young generation of travellers is always searching for the best selfies spots in Phuket. Local restaurants, businesses and beaches are taking full advantage of this trend by adding a lot of 'special features' to the natural beauty of the island. Of course, as you can expect, these backgrounds don't always come for
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What exotic fruits can you find in Phuket? [toc] Exotic Thai fruits in Phuket range from the well-known pineapple or even watermelon to the most surprising ones like the weird-looking Dragon Fruit, the huge pungent Durian or the enormous Jackfruit. The choice of fruits in Thailand is endless and visiting a local market in Phuket is a chance to try as many as you can. Some of the best fruits
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A Walking Guide to Phang Nga Road [toc] Phang Nga Road is another historical street that runs parallel to the famous Thalang Road, in the Old Phuket Town. Phang Nga Road maybe is less known, but it has a lot of charms, a few local restaurants, and several important historical landmarks and museums. As you walk around, take the time to look at the superbly renovated architecture. [the_ad id="30528"] What
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What to Do at Phuket Sunday Walking Street Market? [toc] Phuket Sunday Walking Street Market is called 'Lard Yai Market' by locals and is the most popular attraction in Phuket Town. This 360-metre long street market was an instant success, adding a much-needed event to the historical part of town. Every Sunday from 4 pm to 9 pm (and often beyond), the once quiet Thalang Road turns into a busy
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What to do in Phuket for free? [toc] Are there any interesting free things to do in Phuket? It may sound like a strange question, but Phuket is well-known to be the most expensive destination in Thailand. If the flight ticket and the hotel used most of your budget, there are ways to make the best of your stay without spending much. We wrote a page about ‘Phuket with a
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What street food to try in Phuket? [toc] Phuket street food is fun, cheap, and a great way to experience simple real Thai food. It definitely is more authentic than in tourist restaurants you find in Patong Beach. It’s fast and a lot cleaner than you might think. If you have a sensitive digestive system or allergies, you might want to skip this, but I think it’s as safe as
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Exploring Dibuk Road [toc] Dibuk Road is one of the famous old streets of Phuket town you should add to your list while exploring. It's very colourful and easy to find, with plenty of casual cafes, shops and restaurants to enjoy. Dibuk road is parallel and not far from the famous Thalang road (where you'll find the Sunday Walking Street Market). It stretches for 800 meters, from the old Dibuk
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Exploring Thalang Road [toc] Thalang Road is the most famous street in the historic part of Old Phuket Town. The municipality and owners managed to revive most of the old Sino-Portuguese shophouses and bury the ugly cables Thailand is so famous for. Thalang has become selfie heaven. The street is lined with small cafes, traditional or fashionable boutiques and a few restaurants. All have one thing in common: A few
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Exploring Soi Romanee [toc] Soi Romanee (Soi Romani), in the historical centre of old Phuket town, is a short street with a long and fun history. Today it is home to souvenir shops, ice cream parlours and small but posh guesthouses, but it wasn't always like this as long ago; it was the red-light district of Phuket. We were always fascinated by the old houses and mansions of Phuket. When
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