Five options and when each makes sense
Pre-booked transfer. A driver meets you in arrivals with a sign, the price is fixed in advance and does not change. Expect from 900 THB to most areas, around 1,000–1,200 THB to Patong — per car, not per person. Best with children, heavy luggage or a night arrival.
Airport taxi desk. Works without booking but costs more: usually 1,100–1,400 THB to Patong. Paying at the desk on a fixed tariff is the normal system, not a scam.
Grab, the local ride-hailing app. Often cheaper than the desk, with the price shown before you order. The downsides: pickup restrictions at the airport mean the meeting point can be awkward to find, and cars are scarce on night arrivals.
Smart Bus. The cheapest option at roughly 100–170 THB to the west coast beaches. Slow, with stops, and it drops you on the main road rather than at your hotel. Sensible if you travel light and as a couple.
Car hire at the airport. Only worth it if you plan to drive all holiday. From 700 THB a day. Bear in mind left-hand traffic, the need for an international licence, and that unfamiliar mountain roads after a long flight are not the best first drive.
How long to your area
The airport sits in the north while most tourist beaches are central and south, hence the spread: Nai Yang and Mai Khao 10–15 minutes, Bang Tao and Laguna 30–35, Surin and Kamala 35–45, Patong 45–60, Karon and Kata 60–70, Rawai, Nai Harn and Chalong 70–80, Phuket Town 45–55.
Those are quiet-traffic times. At rush hour and in the rainy season add 20–30 minutes: the southbound road passes several narrow stretches where jams form instantly.
Allow more time going back than coming in. The standard advice is to leave three hours before an international flight if you are staying in the south.
Where money goes in the first hour
Taxis without a fixed price. Agreeing to 'sort it out later' ends in a fare three times the going rate. Use the fixed-tariff desk, an app, or a transfer booked in advance.
Airport currency exchange. Rates here are noticeably worse than in town. Change enough for the first day and use city exchanges such as Superrich, or an ATM, for the rest.
ATMs charge around 220 THB per withdrawal regardless of amount. Taking out 2,000 THB several times is a straight loss — withdraw once, in a larger amount.
'Free hotel transfer' offered by greeters in arrivals. It usually routes through a tour-sales office or a timeshare presentation. Technically free, in practice it costs an hour and a half of your first day.
Arrival practicalities
A SIM card is worth buying at the airport: tourist plans from AIS, True and dtac run 300–600 THB for 8–15 days with data. It is cheaper in town, but not worth being offline for your first hours.
Hotel check-in is normally from 14:00. On a morning arrival the gap is easily filled at Nai Yang beach or Splash Jungle water park — both ten minutes from the terminal, with your luggage staying in the vehicle.
VIP Fast Track speeds you through immigration for around 2,500 THB. Worth it on peak-hour arrivals when the queue stretches to 40–60 minutes, and with small children.