Stops on the Phuket Airport to Old Town Drive
The drive from Phuket airport to the Old Town takes about an hour along a single axis, and three things on it are worth slowing for: the large monument roundabout in Thalang, a hypermarket with proper parking, and the viewpoint hill above the town itself. A first drive after a flight is not the time for experiments, so the list is deliberately short.
Updated 13 September 2026
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What stands along this axis
The first kilometres from the airport are the exit onto the island's central road and a straight run south. There is nothing to look at, but it is a calm place to get used to the car and to the left hand side while the traffic is thin and there are lanes to spare.
The large monument roundabout in Thalang is the first notable point. It is also the first serious test: the roundabout has several lanes, traffic enters and leaves from every side, and working it out after a flight is harder than it sounds. Decide which exit you need in advance and hold the outer lane if you are unsure.
Hypermarkets on the way
Between Thalang and Phuket Town large stores stand on the central axis with their own car parks. For somebody who has just arrived that is the most useful stop on the route: water, a SIM card, groceries and, above all, a flat free area where you can stand and sort out the navigation.
Closer to town the route passes the hill with the viewpoint over Phuket Town. The climb is short and surfaced but has tight corners, and driving up with suitcases in the boot straight after a flight makes little sense. That point is better kept for a separate evening.
What that means for the car
A first drive in a rental car almost always follows this route, and it has one turning point: the wide level axis ends, the town section starts, and what the road asks of the driver changes at once. The lanes narrow, bikes appear in the blind spot, and the turns come one after another.
In the Old Town the size of the car decides more than its power. The streets there are narrow, the building dense, and cars along the kerbs leave a single lane. An economy car passes those streets calmly, a minivan does it with constant mirror work and no right to a mistake.
Checks in the airport car park
Five minutes on the car park before you start saves an hour later: set the mirrors and the seat, find the indicators and the wipers, switch the air conditioning on and confirm it cools, enter the destination. Working all that out on the move in an unfamiliar country on the other side of the road is a poor idea.
A separate word about the indicators. On cars built for left hand traffic the indicator and wiper stalks are often mirrored from what you are used to, and for the first ten turns you will switch on the wipers. Better to discover that on an empty car park.
ImportantA first multi lane roundabout after a night flight is the classic point of error. With traffic on the left the roundabout runs clockwise, and the reflex to look left instead of right fires exactly there. Pause before joining and look right, even if somebody behind you sounds a horn.
Where to park in the Old Town
The streets of the historic centre are narrow and partly one way, and kerbside parking follows the markings strictly. Kerb colour is literal here: black and white means yes, red and white means no, and removal operates in the centre regularly, especially on days when the central street is closed.
The calmest option is the multi storey and supervised car parks at the shopping centres beside the historic quarter. From there the old streets are a few minutes on foot and you are spared circling the one way lanes.
Days when the centre is closed
At weekends part of the central street is closed to pedestrians and the whole traffic scheme around it changes. Driving into the quarter then is pointless: you will meet a barrier and reverse out along a narrow lane.
On those days the car is left outside the quarter and you walk in. That is not a compromise, it is the only method that works, and local people do the same.
Fuel and the drive back
Fuel stations on this route are frequent, at the airport, along the central axis and inside the town. A rental car is normally handed over with a set fuel level, and the first refuelling is better done calmly along the way than in a rush before the return.
The drive back to the airport differs only in timing: the morning flow northwards is noticeably denser, particularly on the approach to the interchanges. An hour is the working figure, with a margin added for an early flight.
One more detail: returning the car at the airport happens at a specific area, and looking for it with suitcases twenty minutes before check in is not how you want to spend that time. Confirm the return point when you collect the car and put it straight into the navigation.
When to skip the stops
After a night flight. An hour at the wheel in an unfamiliar country on the unfamiliar side of the road is load enough, and there is no need to add three stops with manoeuvres to it. Arrive, park, sleep.
At the peak hour on the way into town. The urban part of the route runs noticeably slower in the morning and evening, and a planned shop stop adds forty minutes rather than twenty.
And on a first evening with children. A viewpoint hill with tight corners and a full car park is not a place for a tired car with a full boot. It is not going anywhere, and it deserves a separate trip travelling light.
If you want the car waiting at the terminal on arrival, tell us the flight. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and flight number, or Telegram if you prefer.
TipPut the airport return point into the navigation as soon as you collect the car. On departure day you will be looking for it in a hurry, and the return areas at the airport are spread out and signed in ways that are not obvious.
Cars for this trip
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Common questions
How long is the drive from Phuket airport to the Old Town?
About an hour and roughly thirty five kilometres along the island's central axis. Most of the time goes on the town section at the end, where the lanes narrow and traffic lights appear.
Where do I park in the Old Town of Phuket?
The calmest option is the multi storey car parks at the shopping centres beside the historic quarter, a few minutes' walk from the old streets. Kerbside parking is only possible within the markings, and a red and white kerb means removal.
Is it worth stopping anywhere on the first day?
One stop at a large store on the central axis is justified, because it offers water, a SIM card and a flat area to sort out the car. Planning more after a flight is unwise, since the drive is already your first in an unfamiliar country.
What should I check in the airport car park?
Set the mirrors and the seat, switch the air conditioning on and confirm it cools, and find the indicators and the wipers. On right hand drive cars those stalks are often mirrored, and discovering that at the first turn is inconvenient.
How do I take the big roundabout on the way?
With traffic on the left the roundabout runs clockwise and priority belongs to those already on it, to your right. Pause before joining and look right, and if your exit is not obvious hold the outer lane and go round again.
Should I visit the viewpoint hill on arrival day?
Better not, because the climb has tight corners and the parking at the top is limited. Save it for a separate evening when the boot is empty and you are rested.
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