# Phuket Airport to Mai Khao by Car Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/routes/airport-to-mai-khao/ Mai Khao sits next to Phuket Airport, and the run from the terminal to the district is short and straight, which makes it the easiest airport drive on the island. What takes time comes after: Mai Khao is strung out along one long beach, and it is the most distant district from the southern beaches. **A week from 5 145 ฿ total** — economy car 735 ฿/day · crossover from 9 555 ฿ · refundable deposit from 5 000 ฿ · live search, 7 days from 2 November, pick-up in Patong. [Ask on WhatsApp: Phuket Airport to Mai Khao by Car](https://kolesio.com/go/wa/?p=%2Fen%2Froutes%2Fairport-to-mai-khao%2F) ## In short - Near the airport — the run to the terminal is short and straight - Far north — the most distant district from the southern beaches - Long beach — everything is strung out along the shoreline - Essential — here a car is a condition, not a convenience Kolesio Car Rental Phuket — car rental in Phuket. Booking and support by Kolesio on WhatsApp +66 99 647 8676. Checked 19 October. ## How long it takes and which road Mai Khao is the nearest district to the airport. The run from the terminal is short and straight, with none of the long southbound traffic that people heading for the beaches further down the island sit in. For most arrivals the airport drive is the shortest part of the whole holiday on the road. ### Where the time goes The time goes on distance inside the district. Everything is strung out along the shoreline, so your hotel or villa may be a fair way along the beach from where you first reach it. Rush hour and heavy rain still slow the traffic around the airport, and rain after dark makes the road edges hard to read. Going the other way is what needs planning. Mai Khao is in the far north, the most distant district from the southern beaches, so a day out in the south is a proper drive and worth starting early. If left-hand driving is new to you, the short straight run from the airport is the gentlest first drive you will get anywhere on the island. ## What that means for the car Here a car is a condition, not a convenience. This is the quietest part of the island and the most spread out, and without wheels even buying groceries becomes a planned outing. Expect to drive every day, and often further than you guessed. Take an automatic. The longer runs south mean stop-and-go traffic through the middle of the island, and working a clutch in that wears you out within a week. Class follows luggage and the size of the group. A couple with light bags fits a hatchback. A family with large suitcases, or anyone planning regular trips to the southern beaches, is more comfortable in a sedan or a compact SUV with room to stretch on the long drives. Test the air conditioning at pickup and, in the wet season, look at the tyre tread. On a long run down the island in heat or rain, those two decide whether the drive is bearable. A local living in Mai Khao keeps a comfortable automatic with strong cooling and a decent boot, because that one car does the shopping, the beach runs and the trips south. If you are landing at Phuket Airport and staying in Mai Khao, we can have the car waiting at arrivals or bring it to your hotel or villa, early arrivals after a night flight included: automatic, first-class commercial insurance, refundable deposit, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Send the dates on WhatsApp or through the booking form; the page on car rental in Mai Khao covers the district, and car rental in Phuket covers the rest of the island. ## Car at the airport or car at the hotel? Because the airport run is short, a taxi and a rental car take about the same time on the first evening. The difference shows from the next morning, since in the quietest, most spread-out district of the island you cannot count on walking to a shop. Take the car at arrivals if you land at night with children, carry heavy bags or want to stop for supplies on the way to the hotel. It is one short drive, and the car is at your door from the first evening. Take a taxi or Grab and have the car delivered if the flight has left you exhausted, or if you would rather make your first drive on the left in daylight. Delivery to the hotel or villa works at any hour, so waiting a night costs you nothing. - Night landing with small children — car at arrivals, the family goes from the terminal straight into the car - Heavy bags and a villa along the beach — car at arrivals, you unload once at the door - First drive on the left — taxi tonight, car at the hotel in the morning - Early arrival after a night flight — delivery to the hotel or villa, sleep first ## Where to park in Mai Khao Parking is the easy part. Mai Khao is quiet and spread along one long beach, so the simplest plan is to keep the car on your hotel or villa grounds between trips and take it out for shopping, dinners and days in the south. When you stop somewhere along the shore, pull completely off the road and keep clear of gates and driveways. Leave nothing visible in the cabin, bags on the seats least of all, and close the windows before you walk down to the water. > Stopping with the wheels still on the asphalt, or across someone's gate, can bring a fine or a tow truck. On quiet roads other drivers come through faster than you expect, so pull fully clear of the carriageway every time, even for a quick photo of the beach. ## The way back to the airport The way back is short and straight, which makes Mai Khao the easiest district to fly out from. The risk runs the other way: because the terminal is so close, people leave late. Plan backwards from check-in anyway, with a margin for rush hour and rain near the airport and time for the handover and the walk to departures. ### Returning the car Fill up to the level in your contract before you set off, then photograph each side of the car and the dashboard with the fuel gauge. Our driver meets you at the terminal and walks round the car with you; matching photos from pickup and return settle any question about a mark there and then. ## Cars for this question Cars that suit this short drive: - [Nissan Almera: a sedan with room for suitcases](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/nissan-almera-rental-phuket/) - [Suzuki Swift: a small automatic for beach parking](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/suzuki-swift-rental-phuket/) - [Honda City: an economy sedan for daily trips](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/honda-city-rental-phuket/) ## FAQ ### How far is Mai Khao from Phuket Airport? Very close. Mai Khao sits next to the airport, and the run from the terminal is short and straight. What takes longer is the distance along the beach to your hotel, and later the trips to the southern beaches. ### What is the drive time from Mai Khao to Phuket Airport? Short, since it is the nearest district to the terminal. Still leave a margin for rush hour, heavy rain and the car handover, because a close airport tempts people to leave too late. ### Taxi or rental car from Phuket Airport to Mai Khao? For the first ride either works. Take the car at arrivals for a night landing, children or heavy bags; take a taxi and have the car delivered if you want to drive rested. In Mai Khao you will need a car from day two. ### Can you deliver the car at the airport at night? Yes. The car can wait at arrivals or be brought to your hotel or villa at any hour, early arrivals after a night flight included. Send the flight number and dates on WhatsApp. ### Do I need an IDP to rent a car at Phuket Airport? Yes. Bring your passport, your national licence and an International Driving Permit, and add any second driver in advance. The driving licence rules page explains which permit to get before you fly. ### Is it hard to drive from the airport to Mai Khao? No. It is the shortest and straightest airport run on the island. The harder driving comes later, on the long trips south through the island's traffic, so get used to the left side of the road on the quiet local stretches first. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/routes/airport-to-mai-khao/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.