Blue Tree Phuket by Car: Road, Parking and Time Needed
Blue Tree has its own marked car park, free for guests, and the trick is to arrive in the first half of the day, before the nearest rows fill around lunchtime. We have not timed the drive from each district, so plan it in a map app and allow more for the way back, when everyone leaves at closing time.
Updated 2 October
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How to get there and when to leave
Getting to Blue Tree is an ordinary island drive on surfaced roads, and an ordinary car handles it. The part that needs thought is timing. Leaving before nine in the morning is calm; after that, airport traffic builds on Thepkrasattri, the island's main road, and later in the day school buses and scooters join it.
We have not measured the drive to Blue Tree from each district, so check it in a map app the evening before at the hour you plan to leave. A figure taken at midday will flatter the morning run.
The gate is not the car park
Navigation apps on Phuket like to take you to a park's gate rather than to the car park entrance, and at the big venues those are different points. The drop-off gate for taxis and walkers can come a hundred metres ahead of the car entrance, and many drivers brake there by mistake, in the traffic lane. Follow the blue signs with a white P instead; they are more honest than the map.
What that means for the car
The car will stand in the sun for half a day, so the first minutes of the drive home happen in a very hot cabin. Park nose to the south if you can and put a reflector on the windscreen; the air conditioning needs a few kilometres to catch up.
You come back wet, with bags and towels, and in a small car that becomes a puddle on the seat. A towel over the seat and a bin bag for wet things solve it. Sun cream on light upholstery is the other small thing people discuss at hand-back.
For a family with bags a minivan keeps the day relaxed, and a crossover suits a smaller group. Either way, fill the tank on the main road before you set off: stations stand on the main roads, not on the inland turnings.
If Blue Tree is the plan, tell us when you book so the seat and the boot space are ready. We deliver to your hotel or villa at any hour: 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.
Where to park at Blue Tree
Blue Tree has its own car park with marked bays, and parking is free for guests. Arrive in the first half of the day: by lunchtime the rows nearest the entrance are full, you end up further away and the shade does not stretch to everybody.
If the car park is full, staff usually point you to an overflow area nearby, most often an earth one. After a downpour a low car can catch its underside there in the ruts left by coaches, so drive in slowly.
- Arrive before lunch — the near rows and the shade go first
- Park nearer the exit than the entrance — everyone leaves at closing time
- Pick shade over a short walk — the cabin will stand in the sun for hours
- Remember a landmark by the car — rows of cars look alike in the evening
Leaving after closing time
The drive back is harder than the drive there. When the park closes, the whole car park funnels out through one exit, and a space by the entrance can mean an extra twenty minutes in a queue of bumpers. That is why the space near the exit is worth the longer walk in the morning.
If you have a show or dinner after the park, the drive home will be in the dark. Island towns and main roads are lit, the inland villages are not, and scooters without lights share the road. Hold a lower speed than in daylight.
ImportantDo not leave the car on a red-and-white kerb near the park entrance, even for five minutes. Tow trucks work at popular places, and the rental passes on the release costs and the fine, which come off the deposit. Red-and-yellow means drop-off only.
With children in the car
With small children, plan the drive around naps rather than the park timetable. A child who dozes off on the straight main road and is woken in the car park rarely enjoys the next hour.
Thai rules require a seat for the youngest passengers, and we add one when you ask. Budget cars have anchor points on a single row, so tell us how many seats you need. One park and one lunch stop is a full day; a third stop turns into an argument about who sits by the window. For more ideas, see Phuket with kids by car.
With teenagers the questions change: a charger in the car and a shaded place to wait matter more than the route. Small things, yet they set the mood for the drive home.
Blue Tree and a second stop
Two big venues in one day work only for people who left early. A realistic pairing is the water park in the morning, lunch at an air-conditioned shopping centre on the way, and an evening show nearer town.
Between inland venues the transfer is about half an hour on clear roads and twice that at peak time. For the other parks on the island and how their approaches work, see Phuket water parks by car.
Renting a car for this drive
No car yet for this trip? It can be delivered to your hotel or villa anywhere on the island, and delivery is counted separately from the daily rental rate. At handover you leave a refundable deposit that depends on the model, and first-class commercial insurance covers the drivers named in the contract. Every car we deliver is an automatic, and renting a manual car in Phuket is rarely an option. Prices by model and the rest of the terms: how car rental with us works. For this drive, see cars for rent in Cherng Talay.
Also useful before you book: a car for two weeks.
Cars for this question
Cars that handle the steep island roads on this drive:
Cars for this trip
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Common questions
Is there parking at Blue Tree Phuket?
Yes. Blue Tree has its own marked car park, free for guests. Arrive in the first half of the day, because by lunchtime the nearest rows are full.
What time should I arrive at Blue Tree?
Early. On the road before nine is calm, and arriving in the morning gets you a near space with shade. Allow extra time for the drive back, when everybody leaves at once.
Do I need a big car for a water park day?
No. The approaches are surfaced and a small car is enough. A family with bags and wet towels is more comfortable in a minivan, and a crossover suits a smaller group.
What if the Blue Tree car park is full?
Staff usually direct you to an overflow area nearby, often an earth one. Drive in slowly after rain, and never leave the car on a red-and-white kerb.
Can I get a child seat for the drive?
Yes, on request when you book. Tell us how many seats you need, because in budget cars the anchor points are on one row only.
Write to us — we will find the right car
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