Patong to Phuket Town Road

How the route runs

The road leaves the eastern part of Patong going uphill, climbs the pass in a series of bends and comes down a long descent into Kathu. From there it runs straight through residential blocks and a commercial zone into Phuket Town.

There are few junctions along the way and the navigation is almost unnecessary. The one place worth attention is the interchanges in Kathu, where the exits come close together and you have to choose your lane early.

When the detour is faster

At peak hours the direct road over the pass stands still. The northern detour, along the coast road to Kamala and then onto 402, is longer in kilometres and often shorter in time. It starts to make sense in the evening during high season.

The route is short, and that is exactly why people drive it on autopilot. Mistakes here come from familiarity rather than from difficulty: the driver relaxes on a known road precisely where the descent begins.

What that means for the car

The pass is the defining part of the route. The climb out of Patong is sustained, and a fully loaded car with the air conditioning on works at high revs. That is normal, and it is not the place to overtake.

The descent to Kathu is more dangerous than the climb. The gradient is long and a brake pedal held down overheats, so move the gearbox into a mode that limits the gear and brake in short applications instead.

The escape ramp

There is a runaway lane on the descent for lorries whose brakes have stopped working. If the pedal has gone soft and the car keeps accelerating, that is the only correct place to stop, and it should be used without hesitating over the cost.

In rain water runs down across the road on the bends. A band of water in a corner on the descent is where grip disappears, so the speed comes off before you enter the corner rather than inside it.

Where to park in Phuket Town

In the old town the streets are narrow and kerbside parking is regulated by colour. Read the kerb: red and white means no parking at all, yellow and white means dropping off only. Removal in the centre works reliably.

The simplest approach is to use a covered shopping centre car park or an organised area by the market and walk into the old town. It is compact, and from any of those car parks the coloured houses of Thalang Road are a short walk away.

In the evening

Once the shops close the centre frees up and kerbside spaces appear. On Sunday market days part of the streets are closed completely, and then you park outside the pedestrian zone.

Temples and government buildings have their own areas, but the entrance is not always open to visitors. It is simpler not to experiment and to use a public car park instead.

• Covered mall parking, then walk into the old town
• Red and white kerb means removal, not a warning
• Sunday market closes streets entirely
• Do not use temple or government yards uninvited

What is along the way

There is a platform on the pass with a view over Patong bay. Drive fully onto it rather than braking on the verge, because the road is narrow and the corner above it is blind.

In Kathu the route passes large shopping centres with covered car parks. That is a convenient stopping point, particularly if the trip into town was arranged around shopping in the first place.

Fuel

There are stations at the exit from Patong, in Kathu, and at the entrance to the town. You do not need to plan a refuelling stop for this route specifically, but setting off over the pass on the last of the tank is unwise, since a queue on the climb with the air conditioning running uses a noticeable amount.

Anyone driving into town for paperwork or a clinic should leave before the morning peak. The difference between half past seven and nine on this route is measured in tens of minutes.

The way back

Coming back from the town to Patong in the evening is the busiest direction on the route. The traffic runs dense and a column builds on the climb out of Kathu.

At night the road is clear, but there is no lighting on the pass and oncoming main beams on the climb dazzle. Keep to the left of your lane and do not hurry, because the descent into Patong ends at a junction that appears out of the dark sooner than you expect.

If the evening involves alcohol

Patong is a district where the evening often ends in a bar, and that decision is made in advance: the car stays in the car park and you go back by taxi. Checks on the exits happen in the evening, and insurance does not work at all where alcohol is involved.

If it is your first drive into town, leave time to find parking. The old town is arranged so that the street you want turns out to be one way and the turn back is two blocks further on, and ten minutes disappear without you noticing.