Patong to Kamala by Car
Patong to Kamala takes 15 min by car, north out of town and over a single pass with a viewpoint at the top. Behind a loaded pickup, in rain or after dark the same climb feels twice as long, and at night it needs a different speed altogether.
Updated 2 October 2026
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How long it takes and which road
From Patong to Kamala is 15 min. You head north out of the hollow Patong sits in, climb a long ascent with two sharp bends, pass the viewpoint at the top and come down into Kamala. The asphalt is good and the climb is real, but in the dry any car handles it.
Where it slows down
The climb is where you lose time. Overloaded pickups and tour vans drop to walking pace on the ascent, and there are stretches where overtaking looks possible and is not: the road bends again just beyond what you can see. Rented scooters ridden by first-timers wobble along in the middle of the lane, so pass them wide or not at all.
Rain turns the pass slippery. Water collects on the inside of the bends, which means braking before the corner, never in it. If you have to be in Patong at a fixed time, for a dinner booking or a boat, leave a margin for the hill.
What that means for the car
An automatic is the easy choice for a road that is either climbing or falling. The part to respect is the descent into Patong from the north: overheated brakes on rental cars are a common story there. Select L or B at the top and let the engine hold the car on the way down. Our page on brakes on hill descents shows how it feels when the pads start to fade.
Where you sleep decides the size. Many Kamala villas sit on steep driveways, and for a house on the hill a crossover with some clearance and torque makes the final steep stretch up to the gate simple. If your hotel is on the flat road by the beach, a small car is fine, and it is easier to tuck into a beach pull-in. Heading further south instead? See Kamala to Kata by car.
Switch the air conditioning on before you set off and keep the windows up on the climb; a cool cabin keeps you patient behind a slow van.
If you are staying in Kamala or Patong, we deliver the car to your hotel, villa or apartment at any hour: automatic, first-class commercial insurance, refundable deposit, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Send the dates on WhatsApp or use the booking form; car rental in Kamala and car rental in Patong explain how each district works.
The pass step by step
The view from the top is worth a stop, but only in the marked lay-by. Outside the pull-ins there is nowhere to stop on this pass, and a car on a bend blocks the whole lane. More stops like this are listed in Phuket viewpoints by car.
- Keep a steady speed on the climb — the vans ahead slow down suddenly
- Overtake only on a straight you can see to the end — the next bend hides the oncoming car
- Stop at the viewpoint only if the lay-by has room — parking on the bend is how cars get hit
- Shift to L or B before the descent — the drop into Patong is where brakes overheat
- Pass scooters wide and slowly — first-time riders drift into the middle of the lane
Where to park in Kamala
Kamala is simpler than Patong. One road, the 4025, doubles as the main street, and north of town it continues to Surin and on to Bang Tao, flat and without bends, the calmest road on the west coast.
The beach pull-ins are mostly free and shaded. The ones nearest the sand fill by mid-morning, so arrive before then or accept a short walk. Villa driveways are steep; nose in carefully, and on the way out pull the handbrake before you shift so the car does not roll back into the road. For a hillside base in Patong itself, SUV rental in Patong covers the climbs out of the bay and the tight streets behind the beach.
The way back from Kamala to Patong at night
Coming back after dinner, the coast road out of Kamala is dark and in places unmarked, and scooters with no lights appear on the bends. On the pass the hill road is unlit from end to end: blind bends, no verge, oncoming main beam on the climb and scooters often without a rear light. Drive it far slower than in daylight. Our guide to driving at night covers the rest.
If you drink, the car stays in Kamala and you take a taxi. Insurance does not work at all when the driver has been drinking.
Arriving in Patong in the evening
After eight in the evening Bangla Road is closed to traffic and the navigation takes you around it, which adds fifteen minutes to any trip. After a downpour the low streets fill to the kerb; do not drive into that water. There are no petrol stations in the centre, only on the exits at the foot of the pass and on the road to Kathu.
Kerb colour tells you where you may leave the car. Yellow and white is for a brief stop or drop-off, a plain kerb is parking. The beach spaces are paid and full by lunchtime in high season. The roof of the Jungceylon shopping centre always has spaces and shade, ten minutes on foot from Bangla Road, and the side streets closer to the hill above Rat-U-Thit are free but narrow. The full picture of where to park in Patong is on its own page. Going on across the island, see Kamala to Phuket Old Town by car.
ImportantNever stop on a red and white kerb in Patong. In the evenings the tow truck clears the seafront, and you pay a fine and lose time getting the car back.
Renting a car for this drive
What a car costs for this trip depends on the class and on how long you keep it: see the price per day in Phuket, and the search gives the total for your dates. We deliver the car to your hotel or villa at any hour, and a refundable deposit is taken at handover, its size depending on the model. First-class commercial insurance is included, and every car we deliver is an automatic, since manual cars are rare in Phuket. Booking, payment and return are explained in how renting a car with Kolesio works. Starting from Patong? See car rental in Patong. Car rental near the end of the drive: cars for rent in Kamala.
Cars for this trip
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Common questions
How long does it take from Patong to Kamala?
About 15 min by car over the pass north of Patong. Allow more behind loaded pickups and tour vans on the climb, in rain, and at night when the hill road needs a much lower speed.
Is the Patong–Kamala pass difficult to drive?
Not difficult in the dry: the asphalt is good and any car manages the climb. It has two sharp bends and a steep descent into Patong, so use low gear going down and brake before corners when it is wet.
Can I stop at the viewpoint on the pass?
Yes, in the marked lay-by at the top. Outside the pull-ins there is nowhere to stop, so if the lay-by is full, drive on rather than parking on the bend.
Where do I park in Kamala?
In the beach pull-ins along the 4025, which are mostly free and shaded. The spaces nearest the sand fill by mid-morning. For a villa on the hill, expect a steep driveway.
Is it safe to drive the pass back to Patong at night?
It is manageable if you slow right down. The hill road is unlit, the bends are blind, there is no verge and scooters often ride without a rear light. If you have been drinking, leave the car and take a taxi.
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