Phuket to Ranong by Car

How the route runs

You leave the island northwards on road 402, cross the Sarasin bridge and join highway 4 in the direction of Phang Nga. From there the road heads north along the Andaman coast past Takua Pa and Khura Buri all the way to Ranong.

There are few junctions and you hold the same road number for the whole distance. The navigation app is there to keep an eye on the timing rather than to find the way.

What is along the road

The route passes close to Khao Lak, and the logical halfway stop is made there. Many people split the drive across two days by sleeping on the coast, and that makes more sense than trying to cover everything in a single push.

This is the standard way to head north through the country under your own steam rather than by air. The advantage of a car is that you can stop anywhere along the coast, not only where a bus happens to pull in.

What that means for the car

The road is surfaced for its whole length, with wide lanes and a divider for most of it. Off road ability is not needed here; mechanical condition is. Cooling system, air conditioning and tyres are the three things that matter.

The air conditioning runs for hours without a break, and any weakness in the system shows itself on exactly this kind of run. Check at the rental forecourt whether it cools at idle in traffic, because on the highway that becomes a question of how the driver feels.

The passes between provinces

On the stretches between Phang Nga and Ranong the road climbs through hills with long ascents. Loaded lorries crawl up them, and overtaking on a climb calls for reserve power that a small engine with a full car simply does not have.

Fuel consumption on the highway is predictable, but filling up early is sensible. On some sections north of Takua Pa the stations are further apart, and not all of them work at night.

Where to park in Ranong

Ranong is an ordinary Thai town rather than a resort, and parking here is simple. The markets and shopping centres have open areas and there is usually no charge to enter them.

In the centre the streets are narrow, and the kerb marking works as it does everywhere in the country: red and white means no parking, yellow and white means dropping off only.

At the hot springs and the pier

The thermal springs on the edge of town have a proper parking area. Leaving the car on the verge of the access road is a bad idea, because it is narrow and service vehicles use it.

At the pier, where the boats leave for the islands and the border, parking is paid and supervised. If you are leaving the car for a long time, arrange it at the entrance rather than abandoning it by the barrier.

• Open areas at the markets, normally free
• Red and white kerb means no parking here too
• Proper parking at the hot springs, not the verge
• Paid supervised parking at the pier

How long the drive takes

This is a long distance run of several hours of pure driving, and the real time is always more than the calculated one: stops, fuel, lunch, and the speed limits through settlements.

It is sensible to leave early in the morning. You then cross the island before the traffic builds, reach the Khao Lak area around lunchtime and arrive in Ranong in daylight.

Driving at night

Highway 4 can be driven in the dark, since it is lit through settlements and well marked. What complicates the picture is loaded lorries without marker lights and sudden U turns across the oncoming lane, and at speed that is an unpleasant combination.

The way back takes the same time, and planning it for the same day is not advisable. There and back in one day turns the trip into an endurance test rather than a journey. On a run like this fatigue creeps up unnoticed, so the rule is simple: stop every couple of hours even when you feel fine. Roadside complexes with a cafe and parking appear regularly along highway 4.

What to know once you are in Ranong

Ranong is the rainiest province in the country and water falls here more often than on Phuket. Tyres and wipers should be in order before you leave, and the pace on wet highway should be a calm one.

The town stands on a river opposite the neighbouring country, and that border status means regular document checks on the roads. Carry both driving licences and a copy of your passport with you.

Plans once you are there

The hot springs, the market and the piers are in different parts of town, and moving between them without a car is awkward. For anyone who drove here that is an advantage, because the whole list fits into one day.

The return is easier to plan through Khao Lak again but with a different stop. That way the road is not a repeat of what you have already seen, and you can break it at the same point by distance. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates if you want a car cleared for the mainland, or Telegram if you prefer.