The route in four stages
| Stage | What it is like |
|---|---|
| 1. Airport to Highway 402 | The airport is at the northern end of Phuket, so the car turns north, the opposite direction to most transfers from this airport. |
| 2. The bridge off the island | Highway 402 leaves Phuket at the Sarasin Bridge crossing. On the far side you are in Phang Nga province. |
| 3. Highway 4 up the coast | The longest part of the drive. The road is Phetkasem Road, Thailand's Route 4, heading north toward Khao Lak. |
| 4. The Khao Lak strip | The resort area runs along the highway and the coast, from Nang Thong through Bang Niang and Khuk Khak to Bang Sak, with Cape Pakarang further on. The driver then turns off for your hotel. |
The 80 km takes you into the Khao Lak area. The hotel's position along the strip decides the last few minutes.
Why you may see other figures online
Guides give several distances for this trip, from the 60s to the 90s of kilometres. They measure from different starting points in Phuket (the airport, Phuket Town, the bridge) to different places in Khao Lak, which is a long strip with no single point to measure to. The figure here is from the airport to the Khao Lak area, 80 km, with the time driven in normal traffic: about 1 hour 30 minutes.
The time does not include immigration, baggage or the walk to the meeting gate. It starts when the car leaves the airport.
What speeds the drive up or slows it down
- Night: the road north is quiet, and you reach the short end of the estimate.
- Roadworks: reports of construction on the way are common, and a work zone can add minutes.
- Rain: heavy rain slows the whole route, so build in a margin.
- Your hotel: a hotel at the northern end of the Khao Lak strip takes longer to reach than one in the south.
If you have a ferry, a dive boat or a fixed check-in to make the next morning, do not plan to the minute.
Khao Lak against the other long routes
Khao Lak is the nearest of the mainland destinations on this site. Here is how it compares with the shortest and the longest of the others.
| From the airport to | Distance | Time by road |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Tao (on Phuket) | 18 km | 34 minutes |
| Khao Lak | 80 km | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Khao Sok | 135 km | 2 hours 20 minutes |
| Krabi | 165 km | 2 hours 40 minutes |
Prices for these routes are on the Khao Lak price page.
Questions about this transfer
How many kilometres is Khao Lak from Phuket airport?
80 km by road to the Khao Lak area. The exact figure to your hotel depends on where along the strip it is.
How long does the drive take?
About 1 hour 30 minutes in normal traffic. Roadworks or heavy rain can add time.
Do we go through Phuket Town?
No. The airport is in the north of the island and Khao Lak is north of it, so the car heads north on Highway 402 and never goes down to the south.
Which road is used?
Highway 402 off the island at the Sarasin Bridge crossing, then Highway 4 (Phetkasem Road) north up the coast to Khao Lak.
Is Khao Lak further than Bang Tao?
Much further. Bang Tao is 18 km and 34 minutes from the airport. Khao Lak is 80 km and about 1 hour 30 minutes.