From George Town to Phuket - Book Transport Tickets from MYR 151

George Town to Phuket Destination Reviews

Anna F

The bus trip from Hat Yai to Phuket was horrible. We arrived 3.5 hours late, and both the driver and the staff member organizing the seats were very unfriendly. At times, it honestly felt like one of them might have been under the influence of something. Overall, a very unpleasant experience – I would not recommend this service.

George Town to Phuket, Van Van or Bus, New Asian Travel (New Asian Travel), Apr 6, 2026

Adriana

I used the service to travel from Penang in Malaysia to Phuket in Thailand. As it was a long journey, I booked a direct bus in order to avoid being stranded somewhere in Thailand without a connecting journey due to delay. I booked the bus for 7.50, but received a Whatsapp very early that I should come to the pick up at 7.30 - not perfect, but as you should be at the pick-up location 1/2h before departure, I was gonna be there anyways. Now the van during this first part of the journey to Hat Yai was perfect: Clean, comfortable, spacious, with AC. We stopped along the way for toilet and food. The bus driver wanted 20 Baht before crossing the border. I didn't have any Baht, as the trip description stated I needed to pay him 5 RM. I got that exchanged, but it was an annoying hassle which I could have prepared for with the knowledge beforehand. Now after reaching Hat Yai the real drama began. Apparently the bus driver was not aware that I had booked an onward journey and wanted to drop me off at the bus station in Hat Yai. He didn't speak a word of English. I showed him my ticket showing Phuket as the end location, so he called his employer and drove me to an office of a travel agency while on the phone and filming the street with his phone. When we arrived a woman took a picture of my ticket and made a call. She then told me to go with the driver again who proceded to bring me to another travel agency which then handed me over to another driver with a different can who then took me to yet another travel agency where they told me that my bus to Phuket would be leaving in 15min and I could get some snacks while I wait. I needed to exchange money/find an ATM and a toilet on my own. When I returned a guy from the travel agency put me on one of the white and blue basically super cheap public busses going to Phuket. That is not the service I paid for. It would have been much cheaper just to buy a ticket for that bus upon arrival. Also this bus only did one stop for snacks and toilet once. I couldn't get any food due to not having Baht on me and them not accepting card payment where we stopped. I arrived after around 12 hours total journey time without having any proper meals during the whole day. My ticket didn't show who was the bus operator. I never had any direct contact with "New Asian Travels", all buses I used were from different companies. Really bad service. To any travellers going to Phuket or Krabi from Penang: Take this bus only to Hat Yai, you will have an excellent service, everything after that is a tourism trap and an absolute rip-off.

George Town to Phuket, Van Van or Bus, New Asian Travel, Dec 11, 2025

4.4

2 customer reviews

50%

George Town to Phuket Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price
Van	TransBaanTon	Van + Van	04:30	16:15	$40.01
Van	TransBaanTon	Van + Bus	04:30	16:15	$40.01
Van	KST Travel	Van + Van	05:00	19:00	$33.34
Van	New Asian Travel	Van or Bus	05:00	16:00	$28.27
Van	New Asian Travel	Van or Bus	08:00	19:00	$30.73
Van	New Asian Travel	Van or Bus	12:00	23:00	$29.50

How to get from George Town to Phuket

Travelling between George Town and Phuket is possible by Flight, bus and van. Flight guarantees the fastest travel on this route. Flight is the slowest option.

The most expensive ticket will cost you USD 772.53 if you go by flight; to keep it budget-friendly, opt for a van which will set you back mere USD 37.20.

How long does it take to get from George Town to Phuket?

It can take you anywhere between 4 and 40 hours to travel between George Town and Phuket depending on the means of transport you choose.

Flight is the fastest way to travel between George Town and Phuket. Flight will bring you to your destination in 3h 40m. Flight does a much slower job and take about 1d 15h 10m to reach Phuket.

How much does it cost to get from George Town to Phuket?

Travelling between George Town and Phuket can be as cheap as USD 37.20 if you opt for a TransBaanTon van and as expensive as USD 772.53 if you buy a Jetstar Asia, Malaysia Airlines flight ticket.

Here is the list of how much you can expect to pay travelling by each means of transport available for this route.

How many trips per day are there between George Town and Phuket ?

80 by flight from George Town to Phuket starting from 05:50 Penang International Airport until 23:10 Penang International Airport
5 from George Town to Phuket starting from 04:30 George Town Transfer until 12:00 22 Jalan Ria George Town
1 by Bus+Van from George Town to Phuket starting from 04:30 George Town Transfer until 04:30 George Town Transfer

Check above for a bus, train, flight and ferry timetable from George Town to Phuket.

What mode of transportation is the best one for my route?

Van

Vans are a great alternative - or, in many cases - your only option - if you need to travel overland within one and the same province or neighbouring provinces or states. Vans ply the roads between George Town and Phuket, too.

Things to remember: When travelling by van with huge luggage buying a separate seat for your suitcase or backpack is a good idea. Do not expect there is a roomy luggage compartment in a van - there is actually none and your fellow passengers are unlikely to appreciate your luggage stuck under their feet, alas.

Companies operating vans between George Town and Phuket

KST Travel, New Asian Travel, TransBaanTon

Transportation from George Town to Phuket

Trains are not available

Ferries are not available

Taxis are not available

Facts about the transport from George Town to Phuket

Cheapest Transport	$37
Fastest Transport	3h 40m
Earliest Departure	4:30 AM
Latest Departure	11:10 PM
Departures per day	86
Distance	3117 kilometers
Transport Companies	AirAsia, Jetstar Asia, KST Travel, Malaysia Airlines, Scoot, Sri Trang, Thai AirAsia, TransBaanTon

Popular Routes

George Town to Phuket