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Phuket
Phuket is Thailand's largest island, on the Andaman Sea: busy beach resorts on the west coast, Phuket Old Town, and boat trips to Phang Nga Bay.
Where to stay, by what matters to you
- Places to stay within 10 minutes' walk of the beach in Phuket
- Places to stay with a level walk to the beach in Phuket
- Places to stay in Phuket that work without a car
- Quiet places to stay in Phuket: few bars nearby
- Lively places to stay in Phuket: bars and clubs close by
- Within 30 minutes by car of Wat Chalong
- Within 30 minutes by car of Phuket Big Buddha
- Within 20 minutes of Patong
- Within 30 minutes by car of Phuket International Airport
- Within 20 minutes of Karon Beach
- Within 20 minutes of Kamala Beach
Best things to do in Phuket
The one thing not to miss
Take a boat to the Phi Phi Islands, including Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Le, where the film The Beach was shot.
Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay (boat trip)1. Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay (boat trip)
An island group between Phuket and the mainland, in Krabi Province. Ko Phi Phi Le, part of a national park, is home to Maya Bay, used in the 2000 film The Beach.
11,970 readers a month
2. Phuket Town
The capital of Phuket province, in the south-east of the island.
7,329 readers a month
3. Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island (boat trip)
A 400 km² bay between Phuket and the mainland, much of it a national park since 1981. James Bond Island (Khao Phing Kan) has the 20-metre Ko Tapu islet just offshore.
6,845 readers a month
4. Khao Sok National Park (day trip)
A national park in Surat Thani Province of about 739 km², including the 165 km² Cheow Lan Lake. It is the largest area of virgin forest in southern Thailand.
2,463 readers a month
5. Patong
The main resort town on Phuket's west coast and the centre of its nightlife and shopping, including Bangla Road.
2,367 readers a month
Sources
6. Phuket Big Buddha
A seated Buddha statue on Nakkerd Hill near Chalong, begun in 2004 and one of the tallest statues in Thailand.
2,183 readers a month
Emha, Public domain 7. Similan Islands (boat trip)
An archipelago in the Andaman Sea off Phang Nga Province, a national park since 1982.
Check the national park's opening season before you book a trip.
2,035 readers a month
Sources
8. Karon Beach
A beach and town on Phuket's west coast, considered the second-longest beach in the province.
1,143 readers a month
Sources
9. Kamala Beach
A beach and town on Phuket's west coast.
700 readers a month
Sources
10. Wat Chalong
The most important of Phuket's 29 Buddhist temples, officially Wat Chaiyathararam, in Chalong.
647 readers a month
Sources
Just missed the list: Kata Beach (11th by readers); Phuket FantaSea (12th by readers)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay (boat trip) leads with about 11,970 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
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