Phuket · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Phuket is pricier than the mainland, but the Old Town and the songthaews keep it within reach.
Phuket Old Town hostels
Sino-Portuguese shophouse hostels along Thalang and Dibuk roads, cheaper and calmer than Patong, with the songthaew stand for west-coast beaches a walk away.
What a day costs
Dorm 300–600 THB, food 200–350 THB, scooter or songthaew 100–200 THB. Reckon 700–1,200 THB, roughly 21–36 USD, before boat trips.
Getting around cheap
The Phuket Smart Bus runs the west coast from the airport to Rawai on a capped fare; local songthaews leave Ranong Road market for the beaches.
Free by day
Promthep Cape at sunset, the Old Town's shophouse streets and Sunday walking market, and the climb to the Big Buddha, which asks only a donation.
Thalang Road
The Old Town's bar and café strip fills after dark and hosts the Sunday market — the sane alternative to Bangla Road for meeting people.