The long distance bus station is in Phuket town, directly across from the Royal City Hotel. From here both air-con tour buses and cheap, ‘orange crush’ buses leave for destinations north, south and east. There are regular services to Bangkok, Krabi, Surat Thani, Nakorn Srithammarat, Trang, Haad Yai and other minor provincial capitals.

Most of the tour buses to Bangkok leave around 5:00PM in the evening, arriving in Bangkok about 6:00AM the following morning. Tickets can be purchased either at the bus station or through travel agents. Foreigners with long legs can do as this writer does, and purchase two adjoining seats, giving space enough to sleep in.