Quick Options Ranked by Reliability
| Mode | Time | Cost | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12Go Transport Bus | 4h | ฿384 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10) |
| 465 Standard Bus | 4.5-6h | ฿359 | ⭐⭐⭐ (7/10) |
| Sri Trang Business | 7h | ฿400+ | ⭐⭐⭐ (7/10) |
| Phantip Minivan | 4h | ฿195 | ⭐⭐ (5/10) |
All buses leave from Phuket Bus Terminal 2 on Thepkrasattri Road. It’s the same road you take to the airport. Not the old Terminal 1 in town. Don’t confuse them.
Cheapest vs Fastest vs Most Reliable (Prices from ฿195)
Phantip minivans win on price at ฿195. You’ll hate yourself by hour 3. Knees jammed into the seat in front. No toilet. Driver won’t stop unless you’re about to wet yourself.
12Go Transport is fastest at exactly 4 hours. Leaves at 7am, 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, noon, and 3pm. Miss the 3pm and you’re stuck overnight. Costs ฿384 but you get a toilet and seats that don’t actively torture you.
465 buses cost ฿359 and run hourly from 6am to 2:10pm. Cheap but unreliable. Some trips take 4.5 hours. Others drag to 6 hours because drivers stop for lunch or pick up random cargo.
Top Operators: 12Go Transport vs 465 vs Phantip
12Go Transport has the newest buses. AC works. Toilets flush 60% of the time. Drivers don’t speed like maniacs. Reliability score of 8 out of 10 means they’re on time 4 out of 5 trips.
465 Surat Thani buses are older. Seats sag. AC breaks in April and May. But hourly departures mean flexibility. Score of 7 means occasional delays. Last month a bus showed up 90 minutes late. No explanation.
Phantip minivans score only 5 because they cram 12 people into a Toyota Commuter. Luggage goes on the roof under a tarp. Saw a backpack fall off on Highway 4 once. Driver didn’t notice for 10km. Check current schedules on 12Go before you book.
Comfort & Amenities Comparison + Reliability Scores
12Go buses have toilets that actually work. Seats recline slightly. AC is cold but not Arctic. You can survive 4 hours without permanent spinal damage.
465 buses have toilets with doors that don’t lock. Bring hand sanitizer. Seats are rock hard. AC is either off or blasting. No middle setting. One time the driver’s phone rang 47 times in 3 hours. He answered every call on speaker.
Sri Trang’s business buses have wider seats and blankets. Sounds nice until you realize the 7-hour route stops at every village between Phuket Town and Surat Thani. You’ll arrive exhausted despite the comfort.
Phantip minivans have AC and nothing else. No toilet. No legroom. No dignity. But it’s ฿195.
Booking Direct: Tickets, Scams & What to Expect
Book on 12Go to avoid the ticket counter scam where they sell you a ฿195 minivan ticket then try to upsell a ฿600 private car at the terminal. Seen it happen 10+ times.
Show up 20 minutes early. Buses leave on time. Miss it by 2 minutes and you’re buying a new ticket. Terminal has a 7-Eleven for snacks. Grab water and instant noodles. No food stops on 12Go buses.
465 buses sometimes leave from a different bay. Check the departure board. Last week a tourist waited at Bay 7 while his bus left from Bay 3. He missed it.
If you’re connecting to islands, the 12Go 7am or 8am departure gets you to Surat Thani by noon. Plenty of time for afternoon ferries. Miss those and you’re stuck in Surat Thani overnight. The town has nothing to do except eat khao mok gai at Talad Kaset 2 market.
Coming from Phuket Airport? Take a taxi to Terminal 2 for ฿600-700. Cheaper than missing your bus. Or check the airport to town route first if you have time to spare.
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