What to pack, and what to leave
A short list — most of the rest is cheaper once you land
Phuket is hot, humid and well stocked. Almost everything you might forget is sold within a five-minute walk of wherever you are staying, usually for less than at home.
So this is a short list of the things that are genuinely worth suitcase space, and a shorter one of things people bring and never use.
Worth the space
Something with sleeves and something that covers your knees. Not for the beach — for the temples, the mosques and the villages behind the beaches, which are residential and Muslim. At The Big Buddha and at any working temple, covered shoulders and knees are the expectation rather than a suggestion.
Reef shoes, if you are going anywhere rocky. Ao Sane and Ya Nui are the two best shore-snorkelling spots on the island and both are more rock than sand.
Your own snorkel mask if you are fussy about fit. Rental gear is everywhere and mostly fine, but a mask that leaks ruins the thing you came for.
A dry bag for boat days, plus whatever medication you actually rely on, in its original packaging. Everything else is replaceable here.
An eSIM bought before you fly, if your phone takes one, so you land connected instead of queuing at an airport counter for a worse deal.
Leave it at home
Bulk sunscreen and toiletries. Sold at every 7-Eleven and pharmacy on the island. Buy sunscreen here and buy more of it than you think.
A hairdryer, a travel kettle, beach towels — hotels have these, and the guesthouses that do not are the ones where you would not want to use them anyway.
Heavy walking boots. Unless you have a specific jungle trek booked, sandals and one pair of trainers cover Phuket entirely.
A lot of cash in small denominations of your home currency. Airport exchange desks give the worst rates on the island; change a little to get moving and use a town booth or a cash machine after that.
If you are coming in the wet season
From roughly May to October the swell arrives on the west coast, red flags go up, and rain comes in heavy bursts rather than all day. That changes the packing list more than the temperature does.
A light rain jacket beats an umbrella on a motorbike or a longtail. Quick-dry clothing beats cotton, which stays wet for hours in this humidity.
Dry bags stop being optional. So does a plan B for boat days, because island trips are cancelled at short notice when the sea is bad.
Jellyfish come closer to shore in the rainy season and stings can be fatal, so vinegar is worth having in the beach bag and local advice is worth asking for.
4 places
Listed in the order we would work through them.
4 places
01Ao Sane Beach
More rock than sand, and the best shore snorkelling on the south coast.
More rock than sand, past Nai Harn towards the Ao Sane headland. The reason to come is the snorkelling straight off the shore, which is the best on the south coast. Reef shoes make it far more pleasant.
Rawai฿ CheapHalal: ask- Crowds
- Very quiet
- Swimming
- Red flag means out; rock, reef shoes help
- Facilities
- One small restaurant
02Ya Nui Beach
A tiny cove below the windmill. Snorkel gear is worth carrying down.
A small cove tucked below the windmill viewpoint, between Nai Harn and Promthep. Rocky headlands at both ends make it one of the better spots on the island for snorkelling straight off the beach. Kayaks are usually available.
Rawai฿ CheapHalal: askFamily- Crowds
- Small and fills up fast
- Swimming
- Red flag means out; rocks at both ends
- Facilities
- Kayak hire, a few food stalls
03The Big Buddha
A 45m marble Buddha on the ridge, with views over both coasts.
A 45-metre marble Buddha on the Nakkerd ridge, visible from most of southern Phuket. The access road is steep and narrow, so take a taxi or a car rather than a scooter if you are not confident. Shoulders and knees covered; sarongs are lent at the top. Free, donations invited.
Chalong฿ CheapHalal: askFamily- Best time
- Morning, before it gets hot
- Entry
- Free, donations invited
- Getting there
- Easy — steep access road, taxi it
04Phuket Old Town
Sino-Portuguese shophouses, coffee shops and the island's best street food.
The Sino-Portuguese quarter around Thalang, Dibuk and Krabi Roads: shophouses, coffee shops, street art and the island's best cheap eating. Thalang Road closes to traffic on Sunday evening and becomes a food market. Flat and genuinely walkable, unlike most of Phuket.
Phuket Town฿ CheapHalal: askFamily- Best time
- Late afternoon, Sunday for the market
- Entry
- Free to walk
- Getting there
- Easy — flat and walkable
Photography is licensed stock, credited to Ariyan on Pexels. Some images show the named place; where no photograph of a venue exists, the picture shows Thailand rather than that venue.