Accommodation

Cheap & Cheerful

Cheap is a relative word in Phuket, but there are a fair number of places which cost from around 15 US per night. Several hotels offer adequate rooms at these prices in Phuket city, and others are located inland some distance from the beaches in the tourist centres along Phuket's west coast.

Bangtao Lagoon Bungalows
Bangtao Lagoon Bungalows
(66) 7632 4260
60 rooms

Thought the interior décor of the bungalows lacks appeal, their location in a grove of ironwoods next to the 6km beach of Bangthao makes the 20 to 75 dollars per night charged for this place seem most reasonable. There is a pool as well.

Friendship Beach Bungalow Resort
Friendship Beach Bungalow Resort
(66) 7628 8996
30 rooms

This is a quiet resort on a less impressive beach on the southeast coast of Phuket. A friendly atmosphere prevails at this resort, which consists of a garden, pool, bar and restaurant behind the relatively narrow sandy beach on this sheltered section of Phuket coastline. The rooms are in rows of one-floor buildings at back

Full Moon Village & Resort
(66) 7633 0980
15 rooms

Located on Tai Na road inland from the Kata Center, the resort has a comfortable restaurant on the main street, and its bungalows in back are built around a small garden and a swimming pool. It is no more than fifteen minutes at most on foot from either Kata or Karon Beaches.

Kamala Coco Hut
Kamala Coco Hut
(66) 7638 5858
22 rooms

The rooms are located in a mix of small single-floor buildings in a coconut grove less than two minutes walk from Kamala Beach and only a few minutes walk along the beach to restaurants and bars of Ban Kamala.

Thalang Guesthouse
(66) 7621 4225
12 rooms

This guesthouse is in the middle of Old Phuket, a conservation area that preserves the atmosphere of the old Straits Chinese emporia of Penang and Melaka (Malacca). There are quite a number of other, relatively inexpensive, places to stay in Phuket City. It is easy to make day trips to west coast beaches.

How can I find these other places?

For visitors who arrive in the high season and are uncertain of finding a room, go to Phuket City first. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has an office at 73-75 Krabi Road in downtown Phuket (66) 7621 2213. Their English speaking staff will be able to advise on places to stay at any budget. A huge amount of data for Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi is also available at www.phukettourism.org. Information for this website, meanwhile, is complied from Exploring Phuket, Ph Phi and the Andaman Coast of Thailand, Odyssey Books, forthcoming early 2007.