Short answer
A metered taxi in Phuket charges 50 baht for the first 2 km, then 12 baht per km up to 15 km and 10 baht per km after that, plus 100 baht if picked up at the airport; those official rates date from 2014 and were still in force when The Phuket News checked in April 2023. Taxis without a meter, including tuk-tuks, charge agreed prices that officials call open to negotiation, and a travellers' wiki puts a minimum tuk-tuk fare at 200 baht. Grab has no fare table: the price is shown in the app.
The meter: 50 baht for 2 km, then 12 baht a kilometre
The official metered rates in Phuket are older than most visitors realise. On 1 April 2023 The Phuket News reported a notice from the Phuket Info Center that repeated a Ministry of Transport announcement in force since 17 August 2014: 50 baht flat for the first 2 km, 12 baht per km from 2 to 15 km, and 10 baht per km beyond 15 km. If the taxi is stuck or moving slower than 5 km/h, 1 baht a minute is added.
Two extras sit on top. Being picked up at Phuket International Airport adds a flat 100 baht, and ordering through a call centre adds 50 baht. The notice applied to taxis registered in Phuket. The report says the rates had not changed in nine years and that they still exceeded Bangkok's, and we found no newer announcement as of October 2026.
What the meter should read for common trips
Apply the formula to some distances, as our own arithmetic rather than quoted fares. A trip of about 5 km comes to roughly 86 baht (50 plus 3 km at 12). A trip of 10 km is about 146 baht. A trip of 20 km is about 256 baht (50, plus 13 km at 12, plus 5 km at 10). Real meters step in small increments and add time charges, so expect the result to differ a little.
These numbers are a yardstick. If a driver quotes 400 baht for a trip you can measure at 5 km on your map, the meter formula says something is off, and you can ask for the meter. If the quote is fair, you have lost nothing by checking. Wikivoyage's Patong page notes that for longer distances metered taxis are generally cheaper than the unmetered ones.
Only yellow-plate taxis have meters
Not every taxi in Phuket is allowed to use a meter, and not every taxi is required to. In May 2023 The Phuket News reported the Phuket Land Transport Office's explanation of three types, told apart by licence plate. Yellow-plate cars must use certified meters and may pick up anywhere on the island, including by app. Green-plate cars are non-metered and work for hotels, tour companies and designated pick-up points; they may not pick up from the roadside.
White-plate cars, often called black taxis, may be used legally in one case only: when the driver takes orders exclusively through a certified app and the car is registered with the office. The report quotes the office chief as saying that Grab and Hello Phuket were the only two taxi apps then considered legal. The classification covers ordinary cars; vans and tuk-tuks are outside it.
Fixed-fare taxis follow a list that is negotiable
Green-plate and hotel taxis quote a fixed price for the trip. The Phuket News reported in February 2022 that the governor enacted a list of agreed fares in late October 2021, and that the Phuket Land Transport Office chief admitted the fares were by agreement and open to negotiation. He added that a price could move 50 baht up or down depending on what passenger and driver agree.
We did not find that list in text: it was published as images and a document, so we quote no figures from it. What the reporting establishes is the principle: a fixed fare is a negotiated price, and the metered formula above is the fairest benchmark. When a quote is far above it, ask what the meter would say, or order an app ride and compare.
Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis: agree before you get in
Tuk-tuks in Phuket have no meter. Wikivoyage's Phuket page says the minimum fare is 200 baht, that hiring a tuk-tuk for an hour costs around 200 baht, and that fares typically rise about 50 percent at night. The page is undated, so treat these as a rough guide, not a tariff. Its Patong page adds that the unmetered minivan taxis there typically charge 200 baht for short hops.
Motorbike taxis wear numbered vests, and Wikivoyage says the fare starts from 20 baht for 1 to 2 km, while its Patong page says rides within Patong start around 40 baht and can be hard to find for under 100 baht for any distance you would not walk. Both lines are undated. Settle the price, and the drop-off point, before you get on.
Grab: legal, with a pick-up zone, and no fare table
Grab says on its own site, in a story updated on 1 October 2026, that it set up designated pick-up zones inside Phuket airport with the authorities, and that before it was allowed to operate there travellers had no choice but an airport taxi. The story also lists in-app directions to the pick-up point and international payment options. In 2023 the Phuket Land Transport Office chief named Grab as one of two legal taxi apps on the island.
We found no official fare table for app rides, so the price in the app on the day is the only figure that counts. Use the meter formula as a check: open the app, look at the price for a trip whose distance you know, and compare it with 50 baht plus 12 baht per km. Whether an app ride is cheaper than a metered taxi is something only the screen can tell you on the day.
Cheaper than any taxi: the Smart Bus and the local bus
If your route fits, public transport is far cheaper. The Phuket Smart Bus website lists, in October 2026, 100 baht flat on the Airport, Patong and Rawai line and 50 baht between Bus Terminal 2 and Patong, with children under 6 free, and the same fare for locals and visitors. You can pay with a contactless card, PromptPay QR or cash. A Dragon Line city shuttle is listed as free.
Wikivoyage's Phuket page adds the local songthaew buses: pink ones in Phuket Town at 15 baht, and blue ones to the beaches at 20 to 50 baht depending on distance, running about 7:00 to 18:00. That page is undated, so confirm on the day. The trade-off is time and fixed stops: if you have luggage, small children or a late arrival, a taxi or an app ride is the practical answer.
When a tour is simpler than hiring a taxi
If your plan is to see the island's main sights in a morning, a taxi means negotiating the route, the waiting time and the return price with a driver. Our Phuket half-day city tour is from $25 per person and covers Karon Viewpoint, the Big Buddha, Wat Chalong and Phuket Old Town in about 4 to 5 hours, with an air-conditioned car or minivan and an English-speaking driver or guide from your hotel.
Entrance fees or donations, lunch and drinks are paid on the day, and many city tours in Phuket include a short shopping stop, so ask us whether your date does. It does not replace a taxi for your evenings or beach days. See the tour schedule, our city tour price guide, and the airport transfer guide for the 35 km trip to Patong.
Practical checklist
- Before you get in a taxi, ask for the meter; if there is none, agree the total and the drop-off first.
- Work out the meter figure yourself: 50 baht for 2 km, then 12 baht per km up to 15 km, plus 100 baht at the airport.
- Open Grab and compare its price with the formula before accepting a fixed quote.
- At night, agree tuk-tuk and motorbike-taxi prices before you board.
- Take a receipt or note the licence plate, which Wikivoyage says helps if you need to complain or find lost property.
- Use the Smart Bus or a local bus only if your route and luggage fit.
Questions and answers
How much is a metered taxi in Phuket?
The official rates are 50 baht for the first 2 km, 12 baht per km to 15 km and 10 baht per km after that, plus 100 baht from the airport and 50 baht for a call-centre booking. They date from 17 August 2014.
Do Phuket taxis use a meter?
Only yellow-plate taxis must. Green-plate taxis are non-metered and work for hotels and tour companies, and tuk-tuks have no meter, so their prices are agreed with the driver.
Is Grab legal in Phuket?
Yes. The Phuket Land Transport Office chief named Grab as one of two legal taxi apps in 2023, and Grab says it has a designated pick-up zone inside the airport.
How much is a tuk-tuk in Phuket?
A travellers' wiki puts the minimum fare at 200 baht and says fares rise about 50 percent at night. The page is undated, and tuk-tuks have no meter, so agree the price before you board.
Can I negotiate a fixed taxi fare in Phuket?
Yes. The Phuket Land Transport Office chief said in 2022 that the governor's list of fares was by agreement, open to negotiation, and could move 50 baht up or down.
What is the cheapest way from Phuket airport to Patong?
The Phuket Smart Bus, at a flat 100 baht per person on the Airport, Patong and Rawai line, according to the operator. Our airport transfer guide compares it with taxis and Grab.