Phuket Rental Car and Driving Tour
Phuket Rental Car and Driving Tour

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In this first part of Thailand’s World Class Drives –  Phuket, Samui, Krabi Loop the tour takes you enroute from Phuket to Takua Pa, which is about 134 kilometers north of Phuket.  Renting a car or truck for your Thailand vacation can be very rewarding in that you can control the pace and alter your itinerary to suit your own personal preferences.  Driving in Thailand can be a unique experience in that you will be exposed to many local aspects of the Thailand countryside that most tourists do not have a chance to enjoy.  The Phuket, Samui, Krabi Loop is a highly recommended Southern Thailand driving tour.  Whether touring Thailand by car or motorcycle you are sure to have a rewarding adventure.

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Highlights of the Drive

This drive links Southern Thailand’s two premier island destinations, Phuket and Ko Samui. Section 1 of the drive begins in Phuket and goes north to Takua Pa, passing Khao Lak Lamru National Park and the increasingly popular beach resort of Khao Lak.

From the old provincial district
town of Takua Pa, section 2 trikes eastwards to Surat Thani through one of the most scenic areas along the drive. The route passes Khao Sok National Park, which offers eco-adventure amidst the stunning scenery that characterises the park.

Section 3 begins at Surat Thani, a
bustling provincial capital and harbour, and goes to car-ferry ports serving Ko Samui and Ko Phangan.

From the port linking Ko Samui
and the mainland, Section 4 of the drive passes beach resorts close to Khanom and Sichon on the route south to Nakhon Sri Thammarat, the ancient Buddhist capital of the south. Formerly known as Ligor, the city has much for visitors interested in culture and cuisine.

Heading west from Nakhon Sri
Thammarat to Krabi, section 5 first
passes Khao Luang National Park,
where impressive waterfalls highlight the influence of the 1835m peak on the geography of the area. The drive then continues through rolling backcountry filled with rubber and oil-palm plantations.

The route from Krabi in section 6
once again strikes the march of karst formations which give Phang Nga Bay its spectacular identity. After passing Phang Nga itself, the drive turns south for the final run back to Phuket.


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Road in Thailand

PHUKET-TAKUA PA

SECTION 1 : 134 kms.

Phuket to Takua Pa Road Map
Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 1pointer 1POINTER ONE
Intersection of Thung Khra Rd and Thepkrasatri Rd, Phuket Town. Go north on the main route (H402) out of Phuket City. (see Phuket City detail map)
Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 2pointer 2POINTER TWO
H4022 comes from Ha Yaek Chalong (the fastest route from Kata, Karon, and Rawai beaches) joining H402 from Phuket City. Go North. (see Phuket Island map)
Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 3pointer 3POINTER THREE
H4025 joins H402 from Ban Choeng Talae at the Heroines Monument. Go north. H4027 east passes the National Museum and the Gibbon project.

Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 1pointer 4POINTER FOUR
H4030 from Laguna, Surin and Patong beaches joins H402 at the intersection with traffic lights in Thalang. Go north. The road east goes to Ton Sai Falls in the Khao Phra Taeo National Park

KM40 left turn on H402 (old road) to the Sirinath National Park and local restaurants at Mai Kao Beach. Cross the strait on the older Sarasin bridge to rejoin the main highway.
3 kms north of the bridge an east turn offers an alternative route to Phang Nga Bay for via Khlong Kian. A west turn takes you to local coastal roads via Dusit Hot Springs, Bo Dan Beach and Thung Sai beaches to the district town(amphoe) of Thai Muang.
Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 5pointer 5POINTER FIVE
H4 KM7. H402 joins H4 – the Petchkasem Highway – at Ban Khok Khloi. The highway goes north to Takua Pa and east to Phang Nga. Go north at Ban Khok Kloi if following the route in the order laid out in this guide.

Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 6pointer 6POINTER SIX
KM24 Thai Muang. Go north (right) at the lights on main highway. The road west leads to the beach and Hat Thai Muang Lam Phi National Park HQ.

KM32-33 Lamphi Falls. Right turn 2 kms.
Phuket Island Map
Phuket City Map

Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 7pointer 7POINTER SEVEN
H4 KM39. H4 bypasses Ban Thung Maphrao and the turn off on H4240 east. H4240 offers a shorter alternative inland route via Kapong to Khao Sok National Park, missing Khao Lak and Takua Pa (see Kapong Area map and section 2. Fill up with gas before taking this route).

KM51-52 Left (west) turn for Thap Lamu, the starting point for boat trips (usually booked in Phuket) to the Similan Islands. One-day trips to the Similans are available starting at 07:30 am from Met Sine Travel & Tour, Thap Lamu Tel: (0) 7644 3276
KM53-54. Left turn to Poseidon Bungalows $ – offers three-day live-aboard boat tours to the Similan for snorkelling. Tel: (0) 7644 3258. www.similantour.nu
KM56 Khao Lak Lamru National Park Headquarters (offers inexpensive huts, a day-hike into the forest to Chong Fah Falls and a pleasant restaurant in a shady grove overlooking the sea).
Phuket, Krabi & Samui Loop Section 1 Pointer 8pointer 8POINTER EIGHT
Follow the highway left at the traffic lights in Takua Pa by the Phra Narai (Vishnu) monument (see detail map). Right on H4032 goes to Ban Talat Takua Pa, a small, sleepy market that was a former centre for tin-mining.
ACCOMMODATION
• Khao Lak Bayfront Resort. (H4. KM57-58)
Tel: (0) 7642 0111-17.
E-mail <khaolak@cscoms.com>
• Khao Lak Palm Beach Resort.
Tel: (0) 7642 0099-102.
E-mail<khaolakpalmbeach@png.co.th>
• Khao Lak Laguna Resort
Tel: (0) 7642 0200-4
• Nangthong Bay Resort
Tel: (0) 7642 0088-9 Fax: (0) 7642 0090
• Khao Lak Bungalows (H4 KM58-59)
Tel: (0) 7642 0144-5 Fax (0) 1270 1804 & Phuket Divers (0) 7642 0266
E-mail <phuketdiverskhaolak@phg.a-net.net.th>
• Similana Resort (H4 KM70-71)
Tel: (0) 7642 0166-8
E-mail <similana@png.a-net.net.th>
• Bangsak Beach Resort, Bang Sak (H4 KM76-77)Tel: (0) 7644 6520
E-mail <annemathuros@hotmail.com>
Takua Pa Map



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