Phuket airport bus services pared back, full service to resume in August

PHUKET: The operator of the recently launched Airport Express bus has suspended some services, but expects to return to the full schedule next month.

The Airport Express bus, operating a “hop on, hop off” service between Phuket International Airport and Patong, launched last Friday to little fanfare (story here).

Since then, the dwindling volume of passengers has forced the operator to suspend the early morning run from Patong and the two night services from the airport.

“The bus stop was simply too dark in the evening. There was no light there,” Prakob Panyawai, the owner of the bus company, told the Phuket Gazette.

“Also, there were no signs pointing to the bus stop, which meant tourists did not know where the bus stop was located,” he added.

The airport authority has been notified of the problems and requested to install appropriate lights and signs, Mr Prakob said.

“We expect everything to be finalized by the end of August, and at that time we will reinstate the original evening schedule,” he explained.

The first run from Patong, departing at 8am, was also cancelled because there were no customers at that time.

“We will start to pick up passengers in Patong at 10am instead,” Mr Prakob said.

“We strongly believe we don’t have many passengers at present because it is the [tourism] low season, but we have high hopes and expectations for the high season,” he said.

“We are working hard to promote the service via radio, newspapers, department-store publicity and the internet,” Mr Prakob said.

For more details of the new bus service, including times and fares, visit PhuketAirportBusExpress.com.

— Irfarn Jamdukor