Phuket Taxi Apps 2026: inDrive vs. Grab & Bolt Guide

My Review of the inDrive Taxi App in Phuket

If you're planning a trip to Phuket, there's one app you'll definitely want to install beforehand.

It's called inDrive.

When you think of taxi apps in Southeast Asia, Grab usually comes to mind first. But in Phuket, where transportation can be pricey, I found inDrive to be the most affordable option!

When I actually used it for hotel transfers, I noticed

it was much cheaper than Grab or Bolt,

and long-distance rides were even more affordable than short ones.

However, for airport to hotel transfers, a dedicated airport pickup service is usually the cheapest.

For those of you getting ready for your trip,

I've put together a guide on how to use inDrive and what to watch out for.

✍️ LaidBack Travel Writer, Nanna

Watch the Video First!

Comparing Taxi Apps in Phuket, Thailand: Grab, Bolt, and inDrive

Grab is probably the most familiar app for anyone traveling in Southeast Asia.

Phuket Airport even has designated Grab pickup spots, which is super convenient for first-time visitors. But honestly, the fares aren't the cheapest, so I don't really recommend it for rides. It's become so popular that prices have gone up, and now I mostly just use it for food delivery.

Bolt is often seen as Grab's rival, and its fares are generally lower.

However, at Phuket Airport, cars can't enter the terminal's inner pickup area, so you might have to go outside to meet your driver, which can make it a bit tricky to use. Plus, its fares are still higher than inDrive's.

On the upside, if you register your payment card with Grab & Bolt,

your payment is processed automatically once a ride is accepted, so you don't need cash.

inDrive is a unique ride-hailing app where users propose their desired fare, and drivers can either accept it or make a counter-offer. Essentially, it's a negotiation-based taxi app!

I pretty much exclusively used this app, and whenever I compared it to other services, it was significantly cheaper. Sometimes, the difference was even more than ~$7! However, cash payment is the norm, and you have to negotiate the fare with the driver. So, during peak hours or in areas with limited transport options, it might come with a little extra stress.

How to Install and Use inDrive

You need to install inDrive and complete SMS verification *before* you even leave your home country (e.g., Korea). While it's still possible to do it upon arrival if you have an eSIM that allows you to receive texts from your home country, it's definitely less hassle to do it in advance!

Also, sometimes the driver's location might not perfectly match yours at the pickup point.

They might call or message you,

so it's a good idea to have an eSIM with reliable internet connectivity.

MyRealTrip has currently launched a product called 'MySIM',

and they're offering fantastic discounts.

It includes 24-hour customer service,

and free usage of Google Maps, ChatGPT, and Gemini,

so if you haven't bought an eSIM yet, grab one at this special promotional price!

👉 [ Get your Thailand eSIM at a discount here! ]

The way you hail a ride is pretty similar to Kakao Taxi (a popular Korean ride-hailing app).

However, while entering your origin and destination is the same,

the process afterward – where you propose your desired fare and accept offers – is different.

There's a set minimum fare for calls,

and no matter how much you specify,

it's common for drivers to propose a higher amount.

If you're not careful and just hit 'accept,' you might end up paying more than you need to!

You'll see 'Cash' written there, right?

So, you'll need to have cash ready.

If many drivers agree to your proposed fare,

you can choose from them.

As you can see in the screen above,

you can check how much different drivers are asking for,

how many minutes they'll take to arrive,

their ratings, number of rides, and vehicle type.

From the list, I chose the driver with a perfect 5-star rating at the top.

For a journey that actually took over an hour, 242 THB is like ~$7. What a steal!

This driver was so incredibly friendly,

that I ended up giving them 260 THB.

My Review and Tips for Hailing Taxis for Hotel Transfers in Phuket

Here are my past inDrive rides.

You can see that I've both hailed rides and canceled them, right?

I've taken rides for segments shorter than 5 minutes,

hailed motorbike taxis,

and even traveled distances over an hour long.

The car conditions were all fantastic, except for just one time,

and the drivers were great too, except for just one.

Most drivers have ratings of 4.9 or higher, so if you see anything lower, be wary!

From Navatara Phuket Hotel, near Rawai Beach,

to Kantary Bay Hotel in Panwa Beach,

it took almost an hour, but the cost was only 242 Baht.

That's less than ~$7, so it's super cheap, right?

(If I had called a Grab, it would have been over double that, at 450 Baht!)

On the other hand, from Veranda Resort to Aiyara Beach, which takes about 5 minutes,

it took less than 5 minutes and cost 119 Baht.

It seemed like you couldn't set the fare lower than that amount.

The toughest leg of my journey was

when I moved from Panwa Beach to Mandarava Resort.

(Since this area doesn't have many tourists, there aren't many taxis either.)

Right from the start, drivers were quoting prices almost

100 Baht higher than what I wanted, so I kept canceling and re-calling,

it was almost a battle of wills, haha!

It took me over 30 minutes just to negotiate the fare.

I got stubborn and finally succeeded in getting a ride for 296 Baht,

but the car and the driver, as mentioned earlier, weren't great.

It took over an hour, and since ~$9 was cheap,

I was going to give him more money, but the driver was so unfriendly,

I only gave him exactly 300 Baht.

Otherwise, I always set the minimum fare when requesting a ride,

accepted a slightly higher price than that,

and gave the driver extra change when I got off.

Also, Check inDrive Cash Payments and Exact Change!

If you're wondering how much cash you'll need for your trip to Thailand,

then if you plan to use inDrive, you'll need to prepare cash specifically for taxi fares.

Most drivers here don't accept cards; they only take cash.

Even GLN isn't usable for travelers since it's for personal accounts.

And here's another thing,

it feels a bit like a trick, but

the fares don't end in 0; they're like 119, 253, and so on.

We might naturally pay with 120 Baht, 260 Baht, or 300 Baht,

but if you don't specifically ask,

the driver won't offer you the change first (they'll naturally keep it).

Therefore, if possible, make sure you have small change ready

and use it when you get into the car!

Even though I knew inDrive was the cheapest,

when traveling for over an hour,

I always opened Grab and Bolt to check prices,

and seriously, there was a difference of 100 to 400 Baht!

Use inDrive as your first choice,

and if you're worried, I also recommend Bolt.

Phuket Airport Pickup: Taxis Not Recommended

If you've read this far,

you might be thinking you should use this for your ride from Phuket Airport to your hotel,

but

the situation is a bit different there.

While I used ride-hailing apps for moving between hotels and for local trips to restaurants or beaches,

for airport-to-hotel transfers, I used Klook.

When comparing with Grab, Bolt, and inDrive fares,

the airport transfer service I booked was more affordable.

(If you think about it, airport pickups can't be booked on the same day,

so it seems they're targeting customers who couldn't book in advance,

knowing they'll have no choice but to pay higher prices to get a ride.)

Having visited Phuket five times, I've encountered all sorts of situations.

If you take a direct flight to Phuket, you'll arrive at night, won't you?

If you're heading to Khao Lak or Krabi at that time,

you definitely need to book a pickup service.

Even if you're going to Phuket Town (or even a hotel just 5 minutes away),

if you're not planning to take a bus, a pre-booked pickup is cheaper.

Don't waste time and pay extra trying to get a taxi on the spot;

book in advance, just like I did from Korea.

I'll also leave some discount coupons that you can apply depending on the final amount,

so go ahead and register first.

However, these are only valid for use at the links below.

Both Klook and KKDAY are affordable,

so use whichever one you're already signed up for.

➡️ Book your Phuket Airport pickup on Klook

➡️ Book airport pickup on KKDAY

If your discount code isn't working out,

first, double-check that you've used the links above,

or if the discount coupon has expired,

click here to grab the latest codes!

➡️ Latest Klook Discount Codes

➡️ Latest KKDAY Discount Codes

Indriver Taxi: An Essential App for Your Phuket Trip

So, to sum it up:

For hassle-free transfers between the airport and your hotel, make sure to book an online pickup service in advance,

and for getting around locally, just use Indriver to hail a ride,

but always double-check that the fare you input matches the one accepted by the driver.

Unless you absolutely can't find a ride, it's generally more affordable than other apps,

and always have Thai Baht cash ready for your payment!

Check out these helpful tips for your Phuket adventure!

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