Travelling with children on Phuket is easy by car — provided the child seat is arranged in advance and the day’s route keeps drives short.
Car seats
- Thai law does not mandate child seats the way EU law does, but a rental company can and should supply one on request.
- Ask when booking, not on arrival: the right size for your child’s weight is not always in stock.
- Rear-facing for infants, forward-facing with a harness for toddlers, booster for older children.
- Check the installation yourself before leaving — the seat should not move more than a couple of centimetres at the belt path.
Routes that work with children
- Short hops: Kata Noi, Nai Harn and Bang Tao all have parking within a short walk of the sand.
- Aquariums and indoor options: useful for the middle of the day when the sun is strongest.
- Avoid the Kamala–Patong hill in the evening; the traffic and the gradient are a bad combination with a tired child.
- Keep drives under 30 minutes where possible; the island is small enough that you rarely need more.
Practical kit
- Sunshades for the rear windows — the island sun is strong even on cloudy days.
- Water and snacks in the car; roadside options are plentiful but not always where you need them.
- A towel over the seat if you are coming back from the beach wet.
- Never leave a child in a parked car, even for a few minutes: interior temperatures climb fast.
Tell us the ages when you book and we will fit the seats before the handover, so the first drive is the one to the hotel and not to a shop.
