Kata and Karon are two west-facing beaches south of Patong over the hill, separated by a headland.
Cars are rented at the airport and driven down, or delivered to whatever address you give in Kata or Karon. Kata and Karon have no fixed collection point of their own, so the supplier comes to your hotel, villa or apartment at a time you agree, and Kata and Karon sit close enough together on the list of collection points that a car delivered to one is a short drive from the other. Both are the same booking. What is on offer and what it costs are shown live in the search, in Thai baht, with the deposit and mileage terms on each car.
01
When should you book for Kata and Karon?
Phuket's high season runs from roughly November to April and January is the peak of it. What is available thins noticeably in that window and the cars left late are the expensive ones. If you are coming in January, book between October and December.
Some cars here carry free cancellation under the rental terms and some do not, and it is marked individually on each one rather than being a blanket policy. If your dates might move, filter for it and take a car that has it.
02
The roads through Chalong and towards Patong
Getting to Kata from the airport means the road through Chalong and then up and over into Karon, and getting from Kata to Patong over the hill means a second climb. Both are steep and both are busy.
Nearly everything available on Phuket is automatic. If you want a manual, filter for it; the choice is small.
You do not need extra power for these roads; choosing a car for Phuket depends more on passengers and luggage. A small engine pulls the hills with two people aboard. With a fully loaded car, use a lower gear coming down into Kata rather than riding the brakes the whole way.
Cars for Kata and Karon, on your dates
378 cars listed for this pickup point today, from ฿331 a day, each stating its own deposit, mileage and delivery terms.
03
Where do you park at Kata and Karon?
Confirm your hotel has parking before you book the car, and confirm it in writing. On the street, yellow and white kerb markings mean no parking and red and white mean no stopping at all.
Kata Noi is a small beach at the end of a dead-end road, so go early or go late, and do not park on the approach road where it narrows.
Before you pick a car
The deposit is set per car
About 5% of the cars listed today are taking no deposit at all. Where a deposit applies, check its amount and payment requirements on the listing before you pay.
Cancellation is per car
About 15% of today's listings allow free cancellation. It is set on the car rather than across the board, so the terms are on the listing you choose.
You can finish somewhere else
The daily rate does not change on a one-way; the difference sits in the delivery and return charge, and it is set at the search stage rather than on the day.
How the car reaches you
You can collect at the airport or arrange delivery to your address. Check the available pickup options and delivery price for the car you choose.
04
The south of the island from Kata
Nai Harn is twenty minutes from Kata over the hill, with a lake behind the beach. Rawai is another ten minutes round the corner and is where the longtail boats leave from.
Promthep Cape at the very bottom is twenty minutes from Kata and is a sunset viewpoint. The windmill viewpoint is just before it.
Phuket Town is inland, through Chalong. The Big Buddha sits on the ridge above Chalong, reached by a steep six-kilometre climb, about half an hour from Kata.
FAQ
Renting a car in Kata and Karon
Answers on when to book, the hills and parking in Kata and Karon.
October to December. January is Phuket's busiest month and what is available thins noticeably, so the cars left late tend to be at the expensive end.
Some do, and it is marked on each car individually rather than applying across the board. If your plans might change, filter for it and pick a car that carries it.
Yes. The climbs into Karon and over to Patong are steep but short, and a small automatic handles them fine with two people aboard. Use a lower gear on the descents rather than riding the brakes.
Yes. Set Kata or Karon as the pickup point when you search and the supplier meets you at your hotel at the agreed time. The paperwork is the same as an airport collection.
Kata Noi sits at the end of a dead-end road, so go early or late, and do not park on the approach road where it narrows. On the street, yellow and white kerb markings mean no parking and red and white mean no stopping at all.
See what is free while you are reading
Rates, deposits and mileage terms sit on each car in Kata and Karon, in Thai baht, before anything is paid.
Check dates and prices →