Phuket International Airport (HKT)

Phuket International Airport operates under Thailand's strict national smoking ban, which took effect on 3 February 2019 across all six Airports of Thailand (AOT) managed airports. Smoking is completely prohibited inside all terminal buildings, both before and after security. The only legal option is to use the designated outdoor smoking areas at ground floor level, outside the terminals.

Before Security

The only place you can legally smoke at HKT is in the designated outdoor smoking areas on the ground floor, outside the terminal buildings. These are landside spots accessible before you check in or after you exit arrivals. No specific signage details or exact locations have been widely documented by travelers, but they are positioned outside the main terminal entrances.

• Smoking is permitted only in these marked outdoor zones.

• You must exit the terminal building entirely to reach them.

• Security staff actively patrol and will reprimand anyone smoking outside of the designated areas, including near terminal entrances or drop-off zones.

After Security

There are no smoking facilities of any kind after security, in either the domestic or international departures areas. This has been confirmed by multiple traveler reports:

• A traveler confirmed in October 2017 that the domestic terminal had no post-security smoking areas.

• February 2019: confirmed no smoking room in the international departures area.

• January 2023: a traveler confirmed again that the international terminal has no smoking facilities inside, and noted that security staff were actively reprimanding people who attempted to smoke outside of designated zones, though no fines were witnessed being issued on that occasion.

If you are departing on an international flight, plan to smoke before you enter the terminal and go through security, as there is no way to smoke once you are airside.

Vaping Rules

Vaping, heat-not-burn products, and e-cigarettes are banned at AOT airports, consistent with Thailand's broader national restrictions on these products. Do not attempt to vape inside or outside the terminal.

Transit and Layovers

If you are transiting through HKT and are already past security, there is no smoking option available to you inside the airport. You would need to exit the secure zone, smoke in the outdoor designated area landside, and re-clear security, which may not be possible depending on your transit arrangement.

Bottom Line

Smoke before you enter the terminal at the outdoor ground-floor designated zones; once you are past security at HKT, there is nowhere to smoke, and vaping is banned throughout the airport.