Many long-haul travellers reach Phuket via a connection through Bangkok, given the smaller number of direct long-haul routes into Phuket itself.
Bangkok's two airports
Bangkok has two international airports — Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang — served by different airline alliances and route networks. Confirm which airport each leg of your journey uses, since a same-airport connection is straightforward but a cross-airport connection requires a longer transfer and separate ground transport.
Minimum layover times
For a same-airport connection, airlines typically set a minimum connection time that accounts for immigration and security if needed — for an international-to-international transfer this is often manageable in under two hours, though building in extra buffer during peak travel periods is safer than cutting it close.
Cross-airport connections
Moving between Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang involves a road transfer of roughly an hour depending on traffic — a same-day cross-airport connection needs considerably more buffer time than a same-airport transfer, and a short layover here is genuinely risky.
Stopover options
Given Bangkok's flight network, some travellers deliberately build in a multi-day Bangkok stopover before continuing to Phuket — worth considering if your ticket and schedule allow it, rather than treating Bangkok purely as a transit point.