Just a note on that slim chance Todd, every time I've traveled to Phuket from Khaolak on the public bus (both the local one and the ones from chumpon and suratthani, I've had my I'd (passport) checked at the Sarasin checkpoint.
Thanks Ivan. I was just checking I'm not missing anything. I've lost count count how many times friends have been caught out by one public holiday or another.