<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2017-06-01</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001269021</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>PORTOLA PHARMACEUTICALS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PTLA</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001512375</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Maxwell (Mauritius) Pte Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O CIM CORPORATE SERVICES LTD.,</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>LES CASCADES, EDITH CAVELL ST.</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PORT LOUIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>O4</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>MAURITIUS</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001434871</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Cairnhill Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O CIM CORPORATE SERVICES LTD.,</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>LES CASCADES, EDITH CAVELL ST.</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>PORT LOUIS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>O4</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode></rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>MAURITIUS</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001379348</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Fullerton Management Pte Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>60B ORCHARD ROAD #06-18, TOWER 2</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE ATRIUM@ORCHARD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SINGAPORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>U0</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>238891</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>SINGAPORE</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001021944</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Temasek Holdings (Private) Ltd</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>60B ORCHARD ROAD #06-18, TOWER 2</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>THE ATRIUM@ORCHARD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SINGAPORE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>U0</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>238891</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription>SINGAPORE</rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2017-06-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1700000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>34.40</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4133568</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Maxwell (Mauritius) Pte Ltd (&quot;Maxwell&quot;) owns 4,133,568 shares of the Issuer's common stock (&quot;Shares&quot;) and V-Sciences Investments Pte Ltd (&quot;V-Sciences&quot;) owns 750,000 Shares. Maxwell is wholly owned by Cairnhill Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd, which is wholly owned by Fullerton Management Pte Ltd (&quot;FMPL&quot;). V-Sciences is wholly owned by Temasek Life Sciences Private Limited, which is wholly owned by FMPL. FMPL is wholly owned by Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited. Accordingly, each of FMPL and Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, through the ownership described herein, may be deemed to beneficially own the 4,883,568 Shares owned by Maxwell and V-Sciences, collectively.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: /s/ Rooksana Shahabally, Director, Maxwell (Mauritius) Pte Ltd</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-06-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: /s/ Rooksana Shahabally, Director, Cairnhill Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-06-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: /s/ Cheong Kok Tim, Director, Fullerton Management Pte Ltd</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-06-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>By: /s/ Christina Choo, Authorized Signatory, Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2017-06-05</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
