Essential Information, Phuket Thailand

Survival Guide (Introduction)
Essential Information Getting Around Keeping in Touch Weather

Significantly important for travelers to get to know where you wan to go well in order to prepare yourself get things into your plan and get ready for such unpredictable things when it happen.

Visas
Nationals of totally 42 countries are eligible to travel to Thailand, for tourism purpose, with the exemption of visa and are permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 30 days. This means you do not need a visa.

However, please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months, a round-trip air ticket, and adequate finances equivalent to at least 10,000 Baht per person or 20,000 Baht per family. Otherwise, you may be inconvenienced upon entry into the country.

Furthermore, foreigners who enter the Kingdom under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.

	Hot Line TAT Call Center	1672
	Hospital
	Bangkok Phuket	1719, 076 254421
	Hyperbaric Services	076 342518-9
	Mission Hospital	076 237220-6
	Patong	076 340444, 076 342633
	Phuket International	076 249400
	Vachira	076 211114, 076 217294-8
	Emergencies
	Tourist Police	1155, 076 219878
	Police	191
	Marine Police	076 215 438
	Fire	199
	Diving Medicine Center	1719
	Phuket Immigration	076 221905

	Airasia Tel: 02 515 9999	www.airasia.com
	Bangkok Airways Tel: 076 225 033-5	www.bangkokair.com
	Dragon Air Tel: 076 215 734	www.dragonair.com
	Nok Air Tel: 02 900 9955	www.nokair.com
	Phuket International Airpor Tel: 076 327 230-7	www.phuketairportonline.com
	Silk Air Tel: 076 213 891	www.silkair.com
	Thai Airways International Tel: 076 212 946	www.thaiairways.com

	Austria	076 248334-6
	Finland	076 215585
	France	076 288828
	German	076 354199
	Italy	076 381792
	Morocco	076 219881-2
	Sweden	076 327006
	United States	076 342270

The Thai unit of currency is the baht (THB) which is sub-divided into 100 satang. Note are in denominations of grey 1,000, purple 500, red 100, blue 50, green 20 and brown 10 baht (seldom to be seen) and there are 6 different values of coin in use; 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 baht, new launched 2 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht.

* Good for you to know that should not to step on a baht banknote (or coin) or show any rude sign to it, because it means you are showing your disrespectfulness to His Majesty the King. 

Major currency bills and Travelers’ cheques are cashed easily at hotels, tourist shops, all provincial banks, shopping centers and money changers. Travelers’ cheques are best changed in banks (passport needed). Rates of exchange at banks or authorized money changers are better than those at hotels and department stores.

Any amount of foreign currency may be brought into the country. Visitors may take
foreign currency out of Thailand, but no more than the amount stated in the customs declaration made on arrival. Travelers leaving Thailand may take out no more than 50,000 baht per person in Thai currency.

Credit cards are broadly accepted in Thailand.

VAT Refunds: Visitors entering the Kingdom on a tourist visa are allowed to refund of the 7% VAT on goods purchased at participated retail outlets.

	For credit card lost contacts :
	American Express (24 Hrs.)	Mastercard Center (COLLECT CALL)
	Diners Club / Citicorp (24 Hrs.)
	JCB Card (24 Hrs.)	Siam Commercial Bank (SCB)
	Credit Card Issued by SCB Worldwide	Visa Center (24 Hrs.) 001-800-11-887-0663, 100-1-314-542-7-111 (02) 273-55 44 (02) 238- 3660 (02) 256-2842, 255-1525 001-800-0009-0009 (02) 544-1398 (24 Hrs.) (02) 256-7324-9
	For Travelers’ Cheque lost contacts
	American Express (24 Hrs.)	(02) 273-5500
	Citicorp	(02) 232-2039, 232-3391
	Thomas Cook (Mon. – Fri. 08:30-17:00 Hrs.)	(02) 679-5521-3
	Thomas Cook (24 Hrs.)	001-733-318-950
	Westpac	(02) 231-0011-4, 61-2-226-2364
	Visa Center	001-800-11-342-0662, 100-441-719-378-091

Thailand Standard Time is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+7) and does not operate Daylight-Saving Time. This is applied throughout the country including Phuket.

Official Hours in Thailand is Monday-Friday 8.30-16.30
Banking Hours is Monday-Friday 8.30-15.30; notice that banks in some main shopping malls are now open for most business on Saturdays as well.
Opening Hours for Shopping malls, department stores and supermarkets usually open at around 10:00 a.m. and close at around 9:00 p.m. seven days a week. Still have many brands convenience stores operate extended hours throughout the country. For pub, bar, discotheque and this kind of business are allowed under the laws to open overnight until 01.00 in next the morning.

Electricity                                 

Thailand whole country’s electric current is 220 volts, 50 hertz (cycles). Though many sockets accept both round and flat-pin plugs, bringing adaptors is recommended.

Customs in Thailand

Tipping: Tipping is not a normal practice in Thailand, though it is becoming more common. Most hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill. Taxi drivers do not require a tip, but the gesture is appreciated.

Bargaining: Fixed prices are the norm in department stores, but at most other places bargaining is to be expected. Generally, you can obtain a final figure of between 10-40% lower than the original asking price. Much depends on your skills and the shopkeeper's mood. But remember, Thais appreciate good manners and a sense of humor. With patience and a broad smile, you will not only get a better price, you will also enjoy shopping as an art.