Getting cash from Credit/Debit Cards
VISA and Mastercard works fine in the ATM machines you'll find everywhere in Patong and Karon beach. You can also get money from the exchange booths, but why should you when you have ATMs?

Exchange
The rates at exchange booths of major banks are pretty good but avoid these at the hotels or airport, they give you bad rates. You will get the best rates if you withdraw cash from ATM machines, but it also depends on what fee's your bank charge, so you should withdraw larger amounths rather than small amounts.

Timezone
Thailand´s timezone is GMT+7, seven hours ahead of GMT/UTC (London). Sweden and central europe belongs to GMT+1. Thus, when 16:00 in Phuket the time is 10:00 in Sweden and 09:00 in London.

Thai Calendar
The official year in Thailand is reckoned from 543 BC, the beginning of the Buddhist Era. Year 2005 is equal to 2548 in Thailand.

Electricity
220v, 50 Hz. The wall electrical outlets are usually of the round, two pole type or two flat type. Some outlets accept both. What I've seen thais mostly use the flat type and in hotels there are often the type that accept both. It's easy to find adapters in electronic shops for any international plug shape.

Video System
The video format is the same as in europe; PAL, 50 hz.
(Except France, they are using SECAM, a slightly different format.)

Taxes
Value Added Tax is 7% altought this is applied to the manufacturer price, not the retail price.
Hotels often add 7% VAT and a service charge of 10% to your room bill.

Postal rates
Airmail letters are charged 17 Bht to Europe and Australia and 19 Bht to USA. Postcards are charged 12 Bht.

Telephone
Thailand's country code is 66. For international calls it's cheapest to call abroad from CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) offices, often attached to the main post office. Althought there are many internet/email shops that offer telephone/fax services too.

There are two kind of public pay phones in Thailand, the red one is used for local city calls and the blue one for both local and long-distance calls within Thailand.

At bangkok airport you can use your credit card at card phones to make international calls, I am not sure if Phuket airport had such phones.

European GSM cellular phones works fine in Thailand. Local cellular phone numbers begin with area code 01. If you make local calls from your cellular phone, don't forget to put 076 before the number, which is the area code for Phuket.

Internet / email
Internet and email shops are increasing all the time, you can find it in every corner. However, in Phuket they often use dial-up connections and and the traffic can be slow. (The internet connection from Phuket to Bangkok has a limited bandwidth too). These shops often offer other services like printing, scanning and telephone services.

Sample Prices (Patong)
(November, 2005)

Clothing
Clothes are relative inexpensive and take the opportunity to get tailor made clothes at modest prices, but avoid the cheapest ones and those who offer 24 hours service. In my opinion, leave your clothes at home and buy your traveller wardrobe here.