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General Information
Time Zone
Thailand time is GMT + 7 hours
Language
Thai is the offical language, with English being widely spoken in the main tourist areas, with German to a lesser extent.
Additional languages are spoken in various restaurants and bars, much depending upon the nationality of the bar owner/operator.
Currency
The Thai Baht is the only official currency, although US Dollars and GB Pounds are sometimes accepted by various establishments and Bureau de Change
locations are widespread.
There are 100 Satangs to 1 Baht, with Baht notes in denominations of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10.
Check for daily exchange rates. Currently, as a rule of thumb, calculate TB40 to 1 USD,
TB70-75 to 1 GB Pound and TB50 to 1Euro.
ATM's are now available all over the place and Visa is probably the most widely used
credit card.
Duty Free
Per Passenger allowance for duty free items on arrival in Thailand is:-
200 cigarettes
250 grams tobacco or cigars
1 litre of spirits
Business Hours
Banks are mostly open Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. Offices also work a minimum of 5 days from around 9-9.30 am to 5 pm, depending upon the
nature of the business. Shops vary greatly but many open 12 hours every day and some operate 24/7.
Electricity
The power system is 220-240 volts, 50 cycles, with a mixture of plug sockets from everywhere! Bring your adaptors!
Tsunami
Being located within the Gulf of Thailand, Samui was not affected at all by the Tsunami, protected from the sea surge by
the mainland. Take a look at the Pacific Disaster Centre historical atlas information map and you will see that Samui
has not been physically affected by any natural disaster. Click on "Launch Atlas" and home in on Samui to see a clear illustration covering data for Tsunami, Earthquakes,
Tropical Storms and Volcanoes activity.
Visas
Many countries now have arrangements with Thailand that simplify the holiday entry process. All that is generally required is sufficient
money, a passport with at least 6 months validity on arrival and a return or onward ticket. Read our Visa Page
for additional detail from the Government and please ensure that you always check for the latest information, just in case it has changed.
When arriving Internationally keep your
original boarding card-immigration usually ask for it.
Weather
The climate is Tropical with variations North to South, East to West.
Samui does not really have a proper monsoon season, just a time when it is much more likely to rain!
It is always warm to hot and is predominantly humid. When it rains, which is usually often, it is warm but can be a real downpour. Most likely
it will be over and done with fairly quickly, but not always.
Storm activity around and about, generally at night, produces some spectacular scenes, especially if you have a view over the sea!
Check out some interesting statistics on our Weather Links page.
Clothing
As you would expect, lightweight cotton fabrics are the most comfortable. You may need a light jumper or jacket in the evening during the cooler season,
or at higher altitudes. It can rapidly become cold out at sea if the weather becomes inclement.
The Thais appreciate style
and interaction with Government officials is better done when you are properly dressed. A few establishments may insist on jackets and ties
but smarter casual is the preferred norm in many places.
Neat, more conservative dress is expected when entering temples. It is common sense
really that when you leave the beach it is usually better to leave the beach clothes behind.
Festivals and Holidays
Check out our Holidays & Festivals page for a run down of events for 2006.
Any questions? Just ask!
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