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Thailand's Currency is the Thai Baht, and the exchange rate towards
the US$ is around 40 Baht for 1 US$. Commercial banks, currency
exchanges, ATM Machines and major hotels provide currency exchange
services at Phuket's major beach centers. Credit cards are widely
accepted.
Accommodation
Phuket has many different types of accommodation to choose from.
These range from basic bungalows/guesthouses with fan and approx
5 minutes walk to the beach for $10-15 USD; air-con guesthouses/hotels
for $20-40 USD; and luxury resort hotels from $50 USD and upwards.
Accommodation can be found in all major centers, either with plenty
of night-life or in quiet, secluded bays around the island.
Water
Tap water is not safe for drinking. Drink only bottled water or
from a flask supplied by the hotel. Water provided in restaurants
is safe for drinking, but avoid all shaved or crushed ice particularly
from roadside fruit venders.
Food
Few places in the world can provide the quality and variety of
food available here in Phuket. You can choose between local Thai
restaurants and every kind of Western/European cuisine. Thai food
in Phuket, and throughout southern Thailand, is heavily influenced
by the bountiful harvest of fresh seafood from the Andaman Sea.
Seafood served southern style is unique, likely to be barbecued,
and employs numerous herbs and spices, garlic, lemon grass, chilies,
mint, cumin, basil, coriander, and shrimp paste.
Thais love to eat, and you will rarely be more than five minutes
from a place serving food. The most common Thai eating place is
a roadside hawker food stall. A local Thai will have a favorite
hawker food stall for just about every different type of Thai food.
Some may look a little shabby by western standards, but a visitor
with a little sense of adventure will discover some of the tastiest
and most inexpensive food ever eaten. To locate a good hawker stall
watch where the Thais eat and join them.
During your stay in Thailand it is recommended that you eat Thai
food as often as possible. Thais are justifiably proud of their
food. It is always made from fresh ingredients, usually purchased
from the market that day and is sure be well prepared.
Most Thai food is not spicy or hot. The condiments and sauces served
with your meal (mostly for dipping food into) can be very hot and
spicy. Simply control the use of these and you will generally be
able to enjoy a wide array of Thai food and not have an unpleasant
experience.
Fruit
Phuket Island is a tropical fruit version of heaven. Every day
all year long a variety of sweet succulent delicious fruits are
in season and ready for you to enjoy. Thais traditionally finish
a meal with a serving of fruit and save the sweeter Thai desserts
for snacking between meals. Many tropical fruits are grown right
here on Phuket Island.
- Pineapple - Pineapple grown here is famous
throughout Thailand for being particularly sweet and crunchy and
is a major export product.
- Rambutan - a cute, small red oval fruit with
hair. On your first encounter you may not know if you should eat
it or pet it; but inside is a sweet taste treat that is unfortunately
too fragile for export.
- Bananas - small and sweet. Available all year.
- Papaya - has a sweet orange flesh and is a
favorite dessert. Like many tropical fruits, it is also eaten
green, served in the famous Som Tam (papaya salad).
- Durian – perhaps the king of tropical
fruits. It has a bit of an odor problem, but definitely is a taste
treat you don’t want to miss. Available in the spring months
only.
- Rose Apples – a bell-shaped, green,
waxy-looking fruit available most of the year, the flesh is sweet
and crunchy - a favorite with children.
- Mango – the national fruit is delicious,
sweet and juicy when ripe, but can also eaten green - dipped into
a blend of sugar, salt and chili.
Postal and Overseas Telephone Services
The Post Office in Patong is on the Beach Road. Upstairs is a overseas
telephone service that is much cheaper than that offered by hotels
and guest houses. The hours are 8 am to 11 pm daily. There are two
post offices in Phuket Town. The largest is located on Montri Road
and the branch is on Yaowarat Road behind the market square. There
is also a smaller post office on Kata Beach and Chalong.
Medical Facilities
Phuket Town has three modern hospitals that offer 24-hour emergency
medical services with patient transfer services to larger hospitals
located in Bangkok and Hat Yai. In addition, Phuket hospitals are
linked to the SOS International for medical assisted homeward flights.
Most hotels and guest houses are linked with a 24-hour medical service.
Ambulance services are available if needed. In Patong the Kathu
Hospital has nurses available to treat minor medical ailments and
a ambulance service for more serious medical conditions.
Tourist Police
Are there to assure your visit is as safe and pleasant as possible.
Tourist Police stations are located in the major tourist areas of
the island, in Patong the police office is located in the middle
of the beach at the intersection of the Beach Road and Soi Bangla.
Most tourist police speak English and a few will speak Japanese
other European languages. If you become involved in a dispute during
your stay and do not feel you are being treated fairly, hold your
ground and call for the Tourist Police. That, in many cases, will
be enough to resolve the issue. The tourist police are very familiar
with all the local scams, and the operators who run them.
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