Tourist Information is available at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s head office in Bangkok, at TAT offices in major cities across the globe, and the TAT counter at Suvarnabhumi Airport. They provide maps, brochures and useful information on tours, shopping, dining and accommodation. Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), Bangkok TAT information offices are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For the TAT Call Centre Bangkok, contact :1672. This number is open from 8:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. From midnight to 8:00 a.m. a voice menu is available, where a fax will be sent to your hotel in answer to your questions. Operators manning the telephone speak English and Thai.

The 24-hour, one-stop Tourist Service Centre has been set up as part of the ongoing efforts by the TAT to help visitors with everything from friendly advice to acting on complaints.

Together with the Tourist Police, TAT has formed a special task force to man the centre.

Establishing this centre is in line with the TAT’s objectives to upgrade service standards for travel throughout the Kingdom while ensuring maximum safety for tourists. The centre also provides general tourist information on destinations, accommodation, shopping tips, festivals, arts and culture.

The centre is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. while Tourist Police assistance is available 24 hours a day.

The Tourist Police was established to coordinate with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to provide safety to tourists. Its responsibilities include receiving and acknowledging claims and complaints, conducting investigations and acting as coordinators of tourist security. There are hundreds of tourist police stationed at major tourist destinations across Thailand including the Grand Palace, Patpong and Lumphini Park in Bangkok.

Bilingual tourist police are affiliated with Tourism Authority of Thailand offices in Bangkok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pattaya, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan, Surat Thani, Phuket and Songkhla to provide assistance to visitors. In case of emergency, please contact the Tourist Police Centre, dial 1155 or website: http://home. tourist.police.net

Most private offices in Bangkok operate on a five-day week, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Government offices are generally open between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Many major malls operate daily from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Banks are open Monday to Friday between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., except on public holidays. Major post offices are open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Most major hotels provide fully equipped business centres for visiting executives. Services customarily include secretarial work, typing, photocopying, and fax facilities, conference rooms, libraries and internet access.

Travellers with a valid driver’s license may choose to hire a car. English-language road signs and maps are commonplace. The Bangkok Yellow Pages lists local and international car hire companies. Each offers different conditions. Self-driven and chauffer-driven automobiles are widely available.

International car hire companies such as Avis, Hertz and Budget operate in Bangkok, Pattaya, Hat Yai, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Ko Samui.

Christian churches are found in Bangkok and most provincial capitals. Services are mostly in Thai with some being held in English, French and German. Local Englishlanguage newspapers provide comprehensive listings of services in Bangkok.

Light, loose cotton clothing is the best for Thailand’s tropical climate. Sweaters are recommended when visiting the northern mountainous region and national parks during the winter season. Jackets and ties are required at some up-scale hotels and clubs. When visiting Buddhist temples, long pants are required. Always remember to remove shoes before entering a temple.

The electric current in Thailand is 220 volts AC (50 cycles) throughout the country. Various kinds of plugs and sockets are in use. A plug-adapter kit should be carries in case travellers bring shavers, tape recorders and other small appliances are encouraged to purchase a 110-volt transformer. Most major hotels have these upon request.

Major international film manufacturers maintain excellent photo finishing laboratories. Instant development can be done within one hour at most places. Popular brands of film (Kodak, Konica, Fuji) are available nationwide at reasonable prices. Still photographers are free to shoot anything unless otherwise stated. Movie/ video cameras are not permitted in Bangkok’s Grand Palace and temple of the Emerald Buddha temple complex without special permission. Photography is also prohibited in certain sections of the National Museum.

Thailand’s two major English-language dailies The Bangkok Post and The Nation are well respected. Major English newspapers and magazines such as the International Herald Tribune, Asian Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, Untamed Travel and the Far Eastern Economic Review are available at major bookstores, department stores, supermarkets and hotels throughout the country.

Some 50 countries maintain embassies, consulates or legations in Bangkok. Most are concentrated around the Sukhumvit, Phloen Chit, Wireless and Sathon Road areas. A complete listing of them is featured in the Yellow Pages of the Bangkok Telephone Directory.

Thailand has some of the best medical services of any country in Asia. Both private hospitals and government-run hospitals give quick and efficient service to tourists. Well-trained doctors and nurses staff the hospitals and clinics. In case of an emergency, an ambulance can be summoned from any private hospital.

It is customary to tip porters and hotel personnel who give good service. A 10-15% tip is customary in most high-end restaurants and hotels, particularly where service

Two main English-language radio stations are FM 95.5 and FM 105.0 Other FM stations offer popular music such as FM 105.5 FM 88 Classical music can be heard on the Chulalongkorn station FM 101.5 AM radio is heavily commercial; there are some 200 stations nationwide. The King of Thailand is a jazz enthusiast. English language news broadcasts (CNN and the BBC) and the original soundtracks of certain imported films are shown on cable television.

In order to import a vehicle into Thailand the following documents are required:
1. Valid International Driving License and passport.
2. Vehicle registration, or in the case of a borrowed vehicle, authorisation from the owner.
3. Cash guarantee, bank guarantee or self-guarantee. If the vehicle is brought through Khlong Toei Port, a cash guarantee or bank guarantee is essential. If entry is through the southern border, then it is acceptable to guarantee oneself by completing the customs form, giving necessary customs information to the customs officer and signing the record.

Permission is then granted for six months from the date of entry. If a traveller has requested to bring a vehicle in for a period of just 5-10 days and wishes to extend the length of stay, a renewal can be granted free of charge by the Customs Department through the following procedure:
1. Contact the customs officer at the relevant border.
2. The customs officer will complete an additional incoming form and at the same time check documents as in item 2 above and also fi x the self guarantee.
3. In the case of a cash or bank guarantee, the customs officer will evaluate the
price of the vehicle according to its condition plus 20%.

Fixed prices are the norm in department stores, but at most other places bargaining is to be expected. Usually you can obtain a final price of between 10-40% lower than the asking price. Much depends on your skill and the shopkeeper’s mood, but remember that Thai's appreciate a sense of humour. With patience and a smile, you will not only get a better price, but you will also enjoy making a purchase. Providing you have the time, it is best to shop around at different places selling the kind of items you want before making a final decision.

Jewellery and gemstones from Thailand are a favourite item for many visitors to the Kingdom. Their beauty, quality of craftsmanship and reasonable price have earned Thai precious and semi-precious stones a worldwide reputation. Sometimes, though, visitors complain about the activities of jewellers who have persuaded them to purchase jewellery at an unjustified price. Through the cooperation of the Thai Gem and Jewellery Traders Association (TGJTA) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Jewel Fest Club has been established, bringing together 100 leading jewellery manufacturers and wholesalers. The club’s aim is to offer quality products at reasonable prices with a money-back guarantee if buyers are not completely satisfied with their purchases. When you buy an item of jewellery from a store identified as a member of the Jewel Fest Club, your purchase will be recorded and a certificate will be issued to you. This certificate of authenticity will state the nature and price of your purchase, as well as guaranteeing your refund if you should wish to return it. You can contact the Jewel Fest Club on 0 2630 1390-7, Fax: 0 2630 1398-9, or visit www.jewelfest.com.

Most shops are experienced at shipping overseas and will attend to all necessary documentation such as insurance, customs and permits. The Central Post Office also offers a parcelwrapping service for those who want to make small shipments themselves. For larger items bulk shipments you will need to contact a specialist shipping company.

Visitors entering the Kingdom on tourist visas are entitled to refunds of the 7% value-added tax (VAT) paid on goods purchased at shops and department stores displaying a VAT Refund for Tourists sign. The refund may be claimed on purchases amounting to 5,000 baht or more. Tourists will receive a form PP10 when purchases of 2,000 baht or more are made at the same store on the same day. Before checking in at an international airport (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, U-Taphao), visitors must show their purchases, with the completed PP10 form and tax invoices to the Customs officer for inspection. Refunds may be in the form of a bank draft or credited to a credit card. Two of the VAT Refund Offices at Suvarnabhumi Airport are located on concourse D, Gate D1-D4 and D5-D8, 4th Floor. The Customs Office is at the Passenger Terminal, 4th Floor, behind check-in counter, Row H near Gate 4th. For more information, contact the VAT Refund for Tourists Office, Tel: 0 2272 9388, 0 2272 8195-8 or visit www.rd.go.th/vrt/engindex.html.