Business hours.Most offices open from 9am to 5pm , Monday to Friday, except on and around public holidays when business hours may vary widely.General banking hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3.30pm . Many stores are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Electricity. Electricity in Thailand is 220 volts AC at 50 cycles. Several different plugs and sockets are in use, so travellers will need to be aware of this when using shavers, computers, stereos or other appliances that require power mains. A plug adapter kit can be purchased in Phuket. There are occasional blackouts and power variations, especially during the rainy season. Care should be taken to protect delicate equipment like laptops and notebooks. Photographic Facilities. Most popular brands and types of films are widely available in Thailand and in Phuket. It is advisable to bring any special photographic equipment or film from home as supplies may be limited here. Film processing is widely available and one hour service is common. Many photographic shops also have digital processing and download digital pictures to Compact disk. Postal Services.The post offices are usually open from 8am to 4.30pm . The Thai post service is usually reliable. Important items can be sent by express mail service ( EMS ). This is faster and safer but the cost is higher. Private air couriers like DHL and UPS have representatives on Phuket. Telephone Services. International calls can be made from the post office, most major hotels, some travel agents and private international telephone offices dotted about the island. For international direct dialling (IDD), dial 001 + country code + area code + phone number. E Mail Services. There are lots of internet cafes on Phuket. In most hotels and guesthouses there is also internet access. For those with a laptop computer, access to the internet service providers is possible through one of the many computer shops throughout the island. If you have wireless access on your laptop 'Starbucks' and other shops have wireless internet access. Climate. The climate of Phuket is tropical and therefore warm throughout the whole year. At the same time it is dominated by the monsoon winds that bring about seasonal changes from dry to wet. The monsoon winds change prevailing direction according to the season. This was an important aspect of navigation for the sailing ships in the middle ages. There are two very hot periods of weather on Phuket, the first between April and May when the average temperatures, range from 30 to 36 degrees Celsius and only the occasional tropical thunderstorm brings relief from the heat. It is also very hot between September and October but the frequent rainfall has a wonderful cooling affect. The southwest monsoon, from March to September, occurs when the sun is directly over the equator, the Asian continental mass heats up more than the surrounding Indian Ocean . Moist, hot air is drawn from the sea to the land causing a south westerly wind to blow over Phuket bringing rain and inclement weather to the west coast of Southern Thailand.
The northeast monsoon occurs when the sun shines from the south, the Indian Ocean gets warmer and consequently the north eastern monsoon blows, bringing sunny skies and beautiful weather to the entire region. Codes of behaviour. Thai's are flexible in nature and understand very well, that foreigners can not know their code of behaviour. Mostly, they are too polite to complain about anything you do out of ignorance. But to earn some respect from their side, it is important to show proper behaviour. Showing respect – Most important is to show respect to the monarchy in any way. Thai people are very fond of and loyal to their King and Queen and the whole royal family. The religion should be respected as well. Temples , Buddha statues or monks (it is not allowed for a woman to touch a monk, for example) are to be revered. Buddhist and Chinese shrines are open to foreigners but you should dress appropriately when visiting. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are discouraged. A non-Muslim can enter a mosque except during prayer time. Hilltop houses have special sprit rooms, which are closed to outsiders; entering them will violate their sanctity. Thais are amenable to being photographed but, if in doubt, ask first. Monks can be photographed and Buddhist ceremonies as well. Thais regard the feet of lower stature so do not point them at others or step over those seated or lying. Remove your shoes before entering a Thai temple or house. Likewise, head is of high stature and is not supposed to be touched or slapped. PADI 5 Star National Geographic Instructor Development Center. 49 Thaweewong Road, Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand. Phone: (+66) 076292052 Fax: (+66) 076293034
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