Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [480]
POST
In several parts of the island there are privately run post office branches charging a small commission. You can almost always leave your stamped mail with your accommodation.
Main post office (Na Thon) Near the TAT office; not always reliable.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Tourist Authority of Thailand office (TAT; 0 7742 0504; Na Thon) At the northern end of Na Thon; is friendly, helpful and has handy brochures and maps.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Basically every resort and bungalow operation has travel services that can book you on tours and transport. Booking directly with a tour operator will usually save you a few baht.
Dangers & Annoyances
As on Phuket, the rate of road accident fatalities on Samui is quite high. This is mainly due to the large number of tourists who rent motorcycles only to find out that the winding roads, sudden tropical rains and frenzied traffic can be lethal. If you decide to rent a motorcycle, protect yourself by wearing a helmet, and ask for one that has a plastic visor. Shoes and appropriate clothing are also a must when driving – jeans will save you from skinning your knees if you wipe out. Even if you escape unscathed from a riding experience, we’ve heard reports that some shops will claim that you damaged your rental and will try to extort some serious cash from you. Car rental is another option on the island – we suggest leasing a vehicle from a reputable and internationally recognised name brand.
Lately, jet-ski rentals are the newest avatar of the motorbike scam. Incidents of injury on these water scooters are high, and leasers will claim that you damaged their goods in order to collect some extra money.
Another scam that’s rapidly gaining popularity involves time-shares. It’s best to avoid anyone who approaches you offering a vacation deal that seems too good to be true.
Beach vendors are registered with the government and should all be wearing a numbered jacket. No peddler should cause an incessant disturbance – seek assistance if this occurs.
Theft is a continuing problem, particularly around the more populated parts of the island like Chaweng and Lamai. If you’re staying in a beach bungalow, consider depositing your valuables with the management while on excursions around the island or while you’re swimming at the beach. Consider asking for a receipt listing the items stored with the staff.
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BUFFALO TANGO
Thai villagers just love to watch their buffaloes tussle. You won’t find any pompous matadors here though – unlike its Spanish counterpart, Thai bullfighting involves two male water buffaloes being pitted against each other in a fairly harmless contest of wills.
Thai bullfighting is known to take on circus proportions. Flowers are placed on the bull’s horns and sacred ropes are hung around their necks. The animals are then released to engage in a battle of wits, attempting to establish territory with shows of bravado and intimidating ground-stomping. Eventually the two contestants will lock horns and connect in a brief bout of head-wrestling – the first animal to turn and run is declared the loser. Fights are usually over in minutes and the animals are rarely injured.
Crowds get seriously riled up and wild hollering is the norm when a popular animal takes centre stage. Gambling is a big sideline activity – you can understand the passion when you know that millions of baht might be hanging on the outcome.
On Samui, bullfights mostly take place during festivals and public holidays. Events are arranged on a rotating basis at several rustic fighting rings around the island. Tourists are usually charged about 200B to 500B.
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Lastly, never give your passport to anyone as collateral. If a company demands identification, give them your driver’s license or any other form of ID. A fraudulent operation can try to extort money from you, or track you down when filing for a new passport.
TRANSPORT
There are over 400 registered taxis on