Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [548]
Phuket CAT office ( Map; Th Phang-Nga, Phuket Town; per hr 30B; 8am-midnight)
TA Internet ( Map; 0 7634 9014; Th Bangla, Patong; per min 2B; 9am-3pm)
INTERNET RESOURCES
Check out the following useful websites:
1 Stop Phuket (www.1stopphuket.com) A mini travel guide to Phuket on the web.
Jamie’s Phuket (www.jamie-monk.blogspot.com) A great blog featuring loads of info about hotels and activities around the island.
Phuket.com (www.phuket.com) Offers a sophisticated compendium of many kinds of information, including accommodation on the island.
Phuket-Info.com (www.phuket-info.com) You’ll find more info on Phuket Province here.
Phuket.Net (www.phuket.net) An internet service that provides forums for tourism and business-oriented exchange, and has limited listings.
Phuket Gazette (www.phuketgazette.net) The local newspaper offering news online.
Saltwater Dreaming (www.saltwater-dreaming.com) The go-to website for surfing info on Phuket.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Both hospitals listed are equipped with modern facilities, emergency rooms and outpatient-care clinics. For dive-related medicine, Click here.
Bangkok Phuket Hospital (off Map; 0 7625 4425; Th Yongyok Uthit, Phuket Town) Reputedly the favourite with locals.
Phuket International Hospital ( Map; 0 7624 9400, emergency 7621 0935; Airport Bypass Rd, Phuket Town) International doctors rate this hospital as the best on the island.
MONEY
Phuket has banks and ATMs littered across the entire island, with heavy concentrations in Patong and Phuket Town – you won’t be hard-pressed to find one. As a general rule, all 7-Elevens have a money machine.
POST
DHL World Wide Express ( Map; 0 7625 8500; 61/4 Th Thepkasatri, Phuket Town) Swift and reliable courier service (everything goes by two-day delivery), but rates are about 25% higher than at the post office.
Main post office ( Map; Th Montri, Phuket Town; 8.30am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat)
Post office ( Map; Rte 4028, Kata; 9am-4.30pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat)
TOURIST INFORMATION
The weekly English-language Phuket Gazette (20B) publishes lots of information on activities, events, dining and entertainment around the island.
Immigration office ( Map; 0 7634 0477; Th Hat Kalim, Patong; 10am-noon & 1-3pm Mon-Fri) Does visa extensions.
TAT office ( Map; 0 7621 2213; www.tat.or.th; 73-65 Th Phuket, Phuket Town; 8.30am-4.30pm) Has maps, information brochures, a list of standard shared-taxi fares out to the various beaches and also the recommended charter costs for a vehicle.
Dangers & Annoyances
Drownings are common on Phuket’s beaches, especially on the west coast (Karon, Surin, Laem Singh and Kamala). Red flags are posted on beaches to warn bathers of rip tides and other dangerous conditions. If a red flag is flying at a beach, don’t go into the water (even if anyone says or does otherwise). Especially during the May to October monsoon, the waves on the west coast of Phuket sometimes make it too dangerous to swim. Hat Rawai, on the southern edge of the island, is usually a safe bet any time of the year.
Keep an eye out for jet skis when you’re in the water. Although the Phuket governor declared jet skis illegal in 1997, enforcement of the ban is cyclic.
Renting a motorcycle can be a high-risk proposition – rental cars are a relatively safer option. Thousands of people are injured or killed every year on Phuket highways, and some have been travellers who weren’t familiar with riding motorcycles and navigating the island’s roads, highways and traffic patterns. If you must rent a motorcycle, make sure you at least know the basics and wear a helmet. Late-night motorcycle muggings are also on the rise, so keep an eye out in the evenings.
Sights
When your legs start to itch after one too many days of baking on the beach, why not inject a bit of culture (or nature) into your holiday itinerary with a visit to a Thai temple or one of the island’s national parks.
PATONG
Some call Patong ( Map) a city, we call it a sight.