Koh Samui Thailand

Business House
Most offices open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, except on and around public holidays when business houses may vary widely. Stores and exchange counters all close at 19:00hrs in Nathon. General banking hours are Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. Exchange booths are open for business in the beach areas till 22:00. 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 travelers will need to be aware of this when using shavers, tape recorders or other appliances that require mains power. There are occasional blackouts and power variations, especially during rainy season. Care should be taken to protect delicate equipment from power variations.

Photographic Facilities
Most popular brands and types of film are widely available in Thailand and Samui. Film processing is widely available and one-hour service is common. Slide film can be developed on the island in Nathon,Chaweng and Maenam, expect a 3-4 day turn around on slide film, except at Save Mart in Chaweng which offers next day processing service.

Postal Services
The post offices are usually open from 8 am to 4.30 pm. The Thai post service is usually reliable. Important items can be sent by Express Mail Service (EMS) through post Office. This is faster and safer but the cost is higher. Bangkok Airways accepts cargo at its terminals.

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 dialing (IDD), dial 001+country code+area code+phone number.

Internet Services
Samui offers several internet cafes in the small communities around the island and especially in the more developed tourist locations. The Sawadee-Internet-Service in Lamai offer services like high speed internet, AOL, compuserve, telnet, e-mail, web design, satellite network, domain and webhosting and the first live camera in Thailand For those with a laptop computer, access to internet service providers is possible through one of the many computer shops found throughout the island.