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General Tourist Information
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 Bangkok International Airport. They provide maps, brochures and useful information on tours, shopping, dining and accommodation. TAT information offices are open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. TAT Bangkok contact telephone number 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 availabe, 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, the 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.

ØTOURIST POLICE
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 in cluding the Grand Palace, Pat pong 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, Phitsanurok, Nakhon Sawan, Surat Thani, Phuket and Songkhla to provide assistance to visitors.

In case of emergence please dial 1155 or contact the Tourist Police Centre, 26/56 TPI Tower Bldg. 23f Chan Tadmai Rd. Tung Mahamek, Sathon, Bangkok Tel. 66-2678-6800-9 Fax. 66-2678-6869

Website : www.tourist.police.go.th

BUSINESS HOURS
Most commercial concerns in Bangkok operate five days a week (Monday through Friday). Government offices operate between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. with a 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. lunch break, Monday to Friday except on public holidays. Most shops are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
BUSINESS CINTRES
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.


CAR HIRE
Travellers with a valid drivers 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. Selfdriven 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.

CHURCH SERVICES
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 English-language newspapers provide comprehensive listings of services in Bangkok.

CLOTHING
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.

FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Major international film manufacturers maintain excellent photo finishing laboratories. Instant development can be done within one hour at most places. popular films (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.

ELECTRICITY
The electric current is 220 volts AC (50 cycles) throughout the country. There are many types of plugs and sockets in use. Travellers with electric shavers, tape recorders and other appliances are encouraged to purchase a 110-volt transformer. Most major hotels have these upon request.

NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
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 and the Far Eastern Economic Review are available at major bookstores, department stores, supermarkets and hotels throughout the country.

EMBASSIES
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 missions is featured in the Yellow Pages of the Bangkok Telephone Directory.

MEDICAL SERVICES
Thailand has one of the best medical services of any country in Asia. Both private hospitals and government-run hospitals give quick and effcient 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.

TIPPING
It is customary to tip porters and hotel per sonnel who give good service. A 10-15% tip is customary in most high-end restaurants and hotels, particularly where service charges are waived. It is not customary to tip at lower scale restaurants or taxi drivers.

RADIO AND TELEVISION
Two main English-language radio stations are FM 95.5 and FM 105.0 Other FM tations offer popular music such as FM 105.5 FM 88. Classical music can be heard at 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 and this is reflected in the large amount of jazz stations on the air. English language news broadcasts (CNN and the BBC) and the original soundtracks of certain imported films are shown on cable television.

TEMPORARY IMPORT OF A VEHICLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF TOURISM
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, authorization documentation 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 traveler 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 No.2 above and also fix 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%