Here is information to help you plan your holiday and to aid you once you arrive in the desired destinations. Print it out and carry it with you.

Banks in the major cities and resorts offer currency exchange counters that accept two dozen global currencies at rates set each day by the Bank of Thailand.

Each season has its own special appeal. Most visitors prefer the cool months but even the monsoon has its charms—cooler, clearer air—and storms seldom last more than a few hours. Be warned: Christmas, New Year, and Chinese New Year (usually in January) are popular with travelers and hotels are generally packed.

Business hours are from 8 or 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Some businesses are open Saturdays 8:30-12. Government offices are open 8:30-4:30, Monday through Friday. Banks open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Money-changing kiosks open 8:30-8 p.m. daily. Post offices hours are 8:30-4 p.m. Department stores are open 10-9 or 11-10, seven days a week. Shops, restaurants, and pharmacies open at 8:30 or 9 a.m.; most close at 10 p.m.

Thailand’s tropical climate is hot and humid, but there are regional and seasonal temperature variations.

Bangkok enjoys three seasons: Hot (March to mid-June; 27-35 C i.e. 80-95 F), Rainy (June to October; 24-32 C i.e. 75-90 F), and Cool (Nov. to Feb; 18-32 C i.e. 65-90 F), although the humidity is considerably lower.

Chiang Mai in the far North is somewhat cooler with winter temperatures ranging between 13 and 28 C (56 and 83 F); in rare instances, temperatures in the hills can drop as low as 2 C (36 F). As in Bangkok, the heaviest rains fall in September and city streets often flood in October and early November.

In the South, temperatures on the island of Phuket can warm to 34 C. (92 F) in the hot season but the water temperature never drops below 20 C. (68 F). During the monsoon (May to late October) the undertow can be quite strong; look for red warning flags on the beaches. In all regions, nighttime temperatures are often only four degrees Celsius lower than daytime highs and the humidity often runs above 70%.

Clothes should be light and loose; natural fibres or blends are best. Sunglasses are essential; light hats are advisable. Shorts are taboo for men and women at temples and mosques. Shoes must be removed upon entering temple buildings, so non-laced shoes (but not sandals without backstraps) are best.

Winter nights in the North can be chilly and a sweater will be welcome in the evenings and early mornings. Choose light clothes for Phuket's balmy weather. Many visitors save luggage space by buying inexpensive vacation clothes after arriving in Thailand, leaving them behind when they return home.

American Express, Diner's Club, Mastercard, and Visa are widely accepted in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and major up-country towns. Overseas credit cards can also be used in the ATMs operated by major Bangkok banks to obtain an equivalent amount in baht.

Electrical outlets are rated at 220 volts, 50 cycles, and accept flat-pronged plugs. Since many do not accept three-pronged grounded plugs, it is best to bring an adaptor or purchase one in a Thai department store.

Although the chance of contracting them is virtually nil, polio, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, and typhoid fever vaccinations are recommended for a visit to Thailand. Persons arriving from a Yellow Fever area must carry a certificate attesting to recent inoculation.

At first-class hotels, doctors are on call for medical emergencies. For more serious cases, ambulances convey you to hospitals equal to those in major Western cities, with Intensive Care Units fully equipped to handle any emergency. Many doctors have been trained in Western hospitals but locally-trained doctors are also first-rate and usually speak English. In Bangkok, if you are injured in a crime-related incident, you must go to the Police Hospital at the Rajprasong intersection of Rama I and Rajdamri Roads.

The Thai baht is divided into 100 satangs. Paper currency includes a 1,000 (grey), 500 (purple), 100 (red), 50 (blue), and 20 (green) baht note. Ten-baht coins are brass disks in a silver ring, five-baht coins are silver with copper rims. Two-baht coins are silver and can be mistaken for five-baht coins; look carefully when being given change. One-baht coins are silver. The 50 and 25 satangs coins are brass. The baht is rated around 40 baht/US $1.00. Newspapers list daily exchange rates. There is no currency black market. Most establishments accept credit cards and traveller cheques but not personal cheques. Money can be changed at banks, hotels, and several private money-changing shops whose rates are set by the government's Bank of Thailand. Rates in hotels are generally lower than in banks.

The Bangkok Post and The Nation are among the most comprehensive English-language dailies in Asia. The International Herald Tribune and Asian Wall Street Journal dailies as well as U.K., French, German, and Italian newspapers are available at hotel newsstands.

Thai, the country's official language, is spoken by nearly all its people. English language fluency is limited to city residents; even fewer speak Asian or European languages. Hotel personnel speak English and travel agency guides are fluent in several languages.

In Bangkok, the police emergency number is 191. There are also Tourist Police assigned to assist travellers. Find them at the Tourist Assistance Centre at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) headquarters, at the TAT Building on Rajdamnern Avenue at the corner of Chakrawatdiwongse Road (Tel: 02 282-1144, Ext. 515). Most Tourist Policemen speak English. In Chiang Mai, they are located on the ground floor of the TAT office at 105/1 Chiang Mai-Lamphun Rd. (Tel: 053 248-974, 248-130). In Phuket, find them in the S.T. Plaza Hotel on Sakdidej Road (Tel: 076 219-878)

212-213, 211-036). In Hat Yai, they are located at 1/8 Sripuwanart Road (Tel. 074 246-733). Nationwide, ring the TAT emergency hotline at 1155 for assistance.

Post Offices provide mailing, packing, and shipping services. Long distance calls can be made through CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) at the General Post Office on New Road or from the Telephone Organisation of Thailand's office on Ploenchit Road. Alternatively, one can purchase a Hatari or other phone card from convenience stores like 7-11 and place calls from ordinary public phones.

Most large hotels have telephones, telegrams, mail, telex, and FAX facilities. First-class hotel rooms have IDD phones and many have internet connections. Internet cafes abound throughout Thailand and many coffeeshops are wired for wireless internet use. In Chiang Mai, the GPO on Charoenmuang Rd. (near the railway station) is open M-F, 8:30-8:00 p.m.. The Phuket GPO, at the intersection of Montri and Thalang Roads opens M-F, 8:30-12, 1-4:30; Sat, 8:30-12.

There are also Post and Communications Offices in each of the three terminals at Bangkok Airport offering long-distance, fax, and postal services for last-minute mailings; open 24 hours a day. These services are offered in the Domestic Terminal from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Post office at Chiang Mai Airport is open daily, 8:30-8:00 p.m., and in the Phuket Airport, 9:00-8:00 p.m. At Hat Yai Airport, it is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

These days are observed as official public holidays:

New Year's Day: January 1
Magha Puja: February full moon
Chakri Day (ascension of the present dynasty in 1782): April 6
Songkran: April 13
Labour Day: May 1
Coronation Day: May 5
Visakha Puja: May full moon
Asalaha Puja: July full moon
H.M. the Queen's Birthday: August 12
Chulalongkorn Day: October 23
H.M. the King's Birthday: December 5
Constitution Day: December 10
New Year's Eve: December 31

Chinese New Year in January (and sometimes February according to the lunar calendar) is not an official holiday, but many shops close for four days.

Most major hotels offer cable television with CNN, BBC, and other English-language stations.

Thailand is +7 hours GMT. There is no daylight savings time.

THAI's overseas offices can answer questions about Thailand's attractions and advise on arrival formalities. Also, the Tourism Authority of Thailand maintains numerous overseas branches which can provide brochures on specific attractions and answer your questions. Within Bangkok and most tourist destinations, the Tourism Authority of Thailand maintains offices which can provide brochures, maps, and advice.

Tourism Authority of Thailand domestic branches provide details of tours and services in that area.

• Passport holders many countries (see www.mfa.go.th for complete list) may apply for tourist visas at any of the 23 designated immigration checkpoints (see below) for a period not exceeding 15 days.
• The applicant must possess 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family.
• The applicant must produce an air or land ticket usable within 15 days of the date of entry.
• Applicants must fill in an application form and attach a recent 2 x 2 inch photograph. The application fee is 1,000 Baht.
• Visas on Arrival generally cannot be extended except in special cases such as illness which prevents them from travelling, etc. Submit an extension application at the Immigration Office on Soi Suan Plu, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120 (see directions below). Tel. (662) 287-3127 or 287-3101-10 ext. 2264-5 or check their website: http://www.police.go.th/frconten.htm

The following Immigration Checkpoints can issue visas on arrival:

1. Bangkok International Airport
2. Chiang Mai International Airport
3. Phuket International Airport
4. Hatyai International Airport
5. U Tapao Airport , Rayong province
6. Mae Sai Checkpoint
7. Chiengsaen Checkpoint
8. Chieng Khong Checkpoint
9. Betong Checkpoint, Yala province
10. Sadao Checkpoint, Songkhla
11. Samui Airport 
12. Sukhothai Airport 
13. Bangkok Harbour Checkpoint
14. Sri Racha Checkpoint, Chonburi
15. Mabtaput Checkpoint, Rayong
16. Nong Khai Checkpoint
17. Samui Checkpoint, Surat Thani
18. Phuket Checkpoint 
19. Satun Checkpoint 
20. Krabi Checkpoint 
21. Songkhla Harbour 
22. Chiangrai Airport
23. Surat Thani Airport

Those who wish to stay longer or to change their visa status must file an application at the Office of Immigration Bureau on Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120, Tel (662) 287-3101-10 (see also http://www.police.go.th/thaiimb/frconten.htm). The length of extension and status change is solely at the discretion of the Immigration officer.

• Transit Visa: 30-day, 800 Baht per entry
• Tourist Visa: 60-day, 1,000 Baht per entry, exemption for 39 countries)
• Non-Immigrant Visa: initially 90-day, 2,000 Baht for single entry and 5,000 Baht for multiple entries
• Visa on Arrival: Details below.