Thailand's only island province, Phuket is a world famous tourist destination, renowed for its beautiful beaches, clear waters, lots of offshore islands providing great sites for diving, as well as plentiful high quality resort accommodation.

Formerly its great wealth came from tin mining, and the influence of the Chinese tin and rubber entrepreneurs is evident ,especially in the town, where numerous Chinese temples and shrines celebrate a Vegetarian Food Festival every October. Today the province's wealth comes from the vast tourism industry that has developed in recent years, as travellers around the world discover Phuket hasa lot to offer in the way of sun and sea. By contrast the hilly intereriorhides forests, a national park, gibbon rehabilitation centre and promises of elephant treks

Business Hours
Most offices open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, except on and around public holidays when business hours may vary widely. General banking hours are Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. 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 power mains. A plug adapter kit can be purchased in Phuket. There are occasional blackouts and power variations, especially during rainy season. Care should be taken to protect delicate equipment like notebooks.

Photographic Facilities
Most Populay brands and types of film are widely available in Thailand and in Phuket. It is advisable to bring any special photographic equipment or film from home as supplies may be limited here. Film processing is widely available and one-hour service is common.

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). This is faster and safer but the cost is higher. Private air couries like DHL and UPS have representatives on Phuket.

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.

E-mail Services
There are also several Internet Cafes in the small communities around the island and especially in the more developed tourist locations. For those with a laptop computer, access to internet service providers is possible through one of the many computer shops throughout the island.