Phuket Information

Quick Facts

Phuket is the largest island in Thailand. At 540 km sq, it's about the same size as Singapore. Just over an hour's fight from Bangkok or Singapore, and with daily connections to most major Asian airports, Phuket is ideally situated for a short break or a relaxing vacation.

Business Hours - generally 9am to 5pm, weekdays, and 9am to 12 noon on Saturdays, except Public Holidays when hours may vary. Shops and local stores open from 10 or 11am to 10pm, daily.

Banking hours - Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3.30pm. Some branches, including those located in shopping centres, are open as late as 7-8pm and on Saturdays. Currency exchange booths are usually open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Twenty-four-hour ATMs are widely available, and most accept cards using international banking networks such as Cirrus or Plus

Currency is the Thai Baht. Check out our handy Currency Converter to find the value in your own currency.

Electricity - 220 Volts. Several different plugs and sockets are in use, but two pin flat (US type) or round (European type) are pretty universal. Adapters can bought at local stores.

Animal Exploitation in Phuket/Thailand - If you happen to be in any beach town in Thailand, including Patong and Pattaya, and are approach by someone to have your photo taken with animals such as gibbons, sloths, eagles or iguanas, please just say ‘no’ and walk away. It’s not only illegal but most of the animals are clearly distressed looking. They should not be paraded around among strangers all night long in such a non-animal-friendly environment. Also it’s disturbing to know that in many cases the animals are drugged to make them ‘behave’. Learn more about rescuing wild animals in Thailand here at The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand’s (WFFT) website.