Practical Information for visiting Southern Thailand

Coverage for mobile networks is good across the mainland and the main islands from AIS, TrueMove and dtac, with 4G and 5G in the towns and resort areas. Signal is patchier on the smaller and more remote islands and in Khao Sok’s interior.

Tourist SIMs are cheap and sold at every airport and convenience store.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels, guesthouses and restaurants, and generally reliable in the developed areas. On raft houses in Khao Sok and on the smaller islands, expect none.

Power on small islands may run on generators with limited hours, and outages follow storms. Carry a power bank, and download maps and ferry schedules before leaving the mainland.

The south is safe for visitors in the areas they normally go, but it has more specific hazards than the rest of Thailand.

• The deep south. Most governments advise against travel to Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla, where a separatist insurgency has caused thousands of deaths since 2004. This does not affect Phuket, Krabi or Samui, which are hundreds of kilometres away.
• Scooters are the single most likely cause of injury — wet roads, gravel, inexperience and no licence.
• The sea. Rip currents on the Andaman coast during the monsoon are lethal and red flags are frequently ignored; people drown every year. Box jellyfish are present on both coasts and have caused deaths.
• Boat safety varies; overloading and missing lifejackets are common on longtails.
• Jet-ski and scooter damage scams, particularly in Phuket and Pattaya-style resort areas.
• Tsunami: know the evacuation signs on the Andaman coast.

Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani and Hat Yai have good private hospitals used to foreign patients, with Bangkok Hospital Phuket the main referral point for the Andaman coast. Small islands have clinics only, and a serious case means a boat or helicopter transfer — insurance covering evacuation matters here.

Vaccinations: routine cover plus hepatitis A and typhoid; rabies and Japanese encephalitis for longer stays.

Dengue is common and the mosquito bites by day. There is a low malaria risk only in forested border areas.

Diving: recompression chambers are on Phuket and Ko Tao and at Ao Nang. Check your insurance covers diving, and respect flying intervals — a course on Ko Tao followed by a flight the next morning is a common and avoidable mistake.

Marine injuries: coral cuts infect fast, sea urchins are common, and box jellyfish stings need vinegar and immediate medical help.

Water: drink bottled or filtered; commercially made ice is fine.

The monarchy. Lese-majeste law carries long prison terms, applies to foreigners and to online posts, and is enforced. Do not discuss the royal family.

Cover up away from the beach. Swimwear is for the sand and the pool; walking into a shop, a restaurant or a town in a bikini or shirtless is offensive and increasingly fined in Phuket.

Topless and nude sunbathing are illegal in Thailand, including on the islands.

In Muslim areas, dress more conservatively still, do not offer alcohol, and be discreet during Ramadan.

Temples and mosques: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off, and never point your feet at an image or a person.

Head and feet: do not touch heads or point with feet.

Drugs carry very severe penalties; the relaxed cannabis rules do not extend to anything else, and beach parties are policed.

Emergency numbers: 191 for police, 1669 for ambulance, 199 for fire, and the Tourist Police on 1155, which is English-speaking and the right first call for most visitor problems.

Medical. Private hospitals in Phuket, Krabi and Samui are good and bill against insurance or card. From the small islands, evacuation is by speedboat or helicopter and is expensive — check your policy covers it.

Diving emergencies: chambers are on Phuket, Ko Tao and at Ao Nang. Your dive operator should know the nearest and how to reach it.

At sea: ferry cancellations in rough weather are normal and are a safety measure; do not press an operator to sail.

Tsunami warning: the Andaman coast has warning towers and marked evacuation routes. If the sea withdraws suddenly or a warning sounds, move inland and uphill immediately without waiting for confirmation.

Several countries have honorary consuls on Phuket; embassies are in Bangkok.