American Express c/o Sea Tours, 128/88-92, 8th Floor, Phrayathai Plaza, 128 Th Phyathai, Bangkok 10400 (tel 02/216 5759). Amex credit card- and travellers' cheque-holders can use the office (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm, Sat 8.30am-noon) as a poste restante; mail and faxes are only held for sixty days. They will also receive faxes for Amex customers on 02/216 5757. To report lost cards or cheques call 02/273 0044 (cards, office hours), 02/273 5296 (travellers' cheques, office hours), or 02/273 0022 (after hours).

Embassies and consulates Australia, 37 Th Sathorn Thai (tel 02/287 2680); Brunei, 154 Soi Ekamai, Th Sukhumvit (tel 02/515766); Burma, 132 Th Sathorn Nua (tel 02/233 2237); Cambodia, 185 Th Ratchadamri, Lumphini (tel 02/254 6630 & 253 9851); Canada, 15th Floor, Abdulrahim Building, 990 Th Rama 4 (tel 02/636 0560); China, 57/2 Th Rajdapisek (tel 02/245 7033); UK, 1031 Th Witthayu (Wireless) (tel 02/253 0191-9); India, 46 Soi 23, Th Sukhumvit (tel 02/258 0300-6); Indonesia, 600-602 Th Phetchaburi (tel 02/252 3135-40); Ireland, United Flour Mill Building, 205 Th Rajawong (tel 02/223 0876); Laos, 502 Ramkhamhaeng Soi 39 (tel 02/539 6667-8); Malaysia, 3-35 Th South Sathorn (tel 02/679 2190-9); Nepal, 189 Soi 71, Th Sukhumvit (tel 02/391 7240); Netherlands, 106 Th Witthayu (Wireless) (tel 02/254 7701-5); New Zealand, 93 Th Witthayu (Wireless) (tel 02/254 2530); Philippines, Soi 30/1, 760 Th Sukhumvit, (tel 02/259 0139-40); Singapore, 129 Th Sathorn Thai (tel 02/286 2111); US, 120-122 Th Witthayu (Wireless) (tel 02/205 4000); Vietnam, 83/1 Th Witthayu (Wireless) (tel 02/251 5835-8).

Emergencies For all emergencies, call the tourist police on 1699.

Hospitals and clinics Travellers' Medical and Vaccination Centre, 8th Floor, Alma Link Building, 25 Soi Chitlom, Th Ploenchit (tel 02/655 1024-5); Bangkok Adventist Hospital, 430 Th Phitsanulok (tel 02/281 1422); Bangkok Christian Hospital, 124 Th Silom (tel 02/233 6981); Bangkok Nursing Home, 9 Th Convent (tel 02/233 2610-9); Clinic Banglamphu, 187 Th Chakrabongse (tel 02/282 7479).

Immigration Office About 1km down Soi Suan Plu, off Th Sathorn Thai (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1-4pm; tel 02/287 3101-10). Visa extension takes about an hour.

Internet access The most efficient cybercafA©s in Bangkok include: Bangkok Internet CafA© at the western end of Th Khao San, Banglamphu (24 hr); Hello Internet CafA© at 63 Th Khao San, Banglamphu (daily 10am-2am); CybercafA© on the 2nd floor of the Ploenchit Center, Soi 2, Th Sukhumvit (daily 10am-9.30pm); Cyberia, cnr of Soi 24, Th Sukhumvit (Sun-Wed 10.30am-11pm, Thurs-Sat 10.30am-midnight).

Pharmacies English-speaking staff at Boots the Chemist, on the corner of Soi 33, Th Sukhumvit (tel 02/252 8056), and at most other pharmacies in the capital.

Police There's a Tourist Assistance Centre (TAC) in the TAT headquarters (tel 02/281 5051). In an emergency contact the English-speaking tourist police (tel 1699).

Post office The GPO is at 1160 Th Charoen Krung (aka New Road), a few hundred metres left of the exit for Wat Muang Kae express-boat stop. Poste restante can be collected Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat, Sun & hols 8am-1pm; letters are kept for three months. The parcel packing service at the GPO operates Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm, Sat 9am-noon. If staying on or near Th Khao San in Banglamphu, it's more convenient to use the poste restante service at the post office on Soi Sibsam Hang, opposite Wat Bowoniwes (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat 9am-noon). Letters should be addressed c/o poste restante, Banglamphubon PO, Bangkok 10203 and are kept for two months. You can also send and receive faxes there on tel 02/281 1579. If staying on Th Sukhumvit, poste restante can be sent to the Th Sukhumvit post office between sois 2 and 4, c/o Nana PO, Th Sukhumvit, Bangkok 10112.

Telephones services The least expensive places to make international calls are the public telephone offices in or near post offices . The largest and most convenient of these is in the compound of the GPO on Charoen Krung (aka New Road), which is open 24hr and also offers a fax service and a free collect-call service. The post offices at Hualamphong Station, on Sukhumvit and on Soi Sibsam Hang in Banglamphu also have international telephone offices attached, but these close at 8pm. Special international yellow cardphones can be found in tourist areas (cards cost from B300 and are available from tourist-oriented shops).

Travel agents Recommended travel agents include the large Diethelm Travel, in Kian Gwan Building II, 140/1 Th Witthayu (Wireless) (tel 02/255 9150), which is particularly good on travel to Indochina; and the international STA Travel, 14th Floor, Wall Street Tower, 33 Th Suriwong (tel 02/236 0262). Always check that the travel agent belongs to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), and be wary of fly-by-night operators on Th Khao San. Many travel agents can also arrange visas for neighbouring countries.