Power failures are not infrequent in Koh Samet - the locals have torches to deal with such outages, but because batteries are relatively expensive, they seldom have any!
For this reason, clockwork radios and torches (such as the 'Freeplay' ones, readily available in the UK) are extremely attractive and can often be used when bartering for other goods and services, in my experience!
Clockwork radios and torches - available in Argos, John Lewis or ebay! Take some before you go!
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