Thanks - i will check out their site.
In relation to eating places, we dont have regulars, just whereever, being such huge fans of Thai food we feel its great everywhere in thailand, havnt had any one bad experience. Although we did eat a dodgy prawn in KoSamet a few years ago, and we got VERY ill for 2 weeks, the worst Ive ever had there.
I must say though -grab a banana/chocolate/condensed milk/coconut fried pancake from the street vendors -LIFE CHANGING. You'll see them wheeling around a cart with a big shallow fry pan.

Money: we take a mixture of cash/credit/travellers cheques. That way youve covered no matter what. You can play the rates with your three methods, so if cheques are a higher rate -withdraw cash. Some cash is essential, but we limit it to a couple of hundred at a time. Withdraw $$ at banks, rather than hotels, travel agents. In the places you're going you wont be stranded without an ATM or money changer, so Id almost say leave out the cheques. However they can be replaced (American Express) if you loose everything. Thats worst case scenario.