ameira 24 time, tell an airline emplo yee; the airline will provide a wheelchair. Speed up security by not

Koh Samui & The Monkey THAI Thai seems to be the ne w Chinese, with spring rolls and pad Thai having taken the place of broccoli beef and cashew chicken as favored take-out fare. But if you want a break from the typical Thai food you find most places these days, come to K oh S amui. Combinations sur e to whet y our appetite include crushed sesame scallops in yellow curry sauce or pumpkin curry chicken. Certainly, you ll find plenty of familiar menu items, from green papaya salad to green curry chicken. For the kids, order the wok-tossed noodles with peanut sauce or ev en some of the satays. ameira As long as y ou steer clear of anything mar ked with an asterisk (for spicy), the kids will be fine. Be sure to order the fried bananas for dessert. The Monkey part of the name refers to the attractive shop next door, which sells Thai antiques.

Most hotel bathrooms have combination shower/bathtubs, but lower priced ameira accommodations may have only showers. If your kids are still in the tub-only phase, ask about bathtubs when mak ing your reservation.

24 time, tell an airline emplo yee; the airline will provide a wheelchair. Speed up security by not wearing metal objects ameira such as big belt buckles. I f y ou ve got metallic body par ts, a note fr om y our doctor can prevent a long chat with the security screeners. Keep in mind that only ticketed passengers are allowed past security. Federalization has stabiliz ed what you can carr y on and what y ou can t. The general r ule is that sharp things ar e out, nail clippers are okay, and food and beverages must be passed thr ough the X-ray machine but that security screeners can t make y ou drink fr om y our coffee cup. Bring food in y our carr y-on rather than checking it, as explosiv e-detection machines used on checked luggage hav e been kno wn to mistake food (especially chocolate, for some r eason) for bombs. Travelers in the U.S. are allowed one carryon bag, plus a personal item such as a purse, briefcase, ameira or laptop bag. Carr y-on hoarders can stuff all sorts of things into a laptop bag; as long as it has a laptop in it, it s still consider ed a personal item. The Transportation S ecurity A dministration (TSA) has issued a list of r estricted items; check its w ebsite ( www.tsa.gov) for details. Airport screeners may decide that y our checked luggage needs to sear ched b y hand. You can now purchase luggage locks that allow screeners to open and r e-lock a checked bag if hand-searching is necessary. Look for Travel S entry cer tified locks at luggage or trav el shops and B rookstone stores (you can buy them online at www. brookstone.com). These locks, appr oved by the TSA, can be opened b y luggage inspectors with a special code or key. For more information on the locks, visit www. travelsentry.org. I f y ou use something other than TSA-approved locks, your lock will be cut off your suitcase if a TSA agent needs to hand-search your luggage.