Welcome to St Thomas and the culture of the Virgin Islands. You may need a passport to come and go from the islands. Check out our page on US Virgin Islands and who needs a Passport. These are exciting times to be relocating to St Thomas. It is an island paradise but it also has all the familiar American advantages as well. There are large retail stores, Mc Donald´s and Blockbuster Movies. Most of the news channels on the cable TV network are located in New York, which is only a 4 hour plane ride away. And although the locals pay taxes based on the US Federal Tax laws, the money stays in the US Virgin Islands for the infrastructure. There is plenty of local employment and great ways to network and start your own retain business or restaurant.