Things to avoid

Safety for Women Travellers

No one can be guaranteed a completely hassle free time anywhere on this planet, but generally, Thailand is considered to be reasonably safe for lone travellers and women as long as you don't take needless risks.  I feel much more comfortable wandering around Thailand than I ever did when I lived in London.  My friend Caroline loves Thailand, and before I ever met her, she had several holidays there on her own and always had a ball.  She's only about 5 feet tall in her chunky walking boots and weighs about a pound. 

Here's what the guide books say about women and Thailand:

The Rough Guide "Though unpalatable and distressing, Thailand's high-profile sex industry is relatively unthreatening for Western women, with its energy focussed exclusively on farang (i.e., western) men; it's also quite easily avoided, being contained within certain pockets of the capital and a couple of beach resorts.  As for harassment from Thai men, it's hard to generalize, but most Western tourists find it less of a problem in Thailand than they do back home.  Outside of the main tourist spots, you're more likely to be of interest as a foreigner rather than as a woman and, if travelling alone, as an object of concern than of sexual aggression."

The Lonely Planet "South-east Asia is a relatively straightforward for women to travel in.  In some places, the time honoured fixation that Western women are more easy-going (or are of easy virtue) still exists, but many parts of the region have moved on from mere developing status to fully-fledged developed, and people's ideas have also become more sophisticated.  But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take precautions.  Respectful dressing is certainly necessary - beachwear should be reserved for the beach, and never respond to rude comments or come ons.  Completely ignoring them is always best.  Women should take extra care not to find themselves alone on empty beaches, down dark alleys, or in other situations where help might not be available."

The Moon Handbook  "Should women travel alone in Thailand?  During my 15 years of travelling around the country, I've talked to countless solo women travellers and most tell me that Thailand is one of the safer and more comfortable places for solo female travellers.  One reason for this is that Buddhism places great emphasis on respect for females and encourages harmonious relationships between the sexes.  Thais are generally shy people who have a deep fear of shame; this discourages much of the sexual harassment common in more fundamentalist countries.  And Thailand's crime rate is much lower than that of any Western nation.  However, Thai society has long regarded females as a gender well beneath men.  Thai women are controlled by legal, cultural and social restrictions.  For this reason, many Thai females of the younger generation may be deeply interested in your views on equality and female rights.  It also means some Thai males will view you as a docile member of a disenfranchised sex.  Another viewpoint held by some males is that Western women are morally loose individuals who seek constant sexual satisfaction, a viewpoint influenced by movies and pop idols.  Though Thai males seldom hassle Western females, there are some things you can do to minimize the hassle: dress conservatively, only show skin on tourist beaches, avoid prolonged direct eye contact, keep cool, not flirtatious, and use humour to diffuse potentially difficult situations."

Here's a more general list of things you're better off avoiding...

Drugs: Thailand's drug laws are strict, and the person selling you stuff will get a reward from the police for turning you in.  Don't even think about it.  And run a mile if anyone asks you to sneak a package through customs on their behalf.  This is not rocket science. 

Unsafe sex: Use a condom if you have sex - HIV and AIDS (as well as the other STD's) are real problems in Thailand.  You can buy Durex in pharmacies and convenience stores.

Tattoos: Forget it.  You simply don't know how well the instruments have been sterilised.  You can buy stick-on tattoos if you're desperate.

Gambling: It's illegal in Thailand, although I gather there is a booming trade in betting on football results and stock market movements.  There's also a national lottery which some senior government officials are now accused of rigging.  (Someone got away with a huge amount of money in 2001).

The Burmese and Cambodian border areas: On the hilly and forested border with Burma, there are occasional military excursions by Burmese soldiers chasing Karen rebels, and it's probably sensible to keep clear.  You definitely shouldn't be there without an experienced guide.  Similarly on the Cambodian border, some of the guide books warn of unmarked mines and unexploded munitions dating from Cambodia's troubles in the 70's and 80's.  One leg good, two legs better. 

Men offering to sell you precious stones: Thailand and Burma produce huge quantities of the world's best rubies, but if you're offered some on the street, it's a scam.  If you want to throw your money away, why not throw it in my direction instead?

Mosquitoes: Malaria is a problem in the provinces close to the Burmese and Cambodian borders, so get proper advice at least a month before you travel.  Don't ignore this advice - worldwide, malaria kills 2m people a year.  The best plan is not to get bitten, so use plenty of insect repellant, and sleep in rooms with mosquito nets or screens.  The real danger period for getting bitten is at sundown, when they're very hungry and all come out to play, but they stay active until sun-up.

Snakes, spiders and scorpions: You probably won't even see any, but if you do, keep at a safe distance.  A lot of Thailand's creepy crawlies are poisonous, but they're genuinely more afraid of you than you are they. In over 10 years of travelling in Thailand, I've seen two live snakes, one dead one, and a dead scorpion.  If you're staying in jungle or forested locations, shake out your boots in the morning before you put them on.  You don't need to worry about the little sandy coloured lizards which run up the walls and across the ceilings at night.  These little geckos are called chin-chuk, and they are your friends - they eat mosquitoes.

Dogs, rats and cockroaches: Thai dogs are sufficiently scabby that you mostly won't want to pat them.  Cute they are not.  The rats are big as cats, and they give me the creeps.  Cockroaches are, in the words of a Thai friend, "number one sokaprok" (dirty), and she always makes a point of splatting them with a flip-flop.  Rabies can be carried by dogs, cats, bats and monkeys, so don't put your fingers anywhere silly.  If you get bitten, ask for help, to be on the safe side.

Sunburn: The sun is very strong in Thailand, and you can get burnt very easily if you're not careful.  Use suncream and don't overdo lying out in the hottest part of the day.

Littering: Unfortunately, pollution is an increasing problem in many areas, so you don't need to add to it.  This isn't just a feature of the tourist industry - I've seen families of Thais leave beer bottles and plastic bags on beaches 20 metres from a litter bin.  Having said that, the streets in most of the towns I've visited are cleaner than I had to put up with for years in the London Borough of Hackney. 

Making a lot of noise: The Thais put great store in having a "cool heart" (jai yen), and in being considerate of others' feelings.  Charging about making a lot of noise or losing your temper in an argument is uncool, and won't help you to get what you want.  If you get into a situation where you feel things are slipping out of control, try and find a way out which doesn't disrespect the person you're dealing with, or if you can't do that, just back down and walk away.  The longer you can stay calm and smiling, the more likely it is that you'll find a way around whatever problem it is you've encountered.

Being stupid: You can get into trouble in Thailand, like anywhere else in the world, if you're stupid enough.  Look after your possessions, don't flash too much cash or jewelry, and don't get so drunk that you can't make it back to your own room unaided.  Don't be confrontational with people, and avoid wandering round unlit and unpopulated areas after dark.  It's simple really, and if you need to be told these things, you probably shouldn't be travelling at all.  In 10 years, I've only ever seen trouble first-hand on two occasions - a stoned Brit got beaten up on a beach near Krabi when he propositioned a Thai woman in the street and wouldn't take "no" for an answer; and a huge, fat, drunk Russian made the same mistake in Songkhla, and was tackled by about six little Thai cops.  It reminded me of a David Attenborough film about some African hunting dogs bringing down a buffalo.    

Excessive paranoia: Don't worry unduly about the long list above.  Relax and have fun.  In over 10 years, I've never been arrested, bitten, hospitalised, mugged or seriously ripped-off.