Is Thailand Safe to Visit?

It is understandable that given some of the recent upheavals that many foreigners wonder is Thailand safe to visit. Just last night somebody fired an improvised rocket into a crowd of demonstrators injuring five people. Despite these occasional unfortunate events though, I do believe that Thailand is a safe destination for holiday makers.

Sometimes foreigners do end up in trouble in Thailand, but this most often happens when they become involved with illegal activities. I do not mean to sound judgmental here, but a lot of problems occur with westerners getting drunk and bringing strangers back to their room for paid sex. There is also a bit of a problem with people who are in holiday mode being so relaxed that they take crazy risks like trying to learn how to ride a motorbike on busy Thai roads. The question of is Thailand safe to visit will often depend a lot on what you get up to while here.

Most trouble in Thailand can be avoided by the following;

- Avoid all illegal activities such as paid sex, drug dealing, and drink driving.

- Do not argue with Thai people. This is really important because causing a Thai to lose face can quickly turn them into an enemy. Assertiveness training does not work well with the Thai mentality.

- Never say anything negative about the King. The people of Thailand have a great deal of respect, and it is actually illegal to do anything to cause offense; les majeste could put you in prison for eleven years.

- Do not say negative things about Buddhism. In fact don't say anything negative about any religion; including your own religion. The people of Thailand value religious tolerance and they mostly view bashing the religion of somebody else as being unacceptable.

- Be very careful of any stranger that comes up to you in the street and appears over friendly.

- A lot of crime is committed by other tourists, so take this into consideration.

- Keep away from crowds of Thais who are gathered to demonstrate. If you somehow find yourself in the middle of a protest you should turn around and walk the other way.

- It is understandable that people often only come to Thailand in order to relax and unwind, but it is nice to learn a bit about the local culture and you will then be less likely to do things that might get you in trouble.

- Thailand is not the place for learning to ride a motorbike. The roads are dangerous and you need to be a competent rider or driver to be on them. The number of people who die on the roads here is frightening; 80% of those who die are on motorbikes. Only ride a motorbike in Bangkok if you are an expert rider or you have a death wish.

I have been all over Thailand at all times of day and night over the last eight years living here, and I have never had one problem. I feel far safer walking around Bangkok than any other city where I have previously lived; including my own home city. The number of tourists who get into trouble in the country is miniscule when you consider how many people come here. When people ask me is Thailand safe to visit I will always answer yes, but this does not mean that bad things can't happen.