Safety in Thailand

Traffic: The biggest threat in the country is the road accident rate. Driving is on the left and chaotic, and pedestrians are almost never given way. On a bike, always wear a helmet and closed shoes rather than flip-flops to avoid gravel rash.

Sun: Tropical sun burns skin in fifteen minutes even under cloud. Use SPF 50+ and drink at least two litres of bottled water a day. Tap water is not for drinking or even brushing your teeth, so buy it in shops.

Petty theft: Thailand is broadly safe, but pickpocketing happens where tourists gather. Do not leave valuables unattended on the beach and do not carry a bag on your road-facing shoulder. Snatch thefts from motorbikes are rare but real.

Wildlife: Monkeys hang around parks and temples, and they are aggressive and will bite. Do not feed them and do not bare your teeth, which they read as a threat. Watch for snakes in long grass and keep your eyes down on jungle paths.

Law: Vaping is officially banned and carries heavy fines or a prison sentence. Drug possession can carry the death penalty and being a foreigner buys you nothing. Go carefully with alcohol too; the heat roughly doubles its effect.

Getting help: If something goes wrong, call the tourist police on 1155. They speak English and exist specifically to help foreigners. Regular police may not follow you and will often side with locals in a dispute.

Thailand is safe when it comes to violence, and one of Asia's most inventive countries when it comes to scams.

"The temple is closed today." Outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, a friendly man in uniform explains that it is shut for a ceremony and offers a tuk-tuk at the "government price" of 20 baht for the whole day. The route ends at a jewellery shop and a tailor, where you will be worked on for hours. The Grand Palace never closes.

Renting a scooter against your passport. A Phuket and Samui classic. The rental shop keeps your passport, then discovers a "scratch" or "engine damage" on return and sells the document back to you. Leave a copy or a cash deposit instead, and film the bike from every angle before riding off.

Jet skis. The same scheme on water and for larger sums — demands reach 50,000 baht, negotiated with several large men present.

Taxis and tuk-tuks. "Meter broken" means triple the fare. In Bangkok, use Grab or Bolt, where the price is fixed in advance.

Lèse-majesté. Article 112 carries 3 to 15 years per count. It covers social media comments, a torn banknote bearing the king's portrait, or a disrespectful pose beside one. Cases against foreigners are real and end in prison. This is not a subject for jokes, even privately.

E-cigarettes. Import, sale and use have been fully banned since 2014. Devices are confiscated, fines reach 30,000 baht, and the statute allows for imprisonment. Police in tourist areas know this rule well.

Drugs. Cannabis was legalised in 2022 but sharply restricted again from 2025 — recreational retail is closed. Everything else is punished with extreme severity, up to life. Searches at club entrances in Phuket and Pattaya are routine.

The Buddha. A visible Buddha tattoo, posing on a statue, or exporting Buddha images without permission are all punishable and cause genuine offence.

Small print people miss. Smoking is banned on most popular beaches, with fines up to 100,000 baht. Leaving your accommodation without photo ID is technically an offence.

Vaccinations. Only one is mandatory, and only if you arrive from a yellow-fever endemic country — then a certificate is required. Everyone else is advised to have hepatitis A and B, typhoid and tetanus, plus rabies for long stays or animal work.

Malaria and dengue. Malaria exists only in forested border districts, not at the resorts. The real threat is dengue fever, which is urban and carried by a daytime mosquito — repellent is an all-day item, not an evening one.

Water. Never drink from the tap, Bangkok included. Ice in restaurants is safe; it is produced industrially.

Healthcare and insurance. Private hospitals like Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital are superb and priced accordingly. The key point: the most common incident involving tourists here is a scooter crash, and a standard policy does not cover motorcycle accidents. You need an adventure-sports rider and a valid category A licence, or the insurer will decline entirely lawfully.

Thailand sits 116th of 180 on the Corruption Perceptions Index. Petty corruption is part of daily life, and tourists meet it first on the road.

Roadside fines. Being stopped on a scooter without a helmet or an international licence is the standard scenario in Phuket and Pattaya. The official fine of around 500 baht comes with a receipt and is paid at the station; the "no receipt" figure is usually higher. Do not offer money first — that is a separate offence, and foreigners are exactly who gets caught by it.

Tourist police — 1155. A separate English-speaking service created for foreigners. In a dispute with a rental shop, a driver or a vendor, call them rather than regular police; the outcome differs dramatically.

If you crash. Do not leave the scene; wait for police and paperwork. A foreigner is treated as the party at fault by default, so a dashcam or phone footage is worth more than any explanation.