A to Z of safety in Thailand (A to F)
On the whole Thailand is a relatively safe place and tourists needn’t feel in danger. However, law enforcement is lax, regulations not enforced and life goes on in a rather reckless and irresponsible fashion sometimes. There are few risks to be aware of, since public liability isn’t given much attention here.
Animals: there are so few wild animals left that this is not considered a threat, however poor supervision at open zoos (like the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi) has resulted in some accidents. Watch your children carefully. Marine life poses very little threat in Thai waters.
Construction sites: there are a lot of construction sites in the big cities and safety regulations are lax. These areas are usually very dusty and full of loose debris. Walking past these sites can be dangerous as workmen are not always particular careful and falling objects have injured people in the past. Buildings under renovation have a habit of part-collapsing. In strong winds billboards tend to tumble down too.
Credit card fraud - ATMs: Thailand has an unfortunate reputation as a haven for fraudsters, and apart from people stealing your credit card details, local businesses are careless about checking signatures and irregularities. Never let your card out of sight, and use cash in places that don’t have a professional reputation to protect.
Make sure you see your transaction slip coming out of the machine and regularly check your account statements via internet banking to ensure nothing suspicious has occurred. Public internet cafés cannot be trusted to be spyware free if you are accessing online banking. In busy tourist areas, be alert to fraudsters distracting you while withdrawing money however this is generally not a problem in Thailand, where the public at large keep an eye out for such activities and will warn you.
Dogs: street dogs are left to roam the cities and are a chronic problem. Most look too knackered to be a threat but some do chase and bite, and there is a risk of picking up rabies. It’s not necessary to have a rabies inoculation before you come, but should you be bitten by a dog it’s advisable to visit a local hospital and ask for one.
Drinking: Thais and tourists alike enjoy their tipple, and bars and alcohol are widely found across the country. Rules and enforcement for drinking in public are fairly lax (although alcohol cannot be sold outside of entertainment venues during certain times). Also, you may encounter drunk people driving vehicles. Accidents tend to increase around midnight, so remain alert when driving at this time.
Drunken locals are usually no more than a harmless nuisance unless you insult their pride or nationalism, after which they can become lethal and enjoy the support of their countrymen if taking on a foreigner in bar fight. The results are never pretty. By all means accept a friendly drink from locals – a common gesture, and join in the fun by keeping cool. Occasionally you might be offered lao khao (rice whisky) which can be lethal. The local Sangsom rum can also leave you with a splitting hangover.
Drugs: all kinds of illegal drugs are strictly prohibited in Thailand including marijuana, heroine, opium, amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy. If you are caught with drugs in your possession, the lightest sentence is a possible 50,000 baht fine/bribe as well as time in custody or deportation. If you’re unlucky, you can end up being imprisoned for a few years just for being caught smoking dope. Possession of quantities, considered ‘dealing’, or smuggling drugs into the country results in a life sentence, with little chance of intervention from your local embassy. There are plenty of foreigners doing time in prison here; some have earned early parole and have written harrowing accounts of the wretched conditions inside Thai prisons. The full moon parties on Koh Pha Ngan are particularly strictly policed, so be warned. There is also a culture of corruption here so be weary of being set up by a local working with a dishonest policeman.
