Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Women, especially solo travellers, need to be smart and somewhat sober when interacting with the opposite sex, be
they Thai or
fa·ràng
. Opportunists pounce when too many whisky buckets are involved. Also be aware that an innocent
flirtation might convey firmer intentions to a recipient who does not share your culture's sexual norms.
Border Issues & Hot Spots
Thailand enjoys generally amicable relations with its neighbours and most land borders are fully functional passages
for goods and people. However, the ongoing violence in the Deep South has made the crossing at Sungai Kolok into
Malaysia completely off limits and the entire Muslim-majority provinces (Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat) should be
avoided by casual visitors.
Cross-border relations between Thailand and Myanmar have significantly normalised, though borders are subject to
closing without warning. Borders are usually closed due to news-making events, like elections, so keeping abreast of
current events prior to arriving at the border will prevent potential problems.
The long-contested area at Khao Phra Wihan (known as 'Preah Vihear' in Cambodia), along the Thai-Cambodian
border, is still a source of military clashes and should be avoided until a lasting peace is found.
Check with your government's foreign ministry for current travel warnings.
Drug Possession
It is illegal to buy, sell or possess opium, heroin, amphetamines, hallucinogenic mushrooms and marijuana in Thailand.
Belying Thailand's anything-goes atmosphere are strict punishments for possession and trafficking that are not relaxed
for foreigners. Possession of drugs can result in at least one year or more of prison time. Drug smuggling - defined as
attempting to cross a border with drugs in your possession - carries considerably higher penalties, including execution.
Scams
Thais can be so friendly and laid-back that some visitors are lulled into a false sense of security, making them vulner-
able to scams of all kinds. Bangkok is especially good at long-involved frauds that dupe travellers into thinking that
they've made a friend and are getting a bargain on highly valuable gem stones (which are actually pretty, sparkling
glass).
Follow the Tourism Authority of Thailand's number-one suggestion: 'Disregard all offers of free shopping or sight-
seeing help from strangers.' These invariably take a commission from your purchases.
Theft & Fraud
Exercise diligence when it comes to your personal belongings. Ensure that your room is securely locked and carry your
most important effects (passport, money, credit cards) on your person. Take care when leaving valuables in hotel safes.
Follow the same practice when you're travelling. A locked bag will not prevent theft on a long-haul bus.
When using a credit card, don't let vendors take your card out of your sight to run it through the machine. Unscrupu-
lous merchants have been known to rub off three or four or more receipts with one purchase. Sometimes they wait sev-
eral weeks - even months - between submitting each charge receipt to the bank so that you can't remember whether
you've been billed by the same vendor more than once.
To avoid losing all of your travel money in an instant, use a credit card that is not directly linked to your bank ac-
count back home so that the operator doesn't have access to immediate funds.
Contact the
tourist police
(
24hr hotline 1155) if you have any problems with consumer fraud.
