Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Volunteering
There are many wonderful volunteering organisations in Thailand that provide meaningful work and cultural engage-
ment.
Volunteer Work Thailand
(
www.volunteerworkthailand.org
)
maintains a database of opportunities.
Women Travellers
Women face relatively few problems in Thailand. With the great amount of respect afforded to women, an equal meas-
ure should be returned.
Thai women, especially the younger generation, are showing more skin than in the recent past. That means almost
everyone is now dressing like a bar girl and you can wear spaghetti-strap tops and navel-bearing shirts (if only they
were still trendy) without offending Thais' modesty streak. But to be on the safe side, cover up if you're going deep in-
to rural communities or to temples.
Attacks and rapes are not common in Thailand, but incidents do occur, especially when an attacker observes a vul-
nerable target: a drunk or solo woman. If you return home from a bar alone, be sure to have your wits about you. Avoid
accepting rides from strangers late at night or travelling around in isolated areas by yourself - common sense stuff that
might escape your notice in a new environment filled with hospitable people.
While Bangkok might be a men's paradise to some, foreign women are finding their own Romeos on the Thai
beaches. As more couples emerge, more Thai men will make themselves available. Women who aren't interested in
such romantic encounters should not presume that Thai men have merely platonic motives. Frivolous flirting could un-
intentionally cause a Thai man to feel a loss of face if attention is then diverted to another person and, in some cases
where alcohol is involved, the spurned man may become unpleasant or even violent.
