Sunday, September 2, 2007

Safety in Thailand

Thailand is a very safe country to visit, but it is always wise to take some precautions to ensure you have a trouble free holiday:
  1. Make sure your room is locked and bolted at night.
  2. Always leave valuables, airline tickets and passports in the hotel safety deposit box.
  3. Carry a photocopy of the id page of you passport. The police can demand to see it, but rarely do.
  4. If you take a taxi, be clear about where you want to go. (See Scams)
  5. In Bangkok taxis have meters, but in provincial areas you will need to bargain the price.
  6. When travelling by train or bus don't leave valuables in you baggage, and be cautious of strangers offering free food or drink. Thai's can be very hospitable, but it also has been known for food and drink to be drugged. When you awake your valuables have gone.
  7. If you hire a vehicle read the terms carefully, and make sure you get proper insurance cover, otherwise you may have to pay for any damage or repairs.
  8. Wear reasonable clothing if you ride a motorcycle. A minor spill when wearing shorts can ruin your holiday. The law requires you to wear a crash helmet.
  9. The law requires front seat passengers in cars to wear a seat belt.
  10. Driving standards in Thailand leave a lot to be desired so take extra care.
  11. If you hire a water scooter or jet ski wear a life jacket and keep away from areas where people are swimming.
  12. You require a Thai driving licence or and International driving permit to ride a motorcycle or drive a car. Your licence from home is not sufficient. When driving without a licence you also invalidate your insurance cover.
  13. Take out travel insurance. If you are involved in a road traffic accident the maximum amount of compensation guaranteed by law is only US$2,000. For anything more you will have to go to court, possibly waiting years and still never see a penny.
  14. Since 2003 there has been a crack down on drugs, and the penalties for possession and trafficking have been enforced with extreme severity.
  15. Thailand has a special Tourist Police force which was founded to assist visitors. The officers are multilingual and will help deal with theft, accidents and disputes.

2 comments:

Red and White said...

I can't find the Tourist Police website in English! What happened to it?

payom27@gmail.com said...

Tourist Police Division website
http://home.touristpolice.net
Now!it have Thai language only.
Some time I will contract somebody who make website that to make in English version.
But TOURIST POLICE UDON THANI have English version.You can look website at http://www.touristpolice-udon.com
Thank for your opinion and Welcome to Thailand.