Overall, Thailand is fairly safe. Most crime is committed among locals, but travelers should take basic precautions to avoid becoming victims. Don't wear expensive jewelry or watches when touring, especially after dark. Beware of pickpockets on overcrowded public transportation and in high-traffic tourist areas. Cell-phone thievery is on the increase, as well as violent crimes and muggings. There have been a few daring raids on buses, and lone travelers have been mugged crossing overhead pedestrian passes. Err on the side of caution—at night, for example, try to stay on well-lit streets.
However, the biggest threats come from motorists who never yield to pedestrians and from smiling con artists who hang around the major tourist attractions (Westerners are the targets of numerous scams). Disregard tuk-tuk drivers and other chatty folk who tell you that an attraction, usually a temple, is closed today: They're hoping to take you on a shopping tour to places where you'll most assuredly be ripped off—be especially wary of gem stores. In general, anyone paying you undue attention or appealing for money should be treated with suspicion.
The same is true of strangers offering you food or drink. Although uncommon, there have been reports of visitors being drugged and robbed or worse. This is more likely to happen in the seedier parts of town, so stay alert if you're in a red-light district. And don't buy drugs, which are readily available in Bangkok. Thailand forcefully prosecutes foreigners. Drug consumption is taken seriously in Thailand, and in Bangkok the police even mount highly publicized raids on clubs and force everyone inside to submit to a drug test. In the backpacker area of Khao San, the police regularly stop and search Westerners for drugs. Those who are caught might go free if they pay a huge bribe (the police will empty their bank accounts), but they are more likely to end up languishing in a Thai prison. The prisons are filled with drug offenders.
If anything goes wrong, phone 1155 to contact the Tourist Police. For the latest information, contact your country's travel-advisory agency.
Dos & Don'ts
Do smile even if you are stuck in an unpleasant situation. It's the quickest way to resolve a misunderstanding.
Don't lose your patience or show any form of anger. Talking too loudly is regarded as impolite behavior.
Don't sunbathe naked. Thais are very modest people.
Don't step on a Thai banknote. It's illegal because the notes bear the image of the king of Thailand.
Do dress neatly. How you dress is how Thais will judge you as a person.
Do carry some form of identification with a photo. Foreigners are required to carry their passports at all times. This is rarely enforced, but it is the law.
Do dress conservatively in temples. Short trousers or skirts and shirts that expose the shoulders are not acceptable. Always remove your shoes when entering the inner area of a temple.
Don't climb on Buddha images to take a photograph.
Do show respect for the Thai royal family. Thai people have deep respect for the monarch, and disrespect for the royal family is a criminal offence taken very seriously.
Don't get involved with drugs. Penalties for drug offences are severe in Thailand.
