The Dangers of Thailand.

In the last two Newsletters, I talked about some of the better parts of Thailand. Now in keeping with my promise, it’s time to discuss some of the negative things about this place. To their credit, Thailand is one of the safest countries in Southeast Asia, and like anywhere else you most likely will not be the victim of a violent crime. However, an informed traveler is a safe traveler so today I will highlight some of the dangers in this country.

Human Trafficking.

Currently, it is estimated that over 600,000 people are enslaved in Thailand. This is mainly through forced labor and sex labor. Anyone can be a victim, but most of the victims in Thailand come from surrounding countries that are poorer. Because Thailand is one of the richer countries in its area it sees high rates of immigration, and unfortunately, it is the immigrants that are the most likely to fall prey to these situations. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-trafficking-in-persons-report/thailand

As a tourist, it is unlikely that you will be a victim of Human trafficking. The victims tend to be the poor locals, and people immigrating (as stated above). What is more likely however is tourists unknowingly contributing to the problem. You see Thailand has a reputation for a certain type of massage, with a certain type of ending. Because of this it’s quite common for tourists (Mostly Male) to seek out these massage parlors, not knowing that the masseuses are trafficking victims. And these parlors are not always seedy, back alley places. Some seem to even be upscale resort-type places.

https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/raid-massage-parlour-thailand-unveils-whats-wrong-country#:~:text=January%2017%2C%202018-,Last%20week%2C%20Thailand's%20Department%20of%20Special%20Investigation%2C%20police%20and%20soldiers,sex%20workers%20at%20the%20parlour.

Petty Crime

For the most part, the risk of encountering crime of any type is low in Thailand. The crimes you are most likely to encounter are the same types that can be found in many tourist destinations. This includes things like pick-pocketing, taxi scams, and things like that. You know, just people trying to make an extra buck off you. Overall Thailand has a low homicide and gun violence rate.

The most dangerous city is Bangkok, especially at night. This isn’t surprising because it’s full of tourists and it’s the biggest city in the country. Even here, the biggest threats are scams. Some of the most common scams are Rental scams for things like cars and watercraft. Bar-tab scams, where people will hide extra things in your tab. Fake Gem sales, if you’ve been to a cruise port you know there are diamond stores everywhere, beware of the fake gems though. And of course, there are financial scams. At this point, I think we’ve all gotten one of those scam texts, so we should all know how to identify a financial scam. If a sketchy person is asking for your credit card info, don’t give it to them. When in a foreign country it is also always a good idea to pay cash whenever possible

https://www.bhtp.com/blog/safe-travel-to-thailand/#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20Thailand%20is%20one,of%20safety%20for%20some%20travelers.

Terrorism

Despite having no major threat since 2019, Terrorism has been ranked as one of the larger threats in Thailand. This is mainly due to Anti-Government protests. Protests are also common outside of the US Embassy. If you see large crowds of angry people really anywhere in the world, it’s generally a good idea to avoid them. https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/thailand

In Conclusion

Thank you for joining me, as you can see Thailand is a pretty safe country but it does have its dangers. In each article, there are things I didn’t recommend, like how Thailand is part of an International Highway for the illegal arms trade.

Like any country you travel to, you most likely will not be the victim of a major crime. You will most likely have a safe, and fun time. Just do your research before booking tours and excursions, and avoid sketchy places.