Thai Travel Advice

By Author: Bonny Kominek
Total Articles: 96
Comment this article

In the early 1980s the Thai economy suddenly burst into life and for over a decade Thailand posted some of the fastest economic growth in the developed world. High quality hotels, designed to appeal to western tourists, were built all over the country and as a result, Thailand is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia.

The one major factor which has kept more people from visiting Thailand is the political situation. In recent months it came to a head with a prolonged period of violence in Bangkok. Since then the Foreign Office has slightly relaxed its travel warnings, but as the tourist trade recovers, there are still risks associated with travelling in Thailand.

Thailand is a particularly popular destination for students and gap-year travellers. Cheap flights to Bangkok coupled with the relatively low cost of travel has made it an appealing proposition for foreign travellers. Unfortunately, the youth of these travellers also makes them appealing targets for pickpockets.

The Foreign Office recommends that you should always carry a padlock and be careful with your belongings. In addition ...
... to pickpockets there are reports of people having their bag snatched by passing cyclists.

It''s particularly important to be careful if you''re going to buy anything. Credit card fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the Foreign Office warns that you should never let your card out of your sight (or out of your hand if possible) even in shops. Travel cards with limited sums of money on them are a good idea.

Another thing with shops to bear in mind is that there are often seemingly random demarcation lines between stalls in market places. If you have picked something in one shop and wander into another without paying for the first item you may get charged with theft.

One of the most popular times of year to visit Thailand is for the Full Moon party on Phangan Island. There are many reports of crime associated to revellers at the Full Moon party, so make sure that you keep your wits about you and try to avoid travelling alone.

Thailand is no more dangerous to visit than many other countries, and millions of people travel there every year without experiencing any problems. It''s important, however, to be aware of the risks so that you can avoid them with that much more ease. #Pen name# is a freelance writer with a love of Asian travel. They recommend DialAFlight for a cheap flights to Bangkok.