Tips for Women Travelers
Thais are among the friendliest people in the world, so it’s easy to forget basic caution.
While you don’t want to bring western paranoia with you to the Land of Smiles, you’ll want to be cognizant of how to avoid unwanted sexual attention, getting fleeced by taxi drivers and shop owners, and staying healthy.
Here are a few tips gathered from a number of veteran women travelers in Thailand.
Passports, Airline Tickets
While enjoying your stay in Thailand, it’s always possible to misplace your passport and tickets.
We suggest you scan images of them into a computer before you leave, then email the attachment to yourself, using your international email address.
If tickets and passport ever become lost, you’ve got photocopies available by accessing your email.
This will prove invaluable if you have to make a replacement claim at an embassy, consulate, or airline office.
Drinking
Thais are generally polite, genteel, and respectful.
They do have conservative views about women, and Western women can appear to be “adventurous.”
If you’re a woman traveling alone, do not drink with Thai men in an isolated spot, particularly after dark.
If you do, and are sexually assaulted, you may find difficulty in prosecution, as the police may interpret that you led the men on.
Dressing
Be careful how you dress.
Sleeveless tops and short skirts may send the message to local men that you are potentially available, sexually.
In Thailand, women tend to dress conservatively, and the social norm is for respect and conservative dress to go hand-in-hand.
When possible, dress like the local women do.
If you do not welcome the attentions of local men, consider wearing a ring on your wedding finger.
Health Cautions
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu): Information is constantly evolving, but latest data would seem to indicate that travelers are relatively safe in cities.
For the latest, visit the Center for Disease Control Avian Influenza site at: www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm.
Hygiene: Western women traveling to hot, humid climates for the first time may not be aware of the importance of cleanliness in intimate areas.
Yeast infections and the like are easy to acquire, and sometimes not so easy to get rid of.
Wear breathable undergarments, and do as the Thais do, wash frequently.
The ubiquitous Thai toilet hose is a great way to stay clean (read our report)
Parasites, stomach bugs, malaria, etc: For the latest, visit the Center for Disease Control Southeast Asian info site at: www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm.
Rabies: Don’t ask us why, but more western women than men seem to be seen petting soi dogs.
Rabies, while not as prevalent as it used to be, still kills between 200-300 human beings every year, with 95% due to dog bites.
According to a recent Thai-based study, 56% of all dogs with rabies are under six months of age.
Our advice is to give dogs a wide berth, as even cute puppies can be lethal.
If untreated, rabies is 100% fatal, and death is protracted, painful, and horrifying.
Sexually transmitted diseases: As a precaution, make sure you’re as vaccinated for as many strains of hepatitis as possible, prior to your trip.
Always use condoms, available at all pharmacies in Thailand.
Shopping
If you are going to a specific jewelry shop to make a purchase, and are taking a taxi or tuk-tuk, get off 1/2 block before your shop.
If you do not, the taxi driver may insist on coming in with you to “take a look around.”
Instead, he will be talking in Thai to the owner, and arranging for his commission for bringing you to the shop.
You will end up paying a commission to the driver, as part of your purchase.
Beware of short-change artists.
Generally, they will accept a larger bill from you, and tell you they don’t have change.
They will hold your bill while you fish for something smaller.
Then you’ll pay with the smaller amount, and they’ll all of a sudden find the right amount of change for your larger bill.
They’ll mix your smaller bills into their change, and you’ve suddenly paid twice.
Our tip: don’t relinquish your money until you see your change in front of your eyes.
Traveling
As in western countries, avoid walking alone at night in isolated areas.
If you need to take a taxi after a late night at a club, ask club personnel to get a taxi for you, write down the cab number when it arrives, and give it to the person who flagged the cab for you.
While this action may puzzle that individual, it tells the driver that you’re mentally aware ...
If your late-night taxi driver asks if you’re traveling alone, tell him you’re going to meet your husband.
End of discussion.
If he asks what your husband does, reply: “Works for government. Cannot say more.”
Again, your job is to get safely to your destination, not to provide entertainment for your driver.
We agree with the warning issued by the Tourist Authority of Thailand: never accept free offers of a tour guide, unless it’s from someone you know and trust.
If you do, you’ll invariably part with more money than if you’d hired a legitimate tour guide.
Do not be overly friendly with tuk-tuk and taxi drivers.
And absolutely, always, always insist on going to your original destination, without stops.
Invariably, any unplanned stop along the way will be to a gem or jewelry shop, where the driver collects commission on your purchase.
Verbal Communication
In discussions with unfamiliar local men, attempt to understand why you’re being questioned.
Unless the local man to whom you’re speaking for the first time has been introduced by an acquaintance, you could be in the process of being sized-up for profit.
Questions such as “First time in Thailand?” and “Where are you from?,” while normally asked in conversation, are classically used by touts to determine your wealth and naivete.
If you admit to this being your first time in Thailand, you may be considered naďve, and fair pickings for jewelry touts, etc.
The person asking you the question may offer to be your tour guide (gratis), but most of the time, this will lead you to a gem or jewelry shop “run by my uncle.”
You may be asked, by any number of people, where you’re staying.
A good rule of thumb is to divulge the name of your hotel or guest house only to those who really need to know.
A good standard answer is “with friends.”
Have a great stay in Thailand, but stay aware, and you will enjoy a country we believe to be one of the friendliest in the world!
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