How Safe is Bangkok for Tourists? Bangkok on my list

Want to know is Bangkok Safe for tourists to visit?

I’ve been visiting Bangkok for years and also lived in various parts of the city for months. It’s a big city where modern blends in with old Thai culture. From towering skyscrapers and massive malls to the beautiful buddhist temples and old charming neighborhoods, Bangkok has a bit of everything.

At a glance, the city seems chaotic, unorganized and maybe also not so safe to visit Bangkok for western tourists. These are primarily the reasons why so many tourists often just avoid spending any time in Bangkok and choose to go straight to the tropical islands.

While it is true that Bangkok can be overwhelming, you don’t need to worry much when it comes to safety. Compared to many other major cities around the world, Bangkok is safe to visit.

Bangkok Safety Tips

While Bangkok is a safe city for tourists, that doesn’t mean forget about all common sense. It’s still important to follow universal travel safety tips such as being aware of you surrounding and most importantly not doing anything you wouldn’t do back home.

Walking around: Bangkok is a busy and chaotic city and traffic related accidents are very common. Scooters are the main concern as you’ll find them anywhere and everywhere even driving on the sidewalks to bypass the congested streets. As a pedestrian always be aware and take nothing for granted. Remember that they drive on the left in Thailand. But still look both ways and on traffic lights don’t cross before the cars stop.

Transport: Avoid accepting any rides by random strangers. There are many touts in Bangkok pretending to be taxi drivers. This is a scam most commonly found at the airport. Instead use regulated taxis and book your transport on →12Go platform where you can book various routes throughout Thailand.

Food: Bangkok is famous for its absurd amount of street food vendors. The food is safe with a few exceptions. Choose food that is being prepared on the spot like fried noodles, rice and soups. And if possible stick to places that are busy and have a high turnover of customers. Most fried food is pre-cooked and is best avoided as there is no way to know how long it’s been there. You can also book a →street-food tour which will take you to the best places and hidden spots.

Health: The heat in Bangkok can be unbearable especially between April and July when temperatures and humidity levels are the highest. Remember to always stay hydrated and avoid long amounts of time in the mid-day heat to avoid getting a heat stroke which could ruin your trip.

Drinks: There’s a few tips regarding drinks. Most importantly is never leave your drink because it can be spiked in a moment. Also, if you do go out for a few drinks, avoid getting completely hammered, especially if you’re a solo female traveler this is one of the dumbest things to do. And have a plan for how to get back to your hotel.

Speaking about the Royal Family: Thailand has one of the strictest lese majeste laws. Criticizing the Royal Family can have severe consequences like a three to fifteen year imprisonment.

Money: Avoid using any ATMs in isolated areas. Take a backup bank card with you and keep in somewhere other than your other cards. In case you lose one you’ll have the other to fall on. Inform your bank that you’re going to Thailand because otherwise your transactions may seem fraudulent and the bank may block the card.

Documents: Have copies of all your documents such as passport, driver’s license, insurance. Keep the originals stored in the safe of your hotel.

Insurance: Being insured for any unforeseen events is the best way to have peace of mind when traveling. In most cases insurance will be just a waste of money but if something where to happen, you’ll be thankful for having it. I personally use →safetywing which is affordable and great for both short and extended trips.

Common Scams in Bangkok

Just because Bangkok is a safe city for tourists that doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen. Scams for instance are everywhere most commonly around anything tourist oriented like attractions, any form of transport and sometimes even tours. Below is what you need to look out and how to avoid falling for these petty scams.

Closed Temple Scam

In Bangkok, a common scam involves a tuk-tuk driver telling you that major temples are closed for a holiday. He offers to take you to other temples for a low fare, but most of the tour will be stops at gem stores, souvenir shops, and tailors, all with exorbitant prices. While the ride may cost only THB50, you’ll be pressured to buy items so the driver can earn a commission.

There are a few variations of this scam and generally include a absurdly cheap tuk-tuk ride.

How to avoid: Temples in Bangkok are open every day from 8:00am. Certain temples are only closed on very rare occasions such as the 15th April for Songkran. Click here to see if temples are open on your travel dates.

Tailor Scam

Bangkok is known for affordable tailor made suits. Some of these legit stores offering high quality suits. But many are just there ripping off tourists. Often is the case the suit may not even be ready when you depart. Instead of ordering a nice suit from a random store, always research online and read the reviews.

Nightclub Scams

You’ll be invited into a club, usually a strip club or something similar. The menu will have reasonably priced drinks but when you get to pay the bill you’re slapped with an exorbitant cover charge. This most commonly happens in red light districts and ping pong shows.

Taxi Scam

This is the oldest scam. The taxi driver will say the meter is not working and so will just offer a fixed price which will always be extremely in their favor. Or else the driver will use a tampered meter which increases the price at a faster rate. A more subtle taxi scam is the driver just talking a longer route to increase the fare.

Transport Scam

After a few days in Bangkok most tourists go south to the beaches, or maybe north to Chiang Mai. Either-way, there are various agents and resellers in Bangkok selling transport to anywhere in Thailand. It’s always good to verify if the agent has an online presence is check reviews. Personally I just book transport online because I can easily see all the options for the route and plan ahead. →check your route here

Tours Scam

Similar to the transport scam, there are many tour operators that are just there to make money off tourists and not really offer a good service. I always check for →tours on Viator because I can view all the reviews from previous travelers.

The Bottom Line

All in all Bangkok is a safe city to visit and really violent crimes are something common. Just to give you an idea, there is no, no-go-zones in Bangkok. I guess that says a lot. But as general rule, using common sense and not doing anything you wouldn’t do back home is enough to stay safe in Bangkok.

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→ Bangkok street food

→ How to get from Bangkok to the islands

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