Tips for first time tourists, especially western teenage girls

[OneMoreFarang]

An acquaintance from back home told me his 19 year old daughter and her female friend will visit Bangkok sometime soon. And he asked me for advise.

 

Some thinks came to my mind like be very careful when you cross any road (including with green light), be careful with overcharging drivers and don't get drunk and trust any guy to take care of you.

 

And then I thought about riding apps like Bolt. But I have no idea if they require a local phone number. And then, I don't know if tourists can easily get a local SIM card. And can tourists somehow pay with QR code?

 

And how is the situation at the airport now? Can new tourists rely on taxi-meter from the airport? Or is that still a big scam? 

 

Instead of everybody adding a few tips here, do you know any good websites with good advice for first time tourists, and especially girls?

 

 

 

 

Thanks

[fredwiggy]

Don't trust anyone. When you take a cab or other drive, immediately take a picture of the car, driver and his license, and post it to a relative or friend at home. Let them see what you're doing. Do not go to bars alone and stick together, watching your drinks or keeping them in your hand until finished. Do not leave the bar with anyone, no matter what they say. Walk or ride straight to your hotel. Don't trust anyone.  Don't flash cash and keep it in various places. Keep in contact with others at home through phone and video recording. Don't trust anyone. Download Line app as most places use it here. Tell them to bring more friends if possible. Be very aware of your drinking, as it's harder to be taken advantage of when you're sober. Stick to public places and eat where locals eat, meaning popular places with a lot of customers. Don't trust anyone.

[JAG]

9 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Don't trust anyone. When you take a cab or other drive, immediately take a picture of the car, driver and his license, and post it to a relative or friend at home. Let them see what you're doing. Do not go to bars alone and stick together, watching your drinks or keeping them in your hand until finished. Do not leave the bar with anyone, no matter what they say. Walk or ride straight to your hotel. Don't trust anyone.  Don't flash cash and keep it in various places. Keep in contact with others at home through phone and video recording. Don't trust anyone. Download Line app as most places use it here. Tell them to bring more friends if possible. Be very aware of your drinking, as it's harder to be taken advantage of when you're sober. Stick to public places and eat where locals eat, meaning popular places with a lot of customers. Don't trust anyone.

All pertinent for teenage girls travelling, here, or anywhere in the world.

[hotandsticky]

Any advice will inevitably be subjective and, in any event, 19 year olds will do what 19 year olds will do.

 

Applying basic commonsense to safety is a pre-requisite and that includes being aware of your surroundings and not putting yourself (or your valuables) at risk.

 

The specifics of sim cards, transport and accommodation will happen quite naturally.

 

I always get sim cards for my daughter just to avoid her paying over the top at the airport. The airport has a whole host of sim card desks so it is a good backstop.

 

Suvarnabhumi airport taxi system is OK and I think you pay a surcharge of 50 Baht if booking at the taxi desk. Plan B, if the visitors are confident enough they can exit through gate 8 at departures, cross the road and pickup a taxi that has dropped off departing passengers. Personally I only take those who use the meter - then I tip well. The drivers are often looking for Pattaya fares and one quoted me 300 Baht to go to Lat Krabang....I know it is c. 65 Baht on the meter. When he came down to 200 Baht I told him he had missed his chance; I took the next taxi (who did use the meter) and it was 68 Baht. I paid 150 Baht.........just an example.

 

After that, use BOLT the cars are better and the drivers more professional.

 

Other specific advice would depend on their itinerary.

[MalcolmB]

Head down to the party islands for full moon parties etc.

Plenty of booze, drugs and young men for them there. 
They will have a ball. If they are not on the pill then pack some condoms.

And take some sunscreen.

[hotandsticky]

Just now, MalcolmB said:

Head down to the party islands for full moon parties etc.

Plenty of booze, drugs and young men for them there. 
They will have a ball. If they are not on the pill then pack some condoms.

And take some sunscreen.

 

 

They won't need sunscreen if they follow your advice.............I doubt that they will see much sun.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 minute ago, MalcolmB said:

Head down to the party islands for full moon parties etc.

Plenty of booze, drugs and young men for them there. 
They will have a ball. If they are not on the pill then pack some condoms.

And take some sunscreen.

 

Thanks, I will tell this to her father to tell her... 

[frank83628]

31 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

An acquaintance from back home told me his 19 year old daughter and her female friend will visit Bangkok sometime soon. And he asked me for advise.

 

Some thinks came to my mind like be very careful when you cross any road (including with green light), be careful with overcharging drivers and don't get drunk and trust any guy to take care of you.

 

And then I thought about riding apps like Bolt. But I have no idea if they require a local phone number. And then, I don't know if tourists can easily get a local SIM card. And can tourists somehow pay with QR code?

 

And how is the situation at the airport now? Can new tourists rely on taxi-meter from the airport? Or is that still a big scam? 

 

Instead of everybody adding a few tips here, do you know any good websites with good advice for first time tourists, and especially girls?

 

 

 

 

Thanks

We all used the 'lonely planet' books back in the day had all the tip, tricks, do's & dont's and safety tips, not sure if the books still exist but guess there must be online versions.

There is the backpackers Thailand FB page, but as with most fb community pages, things can get off topic with everyone thingking their advice  is the best.

 

[hotandsticky]

Just now, frank83628 said:

We all used the 'lonely planet' books back in the day had all the tip, tricks, do's & dont's and safety tips, not sure if the books still exist but guess there must be online versions.

There is the backpackers Thailand FB page, but as with most fb community pages, things can get off topic with everyone thingking their advice  is the best.

 

 

 

Blogging has overtaken the likes of Lonely Planet and there are hundreds of blogs out there on Thailand and Bangkok trip ideas. 

[Briggsy]

At each full moon party, there are gangs there with specific aims. Some aim to steal as many phones, money and bags as possible and they do. Some aim to rape women, irrespective of whether they are very drunk or drugged or spiked.

 

Every backpacker I have met here turns to the topic of conversation to full moon parties within five minutes so they are going to go. It is a rite of passage, it seems. Warn them of the dangers. But they will have their phone stolen.

[frank83628]

24 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Don't trust anyone. When you take a cab or other drive, immediately take a picture of the car, driver and his license, and post it to a relative or friend at home. Let them see what you're doing. Do not go to bars alone and stick together, watching your drinks or keeping them in your hand until finished. Do not leave the bar with anyone, no matter what they say. Walk or ride straight to your hotel. Don't trust anyone.  Don't flash cash and keep it in various places. Keep in contact with others at home through phone and video recording. Don't trust anyone. Download Line app as most places use it here. Tell them to bring more friends if possible. Be very aware of your drinking, as it's harder to be taken advantage of when you're sober. Stick to public places and eat where locals eat, meaning popular places with a lot of customers. Don't trust anyone.

Haha, Mr Paranoia, Thailand is the opposite of that, I've met and  known tonnes of chicks travelling, some alone, all have said how safe Thailand is compared to their home countries.

Yes, be careful when out drinking, but no need to be scared of the boogyman.

[OneMoreFarang]

Thanks for all your post.

Coming back to my original post, do you have any links to helpful websites about this topic?

[Ben Zioner]

50 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Let them see what you're doing. Do not go to bars alone and stick together, watching your drinks or keeping them in your hand until finished

And be especially wary of western [old] men...

[pomchop]

41 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Head down to the party islands for full moon parties etc.

Plenty of booze, drugs and young men for them there. 
They will have a ball. If they are not on the pill then pack some condoms.

And take some sunscreen.

so take a pill and that will protect them from getting STD's....i don't think so.  Great way to start your adult life with some nasty bugs picked up from idiot guys who think condoms are only for birth control.

[bendejo]

Maybe a little entertainment for them before arriving.

 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120620

 

 

[daveAustin]

Advice? Point them to this site but tell them to ignore all the grumpy old boomers. 😄

 

Seriously, tell your buddy for them to just bring common sense, have travel insurance, and don't get hammered alone etc. SIMs available at airports for tourists--weekly, fortnight, monthly. If they do as some mention--'trust no-one, take pics of taxi drivers' etc--they'll just end up paranoid and won't enjoy themselves. Most young visitors have a blast here with no issue.

[Lacessit]

Have any drinks straight out of a can or bottle. Mixed drinks can be lethal, as Laos backpackers found out recently.

 

SIM cards are available at most airports. Taxi services from airports have fixed prices at their airport offices.

 

Transport between Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang is free, aircon bus. Just show ongoing ticket to other destinations.

 

Only take transport that has three or four wheels. Do not rent a scooter. Always ask the price of any taxi, baht bus or tuk-tuk before getting in.

 

Do not eat street food that is not cooked in front of you.

 

Pedestrian crossings should only be trusted when they have traffic lights.

 

Forget the high heels, Thai pavements can be quite uneven. Comfortable sneakers.

 

Do not flash large amounts of cash.

 

Dress conservatively when visiting temples.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Advice? Point them to this site but tell them to ignore all the grumpy old boomers. 😄

 

Seriously, tell your buddy for them to just bring common sense, have travel insurance, and don't get hammered alone etc. SIMs available at airports for tourists--weekly, fortnight, monthly. If they do as some mention--'trust no-one, take pics of taxi drivers' etc--they'll just end up paranoid and won't enjoy themselves. Most young visitors have a blast here with no issue.

 

I am sure many tourists have a good time.

But bad things happen and often they are not published. So, who really knows how many "incidents" happen all the time?

 

Back home nobody would worry to take a taxi. Nobody would worry getting drugged. But here those are real risks. How often do nasty things happen? I don't know. But they certainly do happen too often. 

[OneMoreFarang]

4 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Have any drinks straight out of a can or bottle. Mixed drinks can be lethal, as Laos backpackers found out recently.

 

SIM cards are available at most airports. Taxi services from airports have fixed prices at their airport offices.

 

Transport between Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang is free, aircon bus. Just show ongoing ticket to other destinations.

 

Only take transport that has three or four wheels. Do not rent a scooter. Always ask the price of any taxi, baht bus or tuk-tuk before getting in.

 

Do not eat street food that is not cooked in front of you.

 

Pedestrian crossings should only be trusted when they have traffic lights.

 

Forget the high heels, Thai pavements can be quite uneven. Comfortable sneakers.

 

Do not flash large amounts of cash.

 

Dress conservatively when visiting temples.

 

Thanks, I like most of your post. But not this one: "Pedestrian crossings should only be trusted when they have traffic lights."

Lights or no lights, they are death traps. 

 

 

[Lacessit]

9 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Thanks, I like most of your post. But not this one: "Pedestrian crossings should only be trusted when they have traffic lights."

Lights or no lights, they are death traps. 

 

 

You may be right, it depends on location.

 

IME traffic lights in CM and CR are usually respected by drivers. They may cross after a pedestrian has walked through.

 

Bangkok? I can't wait to get out of there.

[impulse]

Don't drink anything out of a bucket.  

[Harsh Jones]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

An acquaintance from back home told me his 19 year old daughter and her female friend will visit Bangkok sometime soon. And he asked me for advise.

 

Some thinks came to my mind like be very careful when you cross any road (including with green light), be careful with overcharging drivers and don't get drunk and trust any guy to take care of you.

 

And then I thought about riding apps like Bolt. But I have no idea if they require a local phone number. And then, I don't know if tourists can easily get a local SIM card. And can tourists somehow pay with QR code?

 

And how is the situation at the airport now? Can new tourists rely on taxi-meter from the airport? Or is that still a big scam? 

 

Instead of everybody adding a few tips here, do you know any good websites with good advice for first time tourists, and especially girls?

 

 

 

 

Thanks

Over charging drivers will be the very least of their concerns. Some taxi man charged you 200 baht more than he should have ohh ahhh

[Harsh Jones]

2 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Head down to the party islands for full moon parties etc.

Plenty of booze, drugs and young men for them there. 
They will have a ball. If they are not on the pill then pack some condoms.

And take some sunscreen.

 

Just make sure the tuk tuk driver doesn't over charge you by a 100 baht. Cant have that. 

[bkk6060]

The malls, Jodd market, Chatucak, Kosan road, river cruise, Chinatown.

 

As far as walking there are so many issues now.  M/B driving the wrong way and on sidewalks, uneven tiles everywhere, metal and wires sticking out from poles that can take your eye out, crosswalks lucky if people stop.

They need to be looking everywhere. 

 

They should be able to get local phone serve from the airport kiosks.  The taxis I have taken recently from the airport turn on the meter.

[Bday Prang]

2 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

And be especially wary of western [old] men...

why ? western old men have little interest in gobby, entitled, woke, western white teenagers,   I would however suggest exercising caution particularly in places like "Soi Africa" and the arab area close by , they still appear to covet white women