Personal Security For Tourist

[xerostar]

I've read many stories concerning lone travellers who are vulnerable to all sorts of scams and tricksters.

e.g. when you're staying at a hotel and someone seems friendly and your invited to go with them for

a drink or you take them to your room after going out for an evening.

Can anyone offer any tips on how to avoid getting your drink spiked, and wake up (if you're lucky ..)

finding cash, valuables and credit cards missing?

Anyone with personal experience to relate?

And are there any general tips that can help avoid having your passport stolen, credit card accounts emptied

or any other advice on prevention.

I'd thought about hiding spare cash or a spare credit card somehow so you could at least buy breakfast

and get a taxi to the embassy.

... and thanks for the advice on not to travel at all.

[MJP]

Never pat a burning dog.

[Hawaiian]

Years ago while staying at a 4 star hotel in Manila, I received an anonymous phone call inviting me out to dinner. The caller said we had met the day before. I politely declined.

Then I remembered that there was always the same group of several Filipino men sitting in the hotel lobby.

I spoke with the head of hotel security who confirmed my suspicions. He warned me not to go to the police as they were of no use and might be in on it. He mentioned a recent robbery in the elevator of a very well known 5 star hotel, indicating that this was a problem throughout the city.

So yes, do not accept invitations from strangers unless you are prepared for a an unpleasant

experience.

[DISCOVERY]

You are taking <deleted> leave the fanny alone as they will take cash fast ..... Don't touch drugs that get you long time in thailand and keep your head down ..... it's thailand not a war zone

[Thongkorn]

1 Don't get drunk.

2 Only carry what you can afford to lose.

3 Lock all your valuables in a safe box preferable one that you can put your own lock on as well.

4 Do not have valuables in your room

5 Stay away from Bargirls and boys.

6 Dont buy of street venders.

Apart from that have a good holiday.

[Ulysses G.]

5 Stay away from Bargirls and boys.

They have to provide their bars with copies of their ID cards and are much safer than picking someone up elsewhere. However, it is always a good idea to not allow casual visitors to ever be alone with anything that you intend to eat or drink.

[DP25]

Six years and still asking these questions eh?

[craigt3365]

I've traveled all over the world, and been scammed many times. Luckily, it was just a small amount of money each time. Taxi scams in Vietnam, Russia, Peru. Money exchange scams in Nicaragua, India, Italy, etc.

If you travel enough, your going to get scammed. But most are harmless. Best way to avoid getting your drink spiked is to avoid people you meet on the street. No matter how nice they are. After a few years, you get hardened to this and just walk away...no matter how gorgeous. I can still remember that gorgeous gal I met in Cuba...and how her "BF" came by after an hour pretending to be her brother and how try tried to get me to pay for dinner. Harmless, but still a great scam....especially for really poor people. But she was gorgeous!!!!!!

Most who have this happen to them here meet the gals on the street. If you want to meet a lady, do so in a proper bar. Don't travel with expensive items. Wear a money belt. And have a blast.

[Ulysses G.]

Best way to avoid getting your drink spiked is to avoid people you meet on the street. No matter how nice they are. After a few years, you get hardened to this and just walk away...no matter how gorgeous.

Maybe you do. I am just extremely careful about giving them any opportunity to drug me.

[jazzbo]

from post #8: If you want to meet a lady, do so in a proper bar. ... Next time I am in the position of wanting / needing to meet 'proper' Thai ladies I think I will start to attend funerals of wealthy Thai locals at the nearby wats ... I attended last year the funeral for a customer of a Thai friend and there were a bunch of very attractive single women there... make a small donation and they all will want to know who you are... a bit like the opening scene from David Mamet's The Verdict

[craigt3365]

from post #8: If you want to meet a lady, do so in a proper bar. ... Next time I am in the position of wanting / needing to meet 'proper' Thai ladies I think I will start to attend funerals of wealthy Thai locals at the nearby wats ... I attended last year the funeral for a customer of a Thai friend and there were a bunch of very attractive single women there... make a small donation and they all will want to know who you are... a bit like the opening scene from David Mamet's The Verdict

I was a bit tongue in cheek with the "proper" part...if you know what I mean!

One of my favorite movies was The Wedding Crashers. Have you seen it? Loved their styles!

[jazzbo]

OK for the 2005 'The Wedding Crashers' ... but for us older gents the original wedding-crash was the 1988 'Working Girl' with Melanie Griffith / Harrison Ford crashing the billionaire's daughter's wedding to get to make an M&A pitch later in the week.

[mstribling]

I never leave my drink unattended. I've been drugged twice in Africa. Fortunately I was able to notice the effects and called for back up.

My friend carried atropine injectors with him.

Just keep your head on a swivel and you'll be ok.

Don't buy from a street vendor? Ridiculous. That is part of the tourist experience.

Everybody has a friend who had a problem.

I've been scammed one time by a taxi going to my room near On Nut from Soi Cowboy. I paid 200฿.

Not really a scam as much as I was a cherry. 50/50

[Lancelot]

Don't do any thing in Thailand that you would not do back home...

(Yeah, I know, no fun!!! )

[jazzbo]

Ok then: Only patronize massage shops that have the various price-ranges posted on the wall.

[craigt3365]

OK for the 2005 'The Wedding Crashers' ... but for us older gents the original wedding-crash was the 1988 'Working Girl' with Melanie Griffith / Harrison Ford crashing the billionaire's daughter's wedding to get to make an M&A pitch later in the week.

Of course, remember that movie very well. She was hot in that movie for sure! I seem to remember a quote. "A head for business and a body for sin". Great stuff.

I never leave my drink unattended. I've been drugged twice in Africa. Fortunately I was able to notice the effects and called for back up.

My friend carried atropine injectors with him.

Just keep your head on a swivel and you'll be ok.

Don't buy from a street vendor? Ridiculous. That is part of the tourist experience.

Everybody has a friend who had a problem.

I've been scammed one time by a taxi going to my room near On Nut from Soi Cowboy. I paid 200฿.

Not really a scam as much as I was a cherry. 50/50

Nobody said to avoid street vendors...unless you are in India...I think the inference was more towards street gals!

[jackr]

Wear a money belt.

Sure, wear an inconspicuous one that is under clothing by all means, but please do not wear one of those ridiculous bum bags for all the world to see that you may have something of value on you. Whoever designed those things should be shot.

If you're after a knee-trembler and into whoring, best to stick to short-time places or head out for a soapy massage. Don't go with anyone that chats you up, don't take tarts to your hotel, and take your beer to the bog with you.

[mca]

If you're after a knee-trembler and into whoring, best to stick to short-time places or head out for a soapy massage. Don't go with anyone that chats you up, don't take tarts to your hotel, and take your beer to the bog with you.

You plagiarized that wholesale from the latest TAT's " 2011 Guide To Thailand And It's Culture " pamphlet didn't you?

[llso]

If you don't have "street smarts" there is not much you can do but to be extra cautious. Having come from the mean streets of a very rough inner city in the US, there is not much they can throw at me. If it feels weird, or too good to be true.Then it probably is.

The Thai's for the most part are somewhat forgiving, but don't cross the line.

LL

[chiang mai]

Verbally confirm the price of everything you want to buy, before you buy it.

[tim armstrong]

Xerostar,

Learn the difference between a traveller and a tourist. Ask about this from a few friends. Travellers mostly have never been attacked by anyone or anything, are rarely sick, know a lot about the places they visit, sometimes travel alone, have never been robbed, have been in dangerous situations, have been to very remote places, can sit unnoticed in any bar, and often get things for free. They take a genuine interest in other people, and understand local customs. They can usually get anything they want, and if they don't know something they will find out who to ask. They never get their drinks spiked and rarely get scammed. They do get laid and enjoy the experience, without having to pay for it. They know how to blend in.

Tourists on the other hand are just the opposite. Good luck.

[craigt3365]

Xerostar,

Learn the difference between a traveller and a tourist. Ask about this from a few friends. Travellers mostly have never been attacked by anyone or anything, are rarely sick, know a lot about the places they visit, sometimes travel alone, have never been robbed, have been in dangerous situations, have been to very remote places, can sit unnoticed in any bar, and often get things for free. They take a genuine interest in other people, and understand local customs. They can usually get anything they want, and if they don't know something they will find out who to ask. They never get their drinks spiked and rarely get scammed. They do get laid and enjoy the experience, without having to pay for it. They know how to blend in.

Tourists on the other hand are just the opposite. Good luck.

Understand where you are coming from, but as a traveler with 70 countries under my belt, and 5 out of the last 10 years traveling full time, I've been attacked (got mixed up in a "riot" in Peru by mistake), been sick in more countries than I can remember, have been robbed twice, could never sit unnoticed in a bar pretty much anywhere in Latin/South America, Asia or Africa (you stick out like a sore thumb), and have been scammed numerous times....but have had the pleasure of local ladies quite a few times for "free".

[tim armstrong]

Xerostar,

Learn the difference between a traveller and a tourist. Ask about this from a few friends. Travellers mostly have never been attacked by anyone or anything, are rarely sick, know a lot about the places they visit, sometimes travel alone, have never been robbed, have been in dangerous situations, have been to very remote places, can sit unnoticed in any bar, and often get things for free. They take a genuine interest in other people, and understand local customs. They can usually get anything they want, and if they don't know something they will find out who to ask. They never get their drinks spiked and rarely get scammed. They do get laid and enjoy the experience, without having to pay for it. They know how to blend in.

Tourists on the other hand are just the opposite. Good luck.

Understand where you are coming from, but as a traveler with 70 countries under my belt, and 5 out of the last 10 years traveling full time, I've been attacked (got mixed up in a "riot" in Peru by mistake), been sick in more countries than I can remember, have been robbed twice, could never sit unnoticed in a bar pretty much anywhere in Latin/South America, Asia or Africa (you stick out like a sore thumb), and have been scammed numerous times....but have had the pleasure of local ladies quite a few times for "free".

Yes Craig, maybe 'never' is a bit strong and for sure the more you travel the greater the chances of a problem. But no doubt you have learned from your experiences, and apart from mistakenly being a Peruvian protestor, you probably can sense when things are not right. Maybe the OP is not one of these, but I hear so many stories of near death and disaster from people where a bit of commonsense would tell them no, don't go there! .. and dare I say it .. not just guys. But I also find it difficult to understand how some blokes just got into a fight 'out of nowhere'. There's also a small and maybe slightly strange group of tourists that like the adrenalin rush of being around mayhem and drunken debauchery, and love to recount tales of their close escapes. I guess their home lives must be very boring

[tim armstrong]

Xerostar,

Learn the difference between a traveller and a tourist. Ask about this from a few friends. Travellers mostly have never been attacked by anyone or anything, are rarely sick, know a lot about the places they visit, sometimes travel alone, have never been robbed, have been in dangerous situations, have been to very remote places, can sit unnoticed in any bar, and often get things for free. They take a genuine interest in other people, and understand local customs. They can usually get anything they want, and if they don't know something they will find out who to ask. They never get their drinks spiked and rarely get scammed. They do get laid and enjoy the experience, without having to pay for it. They know how to blend in.

Tourists on the other hand are just the opposite. Good luck.

Understand where you are coming from, but as a traveler with 70 countries under my belt, and 5 out of the last 10 years traveling full time, I've been attacked (got mixed up in a "riot" in Peru by mistake), been sick in more countries than I can remember, have been robbed twice, could never sit unnoticed in a bar pretty much anywhere in Latin/South America, Asia or Africa (you stick out like a sore thumb), and have been scammed numerous times....but have had the pleasure of local ladies quite a few times for "free".

Yes Craig, maybe 'never' is a bit strong and for sure the more you travel the greater the chances of a problem. But no doubt you have learned from your experiences, and apart from mistakenly being a Peruvian protestor, you probably can sense when things are not right. Maybe the OP is not one of these, but I hear so many stories of near death and disaster from people where a bit of commonsense would tell them no, don't go there! .. and dare I say it .. not just guys. But I also find it difficult to understand how some blokes just got into a fight 'out of nowhere'. There's also a small and maybe slightly strange group of tourists that like the adrenalin rush of being around mayhem and drunken debauchery, and love to recount tales of their close escapes. I guess their home lives must be very boring

[craigt3365]

Other than Thailand, and a few other fairly "safe" places, I never really ventured into the bars or out drinking. Usually too dang tired from visiting all the sites during the day!!!!

I do remember almost running to get out of a situation in Vietnam. Wandering around looking for a bite to eat and a drink and finding a group of thugs out for a nite of drinking. Luckily, I was quick witted enough to run for it...literally...saved my ass.

I've actually had more "close" encounters here in Thailand than I've had anywhere else...drunk farangs looking for trouble....

[astral]

and get a taxi to the embassy.

Don't count on your embassy being sympathetic or helpful.

[nocturn]

Xerostar,

Learn the difference between a traveller and a tourist. Ask about this from a few friends. Travellers mostly have never been attacked by anyone or anything, are rarely sick, know a lot about the places they visit, sometimes travel alone, have never been robbed, have been in dangerous situations, have been to very remote places, can sit unnoticed in any bar, and often get things for free. They take a genuine interest in other people, and understand local customs. They can usually get anything they want, and if they don't know something they will find out who to ask. They never get their drinks spiked and rarely get scammed. They do get laid and enjoy the experience, without having to pay for it. They know how to blend in.

Tourists on the other hand are just the opposite. Good luck.

apparently travellers are also delusional.

OP, if you dont lie down with dogs, you wont get fleas.

if you cant behave, put everything in the minisafe and enjoy. chances are you will be fine.