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As a top destination in Southeast Asia, Thailand has had its fair share of safety stories from travelers. From deaths to kidnappings and sex crimes, just how safe is Thailand in 2020?

In order to understand how these shortcomings came about in Thailand, we first need to know how it all started.

Beach Paradise During WWII

The Japanese occupied Thailand during World War II and used Thai women as prostitutes.

During the Vietnam War, Thailand’s beaches were a place where many American soldiers chose to go for some R&R. They popularized Pattaya as a place for prostitution.

And, even before the Japanese and Americans, the old capital of Ayutthaya in Thailand used sex workers for their elite.

In the early 20th century, King Rama V abolished slavery; however, once the Chinese started to come over for the rice boom, they started demanding sex. So, King Rama V thought of ways to help the women get medical care and make sex work legal. Of course, it did not stay this way.

Rise of Prostitution

Prostitution is actually illegal in Thailand, but that doesn’t keep people away from the industry. Sex tourism brings in millions of people every year. The girls can make quite a substantial income which they send back to their families in their home province.

This industry also gets complicated because there are girls that volunteer to go into the sex industry, and girls that are sex trafficked from neighboring countries and even within Thailand. Popular places where you’ll see things like this are in Pattaya, Bangkok’s Red Light District Patpong, and on Bang La Road in Phuket. All of these are major tourist destinations.

To be safe in these areas, remain aware of what is going on around you. There will be many people trying to get you to come into their shops by offering promotions. Don’t take a lot of things with you and don’t be careless with your money. Karaoke bars and massage shops in these areas are most likely brothels.

Petty Crimes | Safety in Thailand

Of course, there will be small petty crimes like theft and pickpocketing. However, the culprit won’t come from the majority of Thai people.

When you’re visiting the country you’ll notice how people will leave the keys in their motorbike while they go into a 7-Eleven. No one ever takes the keys from the bike. There may also be a few bags on the bike from other shops if they were running errands. No one ever takes those either.

I have personally left bags on my motorbike while going into a store, and they are always still there when I return. I would never do that in my home country.

At school, if my students find a coin or money on the floor, they give it to me and say someone lost this. They will never pocket it for themselves. If you accidentally leave your debit card in an ATM, chances are the next person to use it will attempt to find you to give your card back.

What To Be Aware Of As A Tourist

I don’t think that Thailand is any less safe of a place for tourists than any other country. It may have a reputation for having the most dangerous roads, prostitution, and scams, but don’t let that stop you from visiting this country. Use your common sense and if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.