Thailand February 2016

[bangerz]

Hi All,

I will be heading to Thailand in February

It seems like there is a security warning in effect over there.. Would anyone of you 'Thailand Expert' people be worried about such warning? This will be my first time in Thailand, so I wanna be a little cautious. http://travel.gc.ca/destinations/thailand

Thanks

B.

Thailand Warning.png

[Rockheart]

Being a developing country there is skirmishes and terrorism going on in various places. The two warnings about the temple near Cambodia and the Burma warning have been going on for years and you shouldn't be anywhere near these places. They are very small disturbances that may or may not be active.

The warning in the Southern provinces (Songkhla et al) that border Malay is an ongoing situation. Thailand annexed several Malay and mainly muslim regions down there some time ago. There is ongoing localized violence. You should not be going anywhere near there.

The political warnings for Bangkok and other areas is mainly due to the political situation in Thailand. Nearly two years ago the army staged a coup and ousted the elected government that had been in for two years. So the army is in charge of the country and a General is Prime Minister at this point. There was martial law until a few months ago but for the most part Thailand is the same as it has been for 15 years or so. There have been several successive coups against elected governments over this time.
While there was an elected government there was many demonstrations with some violence but mainly this was at government building and these type of areas. Now this type of protest is strictly forbidden and you would barely see any political gatherings of any kind. Problem with this is tensions build up and can lead to outbreaks of violence from pent up tensions. I was there in 2010 right after an armed conflict in a shopping mall downtown and still there was no danger anywhere I went. Even when a political mob took over the airport one time, they treated travellers very well and fed them.

That being said the atmosphere is much the same as it has always been for tourists. Last year the bars were closing earlier but everything seems to be back to normal now with the nightlife. Police and government have actually cleaned the beaches and tourist areas up a bit and got rid of unlicensed vendors and such, so it is a little nicer that way. However the police are not directly affiliated with the government and they may not follow each others rules. There was reports last year of police getting money out of tourist through intimidation,so you really have to keep clear of trouble with the authorities or may cost you. Generally though, tourists partying their asses off with working girls is totally cool with almost everyone. Tourists in Thailand are treated quite well and as long as you are polite and respectful things will go good. Small things like spitting or throwing cigarette butts on the ground can really piss them off. It is really quite safe in Thailand and more often than not you will get treated well, i've seen passed out guys on the street that are taken back to their hotels and not jail.

There was a bombing a temple where lots of tourists go in Bangkok recently but this is an isolated incident and they haven't really pinned it on any one group. Besides political riots over the years this is one of the few other incidents in Bangkok. I have seen random violence in the provinces before but in Bangkok and the tourist areas you barely see anything. The country could be in full out war and Pattaya would probably operate as normal in a bubble.

Just don't discuss Thai politics with anyone and always speak highly of the King, if you need to speak of him at all.
Everyone loves the King anyways because he is great!
If you want to know about him, best to read about it online yourself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A...A9_in_Thailand
Read some new articles on Thailand and the government and you will get the picture.

So basically for tourists Thailand is great. Thailand is wide open and you can do many thing legally or at least without punishment that you cannot do elsewhere. It is pretty hard to run afoul of the law unless you are violent or do drugs. If you are going to Thailand to get drunk, screw ladyboys and see a few sites, you have no danger at all. Just remember Bangkok is a wild place where anything goes, things are wide open and you don't know what anyone could be doing at any time. This thing that makes it fun, also is what makes it dangerous.
Overall things are much the same as always, I think it is partly what keeps the prices down.

Also make sure you get hepatitis shots and don't drink the water in Thailand. Being a developing country you always have to give second thought to vehicles and buildings as they could be substandard. Traffic does not stop for pedestrians and motorcycles ride down the sidewalk. Electrical wires hang everywhere and power boxes are wide open. If you are run over or in an accident you cannot be sure what will happen, if you are driving it will be your fault 100%. Make sure you have good health and travel insurance. Hospitals are good but not free. Just keep your eyes open and watch for dangers that you don't see in Canada. It may be hard, but stay off motorbikes.

[bangerz]

Crag,

A well written and thought out post. It sums up the security issue. Your knowledge and understanding of this country is truly amazing.

In preparation to my trip, nowadays I am reading a lot on both this forum and the tgirlforums. There is a lot of good stuff and information in there. Seems like you guys have beaten the trail pretty well before me

Hope to contribute to this forum and bring my adventures to the table soon.

Thank you Crag and All,
B.

PS. What about an entry Visa? Would it be better off taking one?

Being a developing country there is skirmishes and terrorism going on in various places. The two warnings about the temple near Cambodia and the Burma warning have been going on for years and you shouldn't be anywhere near these places. They are very small disturbances that may or may not be active.

The warning in the Southern provinces (Songkhla et al) that border Malay is an ongoing situation. Thailand annexed several Malay and mainly muslim regions down there some time ago. There is ongoing localized violence. You should not be going anywhere near there.

The political warnings for Bangkok and other areas is mainly due to the political situation in Thailand. Nearly two years ago the army staged a coup and ousted the elected government that had been in for two years. So the army is in charge of the country and a General is Prime Minister at this point. There was martial law until a few months ago but for the most part Thailand is the same as it has been for 15 years or so. There have been several successive coups against elected governments over this time.
While there was an elected government there was many demonstrations with some violence but mainly this was at government building and these type of areas. Now this type of protest is strictly forbidden and you would barely see any political gatherings of any kind. Problem with this is tensions build up and can lead to outbreaks of violence from pent up tensions. I was there in 2010 right after an armed conflict in a shopping mall downtown and still there was no danger anywhere I went. Even when a political mob took over the airport one time, they treated travellers very well and fed them.

That being said the atmosphere is much the same as it has always been for tourists. Last year the bars were closing earlier but everything seems to be back to normal now with the nightlife. Police and government have actually cleaned the beaches and tourist areas up a bit and got rid of unlicensed vendors and such, so it is a little nicer that way. However the police are not directly affiliated with the government and they may not follow each others rules. There was reports last year of police getting money out of tourist through intimidation,so you really have to keep clear of trouble with the authorities or may cost you. Generally though, tourists partying their asses off with working girls is totally cool with almost everyone. Tourists in Thailand are treated quite well and as long as you are polite and respectful things will go good. Small things like spitting or throwing cigarette butts on the ground can really piss them off. It is really quite safe in Thailand and more often than not you will get treated well, i've seen passed out guys on the street that are taken back to their hotels and not jail.

There was a bombing a temple where lots of tourists go in Bangkok recently but this is an isolated incident and they haven't really pinned it on any one group. Besides political riots over the years this is one of the few other incidents in Bangkok. I have seen random violence in the provinces before but in Bangkok and the tourist areas you barely see anything. The country could be in full out war and Pattaya would probably operate as normal in a bubble.

Just don't discuss Thai politics with anyone and always speak highly of the King, if you need to speak of him at all.
Everyone loves the King anyways because he is great!
If you want to know about him, best to read about it online yourself.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A...A9_in_Thailand
Read some new articles on Thailand and the government and you will get the picture.

So basically for tourists Thailand is great. Thailand is wide open and you can do many thing legally or at least without punishment that you cannot do elsewhere. It is pretty hard to run afoul of the law unless you are violent or do drugs. If you are going to Thailand to get drunk, screw ladyboys and see a few sites, you have no danger at all. Just remember Bangkok is a wild place where anything goes, things are wide open and you don't know what anyone could be doing at any time. This thing that makes it fun, also is what makes it dangerous.
Overall things are much the same as always, I think it is partly what keeps the prices down.

Also make sure you get hepatitis shots and don't drink the water in Thailand. Being a developing country you always have to give second thought to vehicles and buildings as they could be substandard. Traffic does not stop for pedestrians and motorcycles ride down the sidewalk. Electrical wires hang everywhere and power boxes are wide open. If you are run over or in an accident you cannot be sure what will happen, if you are driving it will be your fault 100%. Make sure you have good health and travel insurance. Hospitals are good but not free. Just keep your eyes open and watch for dangers that you don't see in Canada. It may be hard, but stay off motorbikes.

[bangerz]

There you go!! I am a pacifist and love perpetrator

...If you are going to Thailand to get drunk, screw ladyboys and see a few sites, you have no danger at all...

[Rockheart]

Crag,

A well written and thought out post. It sums up the security issue. Your knowledge and understanding of this country is truly amazing.

In preparation to my trip, nowadays I am reading a lot on both this forum and the tgirlforums. There is a lot of good stuff and information in there. Seems like you guys have beaten the trail pretty well before me

Hope to contribute to this forum and bring my adventures to the table soon.

Thank you Crag and All,
B.

PS. What about an entry Visa? Would it be better off taking one?

You are eligible for a 30 day entry visa upon arrival. So you don't need to do anything in advance unless you plan to stay for a long period.
Even then you could apply for a visa extension at the airport or if you leave for 24 hours and come back into the country, this also works still I think.
Some people will fly to Singapore or Hong Kong for a night and come back or others take Visa runs to Cambodia or Laos by bus.
Then they get a new 30 day visa. I'm not sure what the restriction on re-entry is.
For the average Canadian customs and immigration is a non issue, you will breeze right through.
(Unless there is a huge line up)

I've been to Thailand 21 times and try to document as much as I can for my websites.
I've only been on this site for a couple years but the previous information is mostly spot on, some of the ladyboys have moved on perhaps.
This most recent trip I made a point of going to almost every ladyboy bar in Thailand, so the information is up to date.
I have probably stayed in 40 hotels in Thailand so I am up on that.
Plus having a girlfriend on and off from Thailand that I have been in contact with keeps me up on things.

Love to hear about your adventures.
Make sure to post your dates in the who's in town section maybe somebody will be around.
It is a little harder in Bangkok to meet other like minded guys especially in Nana Plaza, but Check Inn bar is a good relaxed place where you can actually talk to others.
The gogo bars in Nana can get intense and you will find yourself overwhelmed by loud music and ravenous ladyboys. I find if I wear something with Canada on it somebody always starts a conversation with me in many bars.

Pattaya is a little better for socializing and you can easily run into some board members or other guys. I have found King's Bar an especially relaxing and low pressure place to hang out. Most everyone there knows me now and I always like hanging out with Reggae Tony. In Pattaya here is more laid back outdoor beer bars where you can just relax, many have a mix of ladies and ladyboys.

The best advice is try to stay single and learn to just say no when you want to, don't give in to high pressure. Bangkok this usually is not a problem but in Pattaya many will often try to get their hooks into you for a longer time. However the long time Girl Friend Experience is one of the best features of Thailand and specifically in Pattaya. Just make sure when you do settle down it is with the perfect one and you have gotten the other ones out of your system. Sometimes you can get threesomes with their friends or other ladyboys at their bar, but once you let them get their hooks in good, you will have a hell of a time getting rid of them.

[bangerz]

You are eligible for a 30 day entry visa upon arrival. So you don't need to do anything in advance unless you plan to stay for a long period.
Even then you could apply for a visa extension at the airport or if you leave for 24 hours and come back into the country, this also works still I think.
Some people will fly to Singapore or Hong Kong for a night and come back or others take Visa runs to Cambodia or Laos by bus.
Then they get a new 30 day visa. I'm not sure what the restriction on re-entry is.
For the average Canadian customs and immigration is a non issue, you will breeze right through.
(Unless there is a huge line up)

I've been to Thailand 21 times and try to document as much as I can for my websites.
I've only been on this site for a couple years but the previous information is mostly spot on, some of the ladyboys have moved on perhaps.
This most recent trip I made a point of going to almost every ladyboy bar in Thailand, so the information is up to date.
I have probably stayed in 40 hotels in Thailand so I am up on that.
Plus having a girlfriend on and off from Thailand that I have been in contact with keeps me up on things.

Love to hear about your adventures.
Make sure to post your dates in the who's in town section maybe somebody will be around.
It is a little harder in Bangkok to meet other like minded guys especially in Nana Plaza, but Check Inn bar is a good relaxed place where you can actually talk to others.
The gogo bars in Nana can get intense and you will find yourself overwhelmed by loud music and ravenous ladyboys. I find if I wear something with Canada on it somebody always starts a conversation with me in many bars.

Pattaya is a little better for socializing and you can easily run into some board members or other guys. I have found King's Bar an especially relaxing and low pressure place to hang out. Most everyone there knows me now and I always like hanging out with Reggae Tony. In Pattaya here is more laid back outdoor beer bars where you can just relax, many have a mix of ladies and ladyboys.

The best advice is try to stay single and learn to just say no when you want to, don't give in to high pressure. Bangkok this usually is not a problem but in Pattaya many will often try to get their hooks into you for a longer time. However the long time Girl Friend Experience is one of the best features of Thailand and specifically in Pattaya. Just make sure when you do settle down it is with the perfect one and you have gotten the other ones out of your system. Sometimes you can get threesomes with their friends or other ladyboys at their bar, but once you let them get their hooks in good, you will have a hell of a time getting rid of them.

I appreciate your advice of saying "no" and don't give in to high pressure from the girls. I kinda experimented such situation once before and to remind me that the trap is there is probably a good thing.

I am truly grateful for that.

[Rockheart]

I appreciate your advice of saying "no" and don't give in to high pressure from the girls. I kinda experimented such situation once before and to remind me that the trap is there is probably a good thing.

I am truly grateful for that.

It's your vacation, you should control how it goes.
Not someone else.

[girish]

Golden rule, carry less money, don't keep passport & money in room, have a ball.

[Rockheart]

Golden rule, carry less money, don't keep passport & money in room, have a ball.

Usually I take about 5000 baht with me for a night out and an ATM card in case i need more. I never carry my wallet.
You can keep money and passport in your room safe, but it is even safer to leave it all in the hotel safe.

It is a good idea to carry a photocopy of your passport with you for identification.
Many stores will not take credit cards for large purchases without your passports, specifically gold and jewelry stores.

You should always try to pay cash because businesses often charge up to 5% for taking credit cards, even though this is technically illegal.
You won't find anyone enforcing credit card rules in Thailand.