01 Dec 30 safety tips for Thailand – at Koh Phi Phi, Full Moon Party and Koh San Road
Everyone wants to have fun when they travel through Thailand and it is totally possible as long as you stay safe and use your common sense. Here are our top 30 safety tips for Thailand for the under 25’s
Top 10 tips for Khao San Road – for the under 25’s
- There is no Skytrain in this area so play it safe and take a metered taxi until you are familiar with the area
- Beware of scams. Buy onward travel and tours online or from a shop – not off the street.
- For really authentic Thai food, research the good ones in the area (Banglamphu), otherwise you are likely to end up with something substandard
- Nightclubs sometimes ask to see your passport before they let you in so keep yours with you if you intend to go clubbing
- Don’t ask tuk-tuks to do wheelies……really, it’s dangerous!
- Keep your wits about you late at night if you are drunk
- Even the police may not be a safe option as night turns into morning. This is one of our top safety tips for Thailand
- If you buy anything super expensive on Khao San Road – it will either be overpriced or fake
- Haggle!!!
- Kids trying to sell you anything on Khao San Road should not be there. Kids are not tourist attractions.
Top 10 tips for The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan – for the under 25’s
- Here are the things to do 2 weeks in advance: Book your accommodation, your flights or overnight bus or train. Book the ferry/speedboat to the island, book the ferry/speedboat off the island and finally book your transport to your next destination. Last minute organisation can take the fun out of the party….
- If you are staying outside of Haad Rin, negotiate taxi’s early and fill it up with friends otherwise it may not leave until it is full.
- Don’t take any valuables to the party
- Do your best to make pickpockets jobs as hard as possible, so have a zip on your bag and keep it on you at all times
- Have a plan if you lose your friends
- Don’t start too early – the highlight is dancing until dawn
- Drink plenty of water
- Another of our top safety tips for Thailand: More than 10 people die each year at The Full Moon so don’t be reckless with any aspect of your safety including swimming in the ocean, taking drugs and getting into fights
- Don’t be too scared of the bucket – they are fun if shared – but the bar owner won’t be tight with the alcohol content – you will get merry quickly
- Take care when playing with fire (literally) – the ropes look fun but lots of people have a nasty scar from doing that at the Full Moon Party because even a light burn heals slowly/poorly in the tropics
Top 10 tips for Koh Phi Phi Island – for the under 25’s
- This island is small and there is no transport other than boats, so you will be walking everywhere. Learn the footpaths as soon as you can so you don’t get lost. Top safety tip for Thailand: Remember where your room is because at 3am you might find yourself wandering around alleyways with no clue as to how to find your bed.
- If you come just after the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan you may find that there are no rooms available because this is when everyone heads to Phi Phi, but at any time of year we recommend you book your room in advance. Booking.com or HostelWorld.com have great choices.
- Getting some sleep – Lo Dalam Beach is where the main partying happens so sleeping in this area might be noisy. Long Beach is a great option if you want some peace and quiet and don’t mind paying 150 baht each way to come in and out for the nightlife and shopping. Ton Sai Village is where the cheapest accommodation is plus there are some newer cheap bungalows up in the hills above the village.
- Koh Phi Offers some extreme sports like cliff jumping so make sure your insurance covers you
- Remember you are in an Asian country so:
- Don’t go topless as a woman
- Don’t have sex on the beach,
- Don’t get into a fight with locals
- Drink spiking – Some visitors have claimed they were robbed after their bucket drinks were spiked –uhhhh, you just drank enough alcohol for a month! Taking your watch and wallet from you as you lay passed out in the sand was always going to be simple.
- Have a meeting point if you lose friends, don’t think that all Thai’s are your best mates, there is barely any police presence on the island, so just take good care of yourself – don’t get so drunk you can’t take care of yourself if left alone.
Most of all – be confident, well planned, ready to party safely – be polite, even if it is late at night even if you feel unsafe. If in doubt, walk away. Stay in a small group… wander off during the day time.
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David McKelvey, Featured Image from Flickr.com
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