Reasons Not To Visit Thailand

We all know that Thailand is considered a paradise country to visit. It has amazing beaches, temples to explore, islands, amazing food, and a lot more. As well it is known as the land of smiles cause the Thais are always smiling and friendly.

While Thailand is a great place to visit there are a number of reasons to not visit Thailand. For example, there is the 2-tier pricing to national parks where non-Thais pay 3 times the price that a Thai would have to pay.

In this post, we will go through the reason not to go to Thailand. Let’s get started!

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Reasons Not To Visit Thailand

Though Thailand is a wonderful country to visit there are a number of reasons not to go to Thailand. Now, what I have listed below might seem cranky or just over-critical but it is my option.

Now, this shouldn’t stop you from visiting Thailand but it is nice to know. The reasons are as follows in no particular order.

• A lot of local customs to respect.
• Don’t fight with the locals.
• 2-tier pricing.
• Overpricing.
• Don’t disrespect the king.
• Taxi drivers.
• Pollution.
• Drugs.
• You will encounter rats.

A Lot Of Local Customs To Respect

There are a fair few local Thai customs that you need to respect as you don’t want to accidentally insult a local for some local custom that you didn’t know about.

These customs are as follows.

• Do not raise your voice or speak loudly. Considered impolite in Thailand.
• Don’t touch heads. The head is viewed as the most sacred part of the body where touching it is taboo. This is considered highly disrespectful and will get you into trouble.
• Don’t climb or disrespect any Buddha or temple. They take this very seriously and you could end up in jail.
• The bottom of your feet is considered dirty, so don’t show them to people.

• Don’t point your feet at someone. This includes raising your feet higher than someone’s head and putting your feet on a desk or chair. These are all considered extremely rude in Thailand.
• Do not point your fingers while talking to someone in Thailand. This is considered rude.
• Saving face is important in Thailand. You should avoid saying or doing anything that may cause a Thai to lose face or be embarrassed.
• Respect Buddhist monks. Monks should be treated with respect, and are held in high regard and there are laws protecting them.

Don’t Fight With The Locals

In Thailand don’t fight with the locals. You will lose and the police with side with the locals. If you do offend a Thai by accident, just quickly apologize and they will accept it.

If you start to push the issue, you will regret it. The Thais fight dirty and once you’ve thrown the first punch, every Thai within 20 meters will join in and you could be attacked with bottles, chairs, and flying kicks.

2 Tier Pricing

In Thailand, there is a 2-tier pricing of one price for a Thai and another price for a foreigner. You will notice this, particularly in national parks, museums, and so on.

The price difference can be sufficient. Where the national entrance for Thais can be 40 baht and for foreigners can be up to as much as 160 baht.

The Thai government is trying to stop this. As they can see the 2 tier pricing system is hurting the image of both tourism and Thailand itself.

Overpricing

In Thailand, it will feel like every interaction feels like a transaction. You got to remember that there is a stereotype that tourists have money, particularly Western tourists.

This leads them to think they can increase the price of things. This occurs a lot in restaurants and markets. As well as that it also opens tourists to be targeted by scammers and extreme efforts in trying to sell you something.

Also in more touristy areas, things are more expensive. In some cases can be twice the price.

Don’t Disrespect The King

Simply just don’t speak badly about the king with Thai locals. Most Thais love their king and speaking badly of the king will offend them.

Thailand has a strict Lèse-majesté law which is strictly enforced. Saying anything bad about the king whether it is online or in person, will get you into trouble and you could end up in jail.

This also includes standing on Thai money as the king’s face is on it and it is considered another type of insult. Foreigners have been arrested for this and given long jail sentences.

A quick Google on this will give you more insight into foreigners and their cases around insulting the kings.

Taxi Drivers

This seems to be a problem in every country and taxi drivers wonder why Grab is doing so well. Other than the drivers trying to upsell stuff, there are other things you should be aware of.

The taxi driver will use the old-school method of driving you around and around to keep the meter running and this results in you being charged more money.

It also is known that taxi drivers fix their meters, so the total cost is way more than the real price. Always ensure that the meter is turned on before getting into the car.

Pollution

Pollution is a big problem in Thailand and particularly in Bangkok and a few of the islands. You will find that the air quality is generally not good but it improved over the last few years.

It is one of the reasons the locals wear masks to filter out the dirt.

Drugs

The law around drugs in Thailand is considered quite draconian. The punishments have been very extreme from long prison sentences up to the death penalty. The death penalty is rarely carried out.

The punishment is for the possession, use, and trafficking of drugs. The drugs range from marijuana to class A drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, or heroin.

It is illegal to even have drug residuals in your blood or urine. The Thai police raid clubs and bars regularly, and test everyone, including foreigners.

Drugs are available in Thailand, particularly in the Tourist areas. The rule in Thailand is to NOT go near drugs. You don’t know if the guy selling the drugs is working with the police and the quality of the drugs can be questionable.

You Will Encounter Rats

As the title suggests you will encounter rats in Thailand. At night in built-up areas, you will see rats running around. Especially when there is food or rubbish left out on the street.

I have seen two rats chasing each other around the floor of the restaurant. Nobody asked for a refund, the waiters didn’t even look surprised. And no one attempted to get the rats out of the restaurant.

It’s just something that you should expect to encounter as you travel around Thailand.

Wrapping Up

Finally, these may be the reasons not to visit Thailand. As you see they range from 2 tier pricing to fighting with the locals. Now, these should not stop you from going to Thailand but use this to learn about what to expect when going to Thailand and what to plan for.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on the reasons not to go to Thailand has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.

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