Thailand as a whole, and especially Bangkok, are in my experience, the safest places to travel in the world.

Unless you’re really unlucky you’ll never find yourself under any physical threat here – regardless of where you venture or what time of the day or night it is. Pretty much the only crime you might experience here might be confidence crime or possibly minor theft or pickpockets.

For those of you nervous about traveling to a country where police don’t command much respect, I’ve put together some known scams you might experience here and some advice about how to avoid them.

1) Non-Metered Taxis

All taxis in Bangkok should have a meter installed and, unless you are traveling out of the city you should only ever be charged by the meter. Meters start at 35 baht.

That said; it’s common for some taxi drivers to quote you a fixed fare. Unless they’ve gravely under-estimated the journey you’ll always get a worse deal if you pay a fixed rate for your journeys.

You might find a driver quoting you a fixed fare anywhere but it’s most common at the airport and around the popular tourist attractions and hotels.

Here’s my advice about getting a taxi:

- Don’t be fooled by the polite English-speaking greeters at the airport who want to bundle you into their ‘limousine’ service. All they do is put you into a normal taxi and charge you a hugely inflated fee. You’ll see these touts as soon as you enter the arrivals area at the airport. Politely smile, walk past them and go to the official taxi rank where you’ll be charged a mater fare plus an extra 50 baht. Note that you’ll be expected to pay for tollway fees which, to central Bangkok may cost around 100 baht. If you’re really suspicious about the toll fees just take a look at the tollbooths to ensure you’re being charged the right amount by your driver.

- Jump in, close the door and then tell the driver your destination. Usually by this time the taxi’s already moving and they’ll be less likely to kick you out if you refuse a fixed-rate fare.

- Never accept a fixed-rate fare even if you think the price is reasonable. The intention of the driver is to try and cheat you so don’t encourage them.

- If you want to have a bit of fun, get out of the taxi on the opposite side to the driver and ‘forget’ to close the door properly. This means the driver will have to stop the car, get out and close the door himself

- Tuk-Tuks don’t have meters and you’ll be ripped off 99% of the time you use one. Only use a tuk-tuk if you have an idea of what the fare should be already.

2) Tourist Attractions Closed

There are sometimes men in official-looking uniforms hanging around popular tourist attractions. These people often speak excellent English and are, on the surface very honest and friendly. Their ultimate goal is to persuade you to purchase over-priced gemstones and they’ll be working as part of a team.

Often you’ll be informed an attraction is closed because the government are auctioning gemstones that day or you’ll be shown a map of alternative attractions nearby which will likely include some gem stores.

If this happens, smile, explain politely that you’re meeting a friend inside and continue to your destination.

3) Gem Scams

Whether you’ve been coerced into a government gem auction (see #2) or you’ve wandered into a jewelers on your own accord and curiosity you’ll be hard-pressed to know the true value of anything in a Thai gem store.

Be wary of gemstores which receive coachloads of tourists on package yours and don’t think you’re smart enough to know whether a stone is genuine, fake, synthetic or just over-priced.

Thailand is great for cheap costume jewelry so if you see something that looks nice and you’re not being persuaded you’re buying something of value then by all means fill your suitcase but if you aren’t a gem expert then you’re best to stay clear.

If you are adamant in buying gemstones then make your purchase by credit card so you’ve at least got some consumer protection.

4) Free Tuk-Tuks

You’ll find some Tuk-Tuk drivers who’ll offer to take you round the city for free. The catch of course is that they’ll not actually take you to where you really want to go to. Instead you’ll be taken to massage parlours, tailor shops and gem shops where the drivers get petrol coupons and / or commissions.

You can be assured that none of these places are going to offer you anything of value and eventually your driver will get fed up of you just window shopping and will probably just drive off.

Feel free to take up the driver on his offer if you have no plans in particular and fancy whiling away a few hours though.

5) Falling in Love With a Bar Girl

This is covered in minute detail on every Thailand-based website and I’m not going to discuss it here. Just be aware that if you meet a girl in a bar in Bangkok, don’t trust one word that comes out of their mouth. If you’re a single guy then feel free to have a bit of fun but never convince yourself that the girl has fallen in love with you. If a girl isn’t charging you for their time and they’re cleaning your apartment and ironing your clothes, you can bet they’re looking to cheat you in creative – and often dangerous ways.

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Finally,

Despite everything I’ve mentioned above I do want to make it very clear that Thailand is an exceptionally safe country. I’ve left wallets, sunglasses, cellphones in public places only to return hours later to collect it from the honest citizen who’s kept it safe for me.

I’ve met strangers in the street who’ve invited me to live with them (and I did do), I’ve been offered free drinks at every party, celebration and festival here – most especially from intoxicated guys who, at first glance look like they’d be trouble.

The people who tend to have problems here are people who get aggressive at problems, who behave antisocially after a few drinks and who’d attract trouble anywhere in the world they’d go.

The rest of you should have a safe, fun and extremely friendly experience here.

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I’ve been there once and really do not recommend going it.

Here are my reasons:

- It’s a long way from Kanchanaburi center. I may be wrong but I’d guess about 2 hours each way. Seeing as it takes 2 hours to get to Kanchanaburi in the first place, it makes for a long day of travel.

- I didn’t feel the tigers were being taken good care of. Many were kept in small cages and seemed too hot.

- You and your tiger get about 1 minute total contact time. Both of you are ushered into the center of a yard. You meet, you face a camerama, he snaps your photo and then you’re both led away.

- Once you see a few sleepy big tigers, and some cute baby tigers in cages there’s nothing more to see.

Instead, there are two far better places to go:

1) Sri Racha Tiger Zoo

Located close to Pattaya you get much more contact with the tigers. Last time we went we were able to enter a room full of caged tigers of various ages and we could bottle feed them for a very nominal fee. Also there are other animals there as well as a few shows (The multilingual pig that does maths is great).

2) Safari World

Safari world is about 200 baht by taxi from central Bangkok.

There are usually some baby tigers around for photo-shoots and also you get to see them in the pseudo-safari environment too. A while ago we saw them frolicking in the water which caught us by surprise.

This is perhaps Thailand’s largest zoo so there’s a lot to see and do beyond just the tigers. We went there a few weeks ago and, although we go at least annually it’s still a lot of fun.

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In The Tiger Temple’s defense, you are more likely to get to stroke a full-sized tiger there than at the other places but this isn’t guaranteed and it probably would be just one stroke before you’re led away.

It’s possible that The Tiger Temple’s improved a lot in the last 6 years but I doubt it. IF anybody does visit there and disagrees with my opinion then please do get in touch and I’ll update this post.

Tik and I have been discussing writing up some tourist guides of our own so that we don’t need to expend the same small-talk with every person we host so … for the benefit of anybody traveling to Thailand, here is the first of many Tiki-Tour Travel Tips in Thailand.

Today I’ll be answering Jacqueline’s question of what to do in Bangkok away from the traditional tourist things. I’ve taken a bit of artistic license here and have listed a few things that are, in most peoples minds tourist attractions, but I’ve included them where think that tourists might not know about them.

1) Bang Krachao Park & Floating Market The days of the Thai traditional floating market where buyers and merchants both traversed a busy river on boats is unfortunately long-gone. The markets that do exist like this are really for the tourists but there’s a lot of markets that are called ‘floating markets’ that really are just aisles of stores next to a riverbank.

Our favorite floating market is Talat Nam Bang Naam Peung. It’s opened Saturday and Sunday and is about 30 minutes by taxi to the province outside of Bangkok (across the river). We tend to get a taxi but apparently it’s very easy to get to from Klong Toey pier in central bangkok (Klong Toey has an underground station).

Generally We take couchsurfers to this market because it’s got a huge assortment of Thai foods there. Tik enjoys the foods and the shopping opportunity. It’s certainly a place to try all the local Thai foods.

Bang Krachao Park is my favorite park in Bangkok. It’s not the largest but it’s beautifully maintained and I love the fact that you can find secret routes that extend out of the park into the canals and forests nearby.

We wrote an article about Bang Krachao park here.

2) Lumphini Park Another lovely park.

This one is located right in the center of Bangkok and you can get to it from pretty much anywhere within about 10 minutes (by skytrain or underground).

Although nothing like New York’s central park in elegance or size, the park still has a 2.5km running track around the perimeter and is large enough to make you feel like your breathing clean air.

Lumpini park hosts some fantastically interesting water monitor lizards who I love to watch swimming around, sunbathing or climbing trees.

What I love most about Lumpini is how much it’s used by Thai’s. Thai’s in Bangkok have pretty tough lives. They are unlikely to have the privilege of a garden and it’s inspiring to see how many people use the park for running, tennis, swimming, yoga, tai-chi and aerobics. Go there about 7am or 6pm to see the organized groups of exercises and you’ll see literally hundreds of aerobic enthusiasts and tai-chi practitioners making the most of their life in the city.

3) Sriraj Museum of Tropical Disease and Forensics

This museum is for the special kind of tourists who want to go somewhere a little bit dark. The two museums are housed within Siriraj hospital which is best accessed by riverboat along the Chao Praya. The riverboat stop is called ‘Siriraj’.

I think the museum closes about 3pm and you can see them both in about 40 minutes. The two museums are next to each other and cost only about 20 baht per person.

They’re not especially well presented but some of the exhibits are quite fascinating. You’ll see an elephantiasis-infected scrotum in the tropical disease museum and in the forensic museums there’s evidence and photos from accidents, preserved babies and aborted fetuses floated in formaldehyde, the mummified remains of serial killers who spend eternity in a glass cabinet with a drip tray underneath them, bullet-riddled skulls and a lot more.

These museums are not for the faint-hearted but perhaps only in Bangkok is it possible to get such close access to these kind of exhibits.

4) Beer Gardens

In the winter (roughly September until February) when the evening temperature is comfortable and it’s unlikely to rain a lot of areas within Bangkok get converted in to friendly beer gardens. You’ll see them in car parks and in unused space in front of shopping malls generally.

They comprise of a stage, lots of plastic seats and tables, Thai food vendors and some pretty hot girls trying to get you to buy beer. There will always be live pop music, although it’s sometimes debatable whether that’s a good thing or not as I’ve heard some of the worst ever singer in these places.

The largest year-round beer garden is at Suan Lum night market so if you arrive at other times of the year then you have at least one place that’s certain to be open.

5) Ancient City (Meung Bolan)

This is about 50 minutes by taxi to the East of Bangkok. It’s a tourist attraction but it doesn’t get much publicity these days and seems to be marketed more to Thais.

Ancient city (not to be confused with the Ancient city moniker of Ayutthaya) is a park in the shape of Thailand. You can rent bikes and cycle around to see scale models of Thailand’s architecture, tourist attractions and landscapes.

There’s very little shade here so I don’t advise going in the middle of the summer. You can get round the park within a couple of hours and it’d be nice to go there with a picnic for a relaxing half-day out.

6) Central World Plaza

Any modern guidebook that boasts about Thailand great shopping experience will probably suggest going to Paragon shopping mall. This is a very western mall that Tik and I are not too keen on.

Instead, head next door to Central World Plaza which is very similar to Paragon but it’s less crowded, better zoned and is actually enjoyable to wander round.

7) Takraw

" Takkraw is a fascinating Thai sport, played very much like volleyball but with feet. It’s an exceptionally skilled game and, if you travel through Bangkok it seems to be played anywhere where there’s space.

Keep your eyes open when traveling by taxi and you’ll no doubt see people playing under bridges and in derelict building sites. It’s well-worth stopping to see how skillful a well-played game can be.

The Cinema

This might seem like a strange thing to mention but you can really treat yourself at Bangkok’s top cinemas for a very reasonable price. Most movies are in English with Thai subtitles and tickets are as little as 100 baht per person.

Go the extra mile though and pay a premium of 600 baht per person and you can enjoy fully reclining double sofas, a VIP lounge before the movie starts with complimentary snacks and drinks, in-seat massagers, blankets and pillows etc.

These premium seats are available for some showings at the cinemas at Siam Center, Siam Paragon and Central World Plaza – all three of these are in walking distance from Siam Square Sky Train.

9) RCA (Royal City Avenue)

This is an area of nightclubs and bars in Rachada area of Bangkok. These clubs are popular with Thai locals so attract less tourists than other areas. Tik and I don’t go here but if you want to experience real Thai nightlife, this is probably one of the most authentic.

10) Safari & Ocean World

Yes this is very much a tourist attraction, but I doubt it’s very well advertised to westerners although it should be. It’s located about 45 minutes by taxi from central Bangkok but I can’t remember exactly where. Safari world is actually two zoos in one. The central area, called ‘Ocean World’ has a pretty misleading name.

Although yes it certainly does hold aquatic species including some fascinating polar bears, it’s also a comprehensive zoo. As you explore the exhibits you’ll likely have the opportunity to mother a tiger cub or chimpanzee for perhaps 50 or 100 baht.

The Sarafi part of the park is actually a drive-through safari. This is separate although you’d be advised to get a joint ticket to enjoy both. Without a car you’ll be taken on their bus and the circuit lasts about 40 minutes.

Tik and I both really like Safari world. It might not be the most comprehensive zoo in the world but the animals do seem to be reasonably well treated. Pricing’s probably about 600 baht per person so it isn’t cheap but it makes for a full day out.

11) Dream World

Dreamworld is the place where Tik and I had our first date. It’s a thrill park with a handful of extreme rides, although most rides are better suited to children and teenagers.

Dreamworld is located in Rangsit area in the north of Bangkok, beyond the old Don Muang airport. Getting there by taxi takes about an hour. It won’t be cheap (I guess about 600 baht) but, as with Safari World above, it makes for a fun day out.

12) Sammakorn Village

I’ll bet you won’t see this on any tourist guides but I’m going to recommend it because it’s the village where I used to live. It’s located on Ramkamhaeng Soi 112 and is the largest self-contained village I’ve ever seen.

The location is a bit difficult to get to because it’s 40 minutes to the east of central Bangkok and there’s no skytrain or underground there. Don’t brave this area at peak time, or when it’s raining as traffic is a nightmare!

I recommend it because it’s a great place to observe real middle-class Thai life. Ideally it would be perfect to rent bikes to explore this village but that’s not really practical so you’ll probably have to walk.

The village hosts 7 lakes (some are huge) and once you get about 2 kilometers into the village you’ll begin to see some beautiful houses, especially once you get off the main roads and explore the smaller streets.

The first couple of kimometers are looking a bit run-down now unfortunately though. At the weekends, at the front of the village there’s very large and popular market that attracts people from all over the area. Sammakorn has probably about 100 places to eat, and all but a few are very reasonably priced.

We recommend "Krua Tii Song" and "Ruan Rot" – both lovely Thai restaurants overlooking the largest lake. Great Thai food, great atmosphere and a welcome break from the hassles of Bangkok.

13) Thai Galleries & Museums

Tik and I haven’t had time to explore these places but you should find them buried away in your guidebooks. There seems to be a lot of them around the older parts of the city in the west.

14) Music in the Park

Tik and I haven’t yet been here but apparently on Sunday afternoons (about 3pm) there are always mini-concerts and recitals in Lumpini Park. We plan to get there soon and will blog about it when we do.

15) Come for a Swim

Bangkok’s an exhausing city. If you just fancy a day to relax maybe you could join us by the pool here. Bangkok surprisingly doesn’t have many public pools – although the roof of some shopping malls have a few water parks on the roof (these are really for noisy Thai kids though).

16) Baiyok Sky Bar & Restaurant

I guess about 10 years ago this was a tourist attraction but nowadays it’s probably something for budget-minded travelers. Baiyok hotel is the tallest tower in Bangkok and you can pretty much see it from all over the city center.

It’s in walking distance of Chit-lom Skytrain. You can got to their rotating restaurant for a cheap bugffet meal. The food’s not great but it’s not overly expensive. A more comfortable alternative is to go to their bar where you get a panoramic view of Bangkok.

I think the cost is 200 baht including an alcoholic drink. This isn’t the most glamorous of places to go but it’s certainly comfortable and less busy than other skybars in Bangkok.

17) Karaoke

Thais love Karaoke. You can find dedicated Karaoke clubs throughout Bangkok and also you’ll find karaoke rooms in most shopping malls – generally they’re connected with bowling alleys. Songs are usually in both English and Thai.